Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
Loading... The Forest Lover (original 2003; edition 2004)by Susan Vreeland
Work InformationThe Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland (2003)
Loading...
Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Following the deaths of her parents, Emily Carr endures a "proper" (stifling) existence living with her three older sisters in Victoria, British Columbia, but Emily only feels alive when she's painting, and she feels drawn to paint native art and communities of the Pacific Northwest. Despite her siblings' disapproval, Emily embarks on a number of journeys to remote sites in pursuit of her dream, but the beauty of what she sees contrasts with the increasingly bleak lives of the people she meets and the destruction and theft of their art. The story is moderately interesting, but this novel is probably one of Vreeland's weakest. Though her passion for art history shines through, this book might be forgettable if it hadn't been based on a real historical figure. It is always fairly uncomfortable reading an author's attempt to depict "broken English," and to rub salt in the wound it appears to have been used inconsistently among the very same speakers. I wouldn't necessarily recommend unless you are already a fan of Vreeland and are working your way through her oeuvre. I picked up this book in anticipation of seeing the Emily Carr exhibit at the AGO in Toronto. Although the writing itself is not inspiring, nonetheless, it has heightened my interest in seeing these paintings "in person." Despite her artistic training in England and France, she developed her own distinctive style. Though not in the famous Canadian Group of Seven, she shows an affinity with them and their love of the Canadian wilderness. no reviews | add a review
Presents a fictional portrait of pioneering artist Emily Carr, whose independence, boldly original artwork, and unconventional approach to life overcame Victorian restrictions to blaze a new path for twentieth-century women artists. No library descriptions found. |
Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. |
The book didn't have much of a plot, It was the strong character of Emily Carr that held my interest. The book made me think about the acceptance of "women artists". Would Emily's avant-garde style have been more accepted had she been male? Was it a greater transgression for a woman to stray beyond realism than for a man?
Other issues raised include cultural appropriation; not something considered much at the time the novel is set, but certainly an issue today. And spirituality is a major theme. I wondered to what extent a "forest lover" could be religious in the traditional sense prevalent at the time of the novel's setting.
I didn't enjoy the book itself so much as the experience of having read it and thought about the many issues it provoked. ( )