Book reviews

The Lady and the Unicorn
Tracy Chevalier Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography Video
Tracy Chevalier Books
New book search
Tracy Chevalier Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of The Lady and the Unicorn
"Like the author's earlier book, The Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Lady and the Unicorn tells the story of the creation of a work of art. In the late 15th century, Nicholas les Innocents is commissioned by Jean Le Viste to do a set of tapestries. Le Viste's idea is the tapestries will be of a battle. However, Genevieve des Nanterres, Le Viste's wife, convinces Nicholas to make the tapestries tell the story of the Lady who seduces the Unicorn. While at their wealthy home, Nicholas falls in love with their teenage daughter, Claude. However, he is far below her in social class, and her parents have already decided that Claude will marry a nobleman. After Nicholas designs the tapestries, they are woven by a workshop in Brussels. Nicholas goes to the workshop and meets two more women, the wife of the weaver, and their blind daughter. Nicholas uses the faces of these four women in his tapestries. His relationships with the these women, and with the tapestries, change his life.
"

Susanna Marlowe, Resident Scholar

"Nicolas des Innocents is commissioned to create a tapestry for Jean le Viste, a rich nobleman. While going over the terms, he meets Jean's young daughter, Claude who is attracted to the handsome artist. When they are caught in an indelicate situation, she is separated from him.

He goes to Brussels to supervise the preparation of the pattern for the weaving of the tapestry. There he meets the beautiful daughter of the weaver who is blind. When he returns to Paris, he tries to see Claude, but is unable. Meanwhile the weaver's daughter has been betrothed by her parents to a brutish wool dyer whom she does not love. Nicolas comes back to Brussels to see how the work is going and finds a way to help her out of her engagement.
"

Jack Goodstein, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of The Lady and the Unicorn
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - distant past/middle ages
Romance/Romance Problems Yes
Life of a profession: - artist
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Job/Profession/Status story Yes
Lover is - of a different social class

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - artist
Age: - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality - French
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - very athletic - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male - Female
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount - an average amount
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 6 ()
Europe Yes
European country: - France

Style
Person - mostly 1st - rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references - impregnation/reproduction
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog - significantly more descript than dialog
Most similar books to The Lady and the Unicorn
Valley of the Horses by Jean M. Auel
The Shelters of Stone by Jean M. Auel
Children in the Morning by Jennifer Macaire
The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
He Stands Alone - Ulster Cycle 5 by Randy Lee Eickhoff


Click here for more information about this book


Tracy Chevalier Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Jack Goodstein  

SCHOLARS:
Susanna Marlowe  Melanie Burke  Jessica Marler  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Literature books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Animal story

Crime & Police story

Ethnic/regional/gender life

Exploring into the wild

Family, caring for ill

Family, loving relations

Family, struggle with

Internal struggle/realization?

Job/Profession/Status story

Kids growing up/acting up?

Political/social activism

Poverty, surviving

Pregnancy/Child rearing

Religion theme?

Romance/Romance Problems

Sports Story?

War/Revolt/Disaster on civilians



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!
Feedback


Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
Suzanne Weyn 10:35:23 PM
George W. Bush 5:33:46 PM
Kin Platt 12:58:29 AM
Anonymous 12:47:34 PM
Lilian Jackson Braun 10:05:52 PM
Jane Rubino 10:04:38 PM
LaVyrle Spencer 10:04:00 PM
G.A. McKevett 10:03:31 PM
David Williams 10:03:01 PM
Steven Pressfield 10:02:30 PM
Jeanette Walls 10:00:19 PM
Darryl Ponicsan 9:59:27 PM
Ann Rinaldi 9:58:30 PM
R.L. Stine 9:57:34 PM
Geoffrey Huntington 9:57:14 PM
Betty Mahmoody 9:56:38 PM
Deric Longden 9:56:11 PM
Mary Downing Hahn 9:55:48 PM
Iris Johansen 9:55:24 PM
Marlo Morgan 9:54:58 PM

More message boards