The Reinvention of Love is a short book written primarily from the point of view of Charles Saint-Beauve – a writer in 1850’s Paris who becomes friends with Victor Hugo right before Hugo gains his popularity. Saint-Beauve and Hugo’s wife – Adele Hugo – begin an affair that forms the basis for the book that follows them until they both grow quite old and Hugo is a literary beheamoth. The book is apparently based on actual events.
I did not like The Reinvention of Love at all because I absolutely hated Saint-Beauve and I didn’t care very much for Adele either. Thank goodness it was a short book because I don’t know that I could have finished it if it were any longer! I do not recommend this one!!
(I don’t know that I will be reading any more of Helen Humphreys’ books because I have not had much luck with them! (See my review of The Lost Garden: A Novel)
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