This book is hard to get in to and is also not a great telling of Casati's story. The art is pleasing, but again, the story is hard to connect with and ultimately it's a forgettable experience.

There are people that become characters after they breath no more, when their life is just one to be shared and compared to others’. Some survive the tide of time, others are swallowed and forgotten, but there are other that let themselves be half immersed. Half present, half gone. After discovering the life and times of the Marchesa Luisa Casati, I couldn’t but put her in that group.

Video review: https://buff.ly/2JEOgOf

La Casati, The Selfish Muse- How do people like this fade to obscurity rather than remain forever relevant?

I gained access to an amazing Graphic Novel recently. Europe Comics and Vanna Vinci released a biography about Marchesa Casati. Casati was not a person I was familiar with before reading this work. I was mainly drawn to the artwork seen on the cover and the general premise. As the pages unfolded, I was astounded by how fascinating her story was.

This graphic novel is perfect for those as clueless as me on the subject- Marchesa Luisa Casati was an Italian heiress who squandered her fortune in a whirlwind lifetime of debauchery, extravagance, and artistry that set the stage for modern show women like Madonna and Lady Gaga. Casati was a muse for 100+ painters and artists with a desire to live opulently and without reserve. Live exotic animals, crazy technological and electrified dresses plugged into the main power grid, expensive and vast housing.

It should be noted that this is probably not the best choice for children as it is filled with lots of nudity.

Disclosure: This Graphic Novel was supplied for review purposes by the publisher or artist. it arrived on my computer amidst a cloud of smoke and mystery. I was glad for this magical "ebook" and normal clouds of smoke indicate fire hazards of which I am nervous.

I REALLY wanted to like it more than I did, but it just wasn't that great... The art is lovely and it's worth flicking through just for that, but the writing just wasn't as good. 

I first heard about the Marchesa Casati through a podcast called Stuff You Missed in History Class and honestly? That podcast does a better job talking about her and her life than this graphic novel does. The pacing is a bit all over the place and even though I like how it sort of feels like a diary at times, I thought it could have done with a bit more editing. 

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I could not really get into this book, but the artwork is really nice.

This graphic novel retelling of the life of the Marchesa, an Italian born noblewoman of the 19th Century whose aim was to become a work of art. The illustrations are good but the narrative feels repetitive and forced in places. The recreation of familiar images will leave you feeling that you know Casini, and well you should, often portrayed with her dark eyes, this is a face you will most likely know.

Although her story isn't the happiest, I loved reading and learning about Casati. Looking at portraits and photographs, the illustrations capture her perfectly.

This is an historical biography of The Marchesa, an Italian noblewoman born in the nineteenth century, who wanted to make herself into a work of art. The artwork is well done and shows the Marchesa’s transformation over time well. But, the story, while fascinating in theory, comes across as repetitive and shallow.

'La Casati: The Selfish Muse' with story and art by Vanna Vinci is a graphic novel based on the life of Luisa Casati Amman, otherwise known as "The Marchesa." I wasn't familiar with who she was, but her face was immediately familiar to me.

Luisa Casati spent her life and fortune trying to transform herself into art. She is known for her pale features and overly made up dark eyes. She was the subject of numerous paintings and photographs in the 20th century, many of which are recreated in these pages. Her obsession with the strange ended up bankrupting her and alienating her from friends and most of her family.

The story is told by a series of the real life people who show up in the book, including La Casati herself. I found this a good way to tell the story and keep the narrative balanced. I really liked the art in this book. The style matches the flamboyance of the subject.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eCopy of this graphic novel in return for an unbiased review. I genuinely did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did, I thought it'd be a little interesting 20-minute read that ended when I read the last page. It was a short read, and it was interesting, but it definitely did not end when I reached the last page. I had never heard of Casati before, and now I have she is definitely someone I want to learn more about. She is such an interesting character, and her life seems so surreal and ends so sadly that it is almost hard to believe this is a biography and not a work of fiction. 

I really liked the artwork within the graphic novel, and the writing style was very immersive and enjoyable. I was genuinely sad when it finished. You may have never heard of Casati, or you may already be familiar with her, but either way, I definitely recommend picking this graphic novel up and giving it a read. Definitely something I'd like to own in person one day.

