I stayed up late last night to finish An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin. Yes, that Steve Martin. He's as good a writer as he is funny. And from what I can tell, he just keeps getting better. I read his novel Shopgirl when if first came out and a few years ago read his latest memoir Born Standing Up. Both were good, but An Object of Beauty is his best book that I've read so far. His character development and language, whether it's the narrative or dialogue, is perfect.
One of the best things about this latest book of Steve Martin's are the photographs of paintings sprinkled throughout the book. Each painting is woven into the story, and the story itself is intriguing. The narrator Daniel Franks takes a back seat to Lacey Yeager, who he has a crush on but she's too in love with herself for a mere mortal like him. And that ends up being a good thing.
Reading An Object of Beauty is like a mini lesson in art history or at least art appreciation.
Book Read: An Object of Beauty
Author: Steve Martin
ISBN: 978-0-446-57364-1