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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
This was longlisted for the Baileys Prize, though it won’t win, and hopefully won’t even make the shortlist. It’s a sweet idea (a down-on-her-luck woman finds a priceless Watteau painting in a junk shop; everyone in the art world decides they want it) but executed in a very Eat-Pray-Love sort of way. The main character’s mother is an alcoholic and the conversations they have are so full of psychological jargon that I wasn’t at all convinced two people would talk to each other like that. Also, Rothschild doesn’t get contractions: all of her characters say things like “I will do this” or “You do not see that”, instead of “I’ll” or “You don’t”. It’s not for emphasis, either, and it happens for 404 pages, first to last. Do trade fiction editors even turn up to work anymore? *grump grump* Positive aspects include the fact that there are divine descriptions of food in it, and the “mild peril” (as film ratings boards say) is rather fun.
surprised this was shortlisted for the baileys. it's a mess of ideas, none fully explored or sufficiently edited. In parts the 2D characters read like a Jilly Cooper novel while others are over-explored but still remained cliched. Too much plot, too many focuses (is this about art or food), too many characters and way too many characters. Also the voice of the painting is very irritating!
I enjoyed parts of this a lot but other parts felt unnecessary. The biggest fault of the book was too many characters and it went in a bizarre direction towards the end.
I enjoyed the core story the most. I also enjoyed hearing about the history of the painting.
I enjoyed the core story the most. I also enjoyed hearing about the history of the painting.
The full review of this book is here, but a synopsis:
I really enjoyed the combination of art and literature in this novel. I used to be an art history student and thoroughly enjoyed tapping into that again. Even though this is one of the best written books of the Baileys Women's Prize, I just didn't connect to it. I wish I could give a reason, but I can't - I just wasn't invested or really interested in any of the characters. Maybe there should have been longer chapters from characters points of views or a less intricate plot, but me and this book just didn't truly connect at all.
I really enjoyed the combination of art and literature in this novel. I used to be an art history student and thoroughly enjoyed tapping into that again. Even though this is one of the best written books of the Baileys Women's Prize, I just didn't connect to it. I wish I could give a reason, but I can't - I just wasn't invested or really interested in any of the characters. Maybe there should have been longer chapters from characters points of views or a less intricate plot, but me and this book just didn't truly connect at all.
Yawn. I'm just not interested. Got to 20% and didn't want to continue. I guess this was supposed to be amusing but I thought it was just stupid.
DNF at 18%
I really wanted to like this and tried to give it a chance despite its lower rating.
The story was good, but it just felt too slow and rambly and introduced too many characters to make me believe we’d get to our destination any time soon.
I really wanted to like this and tried to give it a chance despite its lower rating.
The story was good, but it just felt too slow and rambly and introduced too many characters to make me believe we’d get to our destination any time soon.
Improbable characters, improbable plot, improbable talking Watteau. And yet, so very much to like. Despite "Annie smiled, gratefully" appearing thrice on one page, and despite an inexplicable reference to the much-admired Edmund de Waal ( a dig? an homage?) this novel is brimming with art world information: the overdrive of the auction market; best practices in paintings conservation; provenance research; Nazi plundering; Russian oligarchs ; the good, the bad, and the very, very ugly. And a heroine who loves to cook. Because why not?
alright... so... i loved ¾ of this novel, but the wheels really fell off the wagon for me in the last bit. up until that point, i found it interesting, lively, and very engaging. the last ¼ of the book really took a bit of an awkward turn - it felt farcical and out of step. as well, there was one very unsatisfying ending for a particular character which really fell flat for me. i also noticed some repetition which made for some clunky moments. so i am feeling a wee bit let down with this one because it was so strong for a good while. i am glad i read this as part of my 2016 baileys women's prize reading - and that i went from an anthropomorphized squirrel ([b:The Portable Veblen|25431238|The Portable Veblen|Elizabeth Mckenzie|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1433253884s/25431238.jpg|45191967]) right into a book featuring a sentient work of art. TIoL was fun for a while, but i just can't shake feeling frustrated and disappointed over the last part of the book.
(and the 3-stars may be more like 2 ½. maybe? i don't know. i'll sit with it for a few days.)
(and the 3-stars may be more like 2 ½. maybe? i don't know. i'll sit with it for a few days.)
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol