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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
Fascinating account of two women in the art world centuries apart and the painting that links them.
hard to get into this one, and it was heavy in my uni bag
I might have liked this better if I'd eye-read it. The narrator, Edoardo Ballerini, felt to me like he was trying to imbue every phrase with deep meaning. This had the effect of separating me from the characters and story. That said, I don't think I would have been that invested in the story or characters anyway. The use of multiple time perspectives (1600s, 1950s, and 2000s) is an interesting idea, but not one that worked well for me. It seemed that the stories were all over, that there wasn't much chance for character growth or change, since I was already hearing the end result. The writing is beautiful, but in the end I just didn't engage with the story or characters, so it's a low 3 star, verging on 2 star rating.
one of those books that you read slowly because you don’t want it to end. delightfully descriptive and brilliantly knitted together.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the juxtaposition of the two main women, and the intermingling/similarities of their stories at different periods in their lives. Definitely a good book if you like historical fiction, or art, or art history.
mysterious
slow-paced
medium-paced
The plot, and the details about art restoration, kept me very interested. There are three threads of story that intertwine - the 17 century painter Sara De Vos, a New York lawyer in the 1950s whose family has owned the painting “since before Isaac Newton was born,” and the Australian art restorer and art history academic.
I’ve read this on audio, and usually I appreciate the professional reader and what they bring. In this case, however, the surprising failure of the reader to accurately speak in the Australian accent of the principal character jarred. (To my ear, the accent oscillated between a soft New Zealand accent and a soft South African one, setting nowhere on the continent lying between those two places.)
I’ve read this on audio, and usually I appreciate the professional reader and what they bring. In this case, however, the surprising failure of the reader to accurately speak in the Australian accent of the principal character jarred. (To my ear, the accent oscillated between a soft New Zealand accent and a soft South African one, setting nowhere on the continent lying between those two places.)
This book bored me to tears. The writing is lovely, but all the characters are unlikable, which would be fine if they were at least interesting.
Lesson learned though, the Dutch Golden Age is one of the least enjoyable time periods to read about.
Lesson learned though, the Dutch Golden Age is one of the least enjoyable time periods to read about.
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I have had this on my shelf for years, having received it in a Secret Santa one year. It's beautifully written and very engaging, following three different time lines surrounding a painting and its forgery. I'd say the last third got a bit hard to follow or maybe just lost some intrigue for me, but I still really enjoyed this dip into the art world.