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jessicasilfenroy's review
4.0
The Friday Night Club is a historical fiction book that explores the world of art.
In the past, the story follows a group of female painters and writers who were know as the Five. During their weekly meetings, they engaged with seances to communicate with spirits that guided and inspired their work and pushed them past societal norms. In the present, a curator at the Guggenheim Museum is working on an art exhibit for Hilma af Klint, one of the women of the Five. While researching, he comes across questions about the art world in Sweden during the 1900s and yearns to uncover the possible secrets these women have kept.
As I am not one who is easily fascinated by art, I was amazed by how much this story pulled me in and how eager I was to learn about the paintings of Hilma af Klint, who I learned during the authors’ note, was a real artist. I love the vivid descriptions of the work painted and how seamlessly the writing flowed, especially because the book was written by three authors, only one who I was familiar with prior. The seance/ communication with the spirits was a big part of the past timeline and did not peak my interest as much as I wished. Still, this is definitely a book to read for anyone who loves art and art history!
Thank you Berkley for the ARC!! Pub date: 5/16
In the past, the story follows a group of female painters and writers who were know as the Five. During their weekly meetings, they engaged with seances to communicate with spirits that guided and inspired their work and pushed them past societal norms. In the present, a curator at the Guggenheim Museum is working on an art exhibit for Hilma af Klint, one of the women of the Five. While researching, he comes across questions about the art world in Sweden during the 1900s and yearns to uncover the possible secrets these women have kept.
As I am not one who is easily fascinated by art, I was amazed by how much this story pulled me in and how eager I was to learn about the paintings of Hilma af Klint, who I learned during the authors’ note, was a real artist. I love the vivid descriptions of the work painted and how seamlessly the writing flowed, especially because the book was written by three authors, only one who I was familiar with prior. The seance/ communication with the spirits was a big part of the past timeline and did not peak my interest as much as I wished. Still, this is definitely a book to read for anyone who loves art and art history!
Thank you Berkley for the ARC!! Pub date: 5/16
els04's review
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Hilma af Klint. Door: Sofia Lundberg, Alyson Richman & M.J. Rose.
Tot voor kort had ik nog nooit van af Klint en haar 4 vriendinnen (De Fem) gehoord. Ondertussen heb ik 24 uur in hun nabijheid doorgebracht, zo snel vloog ik door dit geweldige boek, dat ze voor mij ook een beetje als vrienden zijn gaan aanvoelen.
Elk boek dat een vergeten/miskende/ondergewaardeerde vrouw in de spotlights zet is een boek naar mijn hart. Lundberg, Richman en Rose brengen in dit boek zelfs hulde aan 5 vrouwen; ze geven hen (door middel van fictie) een stem, een platform om hun fascinerende werk te delen. Ik ben giga hard onder de indruk. Niet alleen van De Fem maar ook van de 3 schrijvers; die samen een uitermate boeiend maar ook spannend en vlot leesbaar verhaal schreven. Het is ook prachtig dat zij drieën samenwerkten aan één werk, net als de vijf vrouwen die samenwerkten aan de Schilderijen voor de tempel.
Alles aan Hilma af Klint en haar groep van vijf is fascinerend: hun salons op vrijdagavond, het aanroepen van de geesten, de visioenen die ze kregen en de schilderijen die ze op basis daarvan maakten. Maar ook hun levens en relaties onderling. Het waren stuk voor stuk moedige, vrijgevochten, open minded vrouwen die het lef hadden om hun gevoel te volgen. Ze waren hun tijd ver vooruit.
Jammer dat af Klint nooit de erkenning voor haar baanbrekende werk heeft gekregen die ze verdiende. Dit boek is een opmaat naar meer; ik wil haar werken zien, meer over haar lezen en ook meer over De Fem en hun inbreng weten. Ik hoop dat dit nog maar het topje van de ijsberg is. Een inspirerend topje!
katiekip's review
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
emiliagson's review
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
thebooktrail88's review
4.0
Discover the locations in the novel here
What a fascinating read – all about the artist Hilma af Klint and in the present time, associate curator Eben. I had a great time finding all out Hilma and what she lived like with her friends who were painters and writers. Apparently they would hold seances where they would try and see if they could talk to spirits. This part of a forgotten and for me, unknown world was utterely fascianting if not a little scary.
In the present day Eben is the one to bring this story of Hilma to light. There are lots of questions about art and its relevance in the current world and how this art and Hilma will be accepted and interpreted by the world today.
The book was written by three authors – something I have never read before. I went into it knowing a great deal about Sofia Lundberg as she is a well-known Swedish author. I’ve never read her in English though but you can tell she has written and influenced a lot of this book.
This book made me look up the paintings of Hilma apart from the most famous one and I found the whole story as fascinating as the art work!
book_love001's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
kaylaoswald's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
quirkycatsfatstacks's review
4.0
Book Summary:
The world often associates some famous artworks and art styles with men. But if one were to look closer, one would find all the female artists that made up any artistic style – especially abstract.
Hilma af Klint is the true creator behind the abstract painting movement, contrary to popular belief. This is her story and the story of those that work tirelessly to uncover artistic history and facts.
My Review:
As an art and art history lover, I knew immediately that I would love The Friday Night Club. It's important to note that this is a work of historical fiction – so while there are true elements woven into the narrative, it is still largely a work of fiction.
