Hottentot Venus: A NovelKnopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2007 M12 18 - 336 pages It is Paris, 1815. An extraordinarily shaped South African girl known as the Hottentot Venus, dressed only in feathers and beads, swings from a crystal chandelier in the duchess of Berry’s ballroom. Below her, the audience shouts insults and pornographic obscenities. Among these spectators is Napoleon’s physician and the most famous naturalist in Europe, the Baron George Cuvier, whose encounter with her will inspire a theory of race that will change European science forever. Evoking the grand tradition of such “monster” tales as Frankenstein and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Barbara Chase Riboud, prize-winning author of the classic Sally Hemings, again gives voice to an “invisible” of history. In this powerful saga, Sarah Baartman, for more than 200 years known only as the mysterious lady in the glass cage, comes vividly and unforgettably to life. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 3 | |
| 13 | |
The next day I left | 28 |
The Caesar farm stood | 43 |
I first heard of the Hottentot | 56 |
I found myself standing | 72 |
Part II | 87 |
My dear Cassandra | 156 |
The trial had made nn c cven more famous | 160 |
So this was the man who | 174 |
Despite all of my husbands promises 184 | 184 |
PARIs FRANCE 1814 | 197 |
The sharp light was almost blinding | 219 |
I could feel the Venuss gaze upon me 250 | 230 |
At first I didnt mind | 245 |
I created a sensation | 89 |
It was Master Hendrick who found | 95 |
I looked up at the sign | 110 |
A month later Reverend Wedderburn sued | 125 |
When I appeared at the Kings Court | 138 |
When I returned | 266 |
As always the white man won | 277 |
I had chosen red glove leather | 286 |
Part IV | 305 |
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Common terms and phrases
African Alice animals appeared apron arms asked Baartman baron beautiful began believe body Caesar called Cape color continued contract Cuvier dead death don't dressed Dutch England English everything exhibition eyes face feet female followed freak hand head held Hottentot Venus human hundred Khoekhoe knew land language laughed learned leaving letter light live London looked Lord Master Dunlop Master Hendrick means month mother moved Museum nature never night once organs Paris passed person play pupae Question race Réaux remained Reverend Saartjie Sarah seemed seen servant ship side skin slave Sometimes speak standing stood Street sure taken thing thought took town turned understand voice walked woman women
Popular passages
Page 1 - No retrospect will take us to the true beginning; and whether our prologue be in heaven or on earth, it is but a fraction of that all-presupposing fact with which our story sets out.
Bibliographic information
| Title | Hottentot Venus: A Novel |
| Author | Barbara Chase-Riboud |
| Publisher | Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2007 |
| ISBN | 0307426289, 9780307426284 |
| Length | 336 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |