The Reinvention of Love

(Paperback, Main)

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Description

When Charles Sainte-Beuve, a French journalist, met Victor Hugo, an ambitious young writer, he was swept into a world of grand emotions, a world where words can become swords. But Charles' attraction moves on from Victor, to his wife Adele. Soon the two lovers are on the edge of a great scandale and a wounded Victor must exact his price for betrayal.

Set during the tumultuous reign of Napoleon III, this mesmerising novel draws a rich portrait of old Paris, where duels were fought and cholera-ridden bodies float in the Seine. An atmospheric story of delicacy and emotion, The Reinvention of Love brings together the voices of two women destroyed by Victor Hugo's ferocious ambition, and the unique, acerbic and heart-breaking voice of Charles Sainte-Beuve, first Hugo's friend and then his unlikely competitor in love.

Reviews

In order to ventriloquize a long-forgotten, peculiar Frenchman, Humphreys has added to her trademark exquisite prose a stylish wryness. Witty, sad and gorgeous in equal measure, this story of a man like no other probes love like a wound -- Emma Donoghue, author of Room
Humphreys' pacing and story-telling are well-honed... an engaging novel told with wit and imagination. -- Nathan Brooker * FT *
A real exploration of the heart. Strange and amusing at times, this tender, life affirming novel made me contemplate love in a whole new way. -- Amanda Smyth
This informative account rescues Sainte-Beuve from Hugo's shadow. -- Emma Hagestadt * Independent *

Author Bio

Helen Humphreys is a Canadian novelist and poet. She was born in London, England, and now lives in Kingston, Ontario. Humphreys' first novel, Leaving Earth, was a New York Times Notable Book in 1998 and won the City of Toronto Book Award.