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The Portrait
Struggling with a devastating past and his own fierce nature, New York art master Jonas Whitaker resists his original impulse to dismiss Imogene Carter, an aspiring artist who seeks Jonas's instruction. Original.
388 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 18, 1995
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893 people want to read
About the author
Megan Chance
32 books701 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Megan Chance is the bestselling, critically acclaimed author of several novels. Booklist calls her writing “Provocative and haunting.” Her books have been chosen by Amazon's Book of the Month, Borders Original Voices and IndieNext. A former television news photographer with a BA from Western Washington University, Megan Chance lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband. Visit her at www.meganchance.com
Megan Chance is the bestselling, critically acclaimed author of several novels. Booklist calls her writing “Provocative and haunting.” Her books have been chosen by Amazon's Book of the Month, Borders Original Voices and IndieNext. A former television news photographer with a BA from Western Washington University, Megan Chance lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband. Visit her at www.meganchance.com
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June 9, 2024
New York city 1885
Imogen was a young woman from a well to do family. She had low level of self-worth due to her emotionally abusive upbringing. She was never loved by anyone in her family.
She was an aspiring artist and her wealthy and important Godfather knew just the right man to be her tutor.
Jonas was a brilliant artist-painter. He was quite controversial and unconventional, having a volatile personality, prone to mood swings. He had quite a reputation with the ladies.
He was a sensual and sexual creature.
Jonas was pressured to accept Imogen as a student, as her Godfather was his patron, sponsor and had subtly threatened to withdraw funds if Jonas did not accept her.
Jonas would only accept very talented students. He loathed tutoring amateurs and Imogen was proven to be mediocre.
It was obvious to Imogen that Jonas did not like her, he was cruel and derisive towards her, but she was determined to continue the lessons, even though she knew that she was far less talented than Jonas's other students.
As Jonas hadn't been able to break her easily as he wanted to with his cruel and dismissive behaviour, not even at the sight of a nude female artist's model (his mistress), Imogen was not embarrassed, he decided to change tactics.
He would start flirting with her, that would drive her away.
Another student warned Imogen that Jonas was quite mad.
Instead of been frightened, all she felt was the same surge of recognition she'd had the day she'd discovered Jonas had a false hand, that he was like her, that there was weakness inside of him, and pain.
Jonas considered Imogen an innocent without wit, cleverness or beauty.
He decided that it would take seduction to make her run away.
A seduction for a woman for whom he felt nothing but anger and resentment, for whom he felt not the slightest attraction.
But things did not turn out the way he expected.
He continually underestimated her. She was never what he expected
She was a mystery he needed to solve.
Why was it that she affected him this way? Inspire him?
Things certainly changed between them and it was a descent into madness.
Imogen witnessed it all but she did not run away.
She recognised that the two were kindred spirits made for each other, destined to be together.
He told her to leave, he wanted to protect her.
He was a tormented soul and he needed her. He told her love was not enough but she knew it in her heart that it was.
Imogen would change Jonas's life.
No longer driven by hopelessness over his mental illness.
She'd sooth him, ease the pain in his soul.
In Imogen he'd found the person who would love him unconditionally and would stand by him through his extreme highs and lows.
The two would certainly walk a steep uphill road in life.
Imogen was a young woman from a well to do family. She had low level of self-worth due to her emotionally abusive upbringing. She was never loved by anyone in her family.
She was an aspiring artist and her wealthy and important Godfather knew just the right man to be her tutor.
Jonas was a brilliant artist-painter. He was quite controversial and unconventional, having a volatile personality, prone to mood swings. He had quite a reputation with the ladies.
He was a sensual and sexual creature.
Jonas was pressured to accept Imogen as a student, as her Godfather was his patron, sponsor and had subtly threatened to withdraw funds if Jonas did not accept her.
Jonas would only accept very talented students. He loathed tutoring amateurs and Imogen was proven to be mediocre.
It was obvious to Imogen that Jonas did not like her, he was cruel and derisive towards her, but she was determined to continue the lessons, even though she knew that she was far less talented than Jonas's other students.
As Jonas hadn't been able to break her easily as he wanted to with his cruel and dismissive behaviour, not even at the sight of a nude female artist's model (his mistress), Imogen was not embarrassed, he decided to change tactics.
He would start flirting with her, that would drive her away.
Another student warned Imogen that Jonas was quite mad.
Instead of been frightened, all she felt was the same surge of recognition she'd had the day she'd discovered Jonas had a false hand, that he was like her, that there was weakness inside of him, and pain.
Jonas considered Imogen an innocent without wit, cleverness or beauty.
He decided that it would take seduction to make her run away.
A seduction for a woman for whom he felt nothing but anger and resentment, for whom he felt not the slightest attraction.
But things did not turn out the way he expected.
He continually underestimated her. She was never what he expected
She was a mystery he needed to solve.
Why was it that she affected him this way? Inspire him?
Things certainly changed between them and it was a descent into madness.
Imogen witnessed it all but she did not run away.
She recognised that the two were kindred spirits made for each other, destined to be together.
He told her to leave, he wanted to protect her.
He was a tormented soul and he needed her. He told her love was not enough but she knew it in her heart that it was.
Imogen would change Jonas's life.
No longer driven by hopelessness over his mental illness.
She'd sooth him, ease the pain in his soul.
In Imogen he'd found the person who would love him unconditionally and would stand by him through his extreme highs and lows.
The two would certainly walk a steep uphill road in life.
April 18, 2011
“They say they love you and then they leave.”
O lord have mercy on my romantic soul, what a stroke of genius. W/ sensitivity & pinpoint accuracy, MC captures the unflinching snapshot of Bipolar aka Manic depressive disorder. U can tell she has done her homework. She illustrates so eloquently the harrowing experience, the symptoms & manifestations of this illness thru’ the visions of “Mad Jonas” & those around him. Compulsive shopping : check. Uncontrollable rages : check. Volatile mood swings : check. Restless desperation : check. Severe depression : check. It’s a fascinating character study & it’s bleak, haunting, poignant, heartbreaking & capped off w/ an achingly sweet ending. The book shows how the debilitating disease takes its toll, the wear & tear on friendships & relationships are not watered down. Yep, I’d consider this 1 of DIKs worthy of risking my Rhino skin & running back to a burning house for.
Jonas is a temperamental (mental being the operative word) painter & doesn’t have a support system other than his BFF, Rico, who’s stood by him thru’ the ups & downs. Rico even fesses up that he needs to escape to Paris once a year to preserve his sanity. Scheduling / mapping out his life is a foreign concept to Jonas, ‘cuz he doesn’t know what’s gonna happen today / tomorrow. He doesn’t have the power to switch his illness on & off. Nobody does. When it strikes, it’s like a train w/ failed brakes. U sense the dread & the ominous feeling that when the shit hits the fan, those in the vicinity had bettah take cover ‘cuz Jonas becomes a menace to himself & whoevah is w/in the line of fire. 1 moment he’s there & the next, we witness from point-blank view his headlong descent into 1 of his vicious, tummy-flipping cycles. In a pit of despair, Jonas thought the only way out was to end it all himself, hence his missing left hand. He’s still a whisker away from giving in to the yawning abyss. U can search every nook & cranny of romancelandia, U’ll nevah find a soul more butchered than Jonas’s.
Genie has always been branded as a perpetual failure & a misfit her entire life. She grew up in an oppressive environment where favoritism was alive & kickin’. Being excluded / ignored / belittled / derided has been her daily penance. Nuffink she did was evah good enuff & even after her sista Xpired from Cholera, she still came up short. Her sista’s fiancé was a user who only wanted Genie as his bed warmer. She’s always on the outside looking in, invisible & a non-entity. In a desperate bid to score higher in daddy dearest’s over-critical eyes, she’s determined to learn painting under the tutelage of Jonas. Just like all lifelong abuse victims, Genie’s dad has hammered @ her self-esteem. Unbeknownst to Genie, her Godfather – Jonas’s patron - coerces Jonas into accepting Genie as 1 of his students. Watching Jonas gradually consumed by Genie is a thing of a beauty. MC puts us in Jonas’s shoes in a fluid, concise, matter-of-fact way, the perilous journey to HEA is not simply a straight point A to point B. MC doesn’t veer away to preachyville & doesn’t go overboard in depicting his madness. All along the well-constructed road to HEA, we’re made to feel the agony & taste the tangible fear as we watch his wretched existence, his unpredictable lapses & his struggle in picking up the bits & pieces in the aftermath.
