lindageorge's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. I know this was a fictional account of Robert Louis Stevenson's life but much was based on his letters, journals, books, and other memorabilia. I enjoyed their travels and learning about life around the world in the late 1800s. A real treat.
bcgg's review against another edition
4.0
A fascinating read about the relationship between the author Robert Lewis Stevenson and his much older American artist wife, Fanny deGrift Osbourne. I learned a great deal about the author, much I did not know and his wife, whose long, often tempestuous life together was also a great marriage of love and support. Fanny was a true force of nature without question. This book could have been focused solely of Stevenson and his literary success, but with the exploration of his relationship with Fanny, we get a much more layered understanding of him. Definitely worth a read.
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
4.0
*I received a free ARC of Under the Wide and Starry Sky from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review*
Very interesting and detailed story about Louis and Fanny, how they travel around Europe, to America, and later to the South Seas and Australia to help Louis stay in good health.
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
Very interesting and detailed story about Louis and Fanny, how they travel around Europe, to America, and later to the South Seas and Australia to help Louis stay in good health.
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
moirwyn's review against another edition
5.0
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures: http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2014/02/03/wide-starry-sky-nancy-horan/
Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan is the story of Fanny van de Grift Osbourne, an adventurous woman who left her cheating husband to go study art in Europe. While recovering from a family tragedy, Fanny met Robert Louis Stevenson, and the two began a lifelong relationship. Fanny had a lot of nerve and acted in ways that one wouldn’t expect from women of her era. Robert Louis Stevenson’s health was always fragile, and building a life with him meant traveling the globe in search of climates that would be more conducive to his health.
When Fanny traveled to Europe, she also brought her three young children. Her first husband was bad news, and if divorce wasn’t so stigmatized in the late 1800s, she would probably have left him sooner. He spent his time and money on whores and left Fanny to fend for herself, even though she was willing to follow him across the country when he sought his fortune mining silver.
Stevenson, by contrast, was vivacious and caring. His writing was everything to him. Stevenson lived a Bohemian lifestyle and constantly fought with his father, who wished he would get into the family lighthouse business or practice law rather than pursue what he thought of as a frivolous hobby. When Fanny returned to America to try to work things out with her husband, Stevenson followed her, even though the voyage nearly killed him.
One of the risks that authors run when writing stories about the wife or lover of somebody famous is that sometimes that character’s story is overtaken by the story of her husband. I didn’t get that feeling with Under the Wide and Starry Sky. Fanny was a character, and I adored how different she was from societal expectations. She shot a pistol, built furniture out of logs, and rolled her own cigarettes. She had a mind of her own and wasn’t afraid to do what she felt was right. Here’s an excerpt from the story that occurs shortly after she met Stevenson:
“Do all the girls in Indianapolis carry guns?”
“Just the ones who like to shoot things.” She put the revolver back into her sack. “I like to shoot things”
“Was that some sort of warning?”
“Take it as you wish,” she said in an impervious way, but she couldn’t sustain the pose. She put her head back and laughed. “I was trying to impress you.”
At the same time, Fanny has her own struggles and weaknesses. It isn’t easy being married to a famous invalid, and at times Fanny’s drive to do everything drove her into depression. She felt like her own creative talents weren’t always appreciated, and she made a lot of sacrifices to be with the man that she loved.
I had the pleasure of attending an author event and book signing at the Politics & Prose bookstore in DC last week. Nancy Horan talked about some of her motivations behind the story, as well as shedding a deeper light on Robert and Fanny’s relationship. She mentioned that many of the biographies portray Fanny in a negative light, but that it’s largely because Fanny’s influence on Stevenson resembled Yoko Ono’s influence on John Lennon. Fanny was outspoken and placed great value on Stevenson’s health, so when his friends kept him out drinking into the wee hours of the morning, she became rather perturbed and would throw a fit. It makes sense that her actions would make his friends resent her, and at the same time, it makes complete sense. Horan’s portrayal of Fanny shows her as a multifaceted character with both strengths and weaknesses rather than demonizing her or making her seem crazy.
Overall, I would highly recommend reading this one. Many thanks to the folks at TLC Book Tours for introducing me to it!
Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan is the story of Fanny van de Grift Osbourne, an adventurous woman who left her cheating husband to go study art in Europe. While recovering from a family tragedy, Fanny met Robert Louis Stevenson, and the two began a lifelong relationship. Fanny had a lot of nerve and acted in ways that one wouldn’t expect from women of her era. Robert Louis Stevenson’s health was always fragile, and building a life with him meant traveling the globe in search of climates that would be more conducive to his health.
When Fanny traveled to Europe, she also brought her three young children. Her first husband was bad news, and if divorce wasn’t so stigmatized in the late 1800s, she would probably have left him sooner. He spent his time and money on whores and left Fanny to fend for herself, even though she was willing to follow him across the country when he sought his fortune mining silver.
Stevenson, by contrast, was vivacious and caring. His writing was everything to him. Stevenson lived a Bohemian lifestyle and constantly fought with his father, who wished he would get into the family lighthouse business or practice law rather than pursue what he thought of as a frivolous hobby. When Fanny returned to America to try to work things out with her husband, Stevenson followed her, even though the voyage nearly killed him.
One of the risks that authors run when writing stories about the wife or lover of somebody famous is that sometimes that character’s story is overtaken by the story of her husband. I didn’t get that feeling with Under the Wide and Starry Sky. Fanny was a character, and I adored how different she was from societal expectations. She shot a pistol, built furniture out of logs, and rolled her own cigarettes. She had a mind of her own and wasn’t afraid to do what she felt was right. Here’s an excerpt from the story that occurs shortly after she met Stevenson:
“Do all the girls in Indianapolis carry guns?”
