Will I love Loving Modigliani?

As a writer, I came to Linda Lappin’s novel Loving Modigliani because I am fascinated by Modigliani and his art, and, yes, this book is a meticulously researched fictional biography, but it’s also a depiction of the business of art and a fable about the artistic impulse for eternity—complex to say the least.

If you are after a simple novel with Amedeo Modigliani as its star, you will be disappointed. But if you want a novel that is not only partially told by his last lover Jeanne Hébuterne but also deals with the artistic paradox of reduction and eternity, then… show more.

Loving Modigliani is no ordinary historical fiction novel. I was initially hesitant to read a book that required me to take a leap of faith and accept that the main narrator was a ghost, but I’m glad I did! So much has been written about Modigliani, but very few books give us insight into his surprisingly gifted and tragic young paramour, Jeanne Hébuterne. Despite the twists and turns and fantastical premise, I found myself totally engrossed in Lappin’s masterful storytelling.