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A review by honeywhiskey
The Art of Traveling Strangers by Zoe Disigny
2.0
The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I am this book’s target audience: obsessed with art history and travel. I’ve even been to many of the places in Europe where the characters go. Unfortunately, The Art of Traveling Strangers didn’t strike the chord with me that I expected. Bouncing back and forth from factual monologues about art and introspective monologues about Claire’s loves lost, the story doesn’t find a cohesive rhythm. Firstly, the characters are introduced in the present time with little to no real introduction to the plot, then the author takes us back for a quarter of the book to the main characters failed marriage and affair. All other flashbacks are sudden and randomly spaced in the narrative. The end seemed a little too tidy, but necessary to wrap up what could only be described as slow, plodding, slice of life story. I would definitely read more from the author in the future, but felt a little let down by this debut.
I am this book’s target audience: obsessed with art history and travel. I’ve even been to many of the places in Europe where the characters go. Unfortunately, The Art of Traveling Strangers didn’t strike the chord with me that I expected. Bouncing back and forth from factual monologues about art and introspective monologues about Claire’s loves lost, the story doesn’t find a cohesive rhythm. Firstly, the characters are introduced in the present time with little to no real introduction to the plot, then the author takes us back for a quarter of the book to the main characters failed marriage and affair. All other flashbacks are sudden and randomly spaced in the narrative. The end seemed a little too tidy, but necessary to wrap up what could only be described as slow, plodding, slice of life story. I would definitely read more from the author in the future, but felt a little let down by this debut.