Rashmi bookmarks “Sacré Bleu”

“What is the standard when you are doing something that’s never been done? What kind of muse inspires that? Exactly.”

Sacré Bleu! What an awesome story! Christopher Moore’s tale follows friends Lucien Lessard, a young baker-painter and Henri Toulouse-Lautrec on a quest to unravel the mystery behind the supposed “suicide” of Vincent van Gogh. The French ‘curse’ word for “sacred blue” (which refers to Christ’s mother, Mary - often depicted in art in a blue dress) their journey undercuts the whole concept of the immaculate conception (it is Moore!) while unravelling a mystery that leads them to one of the oldest stories in human history.

“… Madame’s mother, who, upon a sunny day, when the twin locomotives of her bosom toward her cumulous skirts through the market at Louveciennes, was followed by children and dogs seeking shade” … “He tried to assume the beatific look he’d seen on the Renaissance Virgin Marys in the Louvre, but he only succeeded in looking as if he were being touched inappropriately by the Holy Ghost.” Yes, Moore is still very funny, but - unlike ‘Lamb’ (the book I read prior to this) - this story was really an absorbing mystery; sometimes comical, sometimes irreverent, but always a fantastic mystery, steeped in intrigue and passion, set in the gorgeous art scene of 19th century Paris.

After shooting himself in a cornfield, van Gogh walked a mile to see Dr. Gachet before dying. Was this really a suicide as history reports? In attempting to answer that question, Moore brings to life all the greats such as Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gaugin, Jean Renoir, Monet, Manet, Pisarro and Michelangelo (Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was my absolute favourite character - and not just in this book) endowing rich details to their lives and mannerisms, and making the reader look at their paintings with a whole new perspective (is it The Bath or is it Luncheon on the Grass?)

A very visual experience, this mysterious story weaves in and out of the world’s most famous paintings and most renowned artists; the passion of Juliette and the beauty of Carmen; the timeless Virgin Mary and of course the ethereal Colorman. And it creates a fascinating tale, drenched in the colour blue.

(Oh, and that tiny reference to Oscar Wilde towards the end made me so very gleeful!)

Not counting sci-fi, which is by default all about unique subject matters, this was one of the most unique concepts I have ever read, told by one of the more engaging storytellers of our time. No pun intended, but this book really came out of the blue and grabbed me quite completely! The extraordinary story of Art and its Muse.