Bookseller Reviews
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Outstanding storytelling
Wow this book really snuck up on me. It’s not my usual kind of read but I was drawn in by the incredible cover. The first few chapters I was along for the ... READ MORE
Sensuous and shimmering
The sensuous and immersive writing takes you straight into the dusty heat of Provence where you can feel the light shimmering off the fields, and taste the... READ MORE
Perfect summer reading
I was sucked into the hazy country house from the first page. Lucy Steeds is a master of the senses. I truly felt like I was in 1920s France, surrounded by... READ MORE
An atmospheric and beautiful story for art lovers.
As a lover of art, this was a perfect slice of escapism to appeal to my inner artist and art historian. As I try to write this review, I struggle to put my... READ MORE
Quiet and sumptuous with a character to root for
A quiet and sumptuous novel set against the backdrop of World War I in France. The heat of the summer in Provence and the food descriptions jump off the pa... READ MORE
Evocative exploration of who we are when no one is watching
'...there are only two stories in the world,' she says. 'A stranger comes to town. And a man goes on a journey.'
'What about women?'
Ettie's mouth be... READ MORE
What a DELICIOUS debut!
I have consumed this book hungrily over the last two days and it was delicious. Lucy Steeds has a stunning book to be proud of. One cannot help but be imme... READ MORE
A very worthy winner
I wouldn't usually read historical fiction; however, I was intrigued by this book after it won the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize.
What I loved most ab... READ MORE
Delicious
Exactly what I want a book to be. Luxurious and refreshing. Every page is bursting with life and all of your senses will be tickled.
An absolute master... READ MORE
Vivid and transportive
I was hesitant to read this for soooo many reasons but deep down I knew I would probably enjoy it if I gave it a chance, which I finally did on Monday and ... READ MORE
A Painting in Words
The last chapter’s read, the frayed ends tied, and the story complete.. and with a steadying breath I now have to digest this pressing and exquisite piece ... READ MORE
a masterpiece
When I was reading this I was so heavily transported into the hazy french countryside that I was actually surprised when I remembered I was holding a book ... READ MORE
A must-read for 2025!
The Artist is centered around Eduoard Tartuffe and the reclusive world he has created for himself and his niece Ettie. Joseph, a young English journalist, ... READ MORE
A gorgeous debut
Set in 1920s Provence, France, young journalist Joseph has the opportunity of a lifetime - to interview the esteemed but reclusive artist Edouard Tartuffe.... READ MORE
A Delicious Debut About Food, France and Art
British journalist, Joseph, arrives at a remote cottage in 1920s Provence with a plan to interview its inhabitant, Edouard Tartuffe (Tata), one of the grea... READ MORE
Absolutely Fantastic!
I absolutely adored this book, I was hooked from the very first page. I loved how each chapter flitted between the perspectives of the two protagonists, al... READ MORE
Take me to France
Going into this book I knew a few things, I knew this was a story of a woman who like so many, have been overlooked. Women who have sat at a table amongst ... READ MORE
A beautifully crafted novel
Set in the 1920s in a secluded house in Provence, we follow three complex characters living under the same roof. Joseph, the English journalist who travell... READ MORE
Brilliantly Vibrant
Set in 1920s France in a farmhouse just off the donkey track from Saint Augustine, "The Artist" is a heady, rich and brilliantly vibrant novel about art (w... READ MORE
A feast for the senses
The Artist is a glorious feast for the senses. The writing is beautifully painterly, each pen stroke building the delicious descriptions of food, the Prove... READ MORE
An INCREDIBLE debut!
I cannot fathom this is a debut novel!
It is so beautifully written, the lush descriptive landscape of 1920s Provence is so vivid that I felt I was ther... READ MORE
Suffocating and sticky and delicate
This novel is beautiful, from the mysery of the first allusive chapter, with art-history landmarks that will ground history fans and WW1 fanatics, but her... READ MORE
Immerse in 1920s...
The Artist by Lucy Steeds is a truly touching novel that stayed with me long after I finished reading. It explores so many powerful themes: the pain of con... READ MORE
Stunning
When i saw this was Waterstones Book of the Year last year, i knew it would be up my street. The Artist follows Joseph, a journalist who visits the house o... READ MORE
Destined to be an accomplished writer
young journalist is trying to meet a decisive artist, Tartuffe and out of the blue he receives a letter with 1 word, Come. So he goes off to the South of F... READ MORE
Marvelous!
Simultaneously captures the bucolic and oppressive elements of an isolated country life, swinging expertly from romantic markets and sedentary landscape to... READ MORE
A must-read for lovers of character-driven historical fiction
The Artist is a sumptuous novel, transporting us to the hazy, sun-drenched days of 1920s Provence and into the studio of master painter and recluse Edouard... READ MORE
The story has really stayed with me
Very evocative descriptions of the French countryside, and I liked the obsession with the shapes and colours of food as they rot. The start and the end wer... READ MORE
A Satisfying Summer Read
I do like working out where the prologue will meet the story as it unfolds.
This read had me feeling like I fell into tge lazy sunny afternoons with a b... READ MORE
Transported to Provence
The writing is simply gorgeous and to read this is to feel like you truly are spending this summer in the lavender fields of the south of France with the s... READ MORE
Atmospheric
Oh, I could have devoured this in one sitting.
Immerse yourself in a sizzling Provence summer full of secrets, silence, art, food and atmosphere.
An as... READ MORE
A glorious debut
If you haven’t read this book yet, you are in for a treat! Set across a sun-drenched summer in 1920s Provence, this is a gorgeous story which poses questio... READ MORE
A Fantastic Summer Read!
The moment this book won the debut fiction prize, I knew that I would love it. I could almost feel the dead of summer wafting off its pages and I knew I wa... READ MORE
Delicious!
A sultry debut infused with the simmering rage of a suppressed voice whose eventual release is just as powerful as it is devastating, The Artist is incredi... READ MORE
I really loved this
What a beautiful read! Reading this made me feel like I was there with the characters in the French countryside during a hot summer in the 1920s. Delicious... READ MORE
Seducing and marvellous
This is a wonderful work of fiction. The descriptive prose made me feel like I was there, living in Provence, and living their lives. Thoroughly intoxicati... READ MORE
Utterly artful
Like a painting itself, The Artist is so vibrant and atmospheric that it totally transports you to a hazy summer in provincial France. Because everything i... READ MORE
Delightful
What a superbly written story of relationships, trauma, growing up and being human. Written so gently and heartfelt, I loved the descriptions of the art, s... READ MORE
Synopsis
Provence, 1920.
Ettie moves through the remote farmhouse, silently creating the conditions that make her uncle's artistic genius possible.
Joseph, an aspiring journalist, has been invited to the house. He believes he'll make his name by interviewing the reclusive painter, the great Edouard Tartuffe.
But everyone has their secrets. And, under the cover of darkness, Ettie has spent years cultivating hers.
Over this sweltering summer, everyone's true colours will be revealed.
Because Ettie is ready to be seen.
Even if it means setting her world on fire.
Read this if you loved...
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Publisher information
- Publisher: John Murray Press
- ISBN: 9781399819589
- Number of pages: 320
- Dimensions: 196 x 128 x 32 mm
- Weight: 260g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allA beautifully written book that engages every sense
A fantastic book—layered, deep, and beautifully written. A must-read for 2025!
The Artist is a story set in 1920s France, told from two perspectives: Josep... READ MORE
Compulsive reading
A clever study of three people living under the same roof; Tata the elderly famous artist, now far removed from the bustling art world of Paris, his niece ... READ MORE
Brimming with light and life and beauty
I was consumed by this novel from the first few pages. Set in the isolation of a rural home in Provence, France, the characters of Tata, Ettie and Joseph a... READ MORE
Too earnest but good imagery
This book frustrated me. While the imagery was stunning, one description of a pear being squashed in someone’s hand making me feel as though I could not on... READ MORE
A true tour de force
Aspiring journalist Joseph has been invited to interview reclusive artist Tartuffe, known as Tata. There he meets Ettie, Tata's niece and housekeeper. Tart... READ MORE
A gorgeously immersive debut which vividly evokes the Provencal landscape and the food it produces
The Artist begins in 1957 with a woman gazing at a painting she knows intimately in London’s National Gallery before winding back to the summer of 1920 whe... READ MORE
Not sure what the appeal is
After reading all the rave reviews I decided to check this book out. It was very beautifully written and very atmospheric but I found it very dry and hard ... READ MORE
Historical Fiction
1920, England
Joseph's life choices have never been good enough for his father. Joseph is opposed to violence and is a conscientious objector. He avoided ... READ MORE
Five stars!
