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The Animal Gazer
The Animal Gazer | Edgardo Franzosini
5 posts | 2 read | 1 to read
A hypnotic novel inspired by the strange and fascinating life of sculptor Rembrandt Bugatti, brother of the fabled automaker. With World War I closing in and the Belle poque teetering to a close, Bugatti leaves his native Milan for Paris, where he encounters Rodin and casts his bronzes at the same foundry used by the French master. In Paris and then Antwerp, he obsessively observes and sculpts the baboons, giraffes, and panthers in the municipal zoos, finding empathy with their plight and identifying with their life in captivity. As the Germans drop bombs over the Belgian city, the zoo authorities are forced to make a heart-wrenching decision about the fate of the caged animals, and Bugatti is stricken with grief from which he'll never recover. His own end follows suit shortly: he returns to Paris, and at the age of thirty-one, he is dead of suicide. Rembrandt Bugatti's work is now displayed in major art museums around the world and routinely fetches huge sums at auction. Edgardo Franzosini recreates the young artist's life with intense lyricism, passion, and sensitivity. Edgardo Franzosini, born in 1952, is the author of five novels. The Animal Gazer won two distinguished Italian literary awards in 2016, the Premio Comisso and the Premio Dessi.
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arubabookwoman
The Animal Gazer | Edgardo Franzosini
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Pickpick

Tho‘ billed as a novel, this is actually a biographical portrait of sculptor Rembrandt Bugatti, of racecar family, who worked in the first years of the 20th century. He spent his time studying animals at the Paris zoo, casting them in bronze and focusing on capturing movement. He committed suicide at age 31 during WW I, after the zoo animals had to be destroyed to prevent their escape as the war moved nearer to Paris. A quiet, yet moving book.

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BookNAround
The Animal Gazer | Edgardo Franzosini
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Second book of #4in48Readathon finished. Now on the the longer ones. @Syndelle777

BeansPage You can do it! 🤘🏻🎉🎉 7y
Andrew65 🎉👏🙌👍⭐️ 7y
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Carolyn-HHI
The Animal Gazer | Edgardo Franzosini
Pickpick

I floated between “pick” and “so so” on this one. I had not heard of Rembrandt Bugatti and wow, what a fascinating person/artist. The novel is super tiny and jumps all over the place, so it is more sketches, or vignettes, of Burgatti‘s life. For such a fascinating man, I would have loved more about him. That said, what was written was good. I researched outside the book to fill in the pieces of his life.

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Carolyn-HHI
The Animal Gazer | Edgardo Franzosini
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Currently reading. ❤️🐶 #dogsoflitsy

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Carolyn-HHI
The Animal Gazer | Edgardo Franzosini
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Treated myself to a little holiday cheer: a subscription to New Vessel Press! Keep indie presses alive, especially those who seek out and publish international literature. Kind of funny, they sent them all in one package! I have lots of unique and wonderful reading ahead! #newvesselpress #internationalliterature