This brief historical novel is about Ovid, specifically, it is an imagining of his life while writing Medea, a work which was eventually lost. While traveling to the shores of the Black Sea, Ovid meets Xenia, a mysterious, clairvoyant woman who practices alchemy and herbalism. Not only does Ovid fall in love with her, he also sees her as the muse for his next great work. Xenia returns his love and is also able to see that Ovid will achieve immortality through his writings, and thus, she returns to Rome with him. Once there, Ovid determines that his next work will be a tragedy about Medea, and he ends up trying to mold Xenia into an apt model.
Through this story, Alison takes a look at the uneasy relationship between art and reality, and between artists and that which inspires them. I wish that she had gone deeper in exploring this theme, but the book was otherwise a good read. This was Jane Alison's first novel, and I'm interested to see what she does next.

Very enjoyable and engaging read. Thoroughly fleshed out characters and interesting interactions between them.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I found this tale of Roman poet Ovid, and his lover and muse Xenia, to be quite entertaining almost completely through the book.

I thought it interesting that Alison portrayed Ovid's fascination with Xenia to be the undoing of them. At times I found myself wanting to slap the man silly. His acts of cruelty towards the unsophisticated Xenia all perpetuated in the name of his art made me wonder what his definition of love encompassed.

I can't go into great detail without spoilering the book but its a decent reading experience and I would recommend it for those who like reading historical fiction.

Very interesting. Although I must say that I now have more questions instead of less about Ovid and the Augustan Roman period. Also, I'm not sure what the stream of consciousness style did for this book. I kept expecting Virginia Woolf to jump in with her [all important] brackets. Somehow [imagine this] that took me out of the classical Roman feeling that the author so craftily evoked. Still, it was very well written and I think my struggles were through my own limitations.

I waver between 2 and 3 stars on Love-artist. I began the book enthralled, captivated by the language and the premise of the story but became mired in the density of it all towards the end. Didn't hate it but am reluctant to read more Jane Alison at the moment. I need a palate cleanser or 2 first

I have to say that I am in love with the prose of Jane Alison. I think she is an excellent writer and her words flow-never faltering or letting up; never tiring. It is interesting that the entire novel contains very little dialogue. Instead, the reader experiences the characters through their own experiences, their own filters. At first, I was put off by this but eventually grew to appreciate the style.

The Love-Artist deals with universal themes that are extremely relatable to the modern, 21st century inhabitant. Even though you could argue that the main character is Ovid-and what caused his exile and thus what happened to Medea- I found the female characters by far more intriguing: Xenia and Julia.

My interest ebbed somewhat after Ovid and Xenia went to Rome-but I'm sure this had little to do with the book and more to do with having two little children which at times like to make reading a difficult pursuit (haha). I would recommend this book to any lover of historical fiction and I definitely plan to check out more of Ms. Alison's work.

One of my lifetime goals (which seems farther out of my reach the older and more feeble minded I get) is to read Ovid and Julius Caesar in the original Latin. This book tries to fill in the mysteryof Ovid's last works and his exile to the end of the earth (Romania).The story of his witch mistress, that he bases Medea on, is fascinating and lyrical, but would have made a better novella or short story.

Disagreeable story. Read it all the way through, but long before I reached the last page, I was yearning for it to be over! Boring and offensive, and did not do Ovid, Ancient Rome, or the other exotic settings justice. Found little or nothing to like about the character Xenia (and her name is completely unsuitable, for there is little about her that is hospitable), but neither she nor Ovid were fleshed out very much. Could have been worlds better. Never did understand what her grievance with Ovid was about---other than her own paranoia, lack of self-confidence, envy, and lack of trust in him.

I had a love-hate experience with this book. I loved the character Xenia, the way Ms. Alison wove her story through an unsolved mystery of a lost poem and tragedy, and I loved ethereal feel of ancient Rome and the details of the time. However, though she has an impressive command of vocabulary, I felt the book was way-too-overwritten for my taste. She was also so heavy-handed with the witch-themes that it failed my plausibility-test for historical fiction.

That said, her book inspired me to research Ovid, and for that I am grateful I spent time with The Love-Artist.

last update: Not my favorite. I was on an historical kick and this story filled in some historical gaps about how the Roman poet Ovid ended his life in exile. Bizarre and confusing but I can't say I particularly enjoyed it.

The imagery and poetic language of the novel match the subject of the poet Ovid. Although there are few sympathetic characters, the plot is riveting. The author keeps the readers view to a few central characters, and focuses on their tragic relationship. One of the few books I could read multiple times and continue to discover different layers.

Rating a book that has well written prose with two-stars is hard for me. My dismay with the book comes from never finding myself invested in the characters of the story. If I can’t really root for someone then all is lost. The basis for the story has potential, however I don’t feel this story line is plausible under the title of historical fiction. Caveat - I am guilty of not knowing enough of Ovid’s history and his writing to maybe have fully appreciated the story.

The surviving lines from Ovid’s Medea leave so much mystery that many stories could be weaved from them

n  ’I gave you your life.
Now you’re wondering – will I take it too?’n

Ovid is a self-absorbed lustful man that really can grate on your nerves and garners no sympathy on my behalf. Xenia falls in a more mythical/magical realm and still doesn’t pull me to her side. The only person I can find some sympathy to was Julia, Augustus’ granddaughter, but by the end it wasn’t so.