If you thought that reading "The Great Gatsby" taught you about excess, clear way for Marchesa Cavati! This is an interesting glimpse into what we know of her life, told in graphic novel form. Honestly, there's not much that we really know about her since so much was destroyed in the wars in her lifetime. The format was pretty unique. You are introduced to someone and told what part they played at that point in the Marchesa's story, and then you rarely see them again (only one or two exceptions to that). Also, while this may seem like a great book for a kid to do a book report or research on the Marchesa, it's not a book for children. It's all drawings but there is nudity throughout the book and even a couple of frames of racy acts. The Marchesa was also a drug user and this is also demonstrated throughout the book. So definitely not one for kids. With that warning, it was quite interesting to hear the exploits of how this woman squandered a fortune in her lifetime all for no apparent reason other than to be art.

I would like to thank the publisher, author, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

By Vanna Vinci
Published November 25th by Europe Comics

I got this book from Net Galley in trade for an honest review. Thank you Europe Comics for this opportunity.

Synopsis from Goodreads

This is the tale of Luisa Casati Amman, otherwise known as 'The Marchesa', an Italian heiress whose life ambition was to transform herself into a living, breathing work of art. She was obsessed with beauty and extravagance, and devoted her entire family fortune to purchasing the means to astonish her contemporaries with her daredevil style. But her originality extended to more than just the adornment of her own person; she embellished her whole life with a succession of fantastical parties, large houses, ostentatious pets and outrageous public appearances. But, as ever, such exorbitance can hardly last forever... This intriguing biography traces the rise and fall of one of the 20th century's most fascinating personalities.

Story

This is an interesting graphic novel to read. I’ve never heard of “The Marchesa” Luisa Casati Amman until I read this book. And it lead to another Google search (yap…curiosity got the hold of me). Apparently she was dubbed Lady Gaga from the 20th century and her style inspired some big designers in the haute couture
world.

I think it’s a good idea to make someone’s autobiography in comic style, especially with lots of images to feature in the book. It makes it less boring especially with someone as interesting as Casati.

The one thing is confusing is the way the narration is done by each character. Sometimes by Casati, sometimes by the other characters. I tend to read the statement first then the character name. It’s quite unusual and I’d rather have 1 narration throughout the story. Good thing that the characters didn’t just tell their story but also interact with Casati. The weird part is when Casati’s dying. She told it in her own narration, which is quite ghost like.

Other than that, the story itself is well research. All the important images and people that involved in Casati’s life is pictured. Include her lovers, painters, photographers and a wax figure artist. It’s quite fascinating how 1 person could be a model of so many media during her lifetime.

Illustration

I like the illustration style with uneven lines and water color blending. I also like the color of Casati’s hair. It’s so vibrant and the way it’s pictured, it’s so wild like her personality. I don’t quite like the eyes. Somehow it’s a bit much…compared to the real images of Casati. I think it’s a bit exaggerated. But all in all, the style of the illustration fits the story. It got that “old” aura that makes you feels like watching an old movie.

Love the expression on Casati’s faces. Especially when she’s upset, it’s so expressive. With her big eyes and wiry hair, it’s so energetic. When she grew older, the wrinkle around her eyes and mouth are quite detail. I could see the difference when she was young and old.

Recommended for those who loves artwork done in watercolor and pen, historical fiction and autobiography of an interesting character.

A very beautifully illustrated and told tale of a beautifully flawed and interesting character.

I didn't realise going in that this is a biographical comic - it tells the story of a famous heiress who lived like a rockstar.

She was a strong personality and an aesthetist - she liked things to be beautiful, expensive and a little bit dangerous. And a bit of cocaine.

The illustrations in this graphic novel are striking, very precise watercolour pencil work. I think that Casati herself would have liked so see herself rendered in an unusual style, standing out from the crowd.

The narrative itself is a little unusual, with figures from her lifetime popping up all over the place and giving little testemonials as to how they knew here and what she was like. This is a great way of finding out the kinds of people she spent her time with and how she was regarded, but it's a little bit distracting to the overall reading experience.

This book has introduced me to a historical figure I had never heard of before and now I'm looking forward to finding out more about her - so mission accomplished!

I’m fascinated.

I hadn’t even heard of Marchesa Luisa Casati Assan before I read this book.

But now I’m fascinated.

What makes someone live a life to stand out like this? Is it an insatiable need to be seen?

This graphic novel seems to do her life justice. It seemed to start out a bit slow - but as her eccentricities grew, so did the compelling-ness of the book.

Take a peek at this if you have a predilection to discover peculiar and provocative people of the past.

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics for a copy in return for an honest review.</i>

Interesting figure but I lost track of the plot at times. The art work was interesting. The dialogue in the historical first person was an interesting touch but it took some getting used to.

In parts it was interesting, but on the whole, I wasn't wildly impressed with this one. It just wasn't really my thing.

I love getting history this way! Great art, showing the wonderful outfits and locations. Thanks to Netgalley!