I was tossing and turning about whether or not I would read this one but then I read Nadia's review which praises the book pretty highly so thanks to that I bit the bullet and jumped in!
An Object of Beauty is a novel that focuses on the art scene in New York from the 1980's to modern day. The main character is the feisty and ambitious Lacey Yeager, a young woman intent on moving her way up in the art scene from back room packing girl to high flying dealer and gallery owner - sometimes making some dubious moves and decisions along the way.
I was grabbed by this book from the very beginning - something about the writing that is really captivating, even though at times you really feel like an outsider looking into a completely different world.
The book is very informative and quite detailed in relation to the in's and out's of the art world in New York and more broadly and I think a reader who wasn't so interested in this subject area might find the book a little boring - but then again, it was not necessarily an area I thought I was all that interested in and I found myself wanting even more information. I especially liked how the book included photos of some of the pieces of art being talked about.
Lacey Yeager is not the most likeable character but she certainly makes up for that in being an interesting and engaging character - without her the book may have fell flat for me but with her in it I found it to be a great read.
5 comments:
Kare, YAY! I'm so glad you read this one. It is definitely a captivating read that gets you interested in a topic that you wouldn't have otherwise pursued. And I defnitely agree with you that Lacey is not likeable, but without her the book would not have been as interesing. Great post! And thanks for linking my review - I'm just glad you liked the book as much as I did :) By the by, I love the cover of your book.
Ah, a potential gift for my wife. She has more than a passing interest in the art world but has a hard time finding fiction that does the topic justice. This just might fit the bill, thanks!
Hi Nadia - thanks for your review which led me to this one!
Hi Michael - it sounds as though this would be a great gift for your wife.
Really, it's good? I never would've considered reading this--the last time I read a celebrity's fiction was something by Jimmy Buffet and it didn't work for me.
Okay--I may just have to give this wild and crazy guy a try.
Hi Jane - really! I thought his writing was quite sharp and I certainly enjoyed his style. Give it a go I say - you will know pretty early on if it is for you or not.
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