jobatkin's review
4.0
Really enjoyed the three stories linked across centuries, but it ended so abruptly and out of the blue!
mazza57's review
2.0
This is, in my opinion, a really odd book. It is full of description but weak in storyline or plot. I had imagined It uses three time lines (1469, 2015, 2113) in a backwards / forwards style They have little connection in characters and there is minimal linking between them, In fact the book reads like three separate stories of 3 people who happen to like art.This utilisation of different time periods is the most overused writing device of the 21st century, if done well it can give depth to an othierwise ordinary read but it is done far from well in this instance.
I feel like the author has tried to pack as much as you can into the book with poor results. What is the point of all the Parthogenic issues - they add nothing - similar things can be said about all the hints at future technology. The whole book is full of description but lacks real content
I feel like the author has tried to pack as much as you can into the book with poor results. What is the point of all the Parthogenic issues - they add nothing - similar things can be said about all the hints at future technology. The whole book is full of description but lacks real content
miametro's review
2.0
The ending of this book was so abrupt that it pretty much killed my enjoyment of it, sadly.
lmatakas's review
2.0
What the HECK?! There's a difference between a "literary" drop off, and what happened here. It seems like the publisher forgot to send the second half to the printer. It took half of the novel to actually care about any of them, and then it dropped off without anything! No conflict resolution, nothin. Oof. Gimme the second half.
gaylelabreche's review
2.0
It's alright
There is nothing special about this book, and yet I couldn't put it down. The ending is unsatisfactory and the storylines are left unresolved
There is nothing special about this book, and yet I couldn't put it down. The ending is unsatisfactory and the storylines are left unresolved
robynldouglas's review
4.0
3.5 stars rounded up. This is the second of Charnock's novels that I've read, and I am beginning to think that she is just not a fan of story lines that resolve. This book presents three snippets of three lives, separated across the centuries. Very little connects them, very little happens, but they're beautifully realised little tales. I enjoyed.
roba's review against another edition
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
ssindc's review against another edition
4.0
Oh dear, that was an enjoyable, albeit strange experience. On the one hand, I can't honestly say that I get it, while, on the other hand, I feel pretty strongly that - on a page-by-page basis - the book was really good (even if I'm quite confident that I didn't ultimately understand it)....
So, where to start? For art readers looking for something a little different (or maybe really different), I'm guessing this is worth a try. While it wasn't a page turner in the same way as The Art Forger, it hummed along nicely, and I'm guessing that folks who enjoy Tracey Chevalier (and Girl with the Pearl Earring comes to mind, as did Falling Angels, although some may find that a stretch) or maybe Susan Vreeland, would warm to this quite easily. But, at the same time, there's a strong sci-fi (or speculative fiction) aspect to it, and some folks may find parallels to Cloud Atlas, even if, frankly, I wasn't sure where any of that story line/thread was going.
Despite my ambivalence as to what the book may have been about, any dim-witted confusion as to how the three story-lines tied together, or my seemingly limited potential to grasp some obvious (or, who knows, potentially elegantly subtle) theme, point, thread, or epiphany, I enjoyed every page, and, frankly, I was sad when the book ended (because, in part, I wanted more resolution for all three of the stories, and, overall, I have so many remaining questions, but I don't think there's any reason to expect a sequel).... I'd love to read the next 100 pages of the (apparently unwritten, un-announced, unlikely) sequel, and, based on what I've read, I could imagine another 200 pages or more....
I expect I'll have to try Charnock's other book. Maybe I'll understand that one - but, even if don't, I expect to enjoy it....
So, where to start? For art readers looking for something a little different (or maybe really different), I'm guessing this is worth a try. While it wasn't a page turner in the same way as The Art Forger, it hummed along nicely, and I'm guessing that folks who enjoy Tracey Chevalier (and Girl with the Pearl Earring comes to mind, as did Falling Angels, although some may find that a stretch) or maybe Susan Vreeland, would warm to this quite easily. But, at the same time, there's a strong sci-fi (or speculative fiction) aspect to it, and some folks may find parallels to Cloud Atlas, even if, frankly, I wasn't sure where any of that story line/thread was going.
Despite my ambivalence as to what the book may have been about, any dim-witted confusion as to how the three story-lines tied together, or my seemingly limited potential to grasp some obvious (or, who knows, potentially elegantly subtle) theme, point, thread, or epiphany, I enjoyed every page, and, frankly, I was sad when the book ended (because, in part, I wanted more resolution for all three of the stories, and, overall, I have so many remaining questions, but I don't think there's any reason to expect a sequel).... I'd love to read the next 100 pages of the (apparently unwritten, un-announced, unlikely) sequel, and, based on what I've read, I could imagine another 200 pages or more....
I expect I'll have to try Charnock's other book. Maybe I'll understand that one - but, even if don't, I expect to enjoy it....
carter's review against another edition
3.0
An odd story about father daughter relationships. Being neither, not the intended audience, I had some trouble understanding what was going on beneath the surface.
faysie34's review against another edition
2.0
Three women, separated by centuries, but with a shared love of art, make up this novel. In Renaissance Italy, Antonia is the daughter of a prominent painter and has inherited his talents, even though her gender does not allow her to officially pursue art. In the present day, Toni's father is commissioned to paint a copy of one of Antonia's father's works. Finally, in the future, Toniah works as an art historian and seeks to discover a work by Antonia. This book was well-written and fairly engaging. It was... fine. And then it ended very abruptly, leaving me feeling unsatisfied. A nice work, but ultimately forgettable.