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The Vexations
The Vexations | Caitlin Horrocks
5 posts | 3 read | 8 to read
A kaleidoscopic debut novel about love, family, genius, and the madness of art, circling the life of eccentric composer Erik Satie and La Belle poque Paris, from a writer who is "wildly entertaining" (San Francisco Chronicle), "startlingly ingenious" (Boston Globe), and "impressively sharp" (New York Times Book Review). Erik Satie begins life with every possible advantage. But after the dual blows of his mother's early death and his father's breakdown upend his childhood, Erik and his younger siblings -- Louise and Conrad -- are scattered. Later, as an ambitious young composer, Erik flings himself into the Parisian art scene, aiming for greatness but achieving only notoriety. As the years, then decades, pass, he alienates those in his circle as often as he inspires them, lashing out at friends and lovers like Claude Debussy and Suzanne Valadon. Only Louise and Conrad are steadfast allies. Together they strive to maintain their faith in their brother's talent and hold fast the badly frayed threads of family. But in a journey that will take her from Normandy to Paris to Argentina, Louise is rocked by a severe loss that ultimately forces her into a reckoning with how Erik -- obsessed with his art and hungry for fame -- will never be the brother she's wished for. With her buoyant, vivid reimagination of an iconic artist's eventful life, Caitlin Horrocks has written a captivating and ceaselessly entertaining novel about the tenacious bonds of family and the costs of greatness, both to ourselves and to those we love.
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Cuilin
The Vexations | Caitlin Horrocks
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Pickpick

Absolutely an amazing read. Horrocks writes with grace about the lives of the Satie siblings, mainly the composer Erik Satie. It one of those books I‘ll think about long after the last page is turned. ❤️

JamieArc I have this on my TBR. I‘ll have to get to it sooner now 😊 3y
Cuilin @JamieArc A little warning, I did cry at some of this. Would love to know what you think though. 3y
JamieArc @Cuilin I‘ll be sure to post a review. Between being a Francophile and from Michigan (I believe the author is from Michigan), this book caught my eye. I haven‘t seen many people post about it, so I‘m glad to see a good review. 3y
Cathythoughts Nice review! Sounds good 3y
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blurb
JamieArc
The Vexations | Caitlin Horrocks
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From the French Embassy in the US Facebook page:
📚Honoring literature. Interpreting France.🇫🇷
Tomorrow, @theamericanlibraryinparis will host its Book Award ceremony to give the association's highest honor. The annual event will be held online with free admission to the public. Highlights include a book talk from the winning author, a panel about the shortlist and many other fun surprises.
🔎 Register: https://bit.ly/3nHrSI2

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review
AlexGeorge
The Vexations | Caitlin Horrocks
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Pickpick

This is my favorite novel so far this year. THE VEXATIONS by Caitlin Horrocks is a brilliant, beguiling and hugely entertaining telling of Erik Satie‘s life. A profound and generous meditation on family, art, sacrifice and genius, it had me under its spell from the first page. The writing is gorgeous, and Belle Époque Paris is sharply and exquisitely rendered. It‘s a complete triumph.

Liberty IT‘S SO GOOD. ❤️ 5y
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review
balletbookworm
The Vexations | Caitlin Horrocks
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Pickpick

Book 4 finished for July 24in48.

This is a very intimate novel about the life of Erik Satie and his sister, brother, and two friends who new him well. The writing is beautiful, particularly in those chapters from Satie‘s perspective talking about “touch” or music, and Horrocks described the Montmartre Satie inhabited so well. The chapters from his sister Louise‘s perspective are interesting; they are the only ones told in 1st person...

balletbookworm I think I figured out why the author made that choice but I don‘t quite think it was needed. 5y
17 likes1 comment
review
AlexGeorge
The Vexations | Caitlin Horrocks
Pickpick

This was a rich, engrossing, highly accomplished novel based on the life of Erik Satie. I hope it does brilliantly. It deserves to. One of the best books I‘ve read this year.