lonestarwords's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.0
...all of art rests in the gap between that which is aesthetically pleasing and that which truly captivates you...I had only to set my eyes on the painting and a sensation came over me, you might describe it as butterflies...it happens every time I feel strongly drawn to a painting.
Optic Nerve
Maria Gainza
•
You all know I love an art centric novel so all it took was one look at the cover of Optic Nerve for me to add it to the ever growing pile of books.
•
I'll first say that this book won't be for every art lover because of its unique and very literary construction, that at times had me feeling almost swallowed by my ability to make sense of it.
•
Optic Nerve really reads like stand alone essays - there is no flow to the book in terms of storyline. The narrator, like the author, is a woman from Buenos Aires for whom art is a way of life. Each essay takes us through an episode in her life where she was profoundly moved by a work of art: from El Greco to Michaelangelo to Rothko and Courbet, she weaves her feelings and reactions about works of art into both the history of the work and into her life.
•
I found some of these "chapters" flowed well and others felt disjointed and as if I could not connect the dots. There are some great art history lessons amid the text but I know a lot of this went right over my head.
•
Ultimately I enjoyed the book but feel as though I missed enough to warrant a re-read. I am always game for art in my novels and for the right reader this will be intriguing.
•
I did my best to explain a somewhat complicated little book (this is short, just 200 pages) - it is also a work in translation and was a NYT Notable Book in 2019!
Optic Nerve
Maria Gainza
•
You all know I love an art centric novel so all it took was one look at the cover of Optic Nerve for me to add it to the ever growing pile of books.
•
I'll first say that this book won't be for every art lover because of its unique and very literary construction, that at times had me feeling almost swallowed by my ability to make sense of it.
•
Optic Nerve really reads like stand alone essays - there is no flow to the book in terms of storyline. The narrator, like the author, is a woman from Buenos Aires for whom art is a way of life. Each essay takes us through an episode in her life where she was profoundly moved by a work of art: from El Greco to Michaelangelo to Rothko and Courbet, she weaves her feelings and reactions about works of art into both the history of the work and into her life.
•
I found some of these "chapters" flowed well and others felt disjointed and as if I could not connect the dots. There are some great art history lessons amid the text but I know a lot of this went right over my head.
•
Ultimately I enjoyed the book but feel as though I missed enough to warrant a re-read. I am always game for art in my novels and for the right reader this will be intriguing.
•
I did my best to explain a somewhat complicated little book (this is short, just 200 pages) - it is also a work in translation and was a NYT Notable Book in 2019!
sotazop's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
4.0
ique's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
pityuralde's review
4.0
Una maravilla el uso del lenguaje y la familiaridad que tiene con el arte.
Súper disfrutable.
Súper disfrutable.
breadandmushrooms's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
bluefortheroses's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
terrimpin's review against another edition
2.0
I enjoyed the visual aspect of this book, but the stories felt disjointed and by the end I found myself re-reading pages to figure out how we'd gotten here.