Saturday, January 25, 2014

Under the Wide and Starry Sky

Under the Wide and Starry Sky, by Nancy Horan
Series? No
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date: Jan 21, 2014
How did I get this book? free Advance Reader's Copy from the publisher via Shelf Awareness for my honest review
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Author | Publisher

I know I'm not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but how gorgeous is this one?! I must admit the cover was the first thing that attracted me when I first heard about it, but Stevenson's nationality certainly didn't hurt -- I've said it before and I'll say it again, I have a serious soft spot for all things Scottish!

Nancy Horan's sophomore novel follows the lives of Robert Louis Stevenson and his wife Fanny van de Grift Osbourne from the time shortly before they met through their courtship, marriage, and the rest of their lives together. While this novel is indeed fiction, it is based on fact and is extremely well researched. Two things I was completely unaware of were how sickly Stevenson was and how far he and Fanny travelled on a quest for climates compatible with his lung condition. Traveling was not exactly easy in those days, but this book (and their lives) truly spanned the globe -- the title could not have been more apropos.

I have very little to criticize about this book, but when Fanny first met Bob Stevenson, I was most definitely rolling my eyes. Logically, I know even famous, well-respected people are likely to have had nicknames among their friends and family, but I couldn't help thinking "Oh God, is this going to be 496 pages of the classic author Robert Louis Stevenson being referred to as Bob?!" The name just didn't sit right for some reason, so I was extremely happy to soon realize that Bob was actually the famous Stevenson's cousin. The author himself simply went by the name Louis. It's completely irrational, I know, but I was very happy once this distinction was made clear!

In a time when divorce was scandalous and marrying for love was not necessarily a priority, it was fascinating to read about this famous couple's relationship. Add in the fact that Louis was significantly younger than Fanny, and you have a truly unconventional pair for the time period. Horan does not shy away from the various difficulties and tragedies in their lives -- they make mistakes, they struggle, and they are flawed (as we all are), but it was heartening to see how strong their bond was through it all. Far too many stories about marriage paint the institution in one of two extremes: either all sunshine and roses or a miserable, awful affair one of the involved parties needs to escape. Fanny's first husband was an unfaithful philanderer and she certainly needed to get away from him, but it was wonderful reading the story of her second chance at love -- real love. She is strong, feisty, courageous, and opinionated -- a real cracker-jack of a character with a lot of depth. At times it seems she kept Louis alive by sheer force of will. She also gave him a great deal of feedback on his writing and while he wasn't always happy about it, taking her critiques into account usually made his work even better.

Despite having three Stevenson classics on my shelves, I have not actually read any of this famous author's books. Having read this fictional account of his life, I am only more intrigued. I now want to read the three I already own (Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde) and others I did not even know existed previously! Did you know Stevenson also wrote a book of poems for children, travel essays, short stories, and plays? For a man so ill who only lived into his forties, it's truly amazing to realize the extent of his writings.

If you have any interest in Robert Louis Stevenson's life or work, I would certainly recommend this book. It's also a good choice for fans of historical fiction in general and most definitely for fans of fictionalized accounts of famous figures.


Explore further with some fun links:
Excerpt & Discussion Questions on Nancy Horan's site
Interview with the author in the Shelf Awareness for Readers newsletter
Reviews from Shelf Awareness for Readers & So Obsessed With (one of my favorite blogs!)
RobertLouisStevenson.org

_____________
Reading Challenges:
Review Pile
Read Scotland
Historical Fiction
New Author
Chunkster: 496 pages
Lucky No. 14: Cover Lust

16 comments:

  1. This one sounds really interesting, I have it on my TBR list

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    1. Hope you enjoy it Missie, thanks for stopping by :)

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  2. Sounds intriguing. I admit, the cover alone is enough reason for me to pick this one up!

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    1. The cover is so gorgeous! The book is good though, I think you will like it.

      Now I'm just trying to figure out how I'm going to squeeze in those neglected classics I want to read :)

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  3. Christine, this book does sound very good! I have not read any of Stevenson's books myself but hope to this year for the Read Scotland challenge! Now you have a reason to get to those neglected classics! I found it very interesting too that his family was a family of engineers who single-handedly were responsible for most of the great lighthouses in Scotland. I believe there is a book about them too.

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    1. Yes, and Stevenson's father was not very happy when he said he wanted to be a writer instead of following in the family tradition! I'm sure there are other books on the subject, but Stevenson himself was writing Records of a Family of Engineers at the time of his death, so it remains unfinished. Quite fascinating though!

      I'm definitely planning to read at least a few of his books for the Read Scotland challenge :)

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  4. Under The Wide and Starry Sky first captured my attention a good few months ago when I saw the cover for the first time - it certainly is eye catching. Although I don't know if this is 'my kind of book', I enjoyed reading your review of the book that you clearly thoroughly enjoyed yourself - the book does sound great in all honesty.
    I just thought I'd leave you a comment to read one of those books sitting on your shelf - you will not regret it. Of Stevenson's work I've only read Dr. Jekyll & Mr Hyde but I was quite blown away by the relatively short story. Complex and layered with a great writing style. Read it - I know you're tempted!
    :-)
    Bits & Bobs

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    1. Thanks Jade! Every book can't be for everyone, even if it's a good one, right? I think Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde will be the first Stevenson book I read, so glad to hear how much you enjoyed it :)

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  5. I love fictional biographies like this, especially when they are inspired by literary figures. And that is indeed a beautiful cover!

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    1. If you like fictional biographies of literary figures, definitely put this one on your list!

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  6. I've seen this book around but I had no idea it was about Stevenson - that definitely makes me more interested. And yes the cover is very pretty :)

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    1. Yup, it is! I think you would enjoy this one Riv :)

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  7. I love books about books and authors and this does sound like an interesting one :) Great review!

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  8. ha, your thoughts on "Bob" made me giggle because I would have been the same way. I love fiction novels that are wrapped in actual fact it lends an authentic feel to it and when well researched makes me shiver. Lovely review and yes Christine that cover is gorgeous and I am not ashamed to admit that is how I discover 99% of my reads...the cover always talks to me first!

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    1. It's so hard to not be influenced by a cover. Most of the time I feel like cover art is just so good these days and does a really good job of capturing the essence of a story, so I try not to feel too bad about it! And if you like fiction wrapped in fact, definitely check this one out :)

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I'd love to hear what you think :)