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bmg20's review against another edition
4.0
‘The Very Picture of You’ was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Random House Publishing Group .
Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!
‘I felt like Tantalus, neck-deep in water that he could never drink, grasping at fruit that was always just out of reach.’
Storyline
Ella is an extremely successful portrait artist who has just been asked by her sister Chloe to do a portrait of her future brother-in-law, Nate, whom she despises. Early on in Nate and Chloe’s relationship, Ella overheard Nate speaking to someone and it appeared that he was not having an honest relationship with Chloe and that forever changed her opinion of him. After only their first sitting where she begins Nate’s portrait, her feelings have drastically changed towards him and Ella doesn’t know how to stop them, even if she wanted to.
Ella is also dealing with recent revelations regarding the father who left her and her mother when Ella was only five years old. Her mother always told her how he abandoned them after she caught him with another woman and that he made the decision to leave his family in order to be with her. Ella never had a reason to doubt her mother but when she discovers that may not be an accurate accounting of what actually happened she is more confused than ever.
Thoughts
This was a very interesting read and I enjoyed it immensely. Once the story began to unfold I had an idea of how it would all unveil; however, Isabel Wolff wrapped up all of the loose ends fabulously. I feared that it would be your ‘typical’ type of ending but I was left completely satisfied. I loved the details of Ella’s painting sessions: the particulars of the colors she uses, how she mixes them and the steps she takes to create the portrait of the person she’s painting.
‘Then came the moment when I put in the very last thing I ever add to a portrait – the light in the eyes. That’s when I feel like Pygmalion, having life breathed into his statue; because it’s that little flick of white in each pupil that finally – ping! – brings a portrait alive.’
I also enjoyed the closeness she develops with the people she paints and the stories she learns about them and how it’s woven into the story. It reminded me quite a lot of Isabel Wolff’s other novel that I’ve read, A Vintage Affair, and how the main character becomes immersed in one of her customer’s lives. (Also a fabulous read)
There were parts of this novel that I had a hard time liking at first, primarily the feelings that Ella develops for her sister’s fiancée. Strangely unfitting and not exactly understandable… her infatuation with him occurred a bit too quickly for it to be plausible in my opinion. Fortunately though, it was well written and by the end I was mollified with the outcome.
I also had difficulty liking her mother who was a major character in the story. Despite her tale of what had happened between her and Ella’s father, the fact that she withheld so much information for so long and even after she told it there still seemed to be something missing and I believed her to still be lying throughout the entire story. It’s hard to really care for a character if you feel that they are being deceitful. I loved the side-story of Grace and Mike that was the part of the story that touched me the most.
This is now the second book I’ve read by Isabel Wolff and it certainly won’t be the last.
Interested in more of my reviews? Visit my blog!
‘I felt like Tantalus, neck-deep in water that he could never drink, grasping at fruit that was always just out of reach.’
Storyline
Ella is an extremely successful portrait artist who has just been asked by her sister Chloe to do a portrait of her future brother-in-law, Nate, whom she despises. Early on in Nate and Chloe’s relationship, Ella overheard Nate speaking to someone and it appeared that he was not having an honest relationship with Chloe and that forever changed her opinion of him. After only their first sitting where she begins Nate’s portrait, her feelings have drastically changed towards him and Ella doesn’t know how to stop them, even if she wanted to.
Ella is also dealing with recent revelations regarding the father who left her and her mother when Ella was only five years old. Her mother always told her how he abandoned them after she caught him with another woman and that he made the decision to leave his family in order to be with her. Ella never had a reason to doubt her mother but when she discovers that may not be an accurate accounting of what actually happened she is more confused than ever.
Thoughts
This was a very interesting read and I enjoyed it immensely. Once the story began to unfold I had an idea of how it would all unveil; however, Isabel Wolff wrapped up all of the loose ends fabulously. I feared that it would be your ‘typical’ type of ending but I was left completely satisfied. I loved the details of Ella’s painting sessions: the particulars of the colors she uses, how she mixes them and the steps she takes to create the portrait of the person she’s painting.
‘Then came the moment when I put in the very last thing I ever add to a portrait – the light in the eyes. That’s when I feel like Pygmalion, having life breathed into his statue; because it’s that little flick of white in each pupil that finally – ping! – brings a portrait alive.’
I also enjoyed the closeness she develops with the people she paints and the stories she learns about them and how it’s woven into the story. It reminded me quite a lot of Isabel Wolff’s other novel that I’ve read, A Vintage Affair, and how the main character becomes immersed in one of her customer’s lives. (Also a fabulous read)
There were parts of this novel that I had a hard time liking at first, primarily the feelings that Ella develops for her sister’s fiancée. Strangely unfitting and not exactly understandable… her infatuation with him occurred a bit too quickly for it to be plausible in my opinion. Fortunately though, it was well written and by the end I was mollified with the outcome.
I also had difficulty liking her mother who was a major character in the story. Despite her tale of what had happened between her and Ella’s father, the fact that she withheld so much information for so long and even after she told it there still seemed to be something missing and I believed her to still be lying throughout the entire story. It’s hard to really care for a character if you feel that they are being deceitful. I loved the side-story of Grace and Mike that was the part of the story that touched me the most.
This is now the second book I’ve read by Isabel Wolff and it certainly won’t be the last.
jilltaylor's review against another edition
3.0
Ok. An easy light read. A bit predictable but some interesting characters.
lbdoster's review against another edition
2.0
I enjoyed the descriptions of paintings much more than the romance, which I didn't find very believable. The main character hated the guy and then when she found out that OMG, that was a misunderstanding, she immediately loved him. There was no transition at all.
Still, I would have given it three stars, but the author threw "balefully" in there one more time at the end. You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
Still, I would have given it three stars, but the author threw "balefully" in there one more time at the end. You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
anyoneandnobody's review against another edition
3.0
J'ai lu tous les livres d'Isabel Wolff et je dois dire que celui-ci est celui que j'ai le moins aimé. Je l'ai trouvé brouillon, partant un peu dans tous les sens, enfin surtout passant du coq à l'âne. Ca à été tout de même un moment de lecture agréable.
dcmr's review against another edition
3.0
A very sappy tale, but a satisfying weekend read nonetheless.
wiseowl33's review against another edition
4.0
What I wouldn't give to be as talented as Ella! Love the way she and Nate come together. Sweet story! Great ending.
michelle4's review against another edition
4.0
Loved it! I love a romantic story....with secrets, longing, and drama weaved in. The ending is somewhat predictable but I’m a sucker for a happy ending.❤️
montsegsantoscoy's review against another edition
3.0
Se me hizo muy lento al principio y a mi parecer lo interesante empieza ya casi al final, me falto que le dieran más desarrollo al final porque lo sentí muy de prisa.
paula_s's review against another edition
4.0
It's a beautifully written story of a painter who paints portraits by commision. Through her eyes we learn the stories of the many people who would pose for her and the chaotic story of her mother whose past has a deep impact in the lives of her and her sister.