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A review by ssindc
Sleeping Embers of an Ordinary Mind by Anne Charnock
4.0
Oh dear, that was an enjoyable, albeit strange experience. On the one hand, I can't honestly say that I get it, while, on the other hand, I feel pretty strongly that - on a page-by-page basis - the book was really good (even if I'm quite confident that I didn't ultimately understand it)....
So, where to start? For art readers looking for something a little different (or maybe really different), I'm guessing this is worth a try. While it wasn't a page turner in the same way as The Art Forger, it hummed along nicely, and I'm guessing that folks who enjoy Tracey Chevalier (and Girl with the Pearl Earring comes to mind, as did Falling Angels, although some may find that a stretch) or maybe Susan Vreeland, would warm to this quite easily. But, at the same time, there's a strong sci-fi (or speculative fiction) aspect to it, and some folks may find parallels to Cloud Atlas, even if, frankly, I wasn't sure where any of that story line/thread was going.
Despite my ambivalence as to what the book may have been about, any dim-witted confusion as to how the three story-lines tied together, or my seemingly limited potential to grasp some obvious (or, who knows, potentially elegantly subtle) theme, point, thread, or epiphany, I enjoyed every page, and, frankly, I was sad when the book ended (because, in part, I wanted more resolution for all three of the stories, and, overall, I have so many remaining questions, but I don't think there's any reason to expect a sequel).... I'd love to read the next 100 pages of the (apparently unwritten, un-announced, unlikely) sequel, and, based on what I've read, I could imagine another 200 pages or more....
I expect I'll have to try Charnock's other book. Maybe I'll understand that one - but, even if don't, I expect to enjoy it....
So, where to start? For art readers looking for something a little different (or maybe really different), I'm guessing this is worth a try. While it wasn't a page turner in the same way as The Art Forger, it hummed along nicely, and I'm guessing that folks who enjoy Tracey Chevalier (and Girl with the Pearl Earring comes to mind, as did Falling Angels, although some may find that a stretch) or maybe Susan Vreeland, would warm to this quite easily. But, at the same time, there's a strong sci-fi (or speculative fiction) aspect to it, and some folks may find parallels to Cloud Atlas, even if, frankly, I wasn't sure where any of that story line/thread was going.
Despite my ambivalence as to what the book may have been about, any dim-witted confusion as to how the three story-lines tied together, or my seemingly limited potential to grasp some obvious (or, who knows, potentially elegantly subtle) theme, point, thread, or epiphany, I enjoyed every page, and, frankly, I was sad when the book ended (because, in part, I wanted more resolution for all three of the stories, and, overall, I have so many remaining questions, but I don't think there's any reason to expect a sequel).... I'd love to read the next 100 pages of the (apparently unwritten, un-announced, unlikely) sequel, and, based on what I've read, I could imagine another 200 pages or more....
I expect I'll have to try Charnock's other book. Maybe I'll understand that one - but, even if don't, I expect to enjoy it....