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scotchneat's review
3.0
Sarah Hall writes like a painter, I think. There are 4 linked stories in this book, and they layer up a bit. At times, I heard echoes of A.S. Byatt for some reason.
Each one is an artist: Giorgio is a famous painter in Italy, who only paints bottles. Peter is a painter in England exchanges letters with Giorgio and who lives the life of the "larger than life" artist full tilt. While his daughter Suzie struggles to overcome the death of her brother. The final character is Annette, who once took an art class with Giorgio and who loses her sight.
Each one is an artist: Giorgio is a famous painter in Italy, who only paints bottles. Peter is a painter in England exchanges letters with Giorgio and who lives the life of the "larger than life" artist full tilt. While his daughter Suzie struggles to overcome the death of her brother. The final character is Annette, who once took an art class with Giorgio and who loses her sight.
hilaritas's review
3.0
I admired this novel a great deal, but it never quite connected with me in a deep way. Hall is a very assured writer, and her prose is graceful and lush. The novel is structured with alternating chapters following four loosely connected characters, each written in a different voice (first, second or third person). It felt a bit mannered but I ultimately thought it worked pretty well. The form really distinguishes each character and gives a somewhat different flavor of perspective in empathizing with the main characters, although each chapter gives an omniscient approach to interior thoughts regardless of grammatical voice. I thought most of the main characters worked well except the blind girl chapters, which seemed to veer into a fair amount of cliche. I especially liked the painter who gets lost in his reminiscences while trapped under a boulder, and his daughter who struggled with the death of her twin brother. Those two characters felt real and convincingly shaded.
The overall tone of the novel is elegiac and thoughtful. However, it never really gelled or reached any kind of satisfying crescendo in my mind. The stories sort of peter out or reach pat endings that don't contain any element of surprise or subversion. Each of the endings plays with big, Deep Thoughts of death and life, meaning and art. But I didn't really feel like any of them were especially insightful. I wish Hall had spent a little more time reworking the endings, as I think this had a lot more potential than was realized here.
The overall tone of the novel is elegiac and thoughtful. However, it never really gelled or reached any kind of satisfying crescendo in my mind. The stories sort of peter out or reach pat endings that don't contain any element of surprise or subversion. Each of the endings plays with big, Deep Thoughts of death and life, meaning and art. But I didn't really feel like any of them were especially insightful. I wish Hall had spent a little more time reworking the endings, as I think this had a lot more potential than was realized here.
cmvoelkel's review
3.0
a lovely gem of a book. it was a delightful and unexpected find. separate but connected stories of four very different but equally captivating characters, with overarching themes of art, influence and inspiration. it's hard to put this book down or leave it behind.
jooniperd's review
4.0
Hall is bold and brave in her storytelling. It seems nothing is off-limits. Some moments might make you squirm in your seat with as raw emotions, feelings and actions are explored and acted upon.
mandyla's review
4.0
Big themes in a book that snuck up on me. I was in the midst of it and wasn't sure how I felt about it one way or the other. It was quiet, in a way - very internal in its description - but suddenly I felt strongly attached to each perspective, and horribly sad amongst a couple of the described tragedies.
I wished only for a stronger resolution, but I think it does suit the tone of the book, how it ended.
Might write more later once I've thought more about it... this is a thinker, that's for sure.
I wished only for a stronger resolution, but I think it does suit the tone of the book, how it ended.
Might write more later once I've thought more about it... this is a thinker, that's for sure.
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