Mrs Van Gogh: The breathtaking historical novel inspired by the true story of the woman who made Van Gogh famous

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The pace is slow throughout this interesting read. The story is based on some true facts and events. This is a traumatic account of the lives of Vincent and his brother Theo Van Gogh. the story can be quite depressing at times. It was a little repetitive in the first half of the book. The book could easily have been a bit shorter. It covers mental health, physical illness, love and loss. It has also been descriptively written. Joanna Van Gogh was a remarkable woman. In 1890, Vincent Van Gogh dies penniless, unknown, a man tortured by his own mind. Eleven years later his work is exhibited in Paris and his unparalleled talent finally recognised. The tireless efforts of one woman gave the world one of its greatest creative minds. But twenty-eight-year-old Joanna Van Gogh-Binger, Vincent's sister-in-law and keeper of his immense collection of paintings, sketches and letters, has, until now, been written out of history. This beautiful, moving novel finally gives this extraordinary woman a voice. All that is going on in their lives, Jo manages reasonable self restraint, Vincent plagues Theo for money and art supplies causing Theo to work longer hours. Jo, becoming pregnant helps to bring the couple closer together and their son is born, young Vincent. More children are not possible, Theo has syphilis, the cause of his continued ill health. Fortunately baby Vincent and Jo have not contracted any symptoms. As for the adult Vincent, the extended happiness Theo has for not only having a wife but also a son, his jealousy and bizarre behavior increases. Vincent's continued health problems physical and mental (today bipolar, schizophrenia and epilepsy) have been historically documented by many.

I have wondered whether a subsidiary motive in selling Vincent’s art might have been to provide an income. But Luijten points out that Bonger had considerable investments, partly from her time with Theo, so “she never really needed the money from sales”. As Luijten points out, it remains “puzzling and inexplicable, however, why he [Bonger’s son Vincent] made absolutely no mention of his mother’s name in his speech at the museum’s opening”—considering all that she had done for her brother-in-law. Family dynamics can remain obscure, even to biographers. Caroline Cauchi is also known as Caroline Smailes, and Caroline Wallace. I have been reading and loving her books for many years now. She writes in such an eclectic style, contemporary fiction, experimental fiction, and now, with Mrs Van Gogh, she's penned a wonderful, vibrant and utterly engrossing novel of historical fiction.

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He’s one of the most progressive painters alive. He has to keep painting,’ he says. ‘He forces us to surrender conventional ideas when viewing his art. But Jo … Can I hope that one day he’ll be understood?’

This is primarily classified as a Biographical Fiction book. Can I read Mrs Van Gogh by Caroline Cauchi as a standalone Book? Brings to vivid life an extraordinary woman… will appeal to all lovers of historical fiction. A story that deserves to be told and widely known.” Essie Fox Johanna Gezina van Gogh-Bonger (4 October 1862 – 2 September 1925) was a multilingual Dutch editor and translator of the letters of the van Gogh brothers. As the wife of art dealer Theo van Gogh, she was the sister-in-law of the painter Vincent van Gogh.

I’m at a loss for words. I’ve stepped into a world where madness and art seem to hold hands to dance. I’m not sure I know how to exist here.’ Johanna van Gogh stayed in touch with Eugene Boch". Eugeneboch.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-10 . Retrieved 2012-08-01. A] brilliantly fictionalized account of the life of a woman who the world needs to know better” Lit Hub

Johanna arriving in Paris looks to pursue her own artistic desire but her mother's relentless design for her to marry becomes a problem to the point that a deadline is given. Jo has already met Theo who has flirted with her but with her Dutch upbringing thinks that he is rather presumptive and initially rejects his overtures. With a 70 year old widower waiting for her in Holland, her mother's choice for a husband the pressure builds and she accepts Theo's advances. Vincent Van Gogh died in 1890, penniless and unknown. Eleven years later his work is exhibited in Paris and finally he is recognised for the great talent he was and goes on to become one of the worlds most renown artists. All the result of the tireless efforts of one woman, Johanna Van Gogh-Bonger, the wife of Vincent’s brother, Theo Van Gogh, and the custodian of Vincent’s immense collection of letters, sketches and paintings. Mrs Van Gogh is her story. Theo became preoccupied with Johanna, and the following year paid a visit to Amsterdam to declare his love. Surprised and annoyed that a man she hardly knew should wish to marry her, she initially rejected him. She accepted his proposal the following year, and they were married in Amsterdam on 17 April 1889. Leaving home in the Netherlands with her parents and siblings and moving to Paris to take up life with her art dealer husband was a major change for her. The couple exchanged many letters prior to their marriage, published as Brief Happiness: The Correspondence of Theo Van Gogh and Jo Bonger, [8] where they got to know each other better. Going into the marriage, Jo knew that the relationship between her future husband and his brother Vincent was strong, so that in marrying Theo, she was also in essence marrying Vincent as well. For years her husband Theo had supported Vincent's work as an artist, financially and in all other ways. Later, she inherits all of Vincent’s paintings and letters. As a lover of art, she gets the drive to bring Vincent’s art to the world. And for the world to understand him better through his paintings – his hard work and his sorrows, not his madness. Without Johanna's dedication to the cause of exposing Vincent's art to the world posthumously, he would have remained obscure. Johanna loved her husband and loved his love for his brother.This revelation may put you off reading Mrs Van Gogh - don’t let it. Because despite this what Carline does is give Johanna a voice and her fictional account is entertaining and believable. She makes it so with vivid descriptions of late 19th century Paris and populates her novel with, for the most part, real people and excellent characterizations.

Mrs Van Gogh is a charming little woman, but it irritates me when someone gushes fanatically on a subject she knows nothing about, and although blinded by sentimentality still thinks she is adopting a strictly critical attitude. It is schoolgirlish twaddle, nothing more. [...] The work that Mrs Van Gogh would like best is the one that was the most bombastic and sentimental, the one that made her shed the most tears; she forgets that her sorrow is turning Vincent into a god." [16] She was successful in her quest as the paintings have sold for millions and millions of pounds and his art continues to be studied, vilified and admired. However, Vincent died penniless. And therein lies the reason for this historical fiction work about the other Mr Van Gogh's wife. Mrs. Van Gogh is the story of Johanna Bonger, who becomes Mrs. Theo Van Gogh. Another example of how women were perceived in this patriarchal world is the attempts of Johanna’s parents to find her a husband, Johanna feels like a commodity to be bargain over. I mentioned to someone I was reading "Mrs Van Gogh" and they immediately said "I thought he never married?".

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This book covers a small time frame...only a few years from Jo arriving in Paris, meeting and marrying Theo, having his child, the death of Vincent and then the death of her husband. I was thoroughly absorbed and loved learning of another little known remarkable women, before Caroline Cauchi was herself inspired and took the time to thoroughly research, then stitch in a fictional web of story line, to produce the beautiful book.