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maxinedavidow's review against another edition
5.0
This one is for Siri Hustvedt's devoted fans only, of which I am one. Difficult structure and some interesting but odd digressions, but her themes of art and philosophy and neurobiology are still here. And great characters.
amyheap's review against another edition
3.0
I love Siri Hustvedt's books, but I think this one was a little too clever for me. Set in the New York art world, it is the story of Harriet Burden, an artist who exhibits her work behind three male masks to expose the inequalities of fame and attention.
There are so many obscure, to me, references - art, philosophy, history - and yet, I was caught up in the world of bizarre characters and art works, and found Harry's fierce struggle for recognition, power and love compelling and touching.
There are so many obscure, to me, references - art, philosophy, history - and yet, I was caught up in the world of bizarre characters and art works, and found Harry's fierce struggle for recognition, power and love compelling and touching.
emdavis4's review against another edition
2.0
I did not finish this book. Which rarely happens! I read about the first 1/4, and decided to put it down. It's possible I'll pick it back up eventually, but there were other books on the shelf that seemed more interesting. I was intrigued by the premise - a female artist puts up her work under the front of 3 separate male artists to see how audiences respond differently - but thus far the character has been painted as unstable and weird, which was hard for me to get on board with. The book is structured so each chapter is a different piece of writing, whether from the artists journals, some newspaper interview of one of her contemporaries or art critics, family members, etc., all to try and examine the life of this woman. Normally I like a story that changes styles throughout, but for whatever reason this time I just couldn't enjoy it. This might be more interesting if you were more involved in the art world and were familiar with the ins-and-outs of the industry; or maybe it builds up and comes together more further into the book, but for now, it will go back up on the shelf.
lclindley's review against another edition
4.0
Difficult, tumultuous, intense, intriguing and worth the effort.
jo_bahdo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
beandog9's review against another edition
3.0
Parts were turgid and parts were easy reading. The structure meant it didn’t have a great rhythm but it was an interesting story
evillizardwizard's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
labeet's review against another edition
3.0
For me, the problem with this book is that it takes far too long to get into gear. The various characters are very confusing at first and even when the pieces begin to come together I'm too often in doubt whether I wouldn't have gotten the message without all the extra layers. I find the protagonist quite interesting and I rather like that's she's so PISSED OFF.
Hustvedt tends to be over-academic in my view and the plot in this one seems –forced.
I haven't read her magnum opus – I must read that before I give up on her entirely.
Hustvedt tends to be over-academic in my view and the plot in this one seems –forced.
I haven't read her magnum opus – I must read that before I give up on her entirely.
fictionista23's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0