✵✵✵✵✵ Review by Astrid Galactic
They say that every picture tells a story. Filmmaking, a
series of many pictures, tells a much more elaborate story. Dominic Smith tells
an intriguing story, involving early filmmaking, with words in The Electric Hotel.
The Electric Hotel, a work of historical fiction, follows
the lovelorn life of Claude Ballard from his early life as a photographic
apprentice in Paris in 1895 where he also loyally stays with his sister who is
dying of consumption. He soon becomes involved with the Lumière brothers which
leads him to jump from still photography into silent motion pictures using
their latest invention, the cinématographe. His undying love for his sister, as
well as his commitment to his art, sets the pace for his adventures and travails
throughout the rest of his inauspicious life.
At the heart of Ballard's suffering is the unrequited love
he holds for his leading lady, Sabine Montrose, an accomplished French stage
actress whom he succeeds in graduating into motion pictures. A woman, lusted
after by men worldwide but whom no man can capture her guarded heart. Claude
comes ever so close, yet only enough to pique more pain and torture for the
remainder of his life.
As with any great novel, there is much more to The Electric Hotel than just a love story. We follow Ballard as he pursues his
dedication to the art of filmmaking against all odds as though he was a modern
day Job with a camera. No matter how many hurdles he surpasses, there's always
another one to knock him down with the biggest of all being the monster
corporatist, Thomas Edison. Yes, that Thomas Edison, often known for his many
inventions but usually not understood as being one of the Fathers of
Corporations as well as their abuses. If Sabine couldn't destroy Ballard,
Edison certainly would do his damnedest.
Dominic Smith has done a magnificent job at researching the
early art of cinematography, as well as other historical inventions and
happenings during the fin de siècle to make this book truly believable in this
era. It is very enlightening beyond the storytelling itself. A must read for
those interested in early film who like their history spiced up with a delicate
blend of fiction while maintaining the flavor of the times.
The details of the story are only the bedrocks of the book.
The way that Dominic Smith tells his story was an amazing delight to behold. It
dazzles with pure artistry of words befitting any precious personal library.
Often, I found it reminiscent of Annie Proulx's Accordion Crimes, one of my
personal favorites. The sensitivity of using words to reveal characters, rich
in detail and beyond what we normally see in most books. There is also a
sequence of events that are very related yet hold their own stories within
themselves that could take on a life of their own if the author so chose. This
was one of those books that I did not want to end even though the full story
was told to its natural conclusion.
Bravo, Mr. Smith. A lesson in history, a fascinating story
and work of beautiful prose. A masterpiece!
(ARC)
Fiction
Historical Fiction
Hardcover 352 pages
0374719691 (ISBN13 9780374719692)
Published June 4th, 2019 by Sarah Crichton Books
Goodreads
Amazon
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