H/h don’t exactly “click” on their initial meeting. His 1st impression of her is this non-descript chick’s simply a waste of his time & talent. He utilizes all kinds of arsenals in trying to shoo her away to no avail. He acts like a nasty SOB, picks her apart, launches not-so-constructive criticisms, employs intimidation tactics, mockery, ridicule, condescension, flirtation etc. Genie is flustered by his attentions but soldiers on. She surprises & intrigues him w/ her tenacity. She shows him she’s made of sterner stuff & she’s not going anywhere despite his sneaky ways. It unsettles & infuriates Jonas that Genie’s not a quitter & doesn’t shrink away from the challenges he throws @ her. Esp after Genie inadvertently sees his missing left hand, she starts to look @ him as just a vulnerable man & he loses his aura of intimidation.
Like a bolt of lightning – ding ding ding ! Jonas realizes she’s the “it” gal, his muse, his Goddess, his butterfly & becomes obsessed w/ her. He finally catches a glimmer of hope that maybe… just maybe, he can have a future, lead a normal life, have a wife & kids. The palpable longing for what seemed impossible before is a gut-wrencher. Genie is the light in his darkness, even tho’ she’s ill-equipped in diffusing the uncomfortable situations Jonas puts her thru’. She doesn’t know how to keep his madness @ bay & halt his downward spiral. All she can do is being there when needed.
For the 1st time in her life, Genie feels needed. Jonas shows to her in more ways than 1 that there’s more to her than meets the eye (cue Xtina Aguilera’s sappy ballad – “Beautiful”). After witnessing 1st hand Jonas in the grip of his manic episode, Genie starts to 2nd-guess herself & wonders if all the adulation is just his disease talking, if this disorder has colored his perception of her (she gets her answers by the verra end). She can relate to Jonas’s pain & isolation, she’s been a sacrificial lamb all her life, trying in vain to mold herself into someone she could nevah be, just to win approval. In the end, she realizes that she can nevah compete w/ Chloe’s memory no matter how hard she tries. It’s pointless anyway ‘cuz her father is dead-set on seeing her as a 2nd fiddle to Chloe. She finds herself @ a cross-road : A) She can take charge of her life & prove how indispensable she can be, simply by loving Jonas, or, B) She can nilly-willy go back to Nashville w/ her father & resume being her father’s mental punching bag.
This timeless masterpiece is like manna from heaven, as I luv an Xtra dark romance filled w/ a tortured hero, a heroine worthy of being his lifeline & a message that “hope springs eternal”. It makes U count your blessings that we live in this day & age where Insurance covers for meds & there’s a plethora of more pro-active treatments. How amazing it is to realize how much your quality of life depends on a healthy mind. This disquieting romance was engrossing from the get-go & has a healthy dose of realism. The ending shows there’s no insta cure for the paralyzing disease. Jonas’s health & sanity may be dented but w/ Genie’s unconditional luv, he can survive anyfink.
O lord have mercy on my romantic soul, what a stroke of genius. W/ sensitivity & pinpoint accuracy, MC captures the unflinching snapshot of Bipolar aka Manic depressive disorder. U can tell she has done her homework. She illustrates so eloquently the harrowing experience, the symptoms & manifestations of this illness thru’ the visions of “Mad Jonas” & those around him. Compulsive shopping : check. Uncontrollable rages : check. Volatile mood swings : check. Restless desperation : check. Severe depression : check. It’s a fascinating character study & it’s bleak, haunting, poignant, heartbreaking & capped off w/ an achingly sweet ending. The book shows how the debilitating disease takes its toll, the wear & tear on friendships & relationships are not watered down. Yep, I’d consider this 1 of DIKs worthy of risking my Rhino skin & running back to a burning house for.
Jonas is a temperamental (mental being the operative word) painter & doesn’t have a support system other than his BFF, Rico, who’s stood by him thru’ the ups & downs. Rico even fesses up that he needs to escape to Paris once a year to preserve his sanity. Scheduling / mapping out his life is a foreign concept to Jonas, ‘cuz he doesn’t know what’s gonna happen today / tomorrow. He doesn’t have the power to switch his illness on & off. Nobody does. When it strikes, it’s like a train w/ failed brakes. U sense the dread & the ominous feeling that when the shit hits the fan, those in the vicinity had bettah take cover ‘cuz Jonas becomes a menace to himself & whoevah is w/in the line of fire. 1 moment he’s there & the next, we witness from point-blank view his headlong descent into 1 of his vicious, tummy-flipping cycles. In a pit of despair, Jonas thought the only way out was to end it all himself, hence his missing left hand. He’s still a whisker away from giving in to the yawning abyss. U can search every nook & cranny of romancelandia, U’ll nevah find a soul more butchered than Jonas’s.
Genie has always been branded as a perpetual failure & a misfit her entire life. She grew up in an oppressive environment where favoritism was alive & kickin’. Being excluded / ignored / belittled / derided has been her daily penance. Nuffink she did was evah good enuff & even after her sista Xpired from Cholera, she still came up short. Her sista’s fiancé was a user who only wanted Genie as his bed warmer. She’s always on the outside looking in, invisible & a non-entity. In a desperate bid to score higher in daddy dearest’s over-critical eyes, she’s determined to learn painting under the tutelage of Jonas. Just like all lifelong abuse victims, Genie’s dad has hammered @ her self-esteem. Unbeknownst to Genie, her Godfather – Jonas’s patron - coerces Jonas into accepting Genie as 1 of his students. Watching Jonas gradually consumed by Genie is a thing of a beauty. MC puts us in Jonas’s shoes in a fluid, concise, matter-of-fact way, the perilous journey to HEA is not simply a straight point A to point B. MC doesn’t veer away to preachyville & doesn’t go overboard in depicting his madness. All along the well-constructed road to HEA, we’re made to feel the agony & taste the tangible fear as we watch his wretched existence, his unpredictable lapses & his struggle in picking up the bits & pieces in the aftermath.
H/h don’t exactly “click” on their initial meeting. His 1st impression of her is this non-descript chick’s simply a waste of his time & talent. He utilizes all kinds of arsenals in trying to shoo her away to no avail. He acts like a nasty SOB, picks her apart, launches not-so-constructive criticisms, employs intimidation tactics, mockery, ridicule, condescension, flirtation etc. Genie is flustered by his attentions but soldiers on. She surprises & intrigues him w/ her tenacity. She shows him she’s made of sterner stuff & she’s not going anywhere despite his sneaky ways. It unsettles & infuriates Jonas that Genie’s not a quitter & doesn’t shrink away from the challenges he throws @ her. Esp after Genie inadvertently sees his missing left hand, she starts to look @ him as just a vulnerable man & he loses his aura of intimidation.
Like a bolt of lightning – ding ding ding ! Jonas realizes she’s the “it” gal, his muse, his Goddess, his butterfly & becomes obsessed w/ her. He finally catches a glimmer of hope that maybe… just maybe, he can have a future, lead a normal life, have a wife & kids. The palpable longing for what seemed impossible before is a gut-wrencher. Genie is the light in his darkness, even tho’ she’s ill-equipped in diffusing the uncomfortable situations Jonas puts her thru’. She doesn’t know how to keep his madness @ bay & halt his downward spiral. All she can do is being there when needed.
For the 1st time in her life, Genie feels needed. Jonas shows to her in more ways than 1 that there’s more to her than meets the eye (cue Xtina Aguilera’s sappy ballad – “Beautiful”). After witnessing 1st hand Jonas in the grip of his manic episode, Genie starts to 2nd-guess herself & wonders if all the adulation is just his disease talking, if this disorder has colored his perception of her (she gets her answers by the verra end). She can relate to Jonas’s pain & isolation, she’s been a sacrificial lamb all her life, trying in vain to mold herself into someone she could nevah be, just to win approval. In the end, she realizes that she can nevah compete w/ Chloe’s memory no matter how hard she tries. It’s pointless anyway ‘cuz her father is dead-set on seeing her as a 2nd fiddle to Chloe. She finds herself @ a cross-road : A) She can take charge of her life & prove how indispensable she can be, simply by loving Jonas, or, B) She can nilly-willy go back to Nashville w/ her father & resume being her father’s mental punching bag.
