The Bowl Is Already Broken

by Mary Kay Zuravleff

Promise Whittaker, the diminutive but decisive acting director of the Museum of Asian Art, is pregnant again--and that's just the beginning of her problems. Her mentor, the previous director, has suddenly quit, and is on a dig in China's Taklamakan Desert. Her favorite curator has dropped a priceless porcelain bowl, once owned by Thomas Jefferson, down the museum's steps. Another colleague has been embezzling from the museum to pay for her fertility treatments. And her far too handsome ancillary director is clearly up to no good. Promise's offbeat efforts to hold everything together make her a character who, in the words of the Newark Star-Ledger, "you'll be falling in love with before you've turned the first page."

Genres: Fiction, Novels, Contemporary

464 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2005

About the author

Mary Kay Zuravleff is the author of four novels. Her latest, American Ending, was praised by Alice McDermott as "wholly fresh and achingly believable." Her third book, Man Alive!, was a Washington Post Notable Book, and the New York Times called her second, The Bowl Is Already Broken, "a tart, affectionate satire of the museum world's bickering and scheming." The Frequency of Souls, her first book, won the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the James Jones Award. She grew up in Oklahoma City and has made Washington, D.C., her home. She has written and edited extensively for the Smithsonian and taught writing just about everywhere.

Reviews

[Alice Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first, The Bowl Is Already Broken seems like a light-hearted, humorous romp through the esoteric world of museum curatorship, but as the reader becomes more embroiled in the perils and drama of Promise Whittaker’s eventful helming of the Museum of Asian Art, it becomes clear that the author, Mary Kay Zuvarleff, has serious things to say about the purpose of museums, the ethics of art collecting, and the unholy alliance of profit, politics, and public art. Petite and heavily pregnant Promise Whittaker is appointed acting director of the Museum of Asian Art, modeled upon the Freer/Sackler Asian art galleries of the Smithsonian Institution (dubbed the National Institution of Science and Art in the novel). Her greatest triumph, the announcement of the acquisition of an exquisite Jingdezhen bowl, becomes her greatest crisis when the bowl is dropped down the museum steps to shatter into pieces. As the narration flashes back to trace the events that lead up to the breaking of the bowl, we discover that nefarious forces are conspiring to turn the museum into a food court. It is Promise’s challenge to save the museum, counsel a troublesome coterie of curators, attend to her mentor and ex-boss as he recovers from being held hostage in the Taklamakan Desert, and be an attentive wife and mother, all while pregnant with her third child. The prose is crisp and lively, the story is well-plotted and briskly paced, and the theme of art’s utility to humanity is gracefully and lovingly examined. This is a great read for anyone who loves art and ideas, or just wants a fun read.

[Amanda R · Rating 3 out of 5]

It always makes me wonder what's up with myself when I look on Amazon and read nothing but raving reviews for books that I find dull. For some reason, I just didn't click with this one. The subject and book jacket seemed interesting enough, but I trudged through this, even though I did read it pretty rapidly. I think in the end, it just didn't interest me as much as I thought it would, though the writing wasn't terrible, by any means. The situation I found most interesting was that of Min, the woman who used the museum's funds to pay for her fertility treatments. Those parts of the story, I actually absorbed and got into. I also liked the Promise/Leo interchanges too. The rest, not so much. Ah well! I tried a new author. It wasn't a complete bust, but I don't think I'll be trying anything else by her.

[Paddy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Recently I heard a snippet of a radio interview with a British male, don't know who, that reminded me of this novel and something that made me take note and wonder, where was the editor? Or the author? A character spits out a lime seed from his drink. Limes don't have seeds. Lemons have seeds. This glitch interfered with my appreciation of this novel and I wondered why it stuck with me. Then I heard this anonymous writer say that literary fiction enthralls us, and a misstep knocks readers out of their dream. We come up for air and lose our trance.

[Lorin Kleinman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something sinister is afoot at the Museum of Asian Art. Its longtime director Joseph Lattimore has suddenly and inexplicably quit, leaving his diminutive and squeaky-voiced lieutenant Promise Whittaker in charge. One curator is hell-bent on acquiring a bowl that belonged to Thomas Jefferson; another is determined to have a son, and has been pilfering her department’s travel funds to buy fertility treatments. But why did the director leave? And why is a workman employed by a fast-food company measuring the conference room?

The museum, not coincidentally, resembles the Freer Gallery (its scurrilous overlords are the National Institution of Science and Art in Washington, DC). The director’s hasty departure turns out to have everything to do with the museum’s propitious location next to a metro exit, and the fact that most of its visitors are tourists in search of food and bathrooms, rather than lovers of Asian art.

Promise, navigating treacherous straits at work while dealing with unexpectedly tricky events at home, is in over her head: while Joseph, having run away to an archaeological dig in the Taklamakan Desert, is having troubles of his own. But, amidst the fragments, not all is broken.

Zuravleff delightfully skewers the museum world, and peoples it with likable and engaging characters. A lovely novel.

[Trace · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some pretty eerie parallels in this book that mirror events going on in my own career/workplace. In fact several of the characters in this book could have been drawn directly from several of my colleagues - not for the events that they committed (some were pretty heinous), but rather for their personalities and quirks. I would have to say that the real strength of this book lies in its characterization - the characters were very, very well drawn out and believable.

[L Y N N · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent read. Definitely one I would reread and rarely do I want to reread a book.

