More from me

My latest review, of Adam Braver’s new novel DIVINE SARAH, is now available at Popmatters. Normally, I’m not one for books about real-life figures, but I thought Braver did a remarkable job in bringing Sarah Bernhardt to life–for the span of a week in 1906, at the very least. The money paragraph, if you will:

What elevates Divine Sarah from a merely good work of historical fiction to something far greater is the quality of the prose. Never pedestrian, there are times when Braver’s turn of phrase perfectly captures a fleeting emotion, a storm of conflict, a sense of total exhaustion. The result is a novel that is truly captivating and a deep exploration of an artist’s sense of self and her relationship with those that love her, hate her, or simply misunderstand her.

For an additional perspective, see Carolyn See’s earlier review in the Washington Post.