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    Leaving Van Gogh
    Leaving Van Gogh
    Leaving Van Gogh
    Audiobook10 hours

    Leaving Van Gogh

    Written by Carol Wallace

    Narrated by Luis Moreno

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Leaving Van Gogh is Carol Wallace's first historical novel and it has created quite a buzz among genre luminaries. In this meticulously researched, heartrending story, Wallace re-creates the final fateful days of legendary painter Vincent Van Gogh-who, at the age of 37, shot himself long before his paintings became recognized as some of the world's greatest works of art. "A haunting novel of bold strokes and fine-grained gestures ."-Stacy Schiff, New York Times best-selling author
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateApr 19, 2011
    ISBN9781461803867
    Leaving Van Gogh

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    Reviews for Leaving Van Gogh

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    • 5/5
      Where to begin? This book captured my heart from its first pages and it still hasn't let go. Vincent van Gogh was a man of supreme artistic brilliance but a true lost soul when it came to living in the real world. Without the undying support of his brother Theo we might never have known the beauty of his Sunflowers or the glory of his Starry Night. His works were a passion of mine as I studied art history and they remain amongst my favorite pieces of art.Ms. Wallace imagines the last months of van Gogh's life after he left the asylum in St. Remy and found Paris too noisy. He moved to Auvers in the countryside where he painted and painted and painted. He was befriended by a Dr. Gachet who was at the forefront of new methods of caring for the mentally ill. The book weaves a tale of what might have been between a very troubled genius and the doctor who was unable to help him.Vincent van Gogh left an enormous legacy between his paintings and his letters. I believer there are something like 900 letters between he and his brother that help to chronicle the times and what Vincent was feeling. Using the letters and other sources Ms. Wallace has written a story that makes you feel like you come to know Vincent van Gogh the man. You feel his pain and frustration at having the world not understand his style of painting yet you know that he will be vindicated in the end. It's just a shame that he did not live to see the acclaim that he so deserved.This is a book I will keep and read again and those are few and far between. It's one of those books that you really don't feel like you are reading; you feel like you are drawn into the world of the characters and despite the ending that you know is coming you still don't want to leave.
    • 1/5
      Van Gogh did not commit suicide. He was murdered. So this book is inaccurate.
    • 5/5
      Well researched Fiction that explores the myth of Vincent Van Gogh. That said an excellent portrayal of Family Practice, an intriguing credible glimpse of medicine in 1890. From a medical standpoint a fascinating conjecture. I am not sure how non-medical readers will see it.

      Dr. Gachet portrays what it is like to have the terminally ill patient. To come to grips with therapy vs comfort in the age of Siphylus, tuberculosis, untreatable epilepsy. Not even touching in lead poisoning from the paint, turpentine inhalation, alcoholism with absynthe poisoning for good measure.

      Then the myth of Dr. Gachet. "Heal thyself Doctor" is as true now as it was then. Who was Dr Gachet? Who was Vincent? The book inspires me to read more biography on both figures.

    • 2/5
      I was really looking forward to the arrival of this book. After all, sad books need love too! I even loved the first lines...

      "I held Vincent's skull in my hands. It was a strange and melancholy moment."