[Debie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my top 10 books

[M · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. I can’t. I just can’t. I used to work in the museum world and this book does nothing to elevate the true monotony, oversized egos, passive aggressive behavior, inflated sense of self worth, lack of funding, and misunderstanding/dismissive ness that roams the galleries of all museums. The mirror held up to this museum gives us boring characters too shallow and shapeless to motivate the reader to keep going.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book probably in 2006. Cannot remember how I discovered it, but I was hooked! My first job at the Smithsonian was at the Freer Gallery of Art (as secretary to the curator of Chinese art). The description of the “Museum of Asian Art” evokes the Freer Gallery (still one of my favorite museums) perfectly. I need to read it again someday and I hope I enjoy it as much as I did the first time. It was fun reading about a place that I remember vividly (the physical layout).

[Leslie Balkany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shakespeare wrote in King Lear, that “many a true word has been said in jest.” Zuravleff’s wonderful satire is a case in point. Anyone interested in art and the museum world will find its truths both humorous and worrisome, good food for thought.

[Eco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another free little library
Designated a work of fiction, there is enough historical fiction in it to have aroused my interest
The title itself is a koan, often repeated throughout the book, that is a great reminder do not take life seriously

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this better than I thought. They style of writing was different, but entertaining.

[Jenna O · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF - I got about a third through and still was not excited to pick it up.

[Deedee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Library of Congress Cataloging Page:
1. Women museum directors -- Fiction
2. Art, Asian -- Collectors and collecting -- Fiction
3. Pregnant women -- Fiction
4. Art museums -- Fiction

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zuravleff weaves together D.C. destinations, interesting characters (whom she treats with kindness, so you can't help but like them), Asian art, philosophy, and what I suspect is a frighteningly accurate portrayal of museum politics and players to create what I found a fresh (i.e., original) and refreshing story. Zuravleff, with poignancy and humor (thank goodness), demonstrates that we all have our "stuff" to get through: Promise Whittaker has become the acting director of the Museum of Asian Art, which is in danger of becoming a fast food court for tourists; her mentor, the previous director who resigned abruptly, is missing in China's Taklamakan Desert; one of her curators has embezzled museum money, and another has dropped a "priceless" porcelain bowl; and, oh yes, she's dealing with an unplanned pregnancy at age 43, and her husband has decided now is a good time for their family to get a puppy. I cheered for Promise.

Though I enjoyed this book, it could have used more editing. For example, detailed descriptions of the trying situations Promise's children pose strayed into one-liners that didn't enhance--and often had nothing to do with--the narrative. To me, more than a few passages seemed like bits of clever writing to which the author, rather than the story, was attached.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read this book last year but decided to re-read it. It has a lot of technical info on behind the scenes museum management and lots of Asian art info. What I loved about the book was her characters. The family scenes were so warm and believable. The main character Promise was well developed and quite real. I felt as if their lives were all going on after the book ended. The politics of museums was interesting and in light of 9/11, this book written pre that event had some interesting references to terrorism and it's affect on the arts. This is a book I would read again and also look for new books by the author.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had trouble getting into this book, but once I got past the first 75 pages or so, I began to enjoy. Zuravleff alternate between different times and characters in a way that is sometimes disorienting. But as you progress into the book, it becomes more a tale of characters than a tale of a museum on the brink of extinction. The characters presented are intriguing. It feels as though the author purposefully left parts of personalities incomplete, in a way that makes each person more mysterious. It was an enjoyable read in a week when I wasn't interested in thinking about my book once I got to work.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kintsugi:
The Japanese art of repairing a broken vessel with lacquer and gold dust, rendering it more valuable.
Such is the thread of this book.
I love reading about the machinations of institutions, especially in The Arts realm, so I enjoyed this book a lot.
The sprinkling of Rumi is a lovely touch, as well.
I could have done with a little less of the preggers problems of the protagonist (sorry-can't resist breaking the alliteration law) and her sidekick.
I will read another book by this author.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is funny, dead-on, and thoughtful, a tough combination to pull off. Zurafleff offers a window into an esoteric world, spot-on insights and descriptions, deep honesty. Set at the Asian Art Museum on the National Mall, it's also a hoot of an insider's look at the Smithsonian (names changed, of course) and a subtle investigation of some buddhist/zen principles. A stuff-ful, but ultimately quiet and resonant read.

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book tells the story about Promise Whitaker, the acting director of the Museum of Asian Art in DC (a fictional museum). Some of the characters were a little over the top but the writing kept me reading. I enjoyed the local aspect of the book (they live in Chevy Chase, they ride the Metro). It's good for a quick read.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

The underlying theme here is fragility: of human relationships, of objects... and on a more pedestrian level, it is a fascinating glimpse into the world of world-class museum and art world politics as well as a treat for you Art History lovers out there. Her first novel is not bad either...

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was the selection of the New Orleans Museum of Art book club. It's eerily similar to some the things that occur at NOMA, which I found very interesting. Overall, very entertaining and I learned things about Rumi. Great writing style.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous, funny book. Favorite quotes:
"(They) didn't even know how to do Important."

"I understand," he said, misunderstanding more completely than a stranger would.

"One of motherhoods' marvels was that the wonder of this creation increased with each year."

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book finally caught my interest and then everything wrapped up too neatly. Setting is the American Museum of Asian Art on the Mall which has potential and made what interest there was to the book.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. There were numerous characters and, at times, it was hard to keep everyone straight, but I could relate to Promise and her husband, and their struggles with combining their beliefs, goals, and interests with the reality of everyday life.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was a very enjoyable peek into the world of art museums and the somewhat satirical tone was well done. It felt a little like a Jonathon Tropper novel in tone, but with a more intellectual touch.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

i have still to finish this one. it is a little to real life for me.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, informative novel about the art world, juggling motherhood with a profession, and internal politics in a museum--too many characters, though--could have been more tightly written.

[Ariana · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting fictional look into museum administration. I recommend this book to any former art history/museum geeks.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Satiric humor, art museums, pregnant women, Buddhism. I loved it.