Endicott Mythic Fiction discussion

Our August book choice is the biography Lizzie Siddal: Face of the Pre-Raphaelites
by Lucinda Hawksley.
Who's reading?

I got it from the library about two weeks ago for this occasion, and I get to keep it until the 31st of this month! I had never heard of Lizzie Siddal before picking this up, but I'm definitely familiar with the pre-Raphaelites and some of their choice paintings.

I look forward to starting!

I put my copy on hold at the library & it's on its way. I've had a special interest in the Pre-Raphaelites since reading Elizabeth Hand's Mortal Love (the first Endicott group book choice, as it happens). Really looking forward to it.

Picked it up from the library today.

My interest in them started with an interest in J.W. Waterhouse, who, until I picked up this book, I thought was a big member in the movement. He may still be, I suppose, but he certainly wasn't a member of the PRB.

I added Mortal Love to my to-read list! It looks interesting!

This one really doesn't interest me that much, but I promise if a good discussion gets going, I'll stop by the library and pick it up.

I actually ordered a copy of Mortal Love a couple of months ago, but it got lost in the mail.

Anatha, I'd love to hear what you think of Mortal Love when you read it. It's turned out to be one of my favorite books and led me to read a lot more by Elizabeth Hand.

Melanti, that's really a shame about the book getting lost in the mail. I hope you come across another copy.

The BBC did a miniseries about the Pre-Raphaelites called Desperate Romantics - anyone see it?

Ah. I was going to mention Desperate Romantics at some stage. It's hilarious and sad. Well worth a watch, with a lot of annoyingly pretty and talented people in it.

Anyone else struggling with this? I keep having to put it down and go and read something else, because it's just too frustrating and sad.

I'm still reading it. I already know what ends up happening to Lizzie, so I think I'm prepared for the unfolding of it, but I'll report back when I'm done.

Finished it, but neither my SO or I wound up being fans unfortunately.

A reread of The Golden Compass may help the recovery...

I kind of enjoyed it. I don't think I'll ever read it again or would have picked it up on my own if it weren't for this group, but I'm glad I did. Lots of info on the William Morris, Rossetti, and laudanum.

Fun fact: first day of my modern brit. lit. class, the teacher used Rosetti's Beata Beatrix in juxtaposition with a more modern painting, and she asked us to explain if "it was a picture of a single moment in time," and blah blah blah, and BECAUSE I had just got finished reading this, I pretty much told everyone everything Hawksley informed us of it and nailed it. I was like, "I GOT THIS."

So thanks, fellow Endicott Mythic Fiction enthusiasts, for helping me on my first day of school! :)

@Anatha: Good for you! I'll bet your teacher wasn't expecting that. LOL

I finished it last week and ended up agreeing with Niall519 - frustrating and sad. Also enraging. I found Dante Rossetti's behavior so despicable that I may never be fully able to enjoy his paintings again.
I was interested to hear about all the support John Ruskin had given to Lizzie. I've had a not very good opinion of him ever since reading Joanne Harris' Sleep, Pale Sister, which was somewhat inspired by his failed marriage to Effie Gray (touched on briefly in the Lizzie bio). It was nice to hear he supported Lizzie Rossetti's artistic ambitions so enthusiastically. So sad that she didn't end up taking more advantage of his support. (The over-prescribing of laudanum by doctors, and the excessive use of it for such a wide variety of complaints, makes me wonder just how much of the population of 19th C England managed to escape laudanum addiction - especially since it was even used to quiet children!)

BTW, I really liked Sleep, Pale Sister & recommend it. (It would make an especially good Halloween-time read).

More:
Sleep Pale Sister and Pre-Raphaelite Fiction

I added Sleep, Pale Sister to my to-read list! It looked interesting, and you pretty much had me at "it would make an especially good Halloween-time read!" :)

I'd love to hear what you think of it, Anatha.