      ...but my love faltered midway through the reading. As the story dragged on I found it harder and harder to pick the book back up. It was so promising! I knew it wasn't going to be barrels of sunshine, but I never expected it to be boring. Le sigh.
    • 3/5
      Somewhat disappointed by this book. I'd say it's because I love van Gogh so much, but my love for the artist is really the only thing that kept me reading. The writing was excellent, but nothing much happened in this novel. It could have been so much more. It's still fiction, so go ahead and make some stuff up- like a romance between van Gogh and the doctor's daughter? It was right there! Also, somewhat poor timing in light of the recent speculations that van Gogh was indeed murdered and did not commit suicide.
    • 3/5
      Narrated by the doctor who cared for Vincent Van Gogh, Leaving Van Gogh is a fictionalized portrait of the last months of Van Gogh's life. His physician Dr. Paul Gachet is asked by Theo Van Gogh to look after Vincent because he is experienced in treating the mentally ill. In addition, Dr. Gachet is an amateur painter who has connections with other notable artists of the time. As he tries to understand what drives Vincent, a friendship develops between the two men. Van Gogh painted several versions of a portrait of Dr. Gachet. Themes of friendship, genius, melancholy and loss run through the novel. The information about the treatments for mental illness is fascinating, while the rich description reflects the bold colors of Vincent's paintings during this period. As I was reading the book, I found myself stopping and looking up the various paintings on Google Images so that I would have a point of reference. Starry Night has always been one of my favorite paintings, but I was not that familiar with many of Vincent's other works. I had trouble getting into the book at first, but once I became acquainted with the characters, I finished it quickly.Reviewed as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program.
    • 2/5
      I was looking forward to reading this book because I once had a psych professor who did a wonderful presentation every year on Van Gogh. I think the presentation was better than this book. I think telling the story from the perspective of his doctor was a mistake. Too much of it felt like the author didn't know what to think about Van Gogh, so she just made it up as she went along. I prefer historical fiction to presented as truth, not conjecture. This book was very slow to develop and took a lot of effort for me to actually finish it.
    • 3/5
      Leaving Van Gogh is a historical fictionalization of the final weeks preceding Vincent Van Gogh's suicide. He spent that time living Aurves, France and formed a good friendship with Dr. Paul Gachet, a physician that specialized in mental illness.I had trouble getting into this book. I chose it because I love Vincent Van Gogh's paintings and wanted to learn more about him. However, he was really just a supporting character in this book. The reader never gets to know what's going in his brilliant mind. The story is told by Dr. Gachet and he is the center of the story.The story meandered back and forth in time and at times I had trouble remembering if Gachet was talking about the past or present. The last fourth of the book picked up but I did not care for the ending. (I won't spoil it for you.)
    • 4/5
      I LOVED this book. It took me awhile to pick it up and I wish I would not have waited so long. The last days of Vincent Van Gogh are filled with so many different emotions. My husband and I are going to the art museum tomorrow to look at the Van Goghs they have in their collection. Can't wait. I have never been a fan of his artwork, but I was intrigued by this take on his life. Wallace has done such a wonderful job capturing this tale of Van Gogh, not only does his life come to life, but his painting do as well. Wonderful read!!
    • 4/5
      I finished reading Leaving Van Gogh days ago, and have struggled since then to find the right words for a review. Carol Wallace crafts a deeply moving work of historical fiction that recreates the last year of Vincent Van Goh’s life in Auvers, France. The story is told through the caring eyes of his physician, Dr. Paul Gachet, who suffers his own sorrows as a widower unable to save his wife, or ease her suffering as she died years prior. At the request of Vincent’s brother, Theo, Dr. Gachet watches over Vincent and tries to diagnose his condition and offer what little help he can provide to ease Vincent’s suffering. Dr. Gachet's tender voice brings this well-known story the unique perspective of a physician struggling to understand and treat mental illness, of an amateur artist, art lover and art collector's insight into the art world, and of a perceptive friend's witness to the struggles of the Van Gogh brothers. Leaving Van Gogh is a beautiful, sad story that took me inside the tortured mind of the mentally ill, and the sorrows of those who care for them. I was surprised at the emotional impact of this book, given my understanding of Vincent Van Gogh’s life story. The author manages to combine the details of these men’s lives into a lovely and devastating portrait that illustrates how reality is too much for some to bear, and how sometimes love is not enough to tether us to this world. I have stared at Van Gogh’s paintings for hours, and read countless books on his life, and I thought I had some understanding of his sadness and his daily struggles. This wonderful work of historical fiction taught me once again how little I knew, and allowed me to feel deeply the pain of these men, and to imagine what they might have said, or felt, or might have done in the days leading to Vincent’s suicide.I have revisited my art books and my Van Gogh books and I am seeing them again through new eyes, especially Vincent’s raw and sorrowful portrait of the Doctor and Dr. Gachet’s heartbreaking sketch of Vincent on his deathbed. I found this book to be incredibly sad and touching, faithfully and lovingly researched and written and I recommend it very highly. It will stay with me for a very long time.
    • 5/5
      Where to begin? This book captured my heart from its first pages and it still hasn't let go. Vincent van Gogh was a man of supreme artistic brilliance but a true lost soul when it came to living in the real world. Without the undying support of his brother Theo we might never have known the beauty of his Sunflowers or the glory of his Starry Night. His works were a passion of mine as I studied art history and they remain amongst my favorite pieces of art.Ms. Wallace imagines the last months of van Gogh's life after he left the asylum in St. Remy and found Paris too noisy. He moved to Auvers in the countryside where he painted and painted and painted. He was befriended by a Dr. Gachet who was at the forefront of new methods of caring for the mentally ill. The book weaves a tale of what might have been between a very troubled genius and the doctor who was unable to help him.Vincent van Gogh left an enormous legacy between his paintings and his letters. I believer there are something like 900 letters between he and his brother that help to chronicle the times and what Vincent was feeling. Using the letters and other sources Ms. Wallace has written a story that makes you feel like you come to know Vincent van Gogh the man. You feel his pain and frustration at having the world not understand his style of painting yet you know that he will be vindicated in the end. It's just a shame that he did not live to see the acclaim that he so deserved.This is a book I will keep and read again and those are few and far between. It's one of those books that you really don't feel like you are reading; you feel like you are drawn into the world of the characters and despite the ending that you know is coming you still don't want to leave.
    • 4/5
      This book pays homage to one of my favorite artist’s, Vincent Van Gogh. “Leaving Van Gogh”, takes place during the last year of Van Gogh’s life and revolves around his connection with Dr. Gachet and Van Gogh’s brother, Theo. The author, Carol Wallace, successfully captured the heart of this illustrious painter by portraying the artist’s love for painting against the demons he struggled with throughout his life. Van Gogh’s final months and his paintings are described through the eyes of Dr. Gachet, who was Van Gogh’s last doctor, painting partner and friend. Through him, we see the beauty of Van Gogh’s paintings, his love for color, light, texture and his love of life. The history of Van Gogh evaporates as we spend our days with him in the countryside. We feel the beauty that surrounds him; the fresh breeze against his skin, the harsh light of the sun casting its colorful nuances against the earth. This beauty is felt, side by side, against his angst and mental fragility. Like any life and any story, there are parts too sad to contemplate. However, a life is not measured by its sadness, but by how it is lived. Van Gogh contributed much to the art world and thus to life itself. Bearing this in mind, Van Gogh fulfilled his dreams. It is too bad he was not here to reap the benefits. Carol Wallace exquisitely captures Van Gogh in all his angst and beauty. “Leaving Van Gogh”, is an interpretation worth reading.
    • 4/5
      I was excited to receive this book as part of the Library Thing Early Reviewers program since it examines two subjects in which I'm very interested -- art history and psychology. While not intimately familiar with all of Van Gogh's history, I was lucky enough to attend an exhibit a few years ago in Chicago covering his years at his "studio of the South" with Gauguin and learned a fair amount about his background thanks to that and I was eager to learn more.Wallace's novel, which grew out research conducted while working on her Masters in Art History, focuses on Van Gogh's final months and his relationship with Dr. Paul-Ferdinard Gachet, the physician Van Gogh's brother, Theo, sought out to treat Vincent's "mental maladies." Gachet had a keen interest in art, was himself a painter, and had befriended other notable artists of the era including Cezanne, Monet, and Pissaro. Gachet had a solid background in working with emotionally troubled patients from his work at two mental institutions and Theo Van Gogh felt he would be ideally suited to help Vincent after he left St. Remy, another French asylum.Wallace's prose is a bit scholarly at times and I felt a little removed from the characters and the situation. I had expected to develop more of a bond with Vincent and to feel more by the end of this novel, but for some reason that didn't happen. In a way, I suppose I'm glad that was the case, because the the subject matter isn't easy or pleasant to digest. I did feel Wallace did a better job of showing Gachet's deep devotion to his wife, Blanche, who died of tuberculosis prior to Van Gogh arriving on the scene. In fact, that portion of the novel is the most affecting and difficult to get through. I can appreciate that that experience is key to understanding some of Gachet's later motivations, but I feel like the section might have gone on a little too long.Overall, I enjoyed this book and am glad I had the opportunity to read it. It should appeal to those interested in art and/or psychology, but I don't know how much general appeal it will have.
