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A review by bianca89279
The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith
5.0
Well, well, what do you know? I've managed to finish an audiobook. I was planning to read the ebook I'd purchased a few months back. Then I came across an audiobook at the local library and I couldn't pass the opportunity.
I am so thrilled to have managed to finish my first audiobook. There I was stating loud and clearly that audiobooks weren't for me. Maybe the problem were the books and/or the narrators? Or timing? Regardless, I'm thrilled to bits.
The Last Painting of Sara de Vos really appealed to me in all aspects. As I stated before, I love art. In my early twenties, I used to be quite taken with the Dutch and the Flemish painters. So it was really nice to delve back into the Ducth art world. Smith's descriptions were so gorgeous and so rich, I could easily imagine the locations and the paintings.
The novel switches between the XVII century Netherlands, where Sara de Vos is the main character, and the late XX century and the beginning of the XXI century, where we encounter the Australian, Ellie Shipley, an austere woman, a talented painter, who becomes an art restorator, curator, and teacher. The travels between different eras are easy to follow, as each chapter starts with the year and location, so I was never confused as to where I was and whose story I was listening to.
While the plot is interesting and well done, what I enjoyed the most about this novel were the superb characterisations, which captured so well the inner worlds of Sara de Vos, Ellie Shipley and some of other secondary characters.
Yes, this is about art, but also about so much more: about creating art, about the art world, about the struggle between the creative and the every-day life, and not lastly, about the double standards when it comes to men and women.
I can go on and on about this novel, but there are so many better reviews out there.
I would be remiss not to mention the wonderful narrator of this audiobook, Edoardo Ballerini. My, what a talented narrator. His voice is splendid, his intonation and accent renditions are just wonderful.
So, I am happy to conclude that the hype was well deserved.
I am so thrilled to have managed to finish my first audiobook. There I was stating loud and clearly that audiobooks weren't for me. Maybe the problem were the books and/or the narrators? Or timing? Regardless, I'm thrilled to bits.
The Last Painting of Sara de Vos really appealed to me in all aspects. As I stated before, I love art. In my early twenties, I used to be quite taken with the Dutch and the Flemish painters. So it was really nice to delve back into the Ducth art world. Smith's descriptions were so gorgeous and so rich, I could easily imagine the locations and the paintings.
The novel switches between the XVII century Netherlands, where Sara de Vos is the main character, and the late XX century and the beginning of the XXI century, where we encounter the Australian, Ellie Shipley, an austere woman, a talented painter, who becomes an art restorator, curator, and teacher. The travels between different eras are easy to follow, as each chapter starts with the year and location, so I was never confused as to where I was and whose story I was listening to.
While the plot is interesting and well done, what I enjoyed the most about this novel were the superb characterisations, which captured so well the inner worlds of Sara de Vos, Ellie Shipley and some of other secondary characters.
Yes, this is about art, but also about so much more: about creating art, about the art world, about the struggle between the creative and the every-day life, and not lastly, about the double standards when it comes to men and women.
I can go on and on about this novel, but there are so many better reviews out there.
I would be remiss not to mention the wonderful narrator of this audiobook, Edoardo Ballerini. My, what a talented narrator. His voice is splendid, his intonation and accent renditions are just wonderful.
So, I am happy to conclude that the hype was well deserved.