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joyceontheroad's review
4.0
Highly enjoyed this book. Enjoyed the two timelines, and the suspense. The foreshadowing leaves one puzzles. Although the plot is exceptionally perfect, I did like how the book is like a puzzle.
emmeke's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
agreco92's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
chrisl1224's review against another edition
5.0
Just wow. A haunting treatise about the weight of authorship and insecurity of the artist, intertwined with the driving force behind creativity. Echoed through it all is a warning about privilege, be it of race, gender, or wealth.
A beautiful, if slightly stress inducing, read. This is my first time reading Burton, pushed by my desperate search for another “The Last Painting of Sara De Vos” (this was close but not quite there).
One note: The audiobook is just dreadful. The first voice is lovely, but the second is horrendous, so you don’t find out until an hour in.
A beautiful, if slightly stress inducing, read. This is my first time reading Burton, pushed by my desperate search for another “The Last Painting of Sara De Vos” (this was close but not quite there).
One note: The audiobook is just dreadful. The first voice is lovely, but the second is horrendous, so you don’t find out until an hour in.
sheilaghs_wheels's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
candacesiegle_greedyreader's review against another edition
4.0
I was so happy when I received an e-galley from the lovely publisher, and even happier once I started reading. "The Muse" is captivating, multilayered, well researched, mystifying and satisfying.
The choice of the two time periods for the narratives is daring and engaging. Odelle is a recent immigrant to England from Trinidad. It's the 1960s, and despite her degree from the University of the West Indies, she's selling shoes. When she is given a trial as a typist at the Skelton Institute, a small art museum near Piccadilly, she is sure her luck has changed.
In 1936, Olive and her family leave London to spend a holiday in a rented Villa in Spain. Her Viennese father is an art dealer and her beautiful mother spends much of her time drunk. Olive has an acceptance letter from the Slade School of Art, but she is afraid to tell her parents---her father says that art by women doesn't sell. Spain unleashes something in her and she begins doing some extraordinary painting, which she hides from everyone but the young Spanish girl who joins them in the household as a maid.
Jessie Burton carefully folds these stories together, tales of two young women new environments who find their gifts--writing and art--magnified by new influences. How these two stories will ultimately connect offers up enough of a mystery to keep you going to the end, but it's the characters of the young women that keep you glued to the page.
I wanted more of Odelle and her journey; Olive's tale was disconcerting and made me uncomfortable, not as convincing. But I loved Burton's boldness in her choice of narrators and her research into the time periods she's chosen. She's a good writer who does her background work and has the innate ability to make history immediate. Readers of "The Miniaturist" will love "The Muse."
The choice of the two time periods for the narratives is daring and engaging. Odelle is a recent immigrant to England from Trinidad. It's the 1960s, and despite her degree from the University of the West Indies, she's selling shoes. When she is given a trial as a typist at the Skelton Institute, a small art museum near Piccadilly, she is sure her luck has changed.
In 1936, Olive and her family leave London to spend a holiday in a rented Villa in Spain. Her Viennese father is an art dealer and her beautiful mother spends much of her time drunk. Olive has an acceptance letter from the Slade School of Art, but she is afraid to tell her parents---her father says that art by women doesn't sell. Spain unleashes something in her and she begins doing some extraordinary painting, which she hides from everyone but the young Spanish girl who joins them in the household as a maid.
Jessie Burton carefully folds these stories together, tales of two young women new environments who find their gifts--writing and art--magnified by new influences. How these two stories will ultimately connect offers up enough of a mystery to keep you going to the end, but it's the characters of the young women that keep you glued to the page.
I wanted more of Odelle and her journey; Olive's tale was disconcerting and made me uncomfortable, not as convincing. But I loved Burton's boldness in her choice of narrators and her research into the time periods she's chosen. She's a good writer who does her background work and has the innate ability to make history immediate. Readers of "The Miniaturist" will love "The Muse."
whatzudoin's review against another edition
5.0
I truly loved this book. It was a gripping story from beginning to end. There were a few moments where my mouth dropped open from pure shock of events that unfolded in the story. It's a book that I'd highly recommend.
lilyloop's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
readingadventuresofalice's review against another edition
4.0
A clever story. The story is slow to start but the interwoven story and characters as you progress are thoroughly enjoyable.
the_lissauros's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0