~Bite 2~
08/04/2025
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Setting:
1920’s Provence, France
Main Characters:
Edouard Tartuffe: artist
Ettie: Edouards niece and caretaker
Joseph: writer
~ Plot ~
Being a creative myself and having a deep love for all art including painting, made reading this book so much more impactful amd enjoyable.
This book gives readers an immersive look into the art world through the lens of a writer named Joseph Adelaide who is looking for his next big breakthrough piece and the niece of reclusive artist Edouard Tartuffe. This is a look into the life and artistic process of a reclusive artist, his process, and the writer who is tasked with uncovering the truth beneath the paint.
~ P.O.V. ~
This book switches between the point of view of Joseph and Ettie (Tartuffes niece) in order for us to learn how Joseph came to be the only other human being besides Ettie to step foot inside his home and studio, as well as learn how Ettie came to be the sole caretaker of her uncle. The relationship dynamics in this story were so entwined and truly thickened the plot. You have Edouard and Ettie, Edouward and Joseph, and perhaps the most important relationship thats explore being Joseph and Ettie. A slow burn relationship that begins and ends with a piece of art.
~ Major Thoughts ~
This was one of the best books I think I have ever read. I am not one to read straight-up fiction and this was Lucy Steeds debut novel, so I have to give a major hats off to her. As someone who wants to be a published writer and lives for the written word, this novel was brilliant. It had some of the best visual descriptions that I have ever read, especially those regarding food and color.
I think it also important to mention how well-written and intruguing the romance subplot was between main characters Jospeh and Ettie—truly such beautiful writing. I mean in a story focused on art, the connection and development between these two charachters was so profound to read. You can read some of my favorite quotes showcasing their burning romance below.
I cannot wait for Lucy Steeds to write another book because I will buy it immediately. This book was well-researched, well-written, and well-executed in it’s dedication to unveiling the secrets artists hide. If you love art and the art scene, slow burn romance, obsession, creative writing, visual descriptions of landscape and food, this novel is for you, but I think anyone who picks it up, will fall in love with Lucy Steeds narration and take on the life of an artist and the earthshattering relationship between a troubled girl and a lost boy who find solace in one another.
Memorable Quotes
From Ettie to Joseph~ “If you try to put a painting into words you’ll have to lose something of it…you have to accept what you’ll lose” (Steeds 99).
“Joseph notices that they only eat food that Tata can paint. Everything they consume must have a clearly defined shape because this is what looks good in a painting. Tata rejects anything that could melt into a brown blur. He will not paint beef stew, or fish pie or anything with a homogenous, saucy look there is no mince, no pate, nothing jellied. Soups are only considered if they are served in a particularly distinctive bowl. There is a reason why very few casseroles appear in the history of art.” (Steeds 137).“Instead, they eat food chosen for it shape and color. Oranges. Radishes. Nectarines. Seafood is particulary artistic. The black spines of a sea urchin, the serrated shell of a scallop, the curving claw of a lobster. (Steeds 138).
“Joseph manages to move food from his plate to his mouth, but he’s not aware of eating. He cannot focus on anything except the ends of Ettie’s hair where it has curled around her ears. The echoes of her hands run up and down his body, a tingling shadow of sensation…Joseph’s mind is filled with images of Ettie’s blazing, determined face. Of her strong hands wringing the blood from his shirt. Of her mouth resting against his thumb” (Steeds 145).
“When Tata forbade Ettie from painting he thought he had stamped out her hunger. But though he took her pencils from her hand, he could not quell the urge within her” (Steeds 147).
“Usually she is aware of every second ticking by, every grain of sand falling through the hourglass of her life, but nighttime is suspended. Seconds, minutes, hours, mean nothing. The cascades of light have ceased to tumble through the sky, leaving only stars behind. The moon hovers like a scythe. The wind is warm on her skin” (Steeds 163).
“At the market the next day, Joseph tries to look at food with an artist eye. They do not buy the ripe tomatoes, but the ones with the most interesting colors. Radishes are chosen if their leaves are dark and frothy. Peaches, only if their skin is bursting open in the heat” (Steeds 206).
“I burn for you” (Steeds 220).
