A along, rambling novel told from several points of view, also interweaving journal entries by the main character. Complex tangle of themes - the art world, where inside people does art come from, dealing with the traumas and memories of childhood, human relations, a delicate balancing of different views of life (including some out there ones....), traditional roles and stereotypes of women, how we die. It includes some wonderful descriptions of works of art by the main character that you wish you could actually see.
Hustvedt is obviously well-read in philosophy, theories of perception, and modern psychology/neural research. She brings this into the work through the main character's journals which are quoted in the work. The overall structure of the book is built around research notes by an academic for a book about the life of the main character/artist.
There is a substantial part of the book concerned with the flakey, trendy nature of modern art. While the point is well-taken, I found this theme got too much time and began to drag.
Well-written but still a slowish read because of the complexity of themes and ideas.
To find:
The Blindfold
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