claude and camille

This is an historical fiction book about the life, love, and work of Claude Monet and his fellow Impressionists.  My mom passed this book on to me and said I would really enjoy it, and I did for the first 75 pages.  At that point, I became really annoyed with Monet.  He comes off as a whiny, weak, and unfaithful man who leaves Camille, the supposed love of his life, one too many times.  He is portrayed as a talented, yet absolutely selfish, man.  With 100 pages to go, I really wanted the book to wrap up.

One thing I did find interesting is the camaraderie Monet shared with other painters of the time like Renoir, Cezanne, and Bazille.  I liked learning about the birth of Impressionism, but that was about it for this book.  With an annoying main character, unnatural dialogue, and drawn out rising action, I was happy to finish it up.