One of my summer goals was to read at least a book or two. When I was packing to go on my vacation a few weeks ago, I started to pack Chuck Close's biography "Life", which I got after hearing him speak at the MFA Boston last October, but it's a heavy book and I already had heavy bags. I decided to give e-books a try instead, so I loaded a few books on my ipad, including Steve Martin's novel "An Object of Beauty." I wanted to read something art related, and thought fiction about art would be good for vacation.
Except for having to turn my ipad off during take offs and landings, I really liked reading a book on it. I did miss that feeling of massaging paper pages, but I massaged the cover of my ipad instead. Not really the same but ...
Here is a description of the book, from the publisher's website:
"Lacey Yeager is young, captivating, and ambitious enough to take the NYC art world by storm. Groomed at Sotheby's and hungry to keep climbing the social and career ladders put before her, Lacey charms men and women, old and young, rich and even richer with her magnetic charisma and liveliness. Her ascension to the highest tiers of the city parallel the soaring heights--and, at times, the dark lows--of the art world and the country from the late 1990s through today."
I really liked An Object of Beauty. It's an easy read, it flows well, and I think Steve Martin is a good writer.
Read a review and excerpt in
"Steve Martin Finds His Muse In 'An Object Of Beauty'," on November 29, 2010 on NPR.
And here is a NY Times review, "A New York Tale of Art, Money and Ambition," by Janet Maslin on November 28, 2010.