This timeless masterpiece is like manna from heaven, as I luv an Xtra dark romance filled w/ a tortured hero, a heroine worthy of being his lifeline & a message that “hope springs eternal”. It makes U count your blessings that we live in this day & age where Insurance covers for meds & there’s a plethora of more pro-active treatments. How amazing it is to realize how much your quality of life depends on a healthy mind. This disquieting romance was engrossing from the get-go & has a healthy dose of realism. The ending shows there’s no insta cure for the paralyzing disease. Jonas’s health & sanity may be dented but w/ Genie’s unconditional luv, he can survive anyfink.
May 21, 2011
Wow. I gotta say this book is unlike any historical romance I can remember reading. I'm going to use the word dark simply because I can't think of another at the moment but I'm not sure it fits.
THIS REVIEW IS KINDA SPOILERISH.
The Portrait is extremely well-written. Not only can the author create heart-breakingly beautiful imagery, but I'm thinking she either spent a LOT of time researching bipolar disorder or she has some first-hand experience with it. Her portrayal of the Hero's cycle -- he's ok, he's WAY up, then down is so realistic I felt uncomfortable through parts of the book.
It would be SO hard to love someone with this disorder.
I found as I was reading the book that I was more drawn into the story as a whole than I was connected to either the H/h. It felt to me as though the author simply dropped you into their world at a particular point in time and you followed along from there. No big build up, no history or backstory. Most of the time this annoys the crap out of me - I like to be told a BIT before I'm shown - but the writing here was so strong that before I had time to get too annoyed I was pulled in and held there by it.
Good thing, because I wasn't sure WHAT I thought of the main characters. Jonas was fairly easily understood -- he's your basic tortured Hero with some extra angst.
So, so sad and alone.
Imogene, on the other hand....hmm. I'm still not sure what I think of her. She didn't strike me as having any sense of self -- she saw herself as nothing, as having no physical beauty, no wit, no charm and no talent. She thinks she is invisible compared to her memory of her dead sister. I'm not certain whether she actually was or it was just her own perception. Whichever, it makes her out to be pretty damaged.
Somehow these two bring out the good in each other. He makes her beautiful and in turn she is his beacon - without her there is nothing but darkness.
So in the end, this is a dark, poignant tale of two damaged people finding each other and the redemptive quality of love. I dare you to finish it without finding a huge lump in your throat.
I've thought about this book quite a bit since finishing it yesterday. The beauty of it becomes more apparent later on, as does the sadness. The biggest problem I had was that I wasn't really sure Jonas and Imogene would make it.
And for me that was the saddest part of all.
THIS REVIEW IS KINDA SPOILERISH.
The Portrait is extremely well-written. Not only can the author create heart-breakingly beautiful imagery, but I'm thinking she either spent a LOT of time researching bipolar disorder or she has some first-hand experience with it. Her portrayal of the Hero's cycle -- he's ok, he's WAY up, then down is so realistic I felt uncomfortable through parts of the book.
It would be SO hard to love someone with this disorder.
I found as I was reading the book that I was more drawn into the story as a whole than I was connected to either the H/h. It felt to me as though the author simply dropped you into their world at a particular point in time and you followed along from there. No big build up, no history or backstory. Most of the time this annoys the crap out of me - I like to be told a BIT before I'm shown - but the writing here was so strong that before I had time to get too annoyed I was pulled in and held there by it.
Good thing, because I wasn't sure WHAT I thought of the main characters. Jonas was fairly easily understood -- he's your basic tortured Hero with some extra angst.
"The thought made his chest tight. Not seeing her again, not touching her...It was absurd how desperate it made him feel. But there was no choice, and he knew it. He knew what happened to the people who stayed with him, God knew he'd seen it a hundred times before. He could picture it in his mind, knew that eventually he would see a painfully familiar look in her eyes, the same look he'd seen in those of his family, of his friends. The dull expression, the fear, the pain. And finally, the good-bye.
"They say they love you and then they leave."
Well, it was true. It had always been true. And he suffered for it not just because he was losing them, but because he knew he'd beaten them down, because by leaving they were only trying to survive."
So, so sad and alone.
Imogene, on the other hand....hmm. I'm still not sure what I think of her. She didn't strike me as having any sense of self -- she saw herself as nothing, as having no physical beauty, no wit, no charm and no talent. She thinks she is invisible compared to her memory of her dead sister. I'm not certain whether she actually was or it was just her own perception. Whichever, it makes her out to be pretty damaged.
"Thomas had always been good at seeing through her, ever since she was very small and he had come visiting every few months bringing her a special book, or a doll, because "A sick little girl needs reasons to get better, don't you think, dear heart?" Almost as if he knew that even her own parents never made time to visit her sickroom, as if he knew he was her only friend.
She lowered her eyes and stared at the thin leaves floating to the bottom of her teacup and hoped he would believe her, hoped he wouldn't see how afraid she was of failing, how afraid she was of disappearing completely in her father's eyes the way she had in her mother's."
Somehow these two bring out the good in each other. He makes her beautiful and in turn she is his beacon - without her there is nothing but darkness.
So in the end, this is a dark, poignant tale of two damaged people finding each other and the redemptive quality of love. I dare you to finish it without finding a huge lump in your throat.
I've thought about this book quite a bit since finishing it yesterday. The beauty of it becomes more apparent later on, as does the sadness. The biggest problem I had was that I wasn't really sure Jonas and Imogene would make it.
And for me that was the saddest part of all.
May 20, 2010
Anyone tired of reading cliche romances should check this book out. I've never read one like this before and I probably never will.
DARK doesn't begin to describe this one. Jonas Whitaker is a brilliant artist who also struggles with bipolar (manic/depressive) disorder. He has been left by people who could not contend with his mental illness his whole life. He is lonely, isolated, and on the brink of "madness".
Imogene comes to him as a student wanting to learn from a "master". She has been overlooked her whole life and seeks to find approval from her uncaring father through learning to paint.
Jonas is at first unimpressed by Imogene, but over time develops an obsession for her. She becomes his muse, and through his eyes Imogene begins to see herself as beautiful.
This book brings Imogene and you as the reader through one of Jonas's mood cycles. The fictional depiction of a manic/depressive cycle is as "real" as it can get. You are swept away during his manic phase....you feel the energy, the activity, and the creativity. Imogene is drawn to Jonas and call him a "shooting star"....a typical description of an individual in a manic phase. Jonas's tumble into depression is also captured. You feel the despair, the hopelessness, the fatigue. It is a fictional masterpiece of the cruelty of this mental illness.
The love story is sweet and touching. Imogene vows to stay with Jonas...no matter what. I found myself wondering how it would all work, but Imogene made me believe that she was the one person that could endure the "better or worse", the "in sickness and health"..."till death parts them". It is a beautiful love story.
DARK doesn't begin to describe this one. Jonas Whitaker is a brilliant artist who also struggles with bipolar (manic/depressive) disorder. He has been left by people who could not contend with his mental illness his whole life. He is lonely, isolated, and on the brink of "madness".
Imogene comes to him as a student wanting to learn from a "master". She has been overlooked her whole life and seeks to find approval from her uncaring father through learning to paint.
Jonas is at first unimpressed by Imogene, but over time develops an obsession for her. She becomes his muse, and through his eyes Imogene begins to see herself as beautiful.
This book brings Imogene and you as the reader through one of Jonas's mood cycles. The fictional depiction of a manic/depressive cycle is as "real" as it can get. You are swept away during his manic phase....you feel the energy, the activity, and the creativity. Imogene is drawn to Jonas and call him a "shooting star"....a typical description of an individual in a manic phase. Jonas's tumble into depression is also captured. You feel the despair, the hopelessness, the fatigue. It is a fictional masterpiece of the cruelty of this mental illness.
