Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Atria Books (2017), 320 pages
Description
"From the dawn of the twentieth century to the devastation of World War II, this exhilarating novel of love, war, art, and family gives voice to two extraordinary women and brings to life the true story behind the creation and near destruction of Gustav Klimt's most remarkable paintings. In the dazzling glitter of 1900 Vienna, Adele Bloch-Bauer--young, beautiful, brilliant, and Jewish--meets painter Gustav Klimt. Wealthy in everything but freedom, Adele embraces Klimt's renegade genius as the two awaken to the erotic possibilities on the canvas and beyond. Though they enjoy a life where sex and art are just beginning to break through the facade of conventional society, the city is also exhibiting a disturbing increase in anti-Semitism, as political hatred foments in the shadows of Adele's coffee house afternoons and cultural salons. Nearly forty years later, Adele's niece Maria Altmann is a newlywed when the Nazis invade Austria--and overnight, her beloved Vienna becomes a war zone. When her husband is arrested and her family is forced out of their home, Maria must summon the courage and resilience that is her aunt's legacy if she is to survive and keep her family--and their history--alive".--From publisher's description.… (more)
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User reviews
LibraryThing member SilversReviews
Love, war, and art.
STOLEN BEAUTY moves from 1900 to 1938 as we follow the lives of Adele and Maria.
In 1900, Adele's story was about her life and how she became fascinated with the painter Gustav Klimt and that era of art.
In 1938, the story is told of Maria, Adele's niece, newly married and taken
STOLEN BEAUTY was interesting, but since I am not an art aficionado, I was a bit confused. Despite my lack of knowledge in the art area, though, I did learn a lot about Gustav Klimt.
The WWII sections were heartbreaking as usual.
I do have to say I enjoyed the story of Maria more than Adele, but most likely because I don't know too much about art. Maria also seemed to be a warmer character than Adele.
It took me halfway through the book to warm up to the characters, and even though it wasn't a favorite, I enjoyed the book.
Ms. Lico Albanese did a marvelous job of researching, and she has wonderful, descriptive writing.
ENJOY if you read STOLEN BEAUTY. 4/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
STOLEN BEAUTY moves from 1900 to 1938 as we follow the lives of Adele and Maria.
In 1900, Adele's story was about her life and how she became fascinated with the painter Gustav Klimt and that era of art.
In 1938, the story is told of Maria, Adele's niece, newly married and taken
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from her home and taken from her husband at the beginning of WWII when Hitler invaded Austria.STOLEN BEAUTY was interesting, but since I am not an art aficionado, I was a bit confused. Despite my lack of knowledge in the art area, though, I did learn a lot about Gustav Klimt.
The WWII sections were heartbreaking as usual.
I do have to say I enjoyed the story of Maria more than Adele, but most likely because I don't know too much about art. Maria also seemed to be a warmer character than Adele.
It took me halfway through the book to warm up to the characters, and even though it wasn't a favorite, I enjoyed the book.
Ms. Lico Albanese did a marvelous job of researching, and she has wonderful, descriptive writing.
ENJOY if you read STOLEN BEAUTY. 4/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member Beamis12
On the wall directly across the foot of my bed, I have hanging a large framed print of Klimt's, The Kiss. I love it, see something new in it all the time. Love his work, so naturally I was drawn to this book about Vienna in 1903, featuring Klimt and Adele Block-Bauer. I had also started another
The life of Adele, the salons, the glittering scene that was Austria, but also the beginning undercurrents of anti-Semitism that would be fully played out forty years later in the life her niece Maria. So a dual story line, though the first shined brighter for me, I did find them both compelling. Adele had a short life, but lives on in the many pieces of art that feature her likeness, though for a time her identity was unknown. Many of course requisitioned by the Nazis and later fought for by the rightful heirs.
The atmosphere in both stories was wonderfully rendered, the characters fully drawn. Called factual fiction, well researched fiction, and I love reading books that combine these two elements.
The author does explain in her note what was true and what she changed form the sake of her story. Now I can go back and finish the other book, contrast and compare. An endlessly interesting albeit horrific time period, so many books feature this time but love how this one centered on Klimt, Adele, his paintings and the fight to reclaim what was taken.
ARC from Netgalley.
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book, the subject matter about lost art and the Nazis, a theme in both books, and when I came across Adele's name, thought I had better read this one first. Coincidences abound.The life of Adele, the salons, the glittering scene that was Austria, but also the beginning undercurrents of anti-Semitism that would be fully played out forty years later in the life her niece Maria. So a dual story line, though the first shined brighter for me, I did find them both compelling. Adele had a short life, but lives on in the many pieces of art that feature her likeness, though for a time her identity was unknown. Many of course requisitioned by the Nazis and later fought for by the rightful heirs.
