One of the Best Books of the Year: Parade, Glamour, Real Simple, Refinery29, Yahoo! Lifestyle. “A startlingly modern love story and a mesmerizing portrait of a woman’s self-transformation from muse to artist.” –Celeste Ng, author of Little Fires Everywhere“I’d rather take a photograph than be one,” Lee Miller declares after she arrives in Paris in 1929, where she soon catches the eye of the … 1929, where she soon catches the eye of the famous Surrealist Man Ray. Though he wants to use her only as a model, Lee convinces him to take her on as his assistant and teach her everything he knows. As they work together in the darkroom, their personal and professional lives become intimately entwined, changing the course of Lee’s life forever.
Lee’s journey of self-discovery takes took her from the cabarets of bohemian Paris to the battlefields of war-torn Europe during WWII, from inventing radical new photography techniques to documenting the liberation of the concentration camps as one of the first female war correspondents. Through it all, Lee must grapple with the question of whether it’s possible to stay true to herself while also fulfilling her artistic ambition–and what she will have to sacrifice to do so.
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An absolutely compelling novel about the life, love, and art of Lee Miller. Set in the 30s and 40s, this story takes you through the bloom and wilt of an amazing women who carved her own path in history. She loved, and had the love of, surreal artist and photographer Man Ray, but her life was so much more than a muse or a lover. Whiney Scharer’s ambitious debut weaves together this woman’s dreams and the pain that eventually locked them away forever. It’s tragic yet you can’t turn away from the unapologetic fate of this trailblazing photographer.
I had the most amazing Live chat with the author on Instagram. Check it out!
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CJWvwDEg_hq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
(Skip the first minute. We had technical issues going live. LOL!)
#botm
Also check out my Bookish Mood Boards that reflect my design inspiration for this book as a film Insta Blog
From the moment I began reading The Age of Light until the last page of this story came to a close, I was mesmerized and captivated by Scharer’s fictional account of photographer/model, Lee Miller, and the men for whom she was a muse, most significantly, iconic Surrealistic photographer, Man Ray.
Knowing not enough about either to critique the veracity or accuracy of the portrayals, or the time, events and details of their orbiting lives, I could only surrender to the storytelling, which was masterful. Taking place largely in Paris, bouncing ahead from chapter to chapter to Miller’s dramatic and life-altering tenure as a WWII war photographer, the story swept me up in its sensorial depictions of time and place, from the taste of food, to the scent of gardens; the visual and aural impacts of artistic gatherings and exotic parties, the tender, sometimes conflicted lovemaking of tender, conflicted people, even the darker corners of that time, including the horrors of Hitler’s depravity.
As one who’s spent time in the photography world, I also appreciated the arcane detail and accuracy of the photographic activities of both main characters, finding myself immersed in the process and the excitement of new discoveries, both technical and artistic. I could picture it all so specifically.
Mostly, I appreciated Scharer’s lovely depiction of a complex, complicated woman in flux, a woman coming into her own during a particularly challenging time in history, discovering innate powers and unique talents often while wrapped in the love, devotion, and possessiveness of not only Man Ray, but others who came in and out of her life. I found her resonating, utterly fascinating, and deeply relatable.
The book intrigued me to learn more about both characters, and that seems a wonderful result of any historical fiction. Kudos to Scharer for writing a captivating, page-turning homage to two of history’s most interesting characters.
I finally read this, having heard about it long before it was published. I loved it. The writing is superb, and the characters complex and hypnotically fascinating. This story of Lee Miller, the model/photographer who was Man Ray’s lover, is 20th-century historical fiction at its best.
Beautifully written!
Absolutely the most gorgeous writing in this novel about Lee Miller, Man Ray’s model in 1920s Paris–who became a photographer in her own right. Lots of acute & astute psychological observation in this couple’s challenging relationship, which culminates in betrayal. What does a woman need to sacrifice for ambition?
In this beautifully written debut novel by Whitney Sharer, THE AGE OF LIGHT transports readers to Paris in the 1930’s and Europe during World War II when Man Ray and Lee Miller meet. Lee is a successful model whose father used to photograph her when she was young and taught her some basics of the trade. At the age of 22, she meets Man Ray, a successful and renowned artist and photographer, who she begins to work for him as his assistant. As they collaborate together, they discover new techniques in the photography field, but all Lee wants is to become successful herself and be recognized for her creative side. Their love of photography and working relationship blossoms into love, but Man’s jealousy and Lee’s personality cause their sensual relationship to clash and spiral infusing anger.
I loved Sharer’s writing. She has a distinct way with words, and there is so much substance in them. For instance, I loved this quote, “Her anger is like the cellulose fire: it cannot be extinguished.” And this quote sums up Lee’s own anguish describing herself, “She could tell him that she doesn’t know who she is, that she never has, that sometimes she just feels like an empty vessel to be filled by whoever she is with or whatever she is doing.” Sharer captivates the reader with her words, and her descriptions are so vivid. I enjoyed her novel, and highly recommend it.
There was so much buzz about The Age of Light that I almost didn’t read it, especially because I’m a big fan of Man Ray’s work. I also didn’t know much about Vogue model-turned-photographer Lee Miller, Man Ray’s muse and lover. But Whitney Scharer does a stunning job here, bringing both of these powerful personalities to life on the page while also putting us in Paris in the 1930s, where the Bohemians and Surrealists reigned. What’s more, she sheds light on the photographic techniques these two created together that paved the way for so many contemporary photographers who wanted to do more than just take pictures, and pays homage to the women artists of the time who had to fight so hard to find their places at the table. I would have liked more on Lee Miller’s time as a war photographer and on her marriage to Roland, but that would have required another 300 pages. As it is, this is a powerful read about love, art, and the choices we make because of our passions.
