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margaret_adams's review against another edition
An interesting look at artistic ambition, artistic intent, and ruthlessness. Definitely worth all of the buzz.
Update: check out this great interview with Lyon on the Otherppl podcast.
Update: check out this great interview with Lyon on the Otherppl podcast.
eshimoda10's review against another edition
5.0
“Twenty-six, naive, and ambitious as hell. A skinny friendless woman in thick glasses with a mop of coarse black hair. There were so many people I had not yet become.”
How selfish should you be for the sake of your ambition and art (and are they the same things)? This question is one that has been floating in my mind as I’ve been working on my own projects, and is at the center of Rachel Lyon’s radiant first novel Self-Portrait with Boy. (Except my idea of selfishness is more along the lines of “Should I say no to an invitation to dinner to work on my project?” rather then “Can I showcase an image of a friend’s child plummeting to his death?”)
It is 1991 in DUMBO, Brooklyn. There is a desperate energy in the air. Lu Rile, fresh out of art school, lives in an abandoned warehouse, a building filled with artists— this was a time before gentrification and high-rise apartment complexes. One day, while taking a self-portrait— number 400 in an ongoing series— she accidentally shoots an image that captures a boy plummeting to his death. The photograph is a masterpiece, something she is certain will change her career forever. The boy in the image is the son of her neighbor, and his death brings Lu closer to Kate, the mother of the boy. Kate becomes a close confident and only friend. This complicates Lu’s decision to show the photograph as she grapples with reconciling her artistic ambition and her desire to protect her friendship.
Precision— of storytelling and of language— is Lyon’s forte. Every scene is painfully real. Desperation and discomposure are palpable on every page. And as a reader, I was driven to turn the page, eagerly awaiting release (which comes in small doses throughout the novel, with a deliciously satisfying ending). Her prose is sleek and tailored— there is nothing superfluous about her writing— and yet, it is kinetic and full of fervor and emotion.
What a fascinating meditation on ambition and self-preservation, and what it means to be, to quote Lu’s father, a “decent” person. The poignant story of Self-Portrait with Boy is one that will stay with me for awhile.
How selfish should you be for the sake of your ambition and art (and are they the same things)? This question is one that has been floating in my mind as I’ve been working on my own projects, and is at the center of Rachel Lyon’s radiant first novel Self-Portrait with Boy. (Except my idea of selfishness is more along the lines of “Should I say no to an invitation to dinner to work on my project?” rather then “Can I showcase an image of a friend’s child plummeting to his death?”)
It is 1991 in DUMBO, Brooklyn. There is a desperate energy in the air. Lu Rile, fresh out of art school, lives in an abandoned warehouse, a building filled with artists— this was a time before gentrification and high-rise apartment complexes. One day, while taking a self-portrait— number 400 in an ongoing series— she accidentally shoots an image that captures a boy plummeting to his death. The photograph is a masterpiece, something she is certain will change her career forever. The boy in the image is the son of her neighbor, and his death brings Lu closer to Kate, the mother of the boy. Kate becomes a close confident and only friend. This complicates Lu’s decision to show the photograph as she grapples with reconciling her artistic ambition and her desire to protect her friendship.
Precision— of storytelling and of language— is Lyon’s forte. Every scene is painfully real. Desperation and discomposure are palpable on every page. And as a reader, I was driven to turn the page, eagerly awaiting release (which comes in small doses throughout the novel, with a deliciously satisfying ending). Her prose is sleek and tailored— there is nothing superfluous about her writing— and yet, it is kinetic and full of fervor and emotion.
What a fascinating meditation on ambition and self-preservation, and what it means to be, to quote Lu’s father, a “decent” person. The poignant story of Self-Portrait with Boy is one that will stay with me for awhile.
egmrozek's review against another edition
4.0
For what the plot lacks in excitement and momentum, the symbolism makes up for in intricacy and depth. Well-written, and although at times it feels slow, it is tied together at the end, and the implications are both clear and complex.
ellaxbrooke's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
raejeana's review against another edition
I'm gutted.
Lu is a complicated character to follow, but Lu also makes no promises to be anything. She simply becomes. Every world that Lu belongs to, both chosen and circumstantial, shapes her complexity, which drives me mad sometimes but warms me almost just as often. Lu is no victim to her surroundings by any stretch of the imagination, but god do I feel the heat of the regretful things that ultimately bring her to herself. And then there are the people who bear witness to her. Toby, Fiona, Casper, Chad, Max, Kate. I will never be able shake Kate.
I don't regret my softness for her. Lu - and more importantly, Rachel Lyon - have an undeniable pull.
Lu is a complicated character to follow, but Lu also makes no promises to be anything. She simply becomes. Every world that Lu belongs to, both chosen and circumstantial, shapes her complexity, which drives me mad sometimes but warms me almost just as often. Lu is no victim to her surroundings by any stretch of the imagination, but god do I feel the heat of the regretful things that ultimately bring her to herself. And then there are the people who bear witness to her. Toby, Fiona, Casper, Chad, Max, Kate. I will never be able shake Kate.
I don't regret my softness for her. Lu - and more importantly, Rachel Lyon - have an undeniable pull.
arotigliano's review against another edition
3.0
this was personally not a book I enjoyed the story of or how it was written. it did get better towards the end but I found it slow and hard to get into.
thebookchubi's review against another edition
5.0
A vivid account of 1990's NYC from an artist's perspective. The novel centers around the struggle between success and art versus morality and loyalty. An ethical dilemma you must navigate with Lu, the novels anti-hero. Torn between no good options, the story leaves you to question what would you do in her shoes. You, like the characters, will judge, yet also feel judged. Anyone who lives with hidden insecurities (and who of us doesn't) will feel that anxiety in full color on these pages. An excellent read worth your attention.
http://bookchubi.blogspot.com/2018/02/your-next-read-self-portrait-with-boy.html
http://bookchubi.blogspot.com/2018/02/your-next-read-self-portrait-with-boy.html
kcrina's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
hcothran's review against another edition
5.0
Really original novel with a very distinct and interesting narrator's voice. I really liked the pacing of the book too, and I thought the author did a great job making the narrator's central conundrum believable. I maybe could have done without the supernatural elements, but they weren't overly distracting and did add to the ominous mood. I may be stretching a bit with the 5 rating, but what the hell, it's my birthday and I'm feeling magnanimous.
bookishpages's review against another edition
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5