The Mercury Visions of Louis Daguerre: A Novel Kindle Edition

I read this book on vacation at the beach and it was the perfect book for a relaxing summer getaway. I liked it. I have to say I was skeptical because I am a Professor of Photography and a 19th century photography enthusiast - particularly anything that deals with Daguerre. I found that the book was written in a way that made me believe that Daguerre's life could have been that way - even though I knew it was fiction.I really liked the author's style of writing. The book really flowed. The characters came alive. All in all, I would definitely recommend it.

Mr. Smith's aesthetic use of language is stunning! The "poetry" of the prose allowed me to experience those "mercury visions" and be drawn in to the lives of the characters. The latter part of the book is especially beautiful. As a former English teacher (AP Language and Comp.), I appreciated his acknowledgement of his high school teachers and college professor.

I originally found this in a Barnes and Nobles while on a sailing trip with some friends. I don't know much about the real man Louis Daguerre, but this book paints a beautiful picture of his final days. Please understand that this is a work of fiction and NOT an attempt to portray the man in total accuracy, how appropriate for a visionary who tried to capture the world on page as he saw it.I would Highly Recommend this to anyone who loves a beautiful and touching story, I would absolutely not recommend this to any Anal or Stuffy camera/photography buffs as this is probably not accurate to fit your over-specific needs.The copy I bought was great, and you sure can't beat the price!

The subject, Louis Daguerre was fascinating for me as a lover of photography and a tinkerer with the cyanotype process, pin hole cameras and all things not digital about photography. I think I understood more than most folk would when the processes were described, but I don't think it was meant to be a technical novel in that way. I ended up explaining a lot about it to my book club group. I would have enjoyed it more if there were more historical details as they related to Daguerre and the French Revolution. The plot was compelling, though it was difficult to get into and out of the novel.

I liked this book a lot. At times it might have been a little confusing with the characters. But I liked the historical storyline and characters

This is my new favorite writer. I have been searching for a smart novel that involves critical thinking and this is it. I plan to read all of his other works as well. Lyrical journey--what a gift to all of us. I hope he publishes more soon as I have already finished two if his novels in the past two weeks. I highly recommend this novel.

After reading "The Last Painting of Sara DeVos, which I loved, for a book club, I want to read all of Smith's books. I loved this one as well. Well researched historical fiction. Lots I never knew about Daguerre!

I only dog ear pages I can't live without reading again, at will. Maybe just a line or two. I took a break now and again to ponder the beauty of the prose. Only part way through. I love this book!I read The Last Painting of Sara DeVos, too. ❤️

I've read most of Dominic Smith's books and this one is as brilliant as the others: a great story, well researched and full of drama, style, humour and warmth. I love his writing!