jobatkin's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed the three stories linked across centuries, but it ended so abruptly and out of the blue!
mazza57's review against another edition
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
drsdon's review against another edition
3.0
Got this book through Amazon's Kindle First program, where it's genre was listed as "experimental fiction." Not knowing what that meant, and not sure about any of the other books, I gave this book a try. Ultimately, I'm glad I did because I enjoyed reading the book, even if it left me a bit disappointed in the end.
The book centers on three primary story arcs - in 15th century Italy with the painter Paulo Uccello and his family, particularly his daughter Antonia; in the present day in China and London with a copyist and his daughter, on the heels of a family tragedy; and in the 22nd century in London with two sisters, one of who is an art historian. The book, in structural style, reminds me of Colum McCann's "Transatlantic," in that the story arcs are very loosely tied, almost to the point where you feel you are reading three different longer short stories. The sole link, as far as could tell in my reading, is that a Paulo Uccelo's is being commissioned and copied by the 21 century copyist, and a work uncovered in the 22nd century by the art historian may be the unknown work of Antonia Uccelo, who never got credit because of her gender and the prejudices of the time. Thus, the book likes an overarching narrative to tie everything together; which isn't a problem per se, its just good to understand that prior to reading - this is a book to read about characters, not for a plot.
The drawback to the book for me is that it feels unfinished. In a sense, the 14th century story line reached a conclusion, but the other two story lines, particularly the 22nd century, felt like they just stopped. The author did such a good job in creating and developing characters that you wanted to learn and know about as a reader, that the ending of the book leaving so many different questions unresolved felt more abrupt than usual. Thus, the book's ending is made worse, so to speak, by the fact that the characters were so interestingly cultivated in the earlier pages.
In any event, I did enjoy reading the book, and thought it well-written, well-paced, with interesting characters and questions. I just wish the book was a little longer so we could have more time with those characters, have some questions resolved, and have a bit more closure at the end. As such, it left me feeling somewhat confused and disappointed in what was an enjoyable reading experience.
The book centers on three primary story arcs - in 15th century Italy with the painter Paulo Uccello and his family, particularly his daughter Antonia; in the present day in China and London with a copyist and his daughter, on the heels of a family tragedy; and in the 22nd century in London with two sisters, one of who is an art historian. The book, in structural style, reminds me of Colum McCann's "Transatlantic," in that the story arcs are very loosely tied, almost to the point where you feel you are reading three different longer short stories. The sole link, as far as could tell in my reading, is that a Paulo Uccelo's is being commissioned and copied by the 21 century copyist, and a work uncovered in the 22nd century by the art historian may be the unknown work of Antonia Uccelo, who never got credit because of her gender and the prejudices of the time. Thus, the book likes an overarching narrative to tie everything together; which isn't a problem per se, its just good to understand that prior to reading - this is a book to read about characters, not for a plot.
The drawback to the book for me is that it feels unfinished. In a sense, the 14th century story line reached a conclusion, but the other two story lines, particularly the 22nd century, felt like they just stopped. The author did such a good job in creating and developing characters that you wanted to learn and know about as a reader, that the ending of the book leaving so many different questions unresolved felt more abrupt than usual. Thus, the book's ending is made worse, so to speak, by the fact that the characters were so interestingly cultivated in the earlier pages.
In any event, I did enjoy reading the book, and thought it well-written, well-paced, with interesting characters and questions. I just wish the book was a little longer so we could have more time with those characters, have some questions resolved, and have a bit more closure at the end. As such, it left me feeling somewhat confused and disappointed in what was an enjoyable reading experience.
miametro's review against another edition
2.0
The ending of this book was so abrupt that it pretty much killed my enjoyment of it, sadly.
lmatakas's review against another edition
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 against another edition
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 against another edition
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
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
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
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.