The Mercury Visions of Louis Daguerre

By: Dominic Smith

Narrated by: Stephen Hoye

In this luminous novel, Dominic Smith reinvents the life of one of photography's founding fathers. In 1839, Louis Daguerre's invention took the world by storm. A decade later, he is sinking deep into delusions brought on by exposure to mercury, the very agent that allowed his daguerreotype process. Believing the world will end within one year, he creates his "Doomsday List", 10 items he must photograph before the final day. It includes a woman he has always loved but has not seen in half a century.

Paris in 1847 was a city of Bohemian excess and social unrest. Into this strange and beguiling world, Louis Daguerre sets off to capture his doomsday images, with the help of the womanizing poet Baudelaire and a beautiful prostitute named Pigeon, in this moving story of ruined love, fame unraveling, and a prodigious mind coming undone.

©2006 Dominic Smith (P)2006 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

• AudioFile Earphones Award Winner

"A compelling psychological study, a thoughtful tracing of the birth of a new art form, and an atmospheric portrait of 19th century France: impressive on all three counts." (Kirkus Reviews)

Louie’s Arc of Photography and Love

Slow moving towards the middle of the story, the beginning and end made the listen worthwhile.

Louie’s fixation on capturing nature and moments kept him trapped in the thrall of his first and only love.

Years later, his is reunited with his first love though her daughter, The sweetness of hanging onto moments in time is fulfilled.

Interesting topic for historical fiction

This was cool to explore the world of Louis Daguerre and learn how daguerreotypes may have been invented. The love story was well written but I would have liked more details about his art and science and impact on his times.

beautifully written bittersweet story

beautifully written bittersweet story, the prose is lovely, the images and the vocabulary, and interesting historical detail as well

Interesting

I downloaded this book because I am interested in photography and wanted to know more about Louis Daguerre. Although the book is a work of fiction, it still was very interesting and informative regarding Daguerre's development of the first camera and photographic images. The love story of his life-long obsession with his childhood maid was a little far-fetched, but it kept me hooked until the end. I liked his relationship with Pigeon and the fact that he was a father figure to her, rather than a love interest.

Spellbinding

This book held my complete attention through this magical fascinating adventure. I didn’t want it to end.