    • 5/5
      “Leaving Van Gogh” was tragic to read from the first words. Knowing the artist’s fate made every word, every description of a painting seems colored with grief. From the perspective of a doctor that knows him briefly and is unable to alter the path of Vincent’s life, this story is beautifully heartbreaking.“Vincent turned his head to smile at Theo. I never saw that expression again on his face. It was pure happiness and affection. I wish that some of the many, many portraits Vincent had made of himself had showed that side of him to the world, but the mood was fleeting. It was as if, from the shell of the stoical man I was getting to know, peered for an instant the tenderest creature, full of hope and delight.”A story about an artist that lived to paint, lived to capture the brilliant colors of the world would be empty without descriptions of his paintings. Carol Wallace does a masterful job at describing not only the settings of the novel (a small village in France, an asylum, the streets of Paris), but of the art created by this amazing talent. “My footsteps crackled as I trudged through one of the fields. No human figure emerged from the sea of grain. Vincent must have gone in a different direction. As I traversed the long field to reach the westbound path, I thought I might as well be in one of his paintings. The golden field with its infinite tones of ocher and yellow was set off by the brilliant blue sky, provided by nature to carry out Vincent’s own theory of complementary colors. Each made the other more intense. I merely crept along the seam between them, feeling very small.”Other than the amazing visuals, the two aspects of the book that were the most powerful were the doctor’s anguish and guilt regarding the death of his wife, and Vincent’s description of his mental illness. Both men are unable to change this aspect of themselves that bring them such pain, yet without these elements of their character, they would not be who they are. Both themes dealt with such depth of emotion, such despair and anguish that it was hard to let those feelings go when I put the book down.“He (Vincent) smiled wistfully. “All of your dealings with the mad have not taught you the important point, have they? Once the thoughts get too dreadful, we are no longer ourselves. I might no longer be Vincent. I will probably become the dreaded madman, and then I cannot find you, though I might wish to.”This was a brilliant story, one with a depth of color and emotion, brought to life with care, and one I shall not soon forget.
    • 4/5
      Dr. Gachet tried to treat the mental illness of Vincent Van Gogh as well as being his friend during the final days of Van Gogh's life, and this fictionalized memoir (or what do you call this genre?) is told from the doctor's viewpoint. Most of us know that Van Gogh's work is beautiful and startling but there are lots of us who know little about the artist other than that he cut off his own ear. Well, not the whole ear, as it turns out. How can such a disturbed person find and create, in his unique style, such beauty?I loved learning more about Van Gogh in this novel. I think that perhaps I would not have liked Gachet very much. He seemed indifferent to his own children, too hard on his son, describing his daughter as “presentable,” who did a “reasonable job” of playing Chopin and was a competent housekeeper. Be still my heart! I think he made poor decisions concerning both his wife and Van Gogh, but could I have done better?Theo Van Gogh, Vincent's brother, was portrayed as a kind and compassionate man, fighting his own battles, helping his brother the best he could, and frustrated because he couldn't do more.I found the description of care and treatment for mental patients to be fascinating, and sad. There was so much done wrong and so very little hope, even for those with physical ailments that were diagnosed as mental issues. I had to frequently quit reading so I could go Google a painting or person or situation, and it's wonderful when books make me want to learn more. I also loved that the author included notes at the end explaining was was true and what was speculation. It is frustrating to read about a real person and at the end, wonder what part is fact.What I loved less is that the the story begins after Van Gogh is already dead, and the doctor recounts his memories of him. That led to too much telling – Vincent said this, Vincent did that, and it made it harder to connect to the people in the book. The book got off to a slow start for me but the story engaged me. Overall this was, for me, an interesting, touching, and entertaining story.Thanks to LibraryThing and Random House for giving me a finished copy of this book.
    • 4/5
