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This book is a good mystery, set in the world of high-brow art. But there is also some reflection on creativity, how it can be impacted by fame and fortune, how even when you turn down the fortune it can still affect you.
In the background is the art collector, the man with the money. The artist and the art critic are at the center of this book. They twist themselves in circles, purposely refusing to jump when the collector says jump, yet somehow the collector always gets what he wants, even if it damages the others.
It's a pretty quick read, but also has some depth, some thought-provoking situations. And at the end, after all the chicanery and dodges and deceit, there is a genuine, emotional gesture.
As other reviewers have mentioned, there is a chapter, 18 "pages" long on my kindle, that describes the fictional artistic style "Nihilistic Surrealism". This is espoused by the art critic character in one long burst of cryptic metaphors and meaningless phrases. Unless you find humor in this, it's pretty boring.
Skim this chapter if you must, but don't let it discourage you from continuing with the book. I assure you, the rest of the book is not like that one chapter. Think of it as a taste of the stultifying world these people work in.
3 stars because it's worth reading and kept me engaged. But although it's good, it's not "great".
In the background is the art collector, the man with the money. The artist and the art critic are at the center of this book. They twist themselves in circles, purposely refusing to jump when the collector says jump, yet somehow the collector always gets what he wants, even if it damages the others.
It's a pretty quick read, but also has some depth, some thought-provoking situations. And at the end, after all the chicanery and dodges and deceit, there is a genuine, emotional gesture.
As other reviewers have mentioned, there is a chapter, 18 "pages" long on my kindle, that describes the fictional artistic style "Nihilistic Surrealism". This is espoused by the art critic character in one long burst of cryptic metaphors and meaningless phrases. Unless you find humor in this, it's pretty boring.
Skim this chapter if you must, but don't let it discourage you from continuing with the book. I assure you, the rest of the book is not like that one chapter. Think of it as a taste of the stultifying world these people work in.
3 stars because it's worth reading and kept me engaged. But although it's good, it's not "great".