Set in 1920s Provence, The Artist is a beautifully crafted exploration of self-discovery, art, and the lingering effects of war, told through the perspecti... READ MORE
Happy reader
Fantastic! Thoroughly enjoyed!
Verified Purchase
A burning summer in Provence
Lucy Steeds opens The Artist with a dynamite prologue. In just a couple of pages, we are shown in a public gallery, a grand painting and the person who cla... READ MORE
PHENOMENAL DEBUT! HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
WOW! WOW! WOW! One of the best debut's I've ever read. What a completely gripping, immersive story. Mesmerising characters & a plot so well written. Ettie ... READ MORE
A Masterpiece Debut
I was completely blown away by this incredible debut. It's the kind of book that lingers after you turn the final page, the sort that makes you wish you c... READ MORE
Has all the elements of a good story, but sadly, slightly misfires.
Lucy Steeds’ debut novel, The Artist, is a richly evocative exploration of the lingering effects of the Great War, the constrained roles of women in early ... READ MORE
Artistic licence
In post-WW1, Joseph Adelaide is a budding London journalist with an aspiration to write about the famous, reclusive French painter Tartuffe. The artist is ... READ MORE
A slow burner, expressed in vivid colour... a great read
This book is a slow burner, expressed in vivid colour and completed in layers like a classic in oils! Set just after the First World War in Provence, an as... READ MORE
A cleverly told story
A beautiful, intense and atmospherical read.
The opening chapter hooks you in and the story unfolds in Provence in the summer of 1920 as Joseph, a young a... READ MORE
Full of life
This book is a vivid and immersive exploration of art, relationships, and the fight for women’s rights in the art world. The author brilliantly captures th... READ MORE
Absolutely delicious and delicately poignant: paint, passion, and self-discovery in a sweltering French farmhouse
Beautiful, tense, sensuous, edible, enthralling, and mind-opening. This was absolutely delicious and delicately poignant at the same time, from the simmeri... READ MORE
Really compelling character driven story
A really compelling historical character focused novel that hooks you throughout. The story is from the points of view of Joseph and Ettie, and the artist ... READ MORE
The artist
Well written, imaginative, engrossing story. An artist who wishes to control everything that makes his life run smoothly but as it also contains the one pe... READ MORE
Perfect!
I was sent an advance copy of The Artist by Lucy Steeds to read and review by NetGalley. I absolutely adored this book! A fabulous cast of very believabl... READ MORE
An enjoyable literary read
This is the story of three people. Failed artist and aspiring art journalist Joseph and Sylvette ‘Ettie’ the niece and housekeeper for her uncle the famous... READ MORE
Unputtable down - pure artistry.
Pure artistry: the characters and story drive the reader on, on, on, caught up in the tactile imagery and relationships. A feast of possession, passion, de... READ MORE
Hidden in plain sight
Brilliant. I was immediately drawn in and read it every moment I could. The story was well told and very engaging and beautifully written with lovely descr... READ MORE
This is going to be one of my favourite reads of 2025
What is art? Is it a copy of what your eyes see? Is it the depiction of a feeling, something that’s deep inside your heart? And can love have different fac... READ MORE
A rich, immersive read
The Artist is a beautifully crafted novel set in 1920s Provence, exploring the lives of three deeply connected individuals—Ettie, the niece and caretaker o... READ MORE
A trip to Provence without moving
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. What I did get was a lovely surprise. A beautifully written book about three people who's characters were so w... READ MORE
Art and genius
This is a gentle story about a gentle young man, Joseph, who travels to rural France to write about the reclusive painter, Tartuffe. There he becomes a mod... READ MORE
Work of art!
