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The Flames

A story about four strong women and the artist who sets their lives on fire

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The Flames

By: Sophie Haydock
Narrated by: Hattie Morahan
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Every painting tells a story, but what if the women on the canvas could talk...

ADELE: passionate, fierce, obstinate. The daughter of a bourgeois family in 1900s Vienna, she rails against the strictures of her class and longs for freedom.

GERTRUDE: spirited, single-minded, possessive. The sister to budding artist Egon Schiele, she longs for an exciting life away from their tempestuous family home.

VALLY: determined, independent, proud. A model for celebrated artist Gustav Klimt, she has carved her way out of poverty and is now forging a brave new path for herself.

EDITH: quiet, conventional, loyal. Or is she? Younger sister to Adele, Edith is overlooked and wonders if there is another version of the woman she might become.

Four flames, four wild, blazing hearts, longing to be known. All four will become muses to the charismatic but controversial artist Egon Schiele. In an elegant bohemian city like Vienna, everything seems possible - until an act of betrayal changes everything. For just as a flame has the power to mesmerize, it can also destroy everything in its path . . .

© Sophie Haydock 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

 Biographical Fiction Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Thriller & Suspense Biography Exciting Heartfelt

Critic reviews

MAGNIFICENT. Feels destined to be a classic - exquisitely crafted and so absorbing. I loved it and REFUSE to accept it is a debut. It's simply too good.
As a feminist reworking of Schiele's story, and as an exercise in redressing historical injustice, this novel is a glorious success. Haydock ensures that these women emerge from behind Schiele's gaze, and she also uses them to illuminate a period of seismic change... an impressive and highly enjoyable debut.
Completely convincing and utterly compelling, THE FLAMES gives vivid voice to four muses who refuse to be remembered as just that. Haydock is a writer to watch.
Confident...urgent...illuminating: you will never again look at Schiele's vivid portraits without wondering about his subjects' lives beyond the frame.
In Sophie Haydock's impressive debut these women leap from Schiele's canvases, becoming fascinating and complex characters.
Thought provoking and illuminating and a fascinating - I so enjoyed discovering the world and the women behind works of art I adore.

'A reimaging of the lives of artist Egon Schiele's four female 'muses' it is both fascinating and compelling. I loved all four women...and the final scenes with Egon himself were truly extraordinary.'
The four women who loved Schiele come back to life, combining an exquisite sense of place and era with a passion and sensuality that transcend time altogether.
'I knew nothing of Egon Schiele. I'm now obsessed, and heartbroken for all four women. An unforgettable book about wanting more for ourselves than we are told we are allowed.'
An intoxicating and evocative read full of controversy and drama. We loved it.
All stars
Most relevant
I would heartily recommend this book.

It’s a fascinating insight into the artist world from the early 20th century.

A social history plus a moving account of the women that we still look at in the art galleries all around the world.

It is fiction but a fascinating theory nevertheless.

A wonderful imagining of the life and times of Egon Schiele models

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This was one of the best books I've listened to for ages. Fantastic story, well written, well narrated and completely absorbing. I didn't want it to end. I have seen Schiele's work in Vienna but knew little of his life other than it ended too soon. The story of the women behind the paintings was intriguing and I enjoyed the author's imaginings of the many gaps in their stories. I recommend this to anyone who loves art and history and who knows that life rarely works out as you think. I hope this author produces more of this quality.

Fascinating and completely absorbing

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Absolutely loved this book. Really interesting and so much raw emotion with sibling rivalry vs family loyalty. The ups and downs and general life paths.

Fabulous

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Spoiler alert! Don’t Google the characters til after you have finished the novel or you will find out what happened. Very clever story about the four muses of a successful artist. Took me a while to get into it then was intrigued by the story.

Enjoyable and interesting fictional take on real life characters

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This novel caught my attention and held it. Briliantly expressed and full of imagination within a tight historical context.

it is the women's story, and yet, some men may identify with the breathtaking egomania and insensitivity of the artist driven by his passion to create, and to be recognised.

Outstanding

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