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Sacre bleu
416 pages
A bawdy, absinthe-soaked romp through late 19th-century Paris that turns art history into a surreal, laugh-out-loud mystery.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stumbling into a late-night, absinthe-fueled party with the Impressionists. It is a wildly irreverent, bawdy romp that refuses to take art history too seriously, yet clearly loves the subject matter deeply. The pace is brisk and bouncy, propelled by snappy dialogue, historical in-jokes, and unapologetically lowbrow humor layered over highbrow concepts. The mood is distinctly bohemian and surreal, wrapping the reader in a vibrant, paint-splattered vision of 19th-century Paris where muses are literal and colors hold dangerous magic. It delights readers who enjoy their historical fiction spiked with absurdity, offering a chaotic but ultimately affectionate tribute to the obsession of creation, the bonds of friendship, and the intoxicating power of art.
- Mood
- absinthe-soaked
- bohemian
- surreal
- whimsical
- Tone
- irreverent
- bawdy
- witty
- satirical
- affectionate
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the obsession of creation · the magic of color · artistic muses · historical reimagining · camaraderie
- The writing
- Snappy, colorful, and unapologetically vulgar, yet peppered with genuine historical detail and artistic reverence.
- The arc
- Begins with bewildered curiosity, spirals into bawdy, surreal chaos, and resolves with a surprisingly poignant reverence for art and love.
- Who it's for
- Art history nerds who appreciate a healthy dose of lowbrow humor, absurdity, and absinthe-fueled shenanigans.
Content notes
- bawdy humor
- sexual content
- profanity
- substance use
- suicide (historical context)
About the book
"From repeat author Christopher Moore comes a love story, the portrait of a young artist, the portrait of the young artist's myterious girlfriend, a thriller, and a comedy -- all about the color blue"--
Description from Open Library.
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