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A review by the_horror_maven
A Fine Imitation by Amber Brock
4.0
A Fine Imitation is an intriguing look at women during the turn of the century, and one woman's life as she begins to find herself rebelling against who society - and her family - wants her to be. The only problem with this novel was that I wasn't convinced that the story was truly set in the 1920's due to a lack of description concerning elements associated with the turn of the century.
Amber Brock, however, is clearly a fine storyteller. Some of the minor elements that she inserted into the novel did well to show us hidden aspects of the main character, Vera. By the following example alone, Brock showed us how Vera sees the world as always judging her and willing her to be how they expect her to be:
"Four golden angel statues topped the roof, their wings tucked, and they glared down at Vera as she left her car and went into the lobby."
These small examples show Brock's artistry beautifully, and prove that she knows how to develop her characters well. She also has a great sense of art itself due to some of the scattered comments that she wrote through different characters throughout the book:
"With their eyes all rolled to the gods like that, it looks like they are having fits. The worst thing is how lazy it is on the artist's part. Making a person look real is far more of a challenge."
Art was something that Vera found to be a comfort, and it was clear that this is what caused her to have an affair with an artist. She never felt connected to her husband, and the artist connected to her soul based solely on his work. Brock's novel is so much more than a novel about women in the 1920's, but about art and emotion and how it can save a person who feels lonely and lost in life. Vera found herself and who she was meant to be, despite what society told her. This book is a lesson for all women and anyone who needs the courage to be who they are - no matter the consequence.
*I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
Amber Brock, however, is clearly a fine storyteller. Some of the minor elements that she inserted into the novel did well to show us hidden aspects of the main character, Vera. By the following example alone, Brock showed us how Vera sees the world as always judging her and willing her to be how they expect her to be:
"Four golden angel statues topped the roof, their wings tucked, and they glared down at Vera as she left her car and went into the lobby."
These small examples show Brock's artistry beautifully, and prove that she knows how to develop her characters well. She also has a great sense of art itself due to some of the scattered comments that she wrote through different characters throughout the book:
"With their eyes all rolled to the gods like that, it looks like they are having fits. The worst thing is how lazy it is on the artist's part. Making a person look real is far more of a challenge."
Art was something that Vera found to be a comfort, and it was clear that this is what caused her to have an affair with an artist. She never felt connected to her husband, and the artist connected to her soul based solely on his work. Brock's novel is so much more than a novel about women in the 1920's, but about art and emotion and how it can save a person who feels lonely and lost in life. Vera found herself and who she was meant to be, despite what society told her. This book is a lesson for all women and anyone who needs the courage to be who they are - no matter the consequence.
*I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.