      Reading this novel sent me to the internet to look up several paintings by Van Gogh referenced in this book, most notably the portrait of our narrator, Dr. Gachet. The good doctor tells the story while looking back on his life, of the few months the brilliant Vincent Van Gogh was in his care in his hometown of Auvers. The painter's brother, Theo, approached Dr. Gachet about helping watch over Vincent, and arrangements were made. Dr. Gachet specialized in psycholgical cases, "hysteria" and the like, so he seems a good fit to interact with Vincent. The bones of this novel reminded me at times of The Swan Thieves. The doctor's obsession with the painter and the painter's obsession with the world around him are really what make this story interesting.
    • 5/5
      An interesting novel. An account of the last year or so of Van Gogh’s life, told from the viewpoint of the doctor and art lover, Dr. Gachet, who befriended Vincent and Theo Van Gogh. The good doctor has problems of his own, and the book spends more time with his character as observer than with Van Gogh’s. The author has remarkable insight into Van Gogh and his art, the the affect that his personality had on his brother Theo and Doctor Gachet. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      Anyone with a passing knowledge of art history knows the story of Vincent Van Gogh and his struggle with sanity, and indeed, his saga was covered in detail in Irving Stone's biographical novel Lust for Life. Leaving Van Gogh covers this somewhat familiar ground with a new twist, as the story's narrator is Van Gogh's personal physician Dr. Paul Gachet, an early specialist in mental disorders, who was also a friend and patron of several of the important artists of the time.The novel is interesting not only for it's sympathetic portrait of the painter and his family, but also for its insightful look at the dawn of psychiatry and the treatment of mental disorders as the medical community moved from simple incarceration to modern treatment. As one reads the book one begins to wonder if Van Gogh was really mad, or did he have epilepsy, which was regarded as the equivalent to madness at that time.Extremely well written (as well as being well researched), the author tells a masterful story of what it means to live for art, as well as the limits of friendship in helping a human being in despair.
    • 4/5
      An excellent book about Van Gogh, written as a novel. The author used her research for her M.A. thesis as the foundation for this novel, and does it in such a way that it was difficult to stop reading until the last page.Wallace translates Van Gogh's canvases into prose and lets the reader see the world through this master's eyes. Imaginative, yes, compelling, most certainly, but written with a passionate authenticity. Wallace uses Dr. Gachet, VanGogh's physician, as the narrator and their friendship comes out on each page. Art and madness, friendship and therapy, hope and despair, all are there for the reader, and learning more about Theo and his family was an added feature that made the book seem to be a non-fiction accounting. I kept going back to see the word "Novel", as so much research made this book come alive, and seem to be so accurate in the storytelling. I finished the book with sadness, as I felt I left an old friend behind. Starting with the loss of his ear, rather than ending the book with this tidbit of known information, was a very smart move to capture the reader, as I wondered how Wallace could make a story go further than the sensational ear-cutting episode. A tragic life, a sad time to live with no cures or understanding of the diseases of the day makes this reading a compassionate look at the history of Van Gogh and others who suffered with epilepsy, bi-polar, and syphllis. An excellent book to read, not just for those interested in art, Van Gogh, or painters, but for anyone wanting to be entertained page by page. I now know Van Gogh as a favorite friend and think of him, not as someone mad enough to cut himself, but someone full of artistic talents only realized centuries after his death.
    • 5/5
      I am a huge (and very well read) fan of Vincent Van Gogh and was surprised and delighted by this novel about the final months of his life. It is told in first person by Van Gogh's final "mental health" physician, Dr. Paul Gachet, also an artist (and lover of art). Hired in essence under false pretenses by Vincent's brother Theo, Gachet approaches the case with an almost child-like hope, and then he takes the reader through the reality of having a patient so brilliant, yet so emotionally tortured. That is an enormous feat for any writer to pull off (especially anything in first person), but in fact, Wallace is able to do just that. There has been so much written about Van Gogh that I was doubtful this would be engaging, but it was. It is beautifully, albeit very pensively, written, and does offer a few new possible insights into the mind of Van Gogh, through a man who maybe was best able to try to understand him. In addition to glimpses at the obvious genius/madness question, there are simpler, and equally relevant, explorations on art as a passion and reason to live, how an artist views life and beauty (and thinks about it, or maybe, does not); and what is kindness and/or understanding of "treatment" when a person falls irreparably ill. This novel is incredibly sad, in many ways, but describing why would give away much of its beauty. It's an exploration, and a thoughtful, compassionate one at that. It is hard to walk away without a re-gained love for Vincent Van Gogh and the hardships he faced in his life. Highly recommended.