Published: September 1st 2011 by Shoreham House Publishers
Kindle {eBook} 181 Pages
Review Copy
This novel was slow for me, in the beginning anyway. Eadweard Muybridge is one of the first people to make a picture without painting it. A picture in motion so to speak. It was very interesting but my favorite part of the book started when he met Flora. She was a beautiful young lady and I hoped even though he was older than her, that she would have been good to him. Dirty rat that Larkyns was he took advantage of Flora. That simple! He was a dirty dog.
I was cheering for Muybridge, people were terrible to him. When a book makes me want to know more, I consider that a GOOD book in my opinion! I really loved this story, as you can tell, once it got flowing. I think it is just a little rough around the edges, if that is a good term for it? I was mesmerized with how he came to do the horses in motion -- fascinating stuff!
Soon to be a major motion picture, this action-filled adventure of four fascinating people during one of the most thrilling chapters of American history: the late 19th century transition from the Wild West to the Age of Technology. There’s the narrator of our story, Eadweard Muybridge, the eccentric and mysterious photographer who conquers staggering obstacles to produce the first motion pictures; his young wife, Flora, one of the greatest beauties of San Francisco — and she knows it; Major Harry Larkyns, the English con artist who steals her heart and pays the ultimate price; and Governor Leland Stanford, the richest and most powerful businessman in the nation, who is both Muybridge’s greatest supporter and the engine of his most devastating downfall.
This novel was slow for me, in the beginning anyway. Eadweard Muybridge is one of the first people to make a picture without painting it. A picture in motion so to speak. It was very interesting but my favorite part of the book started when he met Flora. She was a beautiful young lady and I hoped even though he was older than her, that she would have been good to him. Dirty rat that Larkyns was he took advantage of Flora. That simple! He was a dirty dog.
I was cheering for Muybridge, people were terrible to him. When a book makes me want to know more, I consider that a GOOD book in my opinion! I really loved this story, as you can tell, once it got flowing. I think it is just a little rough around the edges, if that is a good term for it? I was mesmerized with how he came to do the horses in motion -- fascinating stuff!
Some people may say that he got away with murder, but I think Larkyns deserved it. He took advantage of way too many people. But hey, whatever you want to call it, he was acquitted! What I wanted to know, was the son really Eadweard's????
Read this book, you will thank Stern! Makes you want to know more about how things came to be. I hope he decides to do more, but smooth out those edges so the story isn't so choppy!!!
Grade: B
I'm glad that despite the slow beginning, you ended up really enjoying this one Tonya! I'm not a huge fan of autobiographies, but given I was a photography major in college I think Muybridge's story would be really interesting for me:) Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteI am not either but this won me over by the end! I was sooo rooting for him at the end. When an author makes you interested in the subject more, I consider that a job well done!
ReplyDeleteI don't think this book would work for me but your review was excellent! I am glad that you stuck with it despite its slow beginning.
ReplyDelete