The love story is sweet and touching. Imogene vows to stay with Jonas...no matter what. I found myself wondering how it would all work, but Imogene made me believe that she was the one person that could endure the "better or worse", the "in sickness and health"..."till death parts them". It is a beautiful love story.
March 18, 2017
She was looking at him as if he were God, and in that moment he felt as if he were. He was God, and she was his Eve, more perfect than Adam had ever been, more interesting.
The book about a tortured but brilliant artist who takes pleasure in humiliating his new student, the h seemed like just the book to read.
What I dint know beforehand was that the H actually suffered from MDP and was not just another 'tortured soul'. Handling such mcs with care, knowledge and sensitivity is essential and here the author delivers exceptionally well. Her portrayal of the H and his moods, rages and despair raised this book to a level rarely seen in the ‘romance’ genre.
The book starts out amazingly well and I was spell bound by the completely novel characterizations and premise. The H is a completely self-centered, inward turned genius who connects with people selfishly and then only with those who spark his art and genius (the mistress being the only exception).
He initially resents the h as she’s forced on him by his patron, her godfather, and he uses intimidation and humiliation to scare her away.
The H lives in an alternate reality, his mind a caged genius seeing things from a perspective that the h yearns to get a peek into. He goes from bright incandescence to roiling rage, from seeking inspiration to finding one in the h putting her on a pedestal that no one else can see, not even herself.
Now to the h. For all his bipolar issues, it was the h who had the more complex and hard to understand psyche. A peculiar passive aggressive personality, full of inadequacies and a silent seething resentment, making it difficult to like her or relate to. For all her diffidence, she secretly envies and thus dislikes almost everyone for being beautiful, charming or gifted. She wants to be with such people and absorb their qualities or even emulate them – be it her dead sister, her sister’s fiancé, the H, other people she meets socially. Someone needed to tell her that there’s nothing wrong with mediocrity, as the majority of the world is just that way. She apparently spends her whole life trying to see herself from other people’s eyes to decipher herself.
Sadly towards the middle, the novelty wore off the narrative and the incidences became contrived, even farcical. The author dangles some past secrets and incidences to hold interest, otherwise there wasn’t much in the way of development or romance.
The H’s friend, the charming Rico not only provides a foil to the H but also knows how to handle him in his violent rages. But truly he was the impresario without whom the h/H story might never have held together as he tagged along and tugged along the h, who constantly tries but fails to comprehend the mind of the genius. Imo he was more important to the story than anyone else.
The book flared sporadically brilliant like the H – the shooting star. I hate to say it but I had to push myself through the middling chapters but I am happy I did so as the later 3rd rallied and wrapped up this flawed romance in a poignant but befitting communion and coming together.
“What do you want—a guarantee? There aren't any. People say they love you and then they leave. They say they'll stay no matter what happens. But they don't." He paused, feeling the pain well up so strongly inside him that he spoke the last in a whisper. "They never do.”
Many incidences of irrational and psychotic behavior dissuades the reader from believing in his ability for ‘normal functioning’ or in a traditional hea for that matter.
For instance, when he drags her in a disheveled state to a respectable restaurant and when people stare at her, he feels elated that they see his artistry, not understanding their disapproval or her chagrin. It was as embarrassing as it was poignant and distressing.
She had been a part of that upper-class respectability, and he'd changed her. Already he'd changed her. She was his creation now, vibrant and alive, a laughing, beautiful testament to his talent.
Although despite his tremulous hold on reality, I felt that he loved her more as he was ready to sacrifice and let her go for her own good. Her feelings stemmed more from him making her feel needed, important and alive for once in her life. So they were both flawed imperfect characters. I felt happy that he had her and was not alone or ended up in bedlam.
"You made me beautiful," she whispered. "Now let me do something for you. Let me keep you safe."
January 9, 2015
*4.5 stars.*
Rarely do I think of a book as a seductive read. This story was. THE PORTRAIT was deep, dark and delicious. It sucked me in on a journey into madness.
Jonas Whitaker was an anti-hero. Throughout the first half of the book there were not many nice things you could say about him. He was mean, rude, crass, amoral and vindictive. He was also brilliant, insightful and imaginative beyond reason. He was an artist; he painted with emotion.
But this was 1855 New York; a city known for its crime, dirty streets and despair. It was also long before there was the term 'manic-depressive' or what we now know as 'bi-polar'. People with this condition often were institutionalized or committed suicide. At the very minimum, they became alcoholics or drug addicts. The condition hadn't been identified yet. And so, Jonas's sanity with its highs and lows played out daily and affected everyone and everything.
By the end of the first chapter, Jonas was expected to teach a new student to paint. Imogene Carter was the goddaughter of Jonas's sponsor. At their introduction she appeared to be meek. Jonas was going to give her a reason to quit the class. He was going to enjoy making her squirm until she could no longer abide his taunts.
Except nothing went as planned.
What he didn't know was that Imogene had already been demoralized by her own family. Twenty-six years old and plain-looking, she thought before she spoke. At all times, she was careful of what she said. Because of this, she sent people mixed messages: people were unsure of her. But during one of Jonas's elated moments, he felt he understood her.
'Genie' saw Jonas as a savior. If she could complete his classes, if she could learn his secrets, if she could be accepted by his circle of acquaintances, then and only then did she believe she would finally attain happiness.
That said, this story is not for everyone. Jonas could be very crude especially with his actions toward Genie. At times, his behavior had erotic overtones but I never thought of it as an erotic read. Instead, It was very sensual. Jonas was like glass, smooth but could easily break. And break he did.
I could tell there was something very wrong with him, but like Genie I accepted his character. I was captivated until the last page; I had to know where his thoughts would take them. I finished this book several days ago but I still think I could continue with their story if the author wrote a sequel. Beware: THE PORTRAIT will take you out of your comfort zone.
Rarely do I think of a book as a seductive read. This story was. THE PORTRAIT was deep, dark and delicious. It sucked me in on a journey into madness.
Jonas Whitaker was an anti-hero. Throughout the first half of the book there were not many nice things you could say about him. He was mean, rude, crass, amoral and vindictive. He was also brilliant, insightful and imaginative beyond reason. He was an artist; he painted with emotion.
But this was 1855 New York; a city known for its crime, dirty streets and despair. It was also long before there was the term 'manic-depressive' or what we now know as 'bi-polar'. People with this condition often were institutionalized or committed suicide. At the very minimum, they became alcoholics or drug addicts. The condition hadn't been identified yet. And so, Jonas's sanity with its highs and lows played out daily and affected everyone and everything.
By the end of the first chapter, Jonas was expected to teach a new student to paint. Imogene Carter was the goddaughter of Jonas's sponsor. At their introduction she appeared to be meek. Jonas was going to give her a reason to quit the class. He was going to enjoy making her squirm until she could no longer abide his taunts.
Except nothing went as planned.
What he didn't know was that Imogene had already been demoralized by her own family. Twenty-six years old and plain-looking, she thought before she spoke. At all times, she was careful of what she said. Because of this, she sent people mixed messages: people were unsure of her. But during one of Jonas's elated moments, he felt he understood her.
'Genie' saw Jonas as a savior. If she could complete his classes, if she could learn his secrets, if she could be accepted by his circle of acquaintances, then and only then did she believe she would finally attain happiness.
That said, this story is not for everyone. Jonas could be very crude especially with his actions toward Genie. At times, his behavior had erotic overtones but I never thought of it as an erotic read. Instead, It was very sensual. Jonas was like glass, smooth but could easily break. And break he did.
I could tell there was something very wrong with him, but like Genie I accepted his character. I was captivated until the last page; I had to know where his thoughts would take them. I finished this book several days ago but I still think I could continue with their story if the author wrote a sequel. Beware: THE PORTRAIT will take you out of your comfort zone.
February 26, 2011
The Portrait was dark, angsty and riveting. At times, I wasn’t sure that I liked Jonas. However, I came to see that his initial cruelty towards Imogene arose out of his despair, his hopelessness about his life. People are often cruel out of self-defense. He felt a sense of powerlessness about his mental illness, and his dependence on his patrons to keep a roof over his head and to be able to do the one thing that had meaning for him, to pursue his art. As the book progresses, I saw that Jonas was a man who was very much capable of loving Imogene, a man that love could change for the better, merely by giving him hope and by having one person who saw him truly, who would not leave him or give up on him, even through the bad times, That was Imogene.
