In which V. doesn't usually review books, and so doesn't really know what to say without sounding like a five paragraph essay from high school.

So yeah, I like historical fiction. A couple of weeks ago I ran across a book in Barnes and Noble, and it looked like it would totally be my kind of thing. But I'm too cheap to pay $14 for a paperback. Bitch, please. So luckily the library had a copy, and I checked that out.

Which brings me to The Mercury Visions of Louis Daguerre.

It's historical fiction, y'all. Generally this means there are going to be some historical facts, and a whole lot of fiction. In this case, it's a romanticized version of the life of Louis Daguerre. This is a book review, not a lecture. So get yourselves on over to that Wikipedia page and check him out.

The premise of the book is, Daguerre has gone a bit mad from years of contact with mercury. He becomes convinced that the world is about to end, and makes a list of ten things he must photograph before it's all over. Item number ten on his list is the woman he loved and lost. The story immerses you in bohemian Paris, which is pretty awesome. Being an artist myself, I am probably inclined to really like stories about bohemian Paris. You yourself might not dig it, I dunno. It's like Moulin Rouge only a lot less gaudy.

This is a novel about love and art. Then again, in bohemian Paris love and art are the same thing. I found it to be beautiful and moving, and I even got all weepy at the end. And I don't usually get all weepy over books.

Also, this has piqued my interest in daguerrotypes. I would like to see some in person, and I've been trying to learn more about the technique.

I would really recommend this if you like historical fiction. I suck at book reviews. I totally didn't even mention the author's name (Dominic Smith). Read this, y'all. It's good.