Read Online The Age of Light A Novel Whitney Scharer Books

Download As PDF : The Age of Light A Novel Whitney Scharer Books

"Rapturous and razor sharp all at once, The Age of Light fearlessly unzips anything we might know of Lee Miller as model and muse and recasts her as artist, free thinker and architect of a singular and unapologetic life. This novel sparks on every page." --Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife and Love and Ruin

A captivating debut novel by Whitney Scharer, The Age of Light tells the true story of Vogue model turned renowned photographer Lee Miller, and her search to forge a new identity as an artist after a life spent as a muse. "I'd rather take a photograph than be one," she declares after she arrives in Paris in 1929, where she soon catches the eye of the famous Surrealist Man Ray. Though he wants to use her only as a model, Lee convinces him to take her on as his assistant and teach her everything he knows. As they work together in the darkroom, their personal and professional lives become intimately entwined, changing the course of Lee's life forever.

Lee's journey of self-discovery takes took her from the cabarets of bohemian Paris to the battlefields of war-torn Europe during WWII, from inventing radical new photography techniques to documenting the liberation of the concentration camps as one of the first female war correspondents. Through it all, Lee must grapple with the question of whether it's possible to stay true to herself while also fulfilling her artistic ambition--and what she will have to sacrifice to do so.

Told in alternating timelines of 1930s Paris and the battlefields of WWII, this sensuous, richly researched and imagined debut novel brings to light the life of a fearless, original artist--a woman whose name and art should be known by everyone.

Read Online The Age of Light A Novel Whitney Scharer Books

"I have read previous books that have included glimpses into Lee Miller’s life in Paris in the 1930’s and I have read factual accounts about her life as a Vogue model, life with Man Ray, as a war correspondent. This book, while fiction, brought what I have read previously into one powerful story giving insight into this complex, talented and troubled woman. How much is fiction and how much is fact is unknown but the book is absorbing and a great read! I look forward to seeing what or who will be next from this author."

Product details Hardcover 384 pages Publisher Little, Brown and Company; 1st edition (February 5, 2019) Language English ISBN-10 0316524085

Tags : The Age of Light A Novel (9780316524087) Whitney Scharer Books,Whitney Scharer,The Age of Light A Novel,Little, Brown and Company,0316524085,Biographical fiction,Historical fiction,Man Ray,Miller, Lee,Models (Persons),Models (Persons);Fiction.,Romance fiction,War photographers,War photographers;Fiction.,World War, 1939-1945,World War, 1939-1945;Fiction.,AMERICAN HISTORICAL FICTION,FICTION / Biographical,FICTION / Historical / General,FICTION / Historical / World War II,FICTION / Literary,Fiction,Fiction-Historical,Fiction/Historical - General,Fiction/Historical - World War II,Fiction/Literary,France,GENERAL,General Adult,United States,Women's Studies,historical fiction best sellers; feminist historical fiction; World War 2 historical fiction books; best books for book clubs 2019; world war 2 books about women; wwii historical fiction Paris; historical romance novels set in Paris; Man Ray Lee Miller; fiction books about photography; surrealist women fiction,historical fiction best sellers; feminist historical fiction; World War 2 historical fiction books; best books for book clubs 2019; world war 2 books about women; wwii historical fiction Paris; historical romance novels set in Paris; Man Ray Lee Miller; fiction books about photography; surrealist women fiction,FICTION / Biographical,FICTION / Historical / General,FICTION / Historical / World War II,FICTION / Literary,Fiction/Historical - General,Fiction/Historical - World War II,Fiction/Literary

The Age of Light A Novel Whitney Scharer Books Reviews :