I was surprised that The Friday Night Club had a dual narrative/timeline. One voice is set in the past (Hilma af Klint), and the other is set in the present (Eben Elliot). I honestly think the story would have been tighter and more interesting had we focused entirely on the historical element, but beggars can't be choosers, right?
Long story short, The Friday Night Club is an intriguing read, especially if you love art history with a fictional twist.
Highlights:
Historical Fiction
Dual Timelines
LGBT+
Art
Thanks to Berkley and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
The world often associates some famous artworks and art styles with men. But if one were to look closer, one would find all the female artists that made up any artistic style – especially abstract.
Hilma af Klint is the true creator behind the abstract painting movement, contrary to popular belief. This is her story and the story of those that work tirelessly to uncover artistic history and facts.
My Review:
As an art and art history lover, I knew immediately that I would love The Friday Night Club. It's important to note that this is a work of historical fiction – so while there are true elements woven into the narrative, it is still largely a work of fiction.
I was surprised that The Friday Night Club had a dual narrative/timeline. One voice is set in the past (Hilma af Klint), and the other is set in the present (Eben Elliot). I honestly think the story would have been tighter and more interesting had we focused entirely on the historical element, but beggars can't be choosers, right?
Long story short, The Friday Night Club is an intriguing read, especially if you love art history with a fictional twist.
Highlights:
Historical Fiction
Dual Timelines
LGBT+
Art
Thanks to Berkley and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
gr8reader's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
4.5
Another great read that Alyson Richman has co-written (with Sofia Lundberg and M.J. rose) where you cannot tell that it is written by more than one person. Interesting historical fiction read that takes place in the early 1900's in Sweden and in present New York. Well told story about a little-known artist as well as the times concerning women artists.
amy_alwaysreading's review
2.5
Many thanks to my friends at @berkleypub and @getredprbooks for the #gifted copy of this book.
I don’t remember much about my art history classes in college. But I vividly recall one professor’s zeal for Georgia O’Keefe and the impact she made as a groundbreaking female artist.
As a young, naïve student, that enthusiasm was a bit lost on me. It’s funny how time changes perspective because now I completely understand why impactful women from history through today deserve such accolades.
In The Friday Night Club, we are introduced to now renowned artist Hilma af Klint. This Swedish painter, who for decades went unnoticed, found inspiration within her circle of friends and the seances they held to connect with long lost artistic greats.
The present-day timeline follows Eben Elliot, a junior curator at the Guggenheim, as he brings the never before seen collection of af Klint’s painting to the museum.
This leads to an exploration, both past and present, of this group of friends and the groundbreaking compilation of work that had previously been overlooked.
I love reading about little know women from history. And it appears these women are ones worth knowing about. However, the disjointed writing and flat storytelling didn’t create a dynamic with which I could fashion a lasting connection.
This book is for people who love:
🎨 Art and art history
🎨 Brazen women ahead of their time
🎨 How museum exhibitions are put together
🎨 The Guggenheim
🎨 Seeing impactful women given the accolades they’ve long deserved.
It’s worth noting that today:
🖼️ Females make up 55% of artists
🖼️ The collections of the 18 major US art museums are 87% male artists
🖼️ The most expensive work sold by a female artist (Georgia O’Keefe’s Jumson Weed) fetched $44.4 million while the most expensive work sold by a male (Davinci’s Salvator Mundi) brought in $450.3 million.
🖼️ 99% of all art sold at auctions are by male artists.
🖼️ In the top 20 most popular art exhibitions around the world in 2018, only one was headlined by a woman: Joana Vasconcelos at the Guggenheim Bilbao
I don’t remember much about my art history classes in college. But I vividly recall one professor’s zeal for Georgia O’Keefe and the impact she made as a groundbreaking female artist.
As a young, naïve student, that enthusiasm was a bit lost on me. It’s funny how time changes perspective because now I completely understand why impactful women from history through today deserve such accolades.
In The Friday Night Club, we are introduced to now renowned artist Hilma af Klint. This Swedish painter, who for decades went unnoticed, found inspiration within her circle of friends and the seances they held to connect with long lost artistic greats.
The present-day timeline follows Eben Elliot, a junior curator at the Guggenheim, as he brings the never before seen collection of af Klint’s painting to the museum.
This leads to an exploration, both past and present, of this group of friends and the groundbreaking compilation of work that had previously been overlooked.
I love reading about little know women from history. And it appears these women are ones worth knowing about. However, the disjointed writing and flat storytelling didn’t create a dynamic with which I could fashion a lasting connection.
This book is for people who love:
🎨 Art and art history
🎨 Brazen women ahead of their time
🎨 How museum exhibitions are put together
🎨 The Guggenheim
🎨 Seeing impactful women given the accolades they’ve long deserved.
It’s worth noting that today:
🖼️ Females make up 55% of artists
🖼️ The collections of the 18 major US art museums are 87% male artists
🖼️ The most expensive work sold by a female artist (Georgia O’Keefe’s Jumson Weed) fetched $44.4 million while the most expensive work sold by a male (Davinci’s Salvator Mundi) brought in $450.3 million.
🖼️ 99% of all art sold at auctions are by male artists.
🖼️ In the top 20 most popular art exhibitions around the world in 2018, only one was headlined by a woman: Joana Vasconcelos at the Guggenheim Bilbao