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2Deern
Finished it and loved it. Multi-layered feminism, very intelligent and very true. I was able to identify with the main character Harriet/ Harry in a way that scared me.
It also has a style that appeals to me. I don't like time jumps in more conventional stories (like the Flanagan book), because they often feel like scene cuts in movies. But this here is a type of patchwork I really enjoyed, and I didn't mind at all that the story wasn't all linear. I think I like it if the basic plot is revealed on the first pages and then information is added from different sources to fill the gaps and show a complex picture in the end. This could be a great book for a book club, I would have loved to discuss it while reading.
My review is posted on my thread in this group.
It also has a style that appeals to me. I don't like time jumps in more conventional stories (like the Flanagan book), because they often feel like scene cuts in movies. But this here is a type of patchwork I really enjoyed, and I didn't mind at all that the story wasn't all linear. I think I like it if the basic plot is revealed on the first pages and then information is added from different sources to fill the gaps and show a complex picture in the end. This could be a great book for a book club, I would have loved to discuss it while reading.
My review is posted on my thread in this group.
3Simone2
My review:
I haven’t read this book with much pleasure actually, but oh how Hustvedt can write!
This is the story of Harriëtte (or Harry) who, as an artist gets little recognition for her work. She blames this on the fact that she is a woman en hopes that collaborating with three consecutive male artists and exhibit her work under their names, will bring her recognition.
The book is made up of material extracted from Harry’s notebooks, interviews in magazines and testimonials from family and friends. This structure makes the book very believable; because the story is being told from so many sides, I became just as bewildered as I think some people involved in the story I think.
Hustvedt's descriptions of Harry's art object are - as well as those in my favorite Hustvedt, What I Loved - matchless and the character Harry becomes incredibly real. I do not find her particularly sympathetic, she acts so superior and omniscient. I really don’t know if I can believe her. As I said, it was not a light read for me, however now that I have finished it, I am deeply impressed. The description of Harry's end (no spoiler), both by herself in het notebooks and by her relatives, left me breathless - so painful and true.
4*
I haven’t read this book with much pleasure actually, but oh how Hustvedt can write!
This is the story of Harriëtte (or Harry) who, as an artist gets little recognition for her work. She blames this on the fact that she is a woman en hopes that collaborating with three consecutive male artists and exhibit her work under their names, will bring her recognition.
The book is made up of material extracted from Harry’s notebooks, interviews in magazines and testimonials from family and friends. This structure makes the book very believable; because the story is being told from so many sides, I became just as bewildered as I think some people involved in the story I think.
Hustvedt's descriptions of Harry's art object are - as well as those in my favorite Hustvedt, What I Loved - matchless and the character Harry becomes incredibly real. I do not find her particularly sympathetic, she acts so superior and omniscient. I really don’t know if I can believe her. As I said, it was not a light read for me, however now that I have finished it, I am deeply impressed. The description of Harry's end (no spoiler), both by herself in het notebooks and by her relatives, left me breathless - so painful and true.
4*
4japaul22
The Blazing World is one of the 2014 Booker prize nominees that jumped out at me as something I would like to read. The premise is that a woman artist, Harriet "Harry" Burden, in her 60s who feels that her artwork has been under-appreciated because of her gender, creates 3 works of art and finds a different man to claim each of the exhibits as his own. After all three are exhibited and critiqued she plans to reveal herself as the artist behind them. Unfortunately, the last artist she chooses betrays her and refuses to admit that the work was hers. Many people believe him and the whole project is ruined for her.
The book is put together with different voices in Harriet's life trying to tell her story after her death. We get points of view from both of Harry's adult children, her second husband, her best friend, art critics, and others. This is very effective as a major theme of the book is perception. You see from the various points of view all of the ways the events are perceived. Also, Harriet leaves behind extensive journals where she discusses her life, her artwork, and her reading - she is esoteric, conceited, and vulnerable all at once. She reads philosophy and quotes it extensively. Luckily, the fictional editor of the book provides footnotes for the references Harriet makes.
You would assume from the description that a major theme of this book is going to be sexism in the art world. This is part of the book, certainly, but it is approached more as Harriet's perception of sexism. I would say that the theme is closer to exploring how the artist is part of the work of art. As such, gender, sexual orientation, race, and personality of the artist all factor in to a work of art. Part of Harriet's experiment with her art work was to demonstrate this, though I'm not sure if she intended that from the start. This theme really got me thinking about how much the name attached to a work of art influences my experience of the art itself. I think it's a great degree, personally.
Hustvedt does a great job of humanizing these philosophical themes, though. In fact, in some ways, when I finished this book I felt it was more about aging, death, and relationships with the art world as a back drop. As often happens with books with multiple narrators, there were some that I liked more than others and times where I felt the book got a bit bogged down and lost its focus. Overall, though, I thought this was a smart book with some important themes that manages to keep a human touch. That's not an easy balance to manage and why I think this was a worthy Booker nomination.
4 stars
The book is put together with different voices in Harriet's life trying to tell her story after her death. We get points of view from both of Harry's adult children, her second husband, her best friend, art critics, and others. This is very effective as a major theme of the book is perception. You see from the various points of view all of the ways the events are perceived. Also, Harriet leaves behind extensive journals where she discusses her life, her artwork, and her reading - she is esoteric, conceited, and vulnerable all at once. She reads philosophy and quotes it extensively. Luckily, the fictional editor of the book provides footnotes for the references Harriet makes.
You would assume from the description that a major theme of this book is going to be sexism in the art world. This is part of the book, certainly, but it is approached more as Harriet's perception of sexism. I would say that the theme is closer to exploring how the artist is part of the work of art. As such, gender, sexual orientation, race, and personality of the artist all factor in to a work of art. Part of Harriet's experiment with her art work was to demonstrate this, though I'm not sure if she intended that from the start. This theme really got me thinking about how much the name attached to a work of art influences my experience of the art itself. I think it's a great degree, personally.
Hustvedt does a great job of humanizing these philosophical themes, though. In fact, in some ways, when I finished this book I felt it was more about aging, death, and relationships with the art world as a back drop. As often happens with books with multiple narrators, there were some that I liked more than others and times where I felt the book got a bit bogged down and lost its focus. Overall, though, I thought this was a smart book with some important themes that manages to keep a human touch. That's not an easy balance to manage and why I think this was a worthy Booker nomination.
4 stars
