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Title details for Optic Nerve by Maria Gainza - Available

Optic Nerve

by Maria Gainza
Kyla García
Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
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2 of 2 copies available
The narrator of Optic Nerve is an Argentinian woman whose obsession is art. The story of her life is the story of the paintings, and painters, who matter to her. Her intimate, digressive voice guides us through a gallery of moments that have touched her. In Optic Nerve, El Greco visits the Sistine Chapel and is appalled by Michelangelo's bodies. The mystery of Rothko's refusal to finish murals for the Seagram Building in New York is blended with the story of a hospital in which a prostitute walks the halls while the narrator's husband receives chemotherapy. Alfred de Dreux visits Gericault's workshop; Gustave Courbet's devilish seascapes incite viewers "to have sex, or to eat an apple"; Picasso organizes a cruel banquet in Rousseau's honor . . . All of these fascinating episodes in art history interact with the narrator's life in Buenos Aires-her family and work; her loves and losses; her infatuations and disappointments. The effect is of a character refracted by environment, composed by the canvases she studies. Seductive and capricious, Optic Nerve marks the English-language debut of a major Argentinian writer. It is a book that captures, like no other, the mysterious connections between a work of art and the person who perceives it.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    April 9, 2019

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781684572854
      • File size: 144880 KB
      • Duration: 05:01:49

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator Kyla Garc�a provides a bright voice for the unnamed woman, an art gallery tour guide, at the heart of this Argentinian novel. Speaking in the first person, the protagonist finds her extensive knowledge of painting, both current and historical, blending into her own personal experiences. Approaching middle age and battling cancer, she reminisces about significant events in her life, paintings that are meaningful to her, and anecdotes about the artists who painted them. She ponders whether all art is a mirror of ourselves, existing only in the eyes of the viewer. Garc�a moves easily from English to Spanish and to French, lending authenticity and intimacy to her narration. As the story moves between real events to art history, Garc�a's pace remains steady. J.E.S. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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