Today’s Tuesday Teaser, a “bookish tag hosted by The Purple Booker “(Brainfluff blog), is from March’s Third Tuesday Book Club’s selection.  One of our scarce male members mentioned an author he met while living in California, and asked if we might like to read one of her books. Our instructions were to choose any Susan Vreeland book, and we would compare notes when we meet later this month. Several books owned by our branch of the library were available to check out.  I chose Luncheon of the Boating Party whose cover was Renoir’s painting of the same name.  It tells the story of how Renoir came to paint this famous masterpiece, which changed a whole school/ideal of painting from the Impressionists to something more detailed and “real.”

The writing is exceptional, something I consider when deciding if I like a book or not.  Here is Vreeland’s description of one of the women in the portrait gathering items needed to stage the scene where the Luncheon would be painted.

“Under the sycamore boughs, she looked for marsh peppermints to make a wreath for Auguste’s luncheon on Sunday. When it was dry, it had a piquant, minty fragrance that might mask the occasional smell from the sewage plants upriver in Anieres. She wanted their day to be lovely in all ways so their pleasure would show on their faces for him to paint.”

There are many equally descriptive scenes of The Seine, and some opening ones using words to describe Renoir’s exuberance for his “vision” and excitement as he planned the painting. The fine writing is enough to “hook” me and to encourage me to finish this unique book.