One very special work of art—a Chaim Soutine painting—will connect the lives and fates of two different women, generations apart, in this enthralling and transporting debut novel that moves from World War II Vienna to contemporary Los Angeles.
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I am fascinated by the art and lives of the Wyeth clan, so I figured A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline would be an interesting read. And it was but perhaps not in the way I expected. Obviously not a thriller but an well done historical novel with an enigmatic and fascinating subject as a touch point
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I was enthralled by this interesting blend of drawing and text from the start and finished it that day and promptly handed it over to my artist wife for her turn. I love the art and enjoyed the quirky and melancholy reflection that goes with it.
Continue readingIf you are like me you probably feel that watching election coverage probably killed a few brain cells. So I am offering a way for you to cleanse your palate and gain some wisdom and knowledge: watch the brilliant Victoria Coates discuss her book David’s Sling: A History of Democracy in Ten Works of Art at the Acton Institute.
It touches all of the senses. It has texture and depth and lyricism that engages your hands, eyes and ears. It is a book you can enjoy all by yourself; just getting lost in the illustrations. But is is also a book you will want to read out loud (to children and adults) sharing the art as you share the story.
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Any time the story is focused on the details of the heist it stumbles, when it is focused on Grace and the battle between what she knows she should do and what she wants and will do it shines.
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I am not sure you can really know someone by reading about them but I think this is probably as close as you can get to understanding Gaiman without actually knowing and interacting with him in real life.
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Walter Pater famously said that all art continually aspires to the condition of music. Not arranged pieces inside a box—though that might well be what the work of art is—but an experience that you are swept up in, or at least glimpse, something larger, something utterly mysterious.
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