The atmosphere in both stories was wonderfully rendered, the characters fully drawn. Called factual fiction, well researched fiction, and I love reading books that combine these two elements.
The author does explain in her note what was true and what she changed form the sake of her story. Now I can go back and finish the other book, contrast and compare. An endlessly interesting albeit horrific time period, so many books feature this time but love how this one centered on Klimt, Adele, his paintings and the fight to reclaim what was taken.
ARC from Netgalley.
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LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
An excellent story about art and World War II, told from the perspective of two Viennese women living in the early 20th century. Gustav Klimt (famous for The Kiss) looms large in this novel and the tale of his portrait of Adele Boch-Bauer is the foundation of Stolen Beauty's plot. Fascinating
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reading, and upon finishing this book, I had to immediately find out more about this painting and its story. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookofsecrets
I’m a longtime fan of Gustav Klimt’s works, so I knew I had to give STOLEN BEAUTY a listen when it came across my audiobook radar. The title refers to Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, one of Klimt’s most famous paintings during his “Golden Phase.” (Take a look at the painting HERE.) At
At the turn of the last century, Adele Bloch-Bauer was a wealthy Austrian woman, a patron of the arts, and Gustav Klimt’s muse. In her adulthood, she studied and hosted salons on philosophy, science, and art, all the subjects that were forbidden to her as a girl. She was a strong, intelligent, and passionate woman who fought to break through the limitations that society placed on her.
Decades later, Adele’s niece, Maria, is living in Vienna when the Nazis invade Austria, and her strength is put to the test. She must find a way to save herself, her family, and ultimately Adele’s legacy.
I enjoyed STOLEN BEAUTY very much. It was compelling, heartbreaking, and completely absorbing. It was also a well-researched account of the Viennese art world during Klimt’s time. This book would appeal to art lovers as well as historical fiction buffs.
Books about Nazis and their atrocities are not easy to read, especially since there are things going on today that mirror what happened during Hitler’s rise, like blaming immigrants or a religious group for society’s problems. But, it’s important to keep reading these books and stay in the know. Stay angry and aware.
(Side note: I wasn’t aware of this before, but there’s a movie called WOMAN IN GOLD (2015) starring Helen Mirren as Maria Altmann. I requested it from the library. Looking forward to viewing!)
Audiobook • 9 hrs, 25 mins • Narrators: Gabra Zackman , Madeleine Maby , Gibson Frazier
Listening to the audiobook of STOLEN BEAUTY was wonderful. Gabra Zackman performed the part of Adele, while Madeleine Maby was the voice of Maria. Gibson Frazier took more of a narrator’s role with short snippets between the women’s characters’ parts. Zackman and Maby, in particular, had to tackle several characters and different accents, and both handled it beautifully.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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the heart of STOLEN BEAUTY are two remarkable women: Adele Bloch-Bauer and Maria Altmann.At the turn of the last century, Adele Bloch-Bauer was a wealthy Austrian woman, a patron of the arts, and Gustav Klimt’s muse. In her adulthood, she studied and hosted salons on philosophy, science, and art, all the subjects that were forbidden to her as a girl. She was a strong, intelligent, and passionate woman who fought to break through the limitations that society placed on her.
Decades later, Adele’s niece, Maria, is living in Vienna when the Nazis invade Austria, and her strength is put to the test. She must find a way to save herself, her family, and ultimately Adele’s legacy.
I enjoyed STOLEN BEAUTY very much. It was compelling, heartbreaking, and completely absorbing. It was also a well-researched account of the Viennese art world during Klimt’s time. This book would appeal to art lovers as well as historical fiction buffs.
Books about Nazis and their atrocities are not easy to read, especially since there are things going on today that mirror what happened during Hitler’s rise, like blaming immigrants or a religious group for society’s problems. But, it’s important to keep reading these books and stay in the know. Stay angry and aware.
(Side note: I wasn’t aware of this before, but there’s a movie called WOMAN IN GOLD (2015) starring Helen Mirren as Maria Altmann. I requested it from the library. Looking forward to viewing!)
Audiobook • 9 hrs, 25 mins • Narrators: Gabra Zackman , Madeleine Maby , Gibson Frazier
Listening to the audiobook of STOLEN BEAUTY was wonderful. Gabra Zackman performed the part of Adele, while Madeleine Maby was the voice of Maria. Gibson Frazier took more of a narrator’s role with short snippets between the women’s characters’ parts. Zackman and Maby, in particular, had to tackle several characters and different accents, and both handled it beautifully.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member janerawoof
This picture is one of my favorites so I had to read this book. Suffice to say, I was a bit underwhelmed and often disquieted by the sexual antics. Two strong women: The fin de siecle Adele Bloch-Bauer, who modelled for Klimt's portrait of her and for his portrait of the Biblical Judith; and her
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niece, Maria Altmann and her flight from Nazi Austria to the U.S. and eventual success in wresting the portrait from Austria to its present home. Show Less
LibraryThing member Whisper1
After watching a Net Flix movie regarding the theft of one of the most well known of Austrian painter Gustav Klimt, I read this book.
