The Lady and the Unicorn

This is one of the most delightful books I've read in the past few years. Yes, yes, we know it's about a set of medieval tapestries being woven and about the people who get caught up in each others' lives as a result. Put like that, it sounds dusty and worthy perhaps. Nothing could be further from the truth. For me, Lady and the Unicorn bubbled along, filled with both fun and pathos. I found myself caring deeply not only about the characters but also the tapestries themselves. I also found myself referring frequently to the designs underneath the dust-jacket and even poking around among the rugs in the basement to see whether there was a unicorn rug down there.

I read this novel on my vacation in Paris and on the day I finished it I went to the Cluny Museum to see the Tapestries for myself. I'd seen them ten years ago, but seeing them again, after reading Tracy Chevalier's book brought them to life in a way that was utterly magical.As she did with The Girl With the Pearl Earring, (but even better this time since she has matured as a writer) the author takes a classic work of art and artfully spins a tale inspired by the original which becomes an original itself.That the actual art work exists adds to the magic. The magic adds to the actual art work.Chevalier's imagination, her grasp of history, her attention to the senses, to details, to the soul of both artists, artisans and lovers are all as lovely as the tapestries.Not a stich is missing, not a word is extraneous or misplaced. Bravo.

For me, Lady and the Unicorn was every bit as good as Girl with a Pearl Earring. I felt utterly transported to the middle ages and immersed in a rollicking good tale, immaculately told.

I didn't like Tracy Chevalier's book, "Girl With a Pearl Earring," and I didn't read the other two, so I was a little reluctant to buy this book. I love the Lady and Unicorn tapestries in the Cluny Museum in Paris so much, though, that I couldn't resist. I'm glad I didn't.Chevalier's writing is still spare and straightforward and I was happy to see that, but her sense of character and the richness she adds to her plot strands has increased many times over. This is a lovely book, filled with fully-realized characters and a beautifully-woven plot...almost as beautiful as the tapestries in the Cluny. Chevalier has certainly used her imagination well in giving us a story about how these beautiful tapestries might have come about. I felt like I was really transported back to France (and Brussels) during the fifteenth century. Chevalier hasn't skimped on the details and it's the details that make this book so lovely.I enjoyed this book and, although not an artist, I am a lover of art. I think anyone who loves art, France, tapestries or beautifully-told romantic tales will love "The Lady and the Unicorn." I recommend it highly.