This is a beautiful, carefully crafted novel about a young man entering the entirely foreign world of a well respected artist, hoping to find his own path ... READ MORE
Wow
After noticing The Artist on Spotify. I listened to it rather than buying the book. it's normally not my type of thing. I'm used to blood, horror, and murd... READ MORE
The artist
Well written, imaginative, engrossing story. An artist who wishes to control everything that makes his life run smoothly but as it also contains the one pe... READ MORE
Slow burning love story
Told from the point of view of Ettie and Joseph this is a slow burning love story. The novel reveals the oppressive atmosphere at the cottage where they ar... READ MORE
A gorgeous, immersive debut
The Artist begins in 1957 with a woman gazing at a painting she knows intimately in London’s National Gallery before winding back to the summer of 1920 whe... READ MORE
Captivating Historical Novel
Thank you NetGalley and John Murray Press for this eCopy to review
I recently had the pleasure of reading "The Artist" by Lucy Steeds, set in the year 1... READ MORE
Remarkable
The Artist is a remarkable piece of work. Rich, descriptive prose, 3 dimensional characters who evolve across the pages and the stunning backdrop of southe... READ MORE
Intriguing
All Liam ever wanted was to help Cassie reach her full potential; to push her body to new extremes. Exercise, determination, being the optimum versions of ... READ MORE
I adored this book
I adored this book! It has a charm about it that is hard to put into words but as soon as I started reading it I just knew… This book has managed to captur... READ MORE
An absorbing story, lavishly told
This is an outstanding and charming book that totally absorbs you n the narrative, from the scenery to the characters to the motivations, I was completely ... READ MORE
Amazing debut
What a treat awaits readers who haven’t read “The Artist” yet. The book tells the story of a young man, Joseph, who comes to Provence on the invitation of ... READ MORE
Equal parts breath taking, beautiful and heart breaking.
Woah. I'm not typically a romance person, usually avoiding this genre, but when i heard the reviews about this book i decided i wanted to give it a go.
... READ MORE
The artist
Well written, imaginative, engrossing story. An artist who wishes to control everything that makes his life run smoothly but as it also contains the one pe... READ MORE
Truly brilliant
It’s 1920 in Provence, Joseph a young journalist has travelled from London to meet his obsession, the reclusive artist Tartuffe.
And so begins Lucy Steed ... READ MORE
A slow burning love story.
Told from the point of view of Ettie and Joseph this is a slow burning love story. The novel reveals the oppressive atmosphere at the cottage where they ar... READ MORE
Immediately transports the reader
A beautifully written novel that immediately transports the reader to a different time and place. It was a real treat for the senses, I could feel the heat... READ MORE
Simply Outstanding!
Set in the evocative landscape of 1920s Provence, The Artist by Lucy Steeds is a remarkable debut that masterfully blends poetic prose with a gripping narr... READ MORE
Blazing with colour, texture, deep characterisation and strong narrative
This book is, astonishingly a debut novel. Nothing in its writing indicates that. On finishing this completely immersive and beautifully charged novel, I w... READ MORE
Blazing with colour, texture, deep characterisation and strong narrative
This book is, astonishingly a debut novel. Nothing in its writing indicates that. On finishing this completely immersive and beautifully charged novel, I w... READ MORE
A really interesting read
Provance, 1920, and the reclusive Eduardo Tartuffe, a renowned artist for his work lives in a house in the south of France with his niece Ettie who keeps t... READ MORE
An evocative exploration of the nature of creativity
Set in 1920, Joseph, failed art student and now art journalist travels to the south of France to visit Eduard Tartuffe. Joseph was despised by his father f... READ MORE
A gorgeously immersive debut ful of vivid descriptions of the summer Provencal landscape
The Artist begins in 1957 with a woman gazing at a painting she knows intimately in London’s National Gallery before winding back to the summer of 1920 whe... READ MORE
Evocatively crafted
I loved this book. It’s beautiful, luminous and the writing is evocatively crafted. Like Provence, where it takes place, the novel is full of life, light, ... READ MORE
Stunning debut!
I've spent nearly seven hours in this meeting room today. As the light outside fades, my thoughts drift once again to Tata and Ettie’s world. I can almost ... READ MORE
A painterly, richly visual and sensory book.