The Age of Light A Novel Whitney Scharer Books Reviews

• To be honest I didn't like this book, but I give it three stars for being extremely well written. I simply didn't like its characters; didn't care for their mental issues, and that is what to me the book is about, a bunch of mentally ill people. Was it because her dad took dirty pictures of her? Was it the war? Was it a number of things that made this woman resort to angry mindless sex with dirty soldiers? To drunken cooking later in life? To just nastiness? I feel like her anger issues and her romance with Man smothers anything artistic about her. Yes, the details about making photos back in the 30s is fascinating, but from then on, it's downhill. Regardless it's not a "woman beats all odds and comes out the better for it" tale. And there's not a lot inspiring about her. She took some war photos and was scarred by it but doesn't seem to be a woman to admire or aspire to.
• This is an okay novel. Since it's written in the present tense and third-person it reads like an extended set of stage directions, which made me feel I couldn't truly get to know the characters. Lee felt very distant and inscrutable, and Man Ray character felt flat as well. On the whole it feels like a missed opportunity to explore the lives of some genuinely intriguing people. One other thing as I've been working out my thoughts about this book I've been reading the customer reviews. Every one-star review has vanished--and there have been several, most of them pointing out the unlikeability of the characters and a few expressing dismay at the "racy" content. There are rules, I imagine, for what you can post, but I wonder if the publisher or is removing these lower ratings to keep up the sales. (I wonder if this review will be made to disappear as well?)
• I seriously cannot say enough great things about this book. With 2 young kids, reading fell to the back burner for more than 5 years. Then I read an early manuscript of this and could not put it down. I fell back in love with reading and now just want to find other equally gorgeous books to soak up. I'm now re-reading it -- in its published version -- and every single page brings new joy to me. The story, the writing, the dialogue, the imagery.....this novel in nothing short of incredible. Now, back to finishing The Age of Light!
• Sometimes a novel comes along that you become so enthralled with that you do not want to put it down and almost feel sorrow at reaching the final pages. The Age of Light is that kind of novel. It offers a sexy, intimate look at the life of photographer Lee Miller. Lee has worked as a model in New York but wants to get behind the camera and be in charge, so she finds a way to become Man Ray’s assistant after meeting him in Paris in 1929. Their love affair is totally believable, as is her inability to find satisfaction with one man, even an artistic genius like Man Ray. Brief chapters about her war photography interrupt the narrative but they are not at all jarring. Instead they provide a deeper understanding of all that she aspired to while with Man Ray. What I found particularly fascinating was the characterization. Whitney Sharer captures Lee’s imperfections so well. We share her bad moods. We struggle with her choices. We try to make sense of her inconsistencies. I have met women like Lee Miller in my life and did not especially like them. After reading this book, I felt as if an examination of their childhood years might have helped in understanding their behavior. Run, don’t walk, to your closest independent bookstore to get a copy of this novel. You will not be disappointed.
• It was difficult to have any sympathy for Lee Miller, the way she was written in this book and after reading other pieces, I had developed admiration for her -- I'm glad this wasn't my first encounter with her life. Her obvious passion for and ability to create wasn't fully explored. I found my self wishing for more time spent on her life away from Man Ray. How did she make a life as an independent woman? What was it like to be one of the few female war photographers? What did she think about how her work was received? The book should have cut out many of the breathless and endless descriptions of wild parties and sexual encounters and spent more time on Lee Miller's life.
• I have read previous books that have included glimpses into Lee Miller’s life in Paris in the 1930’s and I have read factual accounts about her life as a Vogue model, life with Man Ray, as a war correspondent. This book, while fiction, brought what I have read previously into one powerful story giving insight into this complex, talented and troubled woman. How much is fiction and how much is fact is unknown but the book is absorbing and a great read! I look forward to seeing what or who will be next from this author.
• I loved this book and, as others have commented, it is beautifully written. I'll certainly buy Ms. Scharer's next book.
  I've read biography's of Lee Miller and seen scores of Man Ray's photos, many of which sprung into my mind as they were described in the book. I wonder if this familiarity with their work improved, or distracted from my experience in reading this book. The Wall Street Journal review that led me to this book featured the iconic photo of Lee in Hitler's bathtub, a startling visual on many levels. But, is a written description of that work, or Man Ray's experimental work adequate to describe their places in the history of photographic art?
  In sum, it probably doesn't matter. This is a story about how each of these fascinating artists felt ABOUT their work, each other and their times along with their mutual misappropriation of their talents. It matters less knowing exactly why they were more than just another studio photographer and fashion model.
  This is a fine book....amazing that it is a first novel. Read it. But, if you're not familiar with them, it won't be a spoiler to read the Wikipedia entries of them both before starting The Age of Light.