The Village Idiot

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Set against the backdrop of World War I, this effervescent novel opens in Paris in 1917, where artists stage a whimsical boat race. Amedeo Modigliani, seated in a bathtub pulled by canvasback ducks, has a secret: his friend, the immigrant painter Chaim Soutine, is secretly hauling the tub underwater in a cumbersome diving suit. As Soutine, a misfit artist who can't swim, navigates the river, he reflects on his extraordinary life. From his impoverished origins in an East European shtetl to his struggles in Paris during the Années Folles, Soutine's journey is marked by the patronage of American collector Albert Barnes, who elevates him from poverty to fame. His life is filled with distractions, including a tumultuous friendship with Modigliani that leads him through brothels, midnight escapades, and even a duel. Romantic entanglements with remarkable women further complicate his artistic obsession. Yet, looming over this vibrant existence is the impending threat of Nazi occupation, which endangers Soutine and countless Jewish artists. Wildly inventive and infused with humor and heartbreak, this luminous novel captures the essence of a Paris that was a cultural haven, where dreams and creativity flourished amidst chaos.