Imogene saddened me at times. Her lack of self-esteem, and lack of belief in herself. However, it was soon clear why she felt that way. Her father was just awful. He put his one daughter on a pedestal, and barely noticed the other, when he wasn’t putting her down and inflicting emotional cruelty on her. She’d spent most of her life feeling like she was inadequate to her family, feeling her mother’s disgust and hatred. Always below the mark of comparison to her sister, Chloe. When her father sends her to New York City to study art, she is determined to make a good artist out of herself, to make her father proud.
Instead she meets Jonas, a brilliant painter, who treats her cruelly at first, but captivates her and causes her to fall in love with him. Imogene wasn’t a fool. She went into the love affair with Jonas with her eyes open. She had been used by a man before, not measuring up, and she didn’t think that this larger-than-life artist could really love her for who she was. She was wrong. In Imogene, Jonas saw a masterpiece, a hidden beauty. But he also loved her for who she was. For her love and acceptance of him.
I love dark and angsty romance, but I was afraid this was going to be too dark for me. I’m glad to see that I was wrong. I loved the message of hope in this story. Jonas’ mental condition was not an easy fix. Many people with bi-polar disorder don’t fare well, particularly in the past, when they didn’t even have a diagnosis and no good way to treat this mental condition. With this story, I know things won’t be easy for Jonas or Imogene, but they have their love and their commitment to each other to help them through the dark times. Imogene has seen Jonas at his worst, and it didn’t make her run away. She only left because she thought he didn’t love her or that she didn’t matter. But she came back because he was the one for her, her true love. She would stay by his side forever, no matter what, knowing that he truly wanted her. Thankfully, Jonas loves her for who she is, and that’s what she always needed in her life. As this book ends, I felt a sense of hope that made this dark read just my kind of story. I could believe that although life won’t be easy, they will have a happy ending together. And that’s why I love romance novels.
Thanks to Denise for kindly loaning me this book for my Kindle!
Imogene saddened me at times. Her lack of self-esteem, and lack of belief in herself. However, it was soon clear why she felt that way. Her father was just awful. He put his one daughter on a pedestal, and barely noticed the other, when he wasn’t putting her down and inflicting emotional cruelty on her. She’d spent most of her life feeling like she was inadequate to her family, feeling her mother’s disgust and hatred. Always below the mark of comparison to her sister, Chloe. When her father sends her to New York City to study art, she is determined to make a good artist out of herself, to make her father proud.
Instead she meets Jonas, a brilliant painter, who treats her cruelly at first, but captivates her and causes her to fall in love with him. Imogene wasn’t a fool. She went into the love affair with Jonas with her eyes open. She had been used by a man before, not measuring up, and she didn’t think that this larger-than-life artist could really love her for who she was. She was wrong. In Imogene, Jonas saw a masterpiece, a hidden beauty. But he also loved her for who she was. For her love and acceptance of him.
I love dark and angsty romance, but I was afraid this was going to be too dark for me. I’m glad to see that I was wrong. I loved the message of hope in this story. Jonas’ mental condition was not an easy fix. Many people with bi-polar disorder don’t fare well, particularly in the past, when they didn’t even have a diagnosis and no good way to treat this mental condition. With this story, I know things won’t be easy for Jonas or Imogene, but they have their love and their commitment to each other to help them through the dark times. Imogene has seen Jonas at his worst, and it didn’t make her run away. She only left because she thought he didn’t love her or that she didn’t matter. But she came back because he was the one for her, her true love. She would stay by his side forever, no matter what, knowing that he truly wanted her. Thankfully, Jonas loves her for who she is, and that’s what she always needed in her life. As this book ends, I felt a sense of hope that made this dark read just my kind of story. I could believe that although life won’t be easy, they will have a happy ending together. And that’s why I love romance novels.
Thanks to Denise for kindly loaning me this book for my Kindle!
January 11, 2014
Loved this book! I really get into those damaged heroes and this one holds top rank.
Dark and disturbed hero falls for emotionally abused heroine who has lived in the shadow of a beloved and deceased sister. Hero has Bipolar Disorder which is depicted pretty damn realistically, even if it's the worse case scenario. She is supposed to be his angel of mercy who saves him from the darkness in a time of no lithium. The ride was exciting, angsty, anxiety provoking and utterly satisfying.
Our heroine, Imogene (Genie) is shipped off at her request to study under a brilliant and talented artist(she wanted to learn to be an artist as good as her sister). Our hero, Jonas Whitaker, has been coerced into accepting her against his will, so he tries his damnedest to get rid of her without pissing off her godfather. He then has a mood swing into mania and decides he’s madly in love with her and wants to make her his greatest creation in living art, which included ravishing her and dirtying up her good name (It made sense to him.) We get insights into his screwy thoughts and the world from his perspective. We also see how he screws up his life and those closest to him. There’s all the typical textbook behaviors of his disorder, the hypersexuality, spending sprees, and euphoria of mania, as well as the dark, suicidal ideations and fatalistic thinking of depression.
Not to be outdone, the heroine has her own psychological issues that resulted from having a father who openly states that he wished she died instead of her sister and a mother who wouldn’t even visit her sick bed when she was sickly little kid. Thank god for the empathetic and likable godfather, who makes it all better.
I really really want to believe in the HEA, so I will ignore all those little nagging questions. An epilogue showing that they made it would have been nice. I can at least believe in the HFN and look at the bright side. Even though he did pretty much ruin her in the story, he at least he married her (probably), which would help her overcome all those public humiliations and that nude portrait thing. Ending up with a hot, talented, charismatic dude (even if he is clinically insane), is better any day than continuing to be denigrated by her asshole of a father. (Luuuurved that the hero punched his lights out for how he treated his daughter.) Silver lining!
This is definitely one not to miss. It's hard to put down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2016
I have read very contradicting reviews about the book. Apparently this is not a book for everyone. I was very curious about Jonas, the bi-polar artist hero in this book. So even though I found Imogene, the heroine rather dull from the excerpt I read, I wanted to find out more about Jonas.
Jonas is one of the few truly dark heros I have read. Granted, there have been dark heros, and some of them were poignantly portrayed. But Jonas' predicament is on a whole different level of darkness: he was, disturbed. Jonas was a tormented soul, trapped between his talent and mental illness. A character with a lot of depth. It was very interesting to read about him, observe his mood swings. I think one has to have a similar disposition, to have an inkling of what a person with such a volatile personality would go through in an emotional crisis. It might read a little crazy but I have to say, it is only too real.
I think Imogene, the character, was the right pick for Jonas. Quiet, demure, but unfailingly resistant to failures and criticism. It takes a generous soul to deal with Jonas and his emotional struggles. And I think Megan Chance picked the right archetype for Jonas.
That being said, I feel that Imogene's character had less depth than I desire for Jonas' heroine. Their interactions did not mentally prepare me for their relationship. She was first an inconvenience, an annoyance, a student, then a necessity, a muse, and a lover. But the transition lacked some emotions for me to accept that Jonas found some solace in her. She was supposed to demonstrate some sensuality, considering that Jonas was a rather sexual creature. But I couldn't feel that. Imogene felt rather cold to me and I had trouble picturing her as Jonas' sensual muse.
I was very intrigued by the premise and character setup, but the execution left me a little disappointed. I suppose to accompany a great artist is a precarious journey. Very often such rare talents have a way of self-destruction, and they bring down everyone around them when they fall. Isn't it a ingenious premise for a love story? Alas it seemed to me that the heroine was not able to hold up her end. This is a Jonas book all the way.
Jonas is one of the few truly dark heros I have read. Granted, there have been dark heros, and some of them were poignantly portrayed. But Jonas' predicament is on a whole different level of darkness: he was, disturbed. Jonas was a tormented soul, trapped between his talent and mental illness. A character with a lot of depth. It was very interesting to read about him, observe his mood swings. I think one has to have a similar disposition, to have an inkling of what a person with such a volatile personality would go through in an emotional crisis. It might read a little crazy but I have to say, it is only too real.