This is truly an extraordinary novel. From the first scene to the last, I fell into my own passionate love affair with this book–I found myself always wanting to be reading it, and pining for it when I had to set it down, thinking about the characters and the lushness of the details as I fell asleep. Scharer has a visual artists eye for detail, an ear for lyrical prose, and a huge empathetic heart. I can’t wait to share it with everyone I know.
This novel of Lee Miller–a model turned photographer who became the assistant and lover to the more famous artist Man Ray–is lush and engrossing and the details of her life swept me away. There is something almost photographic in the way Scharer captures the story, diving into Miller’s life as a war correspondent in the 1940s, delving into Miller’s libertine mindset, and allowing us to enter the lives of the artistic scene of Paris in the late 20s and early 30s, each image crystallizing for us. Moments are chosen and illuminated creating a vivid story. I can’t stop thinking of the ending. A wonderful book.
As a lover of photography, from both sides of the lens, I was fascinated to learn more about accomplished photographer Lee Miller who began her career as Man Ray’s muse and her subsequent journey to assert her own remarkable talents and step out of the shadow of her mentor and lover. While Miller’s life story is compelling, Scharer’s writing is the true art here. There’s a sensuality to her writing that suits her subject brilliantly. I pored over the prose and turned the pages furiously. Highly recommend.
This book is for art lovers, those who enjoy historical fiction, and romantics. I Googled Man Ray before I read it so I had a point if reference. I then Googled Lisa Miller about halfway through the book and again after I finished it. It was interesting to see the art after I had read about its creation. The book is well written and I enjoyed reading about a little known female artist and about the culture and mores of the era.
I enjoyed this fictional account of WWII corespondent and photojournalist Lee Miller’s life. The book focuses particularly the years she spent with fellow photographer Man Ray with some glimpses into her WWII reporting.
I was hoping for the story to be more about Lee Miller and her photography, but it was more about the drama between her and Man Ray and her struggle to become an artist in her own rights. That being said the book is very well written and it does bring light to an amazing photographer at the start of her career
I couldn’t put it down. I loved following along with Lee’s journey from being in front of, to behind, the camera lens. This book follows her adventures, successes, challenges and everything in between.
I can’t remember the last time I felt THIS uncomfortable reading a book. Or had SUCH trouble rating it. I finally settled on four stars, not so much because I enjoyed it. But because the novel brought up such strong feelings throughout.
At its heart, this is a story of the 4 year long romance between two artists –American visual artist Man Ray and Lee Miller, a model turned American photographer and photojournalist. Amid the budding Dada and Surrealist movements in 1920s Paris, Ray and Miller meet just as she is tiring of modeling and interested in pursuing photography. She grabs the opportunity to learn all she can in Ray’s photography studio by signing on as his assistant.
(NOTE: There are multiple inserts throughout the novel relating Miller’s experiences as a photojournalist during and after World War II. Though interesting, I felt they interrupted the flow of the book and I’m not sure why they were included.) Back to the artists.
Despite their 17 year age difference, love blossoms and the passionate couple soon embark on their pioneering work in developing the photographic technique called solarization. So far, this all sounds reasonable. But there is something about this relationship that begins to shift. Miller, herself haunted by childhood trauma, begins to find Ray overly controlling and demanding. Though, in typical female fashion, she dutifully placates him at first, he soon begins to restrict her activities, stifling her work, and obsessively photographing extreme close-ups of Miller’s individual body parts, whether she wants him to or not.
What became increasingly uncomfortable for me was this power dynamic between the two. The older, famous, privileged white man simply believes he SHOULD be dominant and that all the couple’s joint work belongs to him (since it happened in HIS studio). He is never able to see Miller as anything beyond HIS young and beautiful assistant, who just happens to show such great promise.
But Miller is changing. She is steadily developing her talent, embarking on her own experimentation, with her own sparks of creativity. Inevitably she begins to resent Ray’s limitations and his failure to give her any public credit. So, of course, their relationship is headed for a showdown.
For me, the book simply turned into a pre-feminist era story of how men and women have all too often operated over the centuries. Entitled and arrogant, Ray assumes he is the one who matters most in the relationship and that it is his role to make decisions, even when they impact two parties. That is until he blunders beyond a boundary Miller will not tolerate. Like many, or perhaps most women, Miller will be taken advantage of and used up ONLY until the moment she is forced to impose a limit.
It’s an old story. Younger, more talented women working diligently and silently behind the scenes while men in the spotlight take credit for their efforts. Men not willing or able to see beyond a woman’s physical beauty. Beautiful women not taken seriously, despite continual evidence of competence.
I’ve seen it myself and if you’re a woman, you probably have too. So, if you read this one, expect to feel uncomfortable.
The Age of Light is a well written story that takes place mainly in the 1930’s Paris. A love affair between Man Ray and Lee Miller and their groundbreaking work in photography, are the focal points. I would love to find out more about Lee now that I have read this book! I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
A lovely, deep, loving story of artists and art, written with great sensitivity in polished prose. While the story is fictional, the characters were real people.
I loved this book. I got it from Book of the Month not because of their review but I was interested in learning more about Man Rey and previously knew nothing of Lee.
“I’d rather take a photograph than be one,” said Lee Miller, who spoke from experience on both sides of the camera, first as a Vogue model, then as an inventive and unblinking documentary photographer. Debut novelist Whitney Scharer tackles Miller’s dueling ambition and desire during her personal and professional entanglement with the temperamental Surrealist Man Ray.
A successful, intelligent, somewhat naive, beautiful fashion model in 1930s Paris is stunned to herself more satisfied looking through the camera lens than being in front of it.