Anne P. (readordie98) reviewed on 10/27/2015 + 2 more book reviews

The book/story seemed aimless until about half-way through. The book is told from the point of view of several characters and I knew that was leading up to a crossing of lives and ways, so I kept on reading, hoping for the best. The second half seemed much more substantial, as if Ms. Kostova finally had her feet under her and her direction more clear. The story did become more clear though Oliver's obsession or the reason for it was never completely clear; it seemed to be explained simply by his mental illness.
I enjoyed her prose--the description of Marlow's visit to his father was exquisite, as was the description of Oliver's paintings. I found myself wanting to see the actual paintings and it was disappointing that they don't exist. However, her language made them real in this reader's mind's eye.
Her visual descriptions were much better than most of her character studies.

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