I think Imogene, the character, was the right pick for Jonas. Quiet, demure, but unfailingly resistant to failures and criticism. It takes a generous soul to deal with Jonas and his emotional struggles. And I think Megan Chance picked the right archetype for Jonas.
That being said, I feel that Imogene's character had less depth than I desire for Jonas' heroine. Their interactions did not mentally prepare me for their relationship. She was first an inconvenience, an annoyance, a student, then a necessity, a muse, and a lover. But the transition lacked some emotions for me to accept that Jonas found some solace in her. She was supposed to demonstrate some sensuality, considering that Jonas was a rather sexual creature. But I couldn't feel that. Imogene felt rather cold to me and I had trouble picturing her as Jonas' sensual muse.
I was very intrigued by the premise and character setup, but the execution left me a little disappointed. I suppose to accompany a great artist is a precarious journey. Very often such rare talents have a way of self-destruction, and they bring down everyone around them when they fall. Isn't it a ingenious premise for a love story? Alas it seemed to me that the heroine was not able to hold up her end. This is a Jonas book all the way.
September 24, 2017
Well. Wow. That was intense, I'll give it that. As a character study of a brilliant artist with bipolar disorder, The Portrait is incredible -- vivid, believable, distressing. As a romance...I don't know.
Chance's writing is beautiful and insightful. She has a more lyrical, literary style than many romance writers, and I appreciated that. I plan to check out more of her novels; I just hope they aren't all so depressing. 4 stars for the story itself, but 2 for the story as a romance.
Chance's writing is beautiful and insightful. She has a more lyrical, literary style than many romance writers, and I appreciated that. I plan to check out more of her novels; I just hope they aren't all so depressing. 4 stars for the story itself, but 2 for the story as a romance.
February 14, 2011
Wow! What a ride this book was. New York, 1885. Jonas is a brilliant artist who suffers from manic/bi-polar episodes. He is scarred mentally and physically, he is missing a hand. Imogene comes to Jonas' studio as a student, but she does not know that Jonas was forced to take her on by her godfather who is his patron. He deeply resents her being there, and does all he can to get her to quit. We can see that he is heading towards an "episode". I felt like a deer caught in the headlights watching it play out.
It becomes apparent that they are two very very lonely people who have both suffered much at the hands of people who were supposed to love them. As he goes through the beginnings of his episode, he is hit with a sort of epiphany about Imogene, and starts to become obsessed with her, all the while fighting it so not to hurt her. She is also becoming obsessed with him, and you believe her falling in love with him, as no one has ever showed her this kind of strong positive ( in a manic sort of way) attention. Jonas sees something in her through his manic/artists eye. Something no one else can see, especially not herself. He sees her as a goddess, as a butterfly, as a rare beauty and tries to force everyone else to see it. He believes she is supposed to be his masterpiece as Galatea to his Pygmalion. This was an incredible book, and going on my to-read-again shelf.
It becomes apparent that they are two very very lonely people who have both suffered much at the hands of people who were supposed to love them. As he goes through the beginnings of his episode, he is hit with a sort of epiphany about Imogene, and starts to become obsessed with her, all the while fighting it so not to hurt her. She is also becoming obsessed with him, and you believe her falling in love with him, as no one has ever showed her this kind of strong positive ( in a manic sort of way) attention. Jonas sees something in her through his manic/artists eye. Something no one else can see, especially not herself. He sees her as a goddess, as a butterfly, as a rare beauty and tries to force everyone else to see it. He believes she is supposed to be his masterpiece as Galatea to his Pygmalion. This was an incredible book, and going on my to-read-again shelf.
December 27, 2014
1. First 200 pages were amazing. It was vibrant art involving lovable characters. The unique approach in the old New York setting blew me away.
2. The last half of the book was, in a way, insulting to art. I felt like the main character Jonas lost his artistic aura and the story turned the opposite direction.
3. It was too long for a book whose second half was so disliking.
Yea...I said that twice.
However, the book is worth reading because some readers might find the entire book a beauty...I almost had that experience...almost.
I'm glad I bought this book in the end because like I said...
Beginning = quality
2. The last half of the book was, in a way, insulting to art. I felt like the main character Jonas lost his artistic aura and the story turned the opposite direction.
3. It was too long for a book whose second half was so disliking.
Yea...I said that twice.
However, the book is worth reading because some readers might find the entire book a beauty...I almost had that experience...almost.
I'm glad I bought this book in the end because like I said...
Beginning = quality
January 13, 2016
Full review to come. 5+ stars
Aside from one extremely offensive line and the inclusion of the much-hated (at least by me) Big Misunderstanding / Things Left Unsaid ploy, this book was unbelievably wonderful.
Aside from one extremely offensive line and the inclusion of the much-hated (at least by me) Big Misunderstanding / Things Left Unsaid ploy, this book was unbelievably wonderful.
April 16, 2016
Jonas: He has long dark hair and green eyes. I don’t think his age was given. He’s manic-depressive (bipolar). He lost his right hand due to a suicide attempt four years previous. He’s attempted suicide several times. After he lost his hand, he was admitted to an insane asylum and was there for four months. He’s also bisexual. He’s also estranged from his family.
Imogene: She’s twenty-six, short with light brown hair and brown eyes. She’s been living in her older sister, Chloe’s, shadow her entire life. Her sister died a few years previous from cholera. She was a gifted artist but Imogene could never live up to her, in their father’s eyes. Imogene was secretly in love with Chloe’s boyfriend, Nicholas, and even had sex with him at some point after Chloe’s death. But that’s all Nicholas wanted her for.
Frederic ‘Rico’ Childs: He’s got long blond hair and blue eyes. He’s Jonas’s best friend and fellow artist. They smoke opium together sometimes and, I believe, have sex with each other. Rico is the only one who truly cares about Jonas.
I love this story. This is the second time I’ve read it and I love it more now than I did the first time. I’ve never read about someone like Jonas before in a romance book. What an original story this was and how great that the author even thought of creating a hero like Jonas. In no way, shape or form is he your cookie cutter hero.
I wasn’t impressed with the heroine at all. She was pretty basic and too passive. And the way she let her father talk to her? I don’t know why she let him get away with it. She could have told her father off, let him know what she really thought of him, but she never did. Twenty-six is too old to be talked to like that from a parent, someone who’s supposed to love you, no matter what.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2011
This story is like a car wreck. I couldn't look away.
Jonas and Imogene had experienced so much isolation and pain that I have never wanted relief for two people more. The emotions are so beautifully portrayed..despair, understanding, hope. And friendship; Rico was so....true.
I'm still thinking about this story.
I Wonder how they're doing :)
Jonas and Imogene had experienced so much isolation and pain that I have never wanted relief for two people more. The emotions are so beautifully portrayed..despair, understanding, hope. And friendship; Rico was so....true.
I'm still thinking about this story.
I Wonder how they're doing :)
January 28, 2021
My first buddy-read of 2021, thanks to Nenia, one of my favorite BRers.
I finished this book a few days ago and have moved on with my life, so I'm just going to leave a few brief thoughts here. This was a really rich story about a man with bipolar disorder, and good lord, was it harrowing at times. That aspect was so well done, as was the heroine's devotion to him. Both the hero and heroine were excellent characters and I loved them both.
However, this was missing something for me. I think it was because Jonas flipped a switch when it came to loving Imogene, and it happened during one of his episodes. It just didn't have the relationship development that I enjoy in romance novels. It was a good relationship and a moving one, but unfortunately I just didn't end up loving this story.
I finished this book a few days ago and have moved on with my life, so I'm just going to leave a few brief thoughts here. This was a really rich story about a man with bipolar disorder, and good lord, was it harrowing at times. That aspect was so well done, as was the heroine's devotion to him. Both the hero and heroine were excellent characters and I loved them both.
However, this was missing something for me. I think it was because Jonas flipped a switch when it came to loving Imogene, and it happened during one of his episodes. It just didn't have the relationship development that I enjoy in romance novels. It was a good relationship and a moving one, but unfortunately I just didn't end up loving this story.
