Heather’s Bookshelf: Manet and the Lion Hunter
Author: Simone Pertuiset
Released: 07/25/23
Genre: Historical Fiction- based on a true story
“With the troupe, life is like a theatre. Paris nourishes his soul, fires his imagination, and fuels his dreams. He shudders to think that he might have ended up being a small-town apothecarist.”
“Manet and the Lion Hunter” is based on a real man, Eugene Pertuiset, a man from the 1800s who lives a life that seems to be made up in a story. He’s a strongman by trade (goes by the name the Tyrolean Hercules), an inventor, and an adventurer.
The story begins with Eugene traveling to Paris where the city is under transformation. He is soon enthralled with the city- it’s food, the people, the art, and the sense of adventure. His own need for more pushes him to engage in such things as lion-hunting. His adventures lead him to meet many interesting and famous people including Alexandre Dumas, a Russian Czar, Napoleon III, and many of the impressionists of the era.
It’s his friendship with one of the impressionists, Manet, that leads to Eugene exploring the artist within him and eventually to the painting seen on the cover of the book. This story tells of the adventures Eugene Pertuiset and of all the characters he encounters along the way.
Trigger Warning: violence, animal death (hunting, accidents, wartime violence, etc), sexual situations
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I will admit I was reluctant to take on this book as I am not a fan of anything that includes animal death and/or hunting, but the premise intrigued me so much that I couldn’t refuse. I’m glad I didn’t and am happy to say the author does a good job of including the brutality of the actions in a way that wasn’t vulgar and seemed authentic to the thinking of the time. The structure is different- incorporating a mixture of the main tale (told through Eugene’s POV), reflections and interjections of historical facts, and amazing images and illustrations. The three complement each other in a way that flows smoothly and adds to each other. The author does well in using the main tale to put the reader in the story including beautiful descriptions of the settings and then reiterates the authenticity through the historical facts and images. It’s really well done and really fit the genre. The setting is so amazing in both Eugene’s adventures and the people he meets, it’s hard to put this book down. There is a period of time involving a trip and some cannibals where the story drags on a little and becomes more about telling what happened instead of showing it. But, the rest really moves things along. For any impressionist fans out there will surely enjoy this story as Manet and many of the other artists of the time play a huge role in Eugene’s evolution. The story is clearly well-researched and the connection between the author and Eugene only further the authenticity of the tale- check out the author interview to learn more!
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A historical fiction with roots based in truth and a personal connection for the author. Stories almost too crazy to be true, beautiful settings, and pleasing pacing highlight this tale.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Simone Pertuiset
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here
Interested in submitting your book for review? Visit my review page for guidelines and submission requirements.
