An Object of Beauty - Steve Martin

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.

Melbourne Memories

It seems like so long ago now but it was only a couple of weeks ago that my partner and I spent a beautiful long weekend in wintry Melbourne.

There were of course books purchased;

February by Lisa Moore (long listed for the 2010 Man Booker Prize), A Moleskine book journal which I just couldn't resist even though I haven't ever really kept a hand written log of my reading - I would like to begin and No and Me by Delphine De Vigan which has recently been named as a book in the upcoming Richard and Judy Bookclub - not something I knew when I purchased the book.

There was also art viewed. We managed to get to the Tim Burton exhibition at the ACMI at Federation Square which was definitely more something that my partner enjoyed but I could certainly appreciate the talent and imagination that comes from Burton. We also went to the European Masters exhibition at the NGV of which my two favourite paintings were Henri Rousseau's The Avenue in the Park of Saint-Cloud c. 1908 and Monet's Houses on the bank of the River Zean 1871.

There was much food and tea and coffee consumed! The Tea Room at the NGV was visited...

and dinner was eaten at the Jamie Oliver Fifteen restaurant in the city...

and after all that there was still room for cupcakes!

How To Paint A Dead Man - Sarah Hall

I had attempted to read How To Paint A Dead Man once before but the timing wasn't just right for me and I could not get into it. I knew I would most likely enjoy it though - when the time was right - and I am glad that I came back to it.

How To Paint A Dead man tells the story of 4 main characters across time periods and countries(once again, like Hearts and Minds which I reviewed yesterday, the characters are all interlinked in some way).

There is an elderly painter living in Italy in the 1960's, coming to the end of his career and his life. A young Italian girl who has become blind through a degenerative illness - a former student of the painter. A middle aged artist who has written to the famous painter looking for advice and guidance early on in his career and his adult daughter, Sue- drowning in grief after the sudden and traumatic death of her twin brother. Each character has their own sections or chapters in the book which are told in turn.

This was a painful book to work through - brilliant writing but so sad in it's outlook that I struggled at times. Even at the end of the book I was hard pressed to find a glimmer of hope despite the obvious indicated by the ending of the final chapter.

The writing however kept me engaged despite my sadness - each character coming through strongly with a clear voice. A part from one of Sue's chapters as an example;

The darkly obvious looms close by, encompassing everything. It is huge, your bereavement. It is consuming, protecting. Loss has cast you utterly into shadow. They all tiptoe around the tragedy. They tiptoe around you. After losing him, so violently and suddenly, your vagary, your absence, must be understandable. You are heart-broken. You are recovering. You are letting go.

Book Lust

A beautiful book I am lusting after at the moment is The Woodblock Painting Of Cressida Campbell. I love her art work and I think the book looks divine...

The Painter From Shanghai - Jennifer Cody Epstein

The Painter From Shanghai is a book that was chosen by a new book club/group I have been invited to join by one of my best friends and her sister-in-law. It's been a while since I have been a part of a book club and I am looking forward to having an arena to discuss literature face-to-face again but I think my favourite part of belonging to a book club (just as in being a part of the book blogging community) is discovering books that otherwise might have completely passed me by.

The Painter From Shanghai is one such book. I had definitely heard of it and seen it's gorgeous cover before but nothing really jumped out to say "read me". The book is a fictional biography of the Chinese painter Pan Yuliang who came to prominence with her daring and creative work (especially her nude portraits of women) in the early twentieth century. The author's website displays some of Pan Yuliang's work and also goes into the story about how she came to write about the artist which I found set the tone for my reading of the book beautifully. The book covers Pan Yuliang's early life and childhood and the turning point in her young life when she is sold to a brothel by her uncle. The early parts of the book are painful to read but they also clearly demonstrate Yuliang's strong spirit and even the early development of her artistic talent.

The relationships Yuliang becomes connected in and with during her life are fleshed out - particularly her relationships with men - both the ones she is forced into and the ones that she chooses. The economic and political times of both China and the western world are inter weaved into the book with ease and the author always makes you feel informed without going into too much detail that would detract from the main focus of the book.

I loved the narrative flow of the book and the way that Yuliang's own voice is developed and strengthened throughout the novel in conjunction with her painting skills. A beautiful book that has made me want to seek out more of this artist's work.

To Or Not Tattoo...

I have always been interested in and intrigued by tattoos. I have friends and some family members who have decorated themselves and although I have always had thoughts of getting one myself I have never actually taken the plunge (I think my deep seated fear of pain is playing a big part in this decision!).
Coming across this article yesterday made me think of tattoos again. I had never actually thought of combining my love of books and literature into body art before but I think it is a beautiful idea.
Does anyone have a tattoo that is linked to a favourite book or author? If you were going to get a literary tattoo what would you choose?
I would have to go with something Jane Austen related I feel - and a quote or sentiment from my favourite Austen, Persuasion, would be ideal. I love the words from Captain Wentworth telling Anne, "You pierce my soul" or even a line from Anne herself when she makes sure that Frederick is sure of her feelings this time when she tells him, "I am quite determined".
A nice idea but I think the fear of pain will win out in the end!