April 7, 2021
Dear Lord, this was absolute undeniable I-want-my-2-hours-back stifling garbage and I feel slightly diminished having read it. Abuse, obvious untreated mental illness, infidelity, drug use, and a heroine who values herself about as highly as her IQ...a roiling miasma of ick. I've never wanted to slap a male character so often and thoroughly. Beware at all costs.
May 31, 2020
"𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩—𝙖 𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙚? 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣'𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙮. 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚. 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮'𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮 𝙣𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨. 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩." 𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙, 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙪𝙥 𝙨𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧. "𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙤."
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
January 18, 2016
i hope someday i'm able to get over this book
September 7, 2025
I’ve been in a reading slump for over 3 months now, and I’ve had bouts of, “I want to read” and “I don’t even want to think about reading”. Since the slump started, I’ve started tons of books, get halfway through, and put them down. The Portrait however is a book I did finish, and I’m kind of torn on how to rate this and how I feel about it.
The Portrait is an incredibly unique historical romance. It’s set in New York City during the mid 19th century. The hero, Jonas is a famous artist— a genius who is known for his bouts of “madness”. The heroine, Imogene comes to New York to stay with her godfather, and starts studying under the hero. Jonas instantly hates Imogene, and finds her innocence and lack of skill infuriating. He’s mean to her, downright abusive, and tries to get her to quit during each session. However, Imogene is stronger than Jonas could even know, and the more he tries to push her out, the more she yearns to learn under Jonas and know him.
In the beginning of this story, I felt a lot of The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne vibes. I had to wonder if maybe Byrne was inspired by Chance’s writing style. The setting is very moody and a little mysterious. The prose is flowery and dark. Jonas was also a lot like Dorian. His main goal is to seduce and destroy Imogene. I loved this dynamic (I’m fucked up, we’ve established this a while ago). I find the tension excruciating and hot. It really excited me to read on and find out what happens next.
The we get into the second part of the book where we explore Jonas and his “madness”. I was really not expecting this story to go so into the mental health issues that Jonas has. But wow, did it really. Jonas is clearly a bipolar depressive, and obviously in this time, medication for bipolar is nonexistent. So basically Jonas is going through extreme, manic highs and lows. He’s much sweeter to Imogene in this time (and I liked the OG dynamic so I was a little bummed..:again we’ve established I’m fucked up) and the two grow much closer. But, this part was also so hard to read. Because Jonas is internally feeling amazing and so happy. Other characters describe this mood as, “a shooting star”. But he’s also not eating, not sleeping, forgetting days at a time. It’s really fucking hard to read.
The final act of this story is even worse to read because we really get into the meat of Jonas as a character and his depression. It’s rough. So hard to read. To the point where I had to skim a few times. I was sobbing while reading his dialogue, his inner thoughts. I felt for him. I sympathized and understood him. It hit a little too close to home. There’s a lot of push and pull between him and Imogene. Imogene wants to take care of him and love him for who he is, but Jonas is scared. He doesn’t want to bring Imogene down and break her like he wanted to at first. This part was incredibly well written, but again, difficult asf to read.
But going into this book, I didn’t know the main plot would be Jonas and his bipolar disorder. And did I really want to read that, especially in a time where my mental health is doing decently? Ehh, not necessarily. I enjoyed how this author took risks with this story, and how she portrayed Jonas and his mental illness. But I can’t particularly say I enjoyed this book. It was depressing asf, and honestly a little boring at times.
I do have to applaud Megan Chance on this story. It’s different, it’s unique, it’s dark in a way that’s rarely done in historical romance. The main couple is the right amount of toxic. The mental health portrayal was fantastic in my opinion. The prose is fucking gorgeous. At first, I thought this book was hopping around too much in terms of plot and tone. However, on reflection I think a lot of that is symbolism for Jonas and his bipolar depression. So yes, this book is very good. It’s nicely crafted and well thought out. But I didn’t exactly enjoy it if that makes sense. So I’m not sure where I stand here. It’s one of those times where I can recognize, “Wow, that was objectively a great book” but I didn’t particularly have a good time reading it. I mostly rate on enjoyment factor, so I think I’m going to sit at a 3 here. I am glad I read this, because it’s like nothing I’ve ever read before. But do I recommend it? I guess if you want depression—and I mean actual depression—this may be the book for you. Don’t read if your mental health is shit because, wow, this one was rough.
The Portrait is an incredibly unique historical romance. It’s set in New York City during the mid 19th century. The hero, Jonas is a famous artist— a genius who is known for his bouts of “madness”. The heroine, Imogene comes to New York to stay with her godfather, and starts studying under the hero. Jonas instantly hates Imogene, and finds her innocence and lack of skill infuriating. He’s mean to her, downright abusive, and tries to get her to quit during each session. However, Imogene is stronger than Jonas could even know, and the more he tries to push her out, the more she yearns to learn under Jonas and know him.
In the beginning of this story, I felt a lot of The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne vibes. I had to wonder if maybe Byrne was inspired by Chance’s writing style. The setting is very moody and a little mysterious. The prose is flowery and dark. Jonas was also a lot like Dorian. His main goal is to seduce and destroy Imogene. I loved this dynamic (I’m fucked up, we’ve established this a while ago). I find the tension excruciating and hot. It really excited me to read on and find out what happens next.
The we get into the second part of the book where we explore Jonas and his “madness”. I was really not expecting this story to go so into the mental health issues that Jonas has. But wow, did it really. Jonas is clearly a bipolar depressive, and obviously in this time, medication for bipolar is nonexistent. So basically Jonas is going through extreme, manic highs and lows. He’s much sweeter to Imogene in this time (and I liked the OG dynamic so I was a little bummed..:again we’ve established I’m fucked up) and the two grow much closer. But, this part was also so hard to read. Because Jonas is internally feeling amazing and so happy. Other characters describe this mood as, “a shooting star”. But he’s also not eating, not sleeping, forgetting days at a time. It’s really fucking hard to read.
The final act of this story is even worse to read because we really get into the meat of Jonas as a character and his depression. It’s rough. So hard to read. To the point where I had to skim a few times. I was sobbing while reading his dialogue, his inner thoughts. I felt for him. I sympathized and understood him. It hit a little too close to home. There’s a lot of push and pull between him and Imogene. Imogene wants to take care of him and love him for who he is, but Jonas is scared. He doesn’t want to bring Imogene down and break her like he wanted to at first. This part was incredibly well written, but again, difficult asf to read.
But going into this book, I didn’t know the main plot would be Jonas and his bipolar disorder. And did I really want to read that, especially in a time where my mental health is doing decently? Ehh, not necessarily. I enjoyed how this author took risks with this story, and how she portrayed Jonas and his mental illness. But I can’t particularly say I enjoyed this book. It was depressing asf, and honestly a little boring at times.
I do have to applaud Megan Chance on this story. It’s different, it’s unique, it’s dark in a way that’s rarely done in historical romance. The main couple is the right amount of toxic. The mental health portrayal was fantastic in my opinion. The prose is fucking gorgeous. At first, I thought this book was hopping around too much in terms of plot and tone. However, on reflection I think a lot of that is symbolism for Jonas and his bipolar depression. So yes, this book is very good. It’s nicely crafted and well thought out. But I didn’t exactly enjoy it if that makes sense. So I’m not sure where I stand here. It’s one of those times where I can recognize, “Wow, that was objectively a great book” but I didn’t particularly have a good time reading it. I mostly rate on enjoyment factor, so I think I’m going to sit at a 3 here. I am glad I read this, because it’s like nothing I’ve ever read before. But do I recommend it? I guess if you want depression—and I mean actual depression—this may be the book for you. Don’t read if your mental health is shit because, wow, this one was rough.
September 14, 2022
3.5. Not my cup, but very well written.
January 27, 2022
"It doesn't matter," he said, staring at the wall, at the cracking plaster, the waterstain that looked like a giant feeding spider. "Nothing does. We all strive to say something—as if it's important. As if there can be some lasting value . . . And yet we all know mankind is doomed to nothingness. Immortality." He laughed bitterly. "There's no such thing. There's no meaning to anything. We get up in the morning, we push through the day, we go to sleep. Day after day. Endlessness. Meaninglessness."
