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Friday 31 May 2013

ARC - Book Review


This months Book review I am sharing with ARC  Is; Jo Nesbo's The Redbreast. These books with Harry hole are growing on me. I read The Snowman last month and then this one (they are out of order) but I don't know if I will read them all. I like the detective, Harry Hole. In this book I can get a better idea of him from the beginning. This is a fascinating story. I love the history this book shares of the war although brutal (isn't all war) this is where we get to know about the person Harry is looking for although you don't know which one it is. There is some references to Nazis and prejudice in there, but there has to be as there was in the war years.

I liked the backwards and forwards though history. A lot of books are like this now, I have read a few and am currently reading another one like this. It seems authors like this at the moment, although some times it's confusing I feel that is more the authors fault, as others are better written and are much easier to follow through time and others just become confusing. Cloud Atlas, for example, is very confusing but the film made it all very easy because of the visual aspects and the book failed to explain these connections. But when written well like The Hundred year old man who....... I find them exciting. And this is no different, it keeps you reading along at a good pace. I enjoyed the book and the ending was okay. I have to say though I much prefer Camilla Lackberg to Jo Nesbo, is that a woman thing? I don't know. But her novels I care more about the characters as there is much more effort put into the everyday life as well as the case that the detective is involved with.

Any way if you read through this far well done, give your self a gold star lol On to the art part of  ARC.




I was really stuck art wise when I came to it, but I then got to thinking of the snow and the German uniforms and that's where I started with grey & white acrylic paint smeared all over the gessoed pages thickly with a pallet knife. There is a lot of snow and it's quite a large part of the story in the past. There are a couple of love story's going on in the book love for country, love for comrades and love for a special woman. I focused on one part of the story that is focused in the past. 

Here a solder wants to impress a woman and books a table in the best restaurant in the city. The air-raid siren goes off and people desert the restaurant to go for shelter but the couple stay and as the bombs fall so close that, the lights go out and the candles on the table are the only lighting in this huge posh restaurant. The plaster falls down, they do not move, the chandeliers begin to sing as they shake and the crystal with it. When all around them is in chaos they drink the best wine & dance together. 

Not everything in this story is black and white there are many shades of grey this is also part of this journal piece. As I read this part of the story I could totally picture the sound the crystal would make and this was so poignant. I searched German crystal chandeliers and got this picture from google printed it in black & white and cut it out and glued this to the page. I then got some ink and a pen to write some of my review  on the pages. I hope you like the explanation to this (what may look simple) piece. I am also sharing this with PPF Dxx

P.S.  I forgot to add what next months review will be; this is because I am not sure I have just finished the new book by Dan Brown Inferno But I have also started a book by Lucinda Riley The Light Behind The Window. So it will be one of these two :) Dxx

22 comments:

Beth Morey said...

I didn't realize that Cloud Atlas was also a book! I enjoyed the film and found it quite artistic and lyrical. I should check out the book! Although sad that it's more confusing. Happy PPF!

Christine said...

lovely pages!

froebelsternchen said...

fab pages to your book review Dawn!
just amazing to combine literature with Art Journaling!!

Mary C. Nasser said...

Rich journal pages!
♥♥♥
Happy PPF!!
Mary
Mixed-Media Map Art

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I wouldn't call your art simple at all, and I liked how you explained that portion of the story you chose to highlight in your journal page. Lovely work in 'shades of grey.'

Netty said...

great pages for your book review.
Happy PPF, Annette x

http://nettysartadventures.blogspot.co.uk/

Anonymous said...

Oh I don't want to read your review because I love him and have not read this one yet..... nice pages...Happy PPF

abby j said...

Enjoyed your review and your art, Dawn...well done!

Magaly Guerrero said...

I love how your art reflects the mood of the book... It makes me wonder, how much more would our letters convey if the paper showed what we are writing about...

Tracey FK said...

Great pages to go along with the book... I quite enjoyed this series and they were easy to read... enjoying your reviews...xx

Å olanje na domu-Waldorf said...

Great art piece! I agree with you about hopping from present to past and back again. It has to be very well written by the author or the reader can get lost and lose interest. It has happened to me many times that's why I don't really enjoy time travel novels.

Julie Lee said...

Lovely journal page. I have a thing about chandeliers, absolutely adore them - don't have any, you understand, I just like the look of them! I have to say I liked 'Cloud Atlas' the novel once I got into it and I would like to read some of his other novels, but I can see how at first it's frustrating to read. This review, on the other hand, is most clearly written and not a bit confusing. x

Janet said...

Your journal pages are super, I especially like the background you have created for the chandelier. Very textured and full of depth. I too enjoy a story which jumps back and forth in time providing I keep up!

Janet xx

Jen said...

Great textural piece of art work and a clever idea using the candelabra from the story.
Jen x

Jez said...

As you say, so many books have this backwards forwards approach which can sometimes be confusing. It does help when chapter headings make the switch clear, as in my June book, galloped through already.
I like your artwork and the reasoning behind it. It is lovely.

Sarah said...

That must have been some date - I would have dumped him and run! :D

Love the background to your page with the greys and whites running into each other, and the chandelier will take you right back to that part of the story

Ivy said...

Love your journal spread. HPPF!

Darcy Marshall said...

Totally love your journal page, grey can be a hard one to work with but you created such interest with the layers of paint. Gorgeous chandelier, i can just imagine the sound of the crystal singing while they dance.

Maz said...

I think your journal page is very effective - love the shades of grey. x

Gina said...

So glad it's not just me that has noticed this writing pattern in books lately...though the books I'm reading are much much older lol, so it can't be all that new :D Love your grey and white pages..it gives a fabulous "deep snow" effect behind the words :D XXX

San @ Made in Hem said...

You did very well making such an interesting page without the use of color. It always impresses me! ♥
The book sounds interesting but I really don't like to read about the war... I'm reading Inferno right now! It does take a bit long to get into the story, don't you think?

Shirley said...

You have explained the book so well and given great reasoning behind your artwork. Really interesting review and beautiful journal pages.