Rating: 5.0/5 Stars
The Artist and the Feast by Lucy Steeds was a work of art in-and-of-itself!
Joseph Adelaide is a London journalist who is granted an unlikely invitation to meet with the reclusive artist, Edouard Tartuffe, at his home in Saint-Auguste-de-Provence, France in the 1920’s. When he arrives, Joseph meets the artist and his niece, Ettie. He finds that Tartuffe’s misanthropic reputation is well-deserved. He is almost turned away immediately, but Ettie suggests that Joseph is the ideal model for Young Man with Orange, a work that Tartuffe has been interested in authoring. As time progresses, Joseph begins to notice the myriad of ways the Ettie supports Tartuffe’s work and life. Their relationship grows into one of mutual respect and understanding despite Tartuffe’s destructive and abusive presence.
The book explores various fascinating themes of art and the female artist. What makes art valuable? Why are there so few female artists throughout history? What unsung contributions have women made to the art world? The book also explores themes of abuse, gaslighting, war, and PTSD. Beside the obvious beauty of reading the book, it was an intellectual juggernaut.
The Artist and the Feast is masterfully written. The gorgeous wordsmithing made reading this novel a hedonistic experience. Steeds made me feel every aspect of the character’s experience. I was left with no ambiguity about how the juice of a peach feels on the tongue, how the light enters the room, how the heat rolls through the day, how a cool stream would feel in the dark of night… Her vivid descriptions of art and food made me desperate to share experiences with the characters. I have never read a book that left me with such intense sensory impressions. Bravo!

"Longlisted for the 2025 Women's Prize for Fiction, The Artist and the Feast is a captivating novel of love, art, food, desire and thwarted ambition, which builds propulsively over one scorching French summer in 1920s Provence.

During a scorching summer in 1920s Provence, a young journalist, Joseph Adelaide, turns up at the farmhouse of reclusive artist Edouard Tartuffe, hoping to write an article about him. There, he meets Ettie, Tartuffe's niece, who appears to do everything for her uncle - from cooking and cleaning to catering to his maniacal moods. Joseph is beguiled by where he finds himself, not just by this foreign place or Tartuffe himself, but by Ettie, who watches everything so quietly from the periphery. Both Joseph and Ettie carry scars from their pasts and it's as they get to know each other that they start to lay bare those scars to themselves and to each other.

As the summer wears on, and as new ideas and passions are explored, Joseph, Ettie, and Tartuffe are propelled toward a finale that reveals long-held secrets and sets the world on fire.

Fans of Sarah Winman's Still Life and Paula McClain's The Paris Wife will be enchanted by this compelling novel."

There's something magical that happens in the right place at the right time with the right temperature that just coalesces into the perfect window onto another world.

Passionate. Provocative. Artistic. Endearing. Inspiring. Beautiful. Feminist. These are the words that come to mind when I think back to my experience reading this wonderful book. I've seen a small village in the south of France, seen the hills, smelled the lavender, felt the sun on my face. And I've experienced these things because of Lucy Steeds. There's so much description about the food, but I was particularly fond of the setting. It's all very rich, and artfully examined- like it comes from someone who loves art, spent years of their life studying and interpreting and understanding all its many forms.
While some may be hesitant to pursue a story so artistically detailed, like The Art of Racing in the Rain, everything is described deliberately, richly, to enhance the reader's understanding of the passion of this craft, the importance of this Master of Light. By understanding this, we can begin to empathize with each of these characters' struggles, better understand them. The novel asks why we celebrate an artist's madness, as seen in reclusive Tartuffe, or Tata. It asks about our perception, about how we see or don't see, as portrayed in eager English journalist, Joseph. Finally, it asks what we are capable of enduring before risking being seen for who we are, as aptly demonstrated by the troubled and promising Ettie. Mystery, romance, desire, secrets, artistic pursuits. While the pacing is perhaps a little slow, to build tension and provide more understanding of these three brilliantly crafted characters, it's a journey well worth the effort. Deservedly, this debut deserves its spot on the Women's Prize for Fiction longlist.

Thanks to Union Square & Co. and NetGalley for the ARC.

i don’t know if i devoured this book or if it devoured me, but either way i loved it to bits. i loved the way it delves into art, women’s absence in its history, artistic agency and ‘genius’ and, most importantly, how it frames one’s ability to see and be seen. the romance between joseph and ettie was slow, full of yearning and tenderness, and i adored it to bits. i really hope it gets shortlisted for the women’s prize!