When young art journalist Joseph escapes grey post-war England, the recent death of his mother, his oppressive and disappointed father, he leaves his much-... READ MORE
The Artist
Well written, imaginative, engrossing story. An artist who wishes to control everything that makes his life run smoothly but as it also contains the one pe... READ MORE
Evocative and captivating
Failed artist Joseph writes a column for a new magazine and he has managed to get invited to the Provence home of legendary recluse Edouard Tartuffe. It i... READ MORE
Sizzles with secrets and desires
Centred around a remote farmhouse, the tension rises along with the blistering heat of summer in the South of France. Once a doyen of Parisian society, art... READ MORE
A gripping but lyrical novel that looks at the role of women in art
Many thanks to the author, Lucy Steeds, @netgalley and the publisher, @johnmurrays, for an ARC of this book, which was published in the UK and Ireland on 3... READ MORE
A fairy tale of artistic creation
In a sensuous and confident debut, Steeds examines the roots of art and creation, of love and passion and fear, marrying The Tempest and Beauty and the Bea... READ MORE
the shockwaves of war...
This book is a slow burner, expressed in vivid colour and completed in layers like a classic in oils! Set just after the First World War in Provence, an as... READ MORE
A masterfully crafted debut
The Artist is a masterclass in beautiful sentences and deliciously paced storytelling. To think this is a debut novel is astounding and I can see why it ha... READ MORE
Brimming with atmosphere, tension, and the sultry heat of a Provençal summer
I fell in love with this novel within the first few pages. Lucy Steeds is an exquisite, sensuous writer. The Artist is brimming with atmosphere, tension, a... READ MORE
Novel set in PROVENCE
It is 1920. Somewhere near Avignon lives an ageing artist called Tartuffe. Taking care of all his needs is his niece Ettie. Together they forge a simple li... READ MORE
Longlisted for Women's Fiction Prize 2025
Thank you to the publishers for this review copy.
I was delighted to receive a copy of this the other day as I have heard nothing but fabulous reviews for... READ MORE
Absolutely fabulous book
I don’t quite know how to describe this book; it is unlike anything I’ve read. It is set in the hot summer of 1920, when Joseph arrives in the South of Fr... READ MORE
Exceptional
Exceptional
Absolutely brilliant
This book is so well written. I couldn’t put it down. I wish I could read it for the first time again!
Wonderful
I adored this book and am so glad the lady in my local Waterstones recommended to me. I’ve since recommended to many others, all whom have loved it.
Do NOT read the first 2 pages!
A brilliant book with great characters and story, but the first 2 pages give the game away - I really wish I could read it again afresh without having read... READ MORE
Amazing descriptions but the reading felt like a chore
The author is incredible at painting a picture and really taking you to where the characters are. However for me, the story falls flat. I felt like stoppin... READ MORE
Almost picture perfect ...
This is a wonderful, memorable, story. However, the opening two pages were a huge spoiler for me.
follow @whatalicereads for more reviews!
“The Artist” by Lucy Steeds transports us to a clandestine summer of secrets , the air heady with desire in 1920s Provence. The narrative flits between Jos... READ MORE
A Feast of a Book
Joseph is desperate to make his name as a journalist. He wanted to be an artist but wasn't good enough. Writing about art is, he thinks, his salvation. He ... READ MORE
A sheer delight
Bought on impulse (@Waterstones, Truro) because it seemed to be luring me to buy- transfixing, seductive and subtly irresistible. And so it proved - a magn... READ MORE
The Artist
What a compelling book. I could not put it down once I started reading it. Within the first few pages it gripped me and pulled me into the story. The autho... READ MORE
Verified Purchase
Outstanding Debut
The novel explores complex psychological themes: the strain of creative genius, war trauma, jealousy, female ambition, and the nature of artistic legacy. E... READ MORE
This is Historical Fiction the way it used to be, before the agendas. The way it should be.
“If you do not accept me for who I am, then how about when I am someone else?”
A moving story of light and shadow, the torment of longing, the convictio... READ MORE
Amazing story!
One of the best books I’ve read this year!
Verified Purchase
Could not put it down!
All too rare are books which are truly unputdownable, This is one such book. I read it in a matter of a few hours! It was an absolute joy to read, I enjoye... READ MORE
Draws his talent in plain sight
This is a novel that should make you feel the Sun's warmth on your skin, the lavender's pungent scent in your nose, the sky's blue tone on your mind and th... READ MORE
Torturous, beautifully romantic but ultimately centered around a woman's journey to freedom
This book is written excellently, creating an addictive read that will entice you within a few pages. The relationships are intense and the book is mysteri... READ MORE
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