Sadly, I slogged through it. I can't recommend it. It is a story of Vienna in 1903 and Adele Bloch-Bauer, a wealthy woman who falls in love with Klimt and allows him
The story then forwards to 40 years later when anti-semitism is ever encroaching upon the lives of Jews in Austria. The painting now in the hands of the family of her niece, Maria Altmann, the Nazi's invade their home and possess the painting.
Fortunate to flee their homeland and escape. Years later, the painting is discovered and shown as one of the most interesting in an Austrian museum.
Maria's family now wages a battle with the museum for ownership of their original possession.
Well researched, and interesting, still, I cannot recommend this book. Filled with page after page of way too much unnecessary sexual content, the vivid images are distracting and take away from the beauty of the story.
This could have been a very interesting book, but the author chose to go down a road that left the reader disgusted.
One sta
Sadly, I slogged through it. I can't recommend it. It is a story of Vienna in 1903 and Adele Bloch-Bauer, a wealthy woman who falls in love with Klimt and allows him
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to paint her portrait. The story then forwards to 40 years later when anti-semitism is ever encroaching upon the lives of Jews in Austria. The painting now in the hands of the family of her niece, Maria Altmann, the Nazi's invade their home and possess the painting.
Fortunate to flee their homeland and escape. Years later, the painting is discovered and shown as one of the most interesting in an Austrian museum.
Maria's family now wages a battle with the museum for ownership of their original possession.
Well researched, and interesting, still, I cannot recommend this book. Filled with page after page of way too much unnecessary sexual content, the vivid images are distracting and take away from the beauty of the story.
This could have been a very interesting book, but the author chose to go down a road that left the reader disgusted.
One sta
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LibraryThing member ShannonRose4
Albanese detailed prose transports you between the 1900 Vienna art world where everything is beautiful, dazzling and forty years later when Maria (Adele's niece) and her family are forced from their Austrian home by the Nazis.
One of the best and will researched historical fiction reads I've read
One of the best and will researched historical fiction reads I've read
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in a long time this family story of love, survival and sacrifice will have transfixed from the first chapter. Show Less
LibraryThing member ShannonRose4
Albanese detailed prose transports you between the 1900 Vienna art world where everything is beautiful, dazzling and forty years later when Maria (Adele's niece) and her family are forced from their Austrian home by the Nazis.
One of the best and will researched historical fiction reads I've read
One of the best and will researched historical fiction reads I've read
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in a long time this family story of love, survival and sacrifice will have transfixed from the first chapter. Show Less
LibraryThing member Castlelass
Dual timeline story set primarily in Vienna, Austria, about two related women in a Jewish family. The older timeline takes place mostly in the early 1900s and moves forward, and the more recent timeline starts in 1937 during the lead-up to World War II. We follow the lives of Adèle Bloch-Bauer
Adele was a woman ahead of her time. She wanted a world of education and freedom, so she married a much older man who told her he would give her both. In the 1930’s, the storyline follows Maria, Adele's niece, during a time of great turmoil. Hitler annexed Austria (1938) and claimed the assets of Jewish citizens under the newly enacted laws of “Aryanization.”
I read this book due to my interest in art and art history. There are a number of historical facts woven into the narrative, but the primary emphasis is on the two women and their relationships with their husbands. There are a few liberties taken by the author with respect to the facts of the lives of the people she represents. I especially appreciated the sections on art. Regular readers of romances will likely enjoy it even more than I did.
3.5
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(1881-1925), one of the (real) models for at least two of Austrian artist Gustav Klimt’s paintings, and Maria Altmann, her (real) niece.Adele was a woman ahead of her time. She wanted a world of education and freedom, so she married a much older man who told her he would give her both. In the 1930’s, the storyline follows Maria, Adele's niece, during a time of great turmoil. Hitler annexed Austria (1938) and claimed the assets of Jewish citizens under the newly enacted laws of “Aryanization.”
I read this book due to my interest in art and art history. There are a number of historical facts woven into the narrative, but the primary emphasis is on the two women and their relationships with their husbands. There are a few liberties taken by the author with respect to the facts of the lives of the people she represents. I especially appreciated the sections on art. Regular readers of romances will likely enjoy it even more than I did.
3.5
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ISBN
1501131982 / 9781501131981