Camille Claudel, a Novel
by Alma H. Bond
Published by Publish America
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Reviewed by Sarra Borne
Camille Claudel was a 19th Century Parisian sculptress best known for her love affair with Auguste Rodin.
This book purports to be Camille's memoirs written during her confinement in a mental institution, that were lost and then discovered after many years hidden in an attic.
Camille's family was bi-polar; her mother and younger sister were cold and unloving, while her father and brother were warm and encouraging. This dichotomy didn't stop her from pursuing her art, first by sculpting figures out of mud, and later from clay. As she matures into a young woman, she obtains a place as a student with Alfred Boucher, who later passes her apprenticeship to Rodin.
Camille held within her an artistic fire, which burned brightly and expressed itself in her refusal to be dominated by male society. She was born to sculpt and ferociously attacked anyone who attempted to say otherwise, even when in later life it meant nearly starving for lack of a commission.
Throughout her life, Camille dreamed of "her artist," the one who will sweep her off her feet and teach her everything; Rodin becomes this artist for her. She falls deeply in love with him, as he protects and encourages her both as a sculptor and as a lover. Unfortunately, despite ten years with Rodin, he refuses to marry her, instead maintaining his common-law relationship with another woman. This drives Camille deeper and deeper into despair; she starts suffering from paranoid delusions about Rodin.
In her madness, she destroyed many of her own pieces believing them to be in jeopardy of being stolen by "Rodin and his gang." Ultimately she is committed to a mental institution by her mother, where she remains until her death, thirty years later. Her descent into madness, as rendered by Bond, a psychoanalyst, is fascinating, gripping and provides a special insight into the human brain.
The timeline of the novel is disrupted in several places, when events and conversations occur out of order. While this may have been an intentional act by the author, it was confusing to this reader, as it affected the flow of the narrative. A minor flaw, and certainly not one that detracts from the passion and intensity of the work.
Armchair Interview says this historical fiction will especially interest people who love art, sculpture in particular.