nle2004's review
5.0
Loved the book, but can't explain why:)
First of all, Yves Klein is one of my favourite artists, he belongs to a small number of artists who had shaped the direction and form of the art in the XX century. In my view, key features of his art and his personality are vulnerability, beauty and sensuousness.
Bringing Yves Klein to a novel as one of the main characters is quite an audacious step. It confines a writer to a certain emotional level of narration that would correspond to YK's sensuous art. In my view, the author managed to weave emotions with words and produce an enchanting story about love, creativity, grief and hope.
The plot switches between three stories and what unites them into a one narration is the artist and his art - divine blue and the leap into the void.
However, this novel is not about the plot, it's about senses, emotions, beauty and magic.
First of all, Yves Klein is one of my favourite artists, he belongs to a small number of artists who had shaped the direction and form of the art in the XX century. In my view, key features of his art and his personality are vulnerability, beauty and sensuousness.
Bringing Yves Klein to a novel as one of the main characters is quite an audacious step. It confines a writer to a certain emotional level of narration that would correspond to YK's sensuous art. In my view, the author managed to weave emotions with words and produce an enchanting story about love, creativity, grief and hope.
The plot switches between three stories and what unites them into a one narration is the artist and his art - divine blue and the leap into the void.
However, this novel is not about the plot, it's about senses, emotions, beauty and magic.
ruthie_the_librarian's review
3.0
This was my second Fairlight Moderns title. I didn't enjoy it as much as the other I read, but there were aspects that I very much liked.
Initially I was intrigued by the very short segments, and the fleeting, period-rambling storyline, but I found by the middle of the book I was feeling tired of the flickering story, the unreliable narrator, and the too-short sections. I was drawn back in towards the end as different aspects seemed to be coming together more, and it did have some beautifully captured moments.
With thanks to Netgalley for my copy.
Initially I was intrigued by the very short segments, and the fleeting, period-rambling storyline, but I found by the middle of the book I was feeling tired of the flickering story, the unreliable narrator, and the too-short sections. I was drawn back in towards the end as different aspects seemed to be coming together more, and it did have some beautifully captured moments.
With thanks to Netgalley for my copy.
iina's review
3.0
This was a cute little novella about the colour blue and art and history, a little confusing but I did enjoy reading it.
Thank you to Fairlight Books for sending me a copy.
Thank you to Fairlight Books for sending me a copy.
jasmine_peacock's review
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
orangecanary's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
jgwc54e5's review
5.0
The colour blue is the central theme of this short novel, and is mentioned in every one of the 500 numbered paragraphs(the book is didvided into 5 chapters). It’s a meditation on memory, ageing, history, the passing of time, art, nature(particularly swallows) and I loved it! Somehow it works beautifully.
There are three interwoven narratives, the work and life of Yves Klein, a French artist; a tailor in Paris, Henri who makes a suit for Klein; and the narrators story, an old man (this storyline is contemporary) who finds a blue postcard of Klein in a stall under the Eiffel Tower. The flow between the three threads is dreamlike and even the narrators story may be just a dream. A beautiful little book.
There are three interwoven narratives, the work and life of Yves Klein, a French artist; a tailor in Paris, Henri who makes a suit for Klein; and the narrators story, an old man (this storyline is contemporary) who finds a blue postcard of Klein in a stall under the Eiffel Tower. The flow between the three threads is dreamlike and even the narrators story may be just a dream. A beautiful little book.
thesunandthesnow's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
pnwlisa's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
shannonrose's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
A meditation on blue that is fiction and truth.
Blue lies, white lies, hidden threads throughout both the story and the book; memory plus time woven into an absolute gem of a book… sewn together in a word:
Perfection.
Blue lies, white lies, hidden threads throughout both the story and the book; memory plus time woven into an absolute gem of a book… sewn together in a word:
Perfection.
bookwormellie's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5