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Review
"'A truly extraordinary achievement. The icon takes flesh before our eyes. Lucinda Hawksley's sympathetic scholarship has produced a portrait of Pre-Raphaelitism's most celebrated face which is as gripping as a romantic novel. But it is also the result of meticulous research which throws fascinating new light on the Rossettis and their circle' - A.N. WILSON"
The Sunday Telegraph, August 29, 2004
The stuff of opera... Hawksley tells the tale earnestly, supplying many new details.
--This text refers to an alternate
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Having a great interest in the world of the Pre-Raphaelites already, I thought at best it would be an interesting read - but it is such a well researched and absorbing book I could not put it down. Lizzie is seen here as human, her life the tragedy of it, and the fact that Rossetti did not cause all of her problems. However I could not leave the book with a dislike of her sometimes manipulative nature. Such is the success of this book. You will not be disappointed if you read it.
38 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is an absorbing book. I had heard of Lizzie Siddal, and I like the Pre-Raphaelite painting style but I have no specialist knowledge of art history or nineteenth-century society. I decided to read this on the basis of good reviews and an interest in the lives of women at the time. It didn't disappoint. Like the other reviwer, I read it in a single sitting. Although the writing isn't faultless it is easy to read and to follow, and the author's good use of sources ensures that the context of 19th Century London and the cast of well-known characters (including William Morris, Ford Madox Brown and Christina Rosetti) come vividly to life. Most engaging of all is the central character of Lizzie herself. She appears as a flawed, needy and highly sensitive being, pushed into hysteria and manipulation by the reticence of her partner, Dante Gabriel Rosetti. As the story emerges, it is clear that the relationship between them and its tragic consequences could just as easily unfold in modern society as in 1850s and 1860s London. The sensitive young woman craving love and emotional security (despite her independent income)and the commitment-phobic, egocentric bachelor who wants to have his cake and eat it, are, unfortunately, thoroughly recognisable, modern characters.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I picked this up in the gift shop at Brantwood, John Ruskin's house in the Lake District, and looked forward to reading a biography of the female artist he patronised. I came away from the book feeling as if I had a superficial understanding of Lizzie Siddal, but knew very little fact. The book is full of summaries of letters about Lizzie, including the author's opinions about what was meant by the letter-writer, but fewer excerpts to let a reader determine for herself. I read often that Lizzie could be haughty and cold, but this was never supported with any evidence or examples of when this behaviour began, just references to other people's reactions. The author makes a great leap of logic early on, saying that Rosetti persuaded Lizzie's family to drop the second 'l' from their surname only for her father to reconsider and to restore it, all on the basis that the spelling of the name changes from Siddall to Siddal and back to Siddall on the 1841, 1851 and 1861 censuses respectively: anyone who has done even the slightest bit of research using a census will know that the enumerator's phonetic spelling has nothing to do with how the family spelt their name. I felt that the book was more opinion than fact, especially from the amount of supposition: "Lizzie must have felt..." "It's possible that..." throuhgout. There are some interesting anecdotes about Lizzie's painting and the inclusion of her poetry is welcome, but I still feel as if I have very little knowledge of Lizzie's life.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Life imitates art
Lizzie Sidal was the model for John Everett Millais' 'Orphelia' and her striking looks were immortalised in many other PRB paintings by several different artists. Read more
Published 2 months ago by FlyingAspidistra
The First Super Model!
A fascinating insight into the life of Lizzie Siddal. She had initially worked in a hat shop,then became an artist's model for Walter Deverell. Read more
Published 7 months ago by The Reader
Loved this.
This book is everything good that's been said about.I read it very quickly and wish it had been a lot longer,as it was really enjoyable.
Published 14 months ago by Louise
Lizzi Siddal: The Tragedy of a Pre-Raphaelite Supermodel
If you like a romantic tragedy, this is the book for you, as it reads like a novel, which makes it very easy and enjoyable to read. Read more
Published 16 months ago by P Blackburn
Sad tale of the self-destruction of a pre-Raphaelite muse
The is the sad tale of the self-destruction of one of the best known female faces of the pre-Raphaelite period. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Shaffelnook
Moving, touching, passionate story
Nice little book for a present.
I would definitely recommend this book.I enjoyed it from beginning to end, every bit in it. Read more
I would definitely recommend this book.I enjoyed it from beginning to end, every bit in it. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Happily miserable
Lizzie Siddall
Lizzie Siddall-the tragedy of a Pre-Raphaelite supermodel is a compelling study of the life of this girl, who was discovered by chance, and became a model for several of the... Read more
Published on 15 Oct 2009 by Mrs. J. Molloy
Lizzie Siddal
Really enjoyable read - more of a novel than a straightforward biography. Excellent to understand more following on from the BBC series on the pre-Raphelite Brotherhood.
Published on 11 Oct 2009 by Catherine A
Pretty good read
I found this book fairly rivetting and a good insight to the art world of the Victorians.
I would have liked better illustrations. Read more
I would have liked better illustrations. Read more
Published on 19 Sep 2009 by Foxboy
Siddle style
Well presented and worthwhile reading for those interested in the current "Romantics". Prompt and secure delivery from the supplier made this a worthwhile expenditure.
Published on 6 Sep 2009 by Dr. David Huckle
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