“Just the ones who like to shoot things.” She put the revolver back into her sack. “I like to shoot things”
“Was that some sort of warning?”
“Take it as you wish,” she said in an impervious way, but she couldn’t sustain the pose. She put her head back and laughed. “I was trying to impress you.”
At the same time, Fanny has her own struggles and weaknesses. It isn’t easy being married to a famous invalid, and at times Fanny’s drive to do everything drove her into depression. She felt like her own creative talents weren’t always appreciated, and she made a lot of sacrifices to be with the man that she loved.
I had the pleasure of attending an author event and book signing at the Politics & Prose bookstore in DC last week. Nancy Horan talked about some of her motivations behind the story, as well as shedding a deeper light on Robert and Fanny’s relationship. She mentioned that many of the biographies portray Fanny in a negative light, but that it’s largely because Fanny’s influence on Stevenson resembled Yoko Ono’s influence on John Lennon. Fanny was outspoken and placed great value on Stevenson’s health, so when his friends kept him out drinking into the wee hours of the morning, she became rather perturbed and would throw a fit. It makes sense that her actions would make his friends resent her, and at the same time, it makes complete sense. Horan’s portrayal of Fanny shows her as a multifaceted character with both strengths and weaknesses rather than demonizing her or making her seem crazy.
Overall, I would highly recommend reading this one. Many thanks to the folks at TLC Book Tours for introducing me to it!
elizabethstrachan's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Even though it felt like this took forever to read, it was worth it. I liked learning about Robert Louis Stevenson in the context of his wife and family, rather than a "true" biography. I kept stopping to Google things about their life together, and it was all very interesting.
kitkat2500's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't manage to finish this book...it tends to run a little too long. I found it a good distraction, but wouldn't necessarily recommend it.
borumi's review against another edition
2.0
이 책은 좀 마음에 안 든점들이 있다면..
일단 루이스 스티븐슨의 생애에 대해 알고 있었기에 너무 예측 가능한 점.. (몰랐다면 차라리 좋았을지도;;)
그리고 페이스가 빨라서 읽기엔 편하지만..뭐랄까.. 좀 캐릭터들의 깊이가 얕았던 점.. 좀 빠질까하면 금새 끊어지는 느낌이었어요;;;
하지만 여성으로서 좀 제한된 전공에 타고난 wild tomboy로 자란 저를 보고 사랑에 빠진 곱게 자란 여성스럽고 낙천주의인 남편을 둬서 그런지 공감이 가는 내용이 많았고..
가벼운 memoir처럼 읽기엔 괜찮은 것 같아요.
혼자 사는 것에 지치고 경제적으로나 감정적으로나 남자를 필요로 하던 패니와 달리 어릴적부터 (실은 지금도) 전 남자 없이 살아도 별 불편함 없다고 생각했지만..
저도 좀 너무 비관적이 되기 쉬운 면이 없지 않아서...
끝이 보이지 않을 정도로 깊은 바다와 진실을 보는 것에 지칠 때는 cup full of sky를 보는 이가 절실히 필요한 느낌을 이해할 수 있을것 같아요.
현실을 걱정하는 realist와 꿈을 꾸는 romantist ...둘다 세상에 필요한 존재겠죠.
일단 루이스 스티븐슨의 생애에 대해 알고 있었기에 너무 예측 가능한 점.. (몰랐다면 차라리 좋았을지도;;)
그리고 페이스가 빨라서 읽기엔 편하지만..뭐랄까.. 좀 캐릭터들의 깊이가 얕았던 점.. 좀 빠질까하면 금새 끊어지는 느낌이었어요;;;
하지만 여성으로서 좀 제한된 전공에 타고난 wild tomboy로 자란 저를 보고 사랑에 빠진 곱게 자란 여성스럽고 낙천주의인 남편을 둬서 그런지 공감이 가는 내용이 많았고..
가벼운 memoir처럼 읽기엔 괜찮은 것 같아요.
혼자 사는 것에 지치고 경제적으로나 감정적으로나 남자를 필요로 하던 패니와 달리 어릴적부터 (실은 지금도) 전 남자 없이 살아도 별 불편함 없다고 생각했지만..
저도 좀 너무 비관적이 되기 쉬운 면이 없지 않아서...
끝이 보이지 않을 정도로 깊은 바다와 진실을 보는 것에 지칠 때는 cup full of sky를 보는 이가 절실히 필요한 느낌을 이해할 수 있을것 같아요.
현실을 걱정하는 realist와 꿈을 꾸는 romantist ...둘다 세상에 필요한 존재겠죠.
lmc168's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting story, but the pace was so slow and there was way more detail than necessary.
shellbell102186's review against another edition
3.0
I never got around to reading Loving Frank, but figured I would start with Nancy Horan's newest book. Moved a little slow for me at times, but I did enjoy the rather unconventional romance between Louis and Fanny.
ricefun's review against another edition
5.0
I began this novel with high expectations, and it did not disappoint. Nancy Horan made an amazing debut with Loving Frank, and has followed that success with another fantastic story of companionship. Like Frank Lloyd Wright, Robert Louis Stevenson found inspiration and success at a young age. Stevenson also found his life partner, Fanny, at a young age. Their life together crisscrossed artistic communities, social boundaries, and geographical locations in search of inspiration and health. This novel, more than many others I've been reading about literary wives, expresses the challenges of living beside - and in the shadow of - a partner's stunning success. Altogether an inspiring and tragic success of a story.