Review: INAMORATA - A Full Bodied Blend Of Scents And Flavors
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 14, 2014
I don't remember the last time i gave a contemporary author five stars.This is a book for readers who love language and atmosphere. That would be me. If you think that the first page of every book should contain a murder, a car chase and an explosion, you won't enjoy it. I like those books too, if they are well written and not rife with errors, but "Inamorata" is like a fine wine or cognac. The bouquet fills your head with whispers and you feel slightly inebriated before you even sip.The title character, Odilé, is an extraordinary woman who seems fated to be the inspiration for great artistic genius, but is she less than she seems or more? She is being stalked by Nicholas, who was her lover seven years before and blames her for the loss of his talent as a poet. Into their story comes twin brother and sister, Joseph and Sophie. Joseph is an extremely talented painter and Sophie is his inspiration. They seem to have an intimacy or dependence that goes beyond siblings or even twins, which was forged in an unfortunate childhood. They are in desperate need of patronage for Joseph's career. I hate reviews that give detail, so that's all the plot you'll get from me. :)The author has employed the often fatal technique of switching first person narrators for each chapter. I was not conscious of any errors in communicating information the narrator would not know in the wrong place and each character has a unique voice. It is a deceptively simple looking style that is often done terribly. In this case, it is effective and adds an intimacy to the storytelling.The only criicism I would make is that the novel, especially the first act, was too short. I would have enjoyed an even slower reveal of who Odilé and Nicholas are to each other and some of the previous history of everyone; however, today's general reader is not overly patient and I understand the author's and editor's necessity to be brief. Somewhere the book I want to read probably exists from before the final edit.I found the windup to the dénouement suspenseful enough that I had a hard time not cheating and reading the end early. I will undoubtedly reread "Inamorata" to enjoy the atmosphere and description at more leisure.  I just wish there were about 50 pages more to read.