The Portrait is the most depressing book I've read in a while and still, I couldn't tear myself from it until I soaked the story to the last word.
The Portrait is a story bordering on historical fiction and romance. In my opinion, it is closer to historical fiction. It tells us the sorry of a young woman Imogene, an inspiring young painter who comes to a very famous New York artist to teach her art. The premise seems like nothing special until you look behind the characters' souls.
Imogene struggled her whole life to be as good as her sister Chloe. But Chloe died and now Imogene tries to fill the emptiness inside her heart and her parents' by trying to be Chloe. She is seeking acceptance from her father, a very cold and cruel man who keeps beating her with words of lessness: less than Chloe, not as talented as Chloe, and so on. It's no wonder Imogene learned to melt into shadows. But everything changes when she steps into the studio of the infamous Jonas Whitaker. She is suddenly thrown into the world of bohemian life and art and passion.
Imogene is one strong girl. Really, how many times she was told that she is nothing, a grey mouse? And still, she showed, again and again, her resolve and strength. I was really involved in the daughter-father conflict because basically the whole time Imogene tries to make her father proud.
They were the words she'd waited her entire life for, words of acceptance, of love, and Imogene knew this was finally her chance to hear them, her chance to be the daughter her father had always wanted, the daughter he'd lost when Chloe died. This time, she wouldn't fail. Not this time.
Jonas is a different type altogether. He has bipolar disorder and in the 19th century, there was no way to be treated. He suffered terrible swings of mood, and because he is an artist on top, he is more perceptive to everything. I can't express with words how hard it was to be in Jonas's head - immensely hard. But I admire Megan Chance for showing in such detail how people like Jonas live and struggle with the illness every day when they do not know what normal looks like.
He wished he knew how they did it. Even planning for the next day was beyond his capabilities. He didn't understand how to think that way, how to plan, and he wanted to. He wanted to understand how people mapped out their lives, how they went so easily through a day. How they managed to keep from destroying the people around them, destroying themselves. He looked down at his arm, at the too-smooth stump, the thick pink ridge of scar. Christ, how did they do it? How did Genie do it?
The Portrait is all about damaged people and art. New York at the end of the 19th century was the center of artists and poets. The book is filled with a bohemian vibe. We are inserted inside that world, we travel it with our characters. It was a delight to see how detailed Megan worked on bringing this world to us, readers. And sensuality. How can one be seduced by art? Oh, easily!
"Let me show you what I know of it," he murmured. "Your mouth can be considered a hundred ways. Rico would look at it and he would see the light and shade; Byron Sawyer would see the color; yet another artist might see the line. A hundred truths, and not one is wrong. There are no original ideas, darling, only original visions. Each of us would draw your lips a different way, yet none of us could capture the complete essence of them."
I am swooning! Though this book is also a romance it does not use it as a crutch. There's no love healed or saved. Love teaches acceptance and humility but it does not deny the hardship that the characters encounter and will encounter in the future. That is why until the very end we do not know, not dare to hope for a happy ending.
Overall, Megan Chance is an author-revelation for me. I've never read her books before, but now I can't seem to stop from adding more of her works to my shelf. She aims for the soul with her prose, a true artist. That is why you believe every word she creates on paper.
Highly recommended!
May 17, 2013
The Portrait by Megan Chance was a really well written and compelling story. It's about Jonas Whitaker's life, his struggle with bi-polar disorder in historical times and the love between him and Imogene, a woman who was searching for someone to love her.
If I rated the books I read purely on the quality of the book I would have given The Portrait a higher rating. However, the Portrait was not the most comfortable read. The relationship between the characters was fraught with difficulty and I was often wondering about the future of their relationship beyond the end of the book. I had trouble believing that Imogene would not regret her choice to be with Jonas. I didn't doubt her ability to stay with him through his darker periods, but I have trouble believing he wouldn't do something to wreck their relationship in the future, through an act done within an episode.
I also didn't like how they came together at the end when Imogene was ruined. It had a bad feeling to it. Like she had no other choice if she wanted to have a future with happiness.
I really love historical books with mental illnesses or physical impairments that would be treated differently in today's society. My favorite being Flowers from the Storm. I love reading how they cope and find love (since I read mostly romance ;) ). If you like similar books I would recommend The Portrait, but for the romance alone I wouldn't.
If I rated the books I read purely on the quality of the book I would have given The Portrait a higher rating. However, the Portrait was not the most comfortable read. The relationship between the characters was fraught with difficulty and I was often wondering about the future of their relationship beyond the end of the book. I had trouble believing that Imogene would not regret her choice to be with Jonas. I didn't doubt her ability to stay with him through his darker periods, but I have trouble believing he wouldn't do something to wreck their relationship in the future, through an act done within an episode.
I also didn't like how they came together at the end when Imogene was ruined. It had a bad feeling to it. Like she had no other choice if she wanted to have a future with happiness.
I really love historical books with mental illnesses or physical impairments that would be treated differently in today's society. My favorite being Flowers from the Storm. I love reading how they cope and find love (since I read mostly romance ;) ). If you like similar books I would recommend The Portrait, but for the romance alone I wouldn't.
March 20, 2018
5 Madly in Love with Jason Stars 😍😍
"Life is like that. What do you want—a guarantee? There aren't any. People say they love you and then they leave. They say they'll stay no matter what happens. But they don't.."
Simply wow.. Megan Chance did a splendid job with this one. Jason was totally anti-hero but loved him from the start.
"In the end, there was only one reason to stay, and it had nothing to do with logic or good sense. It had nothing to do with her own survival.
He needed her.."
Imogen has always felt inferior to her sister. But now that Chloe is dead, she wants to fulfill her father's dreams.
She was great throughout.
"If redemption meant giving up this last week with Jonas Whitaker, if it meant giving up the world he had shown her, then she would rather be damned.."
Totally suggest this one.. Great take of Bipolar disorder in the Victorian period..
"Life is like that. What do you want—a guarantee? There aren't any. People say they love you and then they leave. They say they'll stay no matter what happens. But they don't.."
Simply wow.. Megan Chance did a splendid job with this one. Jason was totally anti-hero but loved him from the start.
"In the end, there was only one reason to stay, and it had nothing to do with logic or good sense. It had nothing to do with her own survival.
He needed her.."
Imogen has always felt inferior to her sister. But now that Chloe is dead, she wants to fulfill her father's dreams.
She was great throughout.
"If redemption meant giving up this last week with Jonas Whitaker, if it meant giving up the world he had shown her, then she would rather be damned.."
Totally suggest this one.. Great take of Bipolar disorder in the Victorian period..
January 16, 2012
I could completely understand why this book is on a lot of peoples Keeper shelf but I personally am not fond of heroines with major self esteem issues, even if they're a strong woman otherwise, and the author writes compelling enough to warrant my sympathy. Theres should be a limit to any pity-party. To me, it just sounded like 400 pages worth of whining.. The first half was notably better than the latter.
The hero I found simply incredible, flaws and all, especially because of them. He was drawn so brilliantly well that I thought at times that he over shadowed the heroine...The book would've worked even without her in it LOL, thats the God honest truth.
I could only rate it 4 stars, because the book is written too fine to give it any less than that.
The hero I found simply incredible, flaws and all, especially because of them. He was drawn so brilliantly well that I thought at times that he over shadowed the heroine...The book would've worked even without her in it LOL, thats the God honest truth.
I could only rate it 4 stars, because the book is written too fine to give it any less than that.
May 30, 2018
It's brilliant. One of the best novel I have ever read. It was like magic, mesmerizing me and I couldn't get enough. Megan Chance has written a masterpiece and I am a fan. I just love it, loved it so much. I hope for more books like this. Deep, emotional, like a ray of light in dark black night.
March 15, 2014
What a beautifully heartbreaking dark tale of one of the most tortured souls I have ever read about (and believe me, there have been many). The time period, the locale, the subject matter, and the leading characters unabashedly drew me in and, with a stranglehold, kept me riveted until I finished the story.
Why am I just now "discovering" this author? Why did I wait so long to read this book that has been on my TBR list for so long? The answers to these and other questions will ... remain unanswered for now, because I have to go search out some of this author's other works.
Why am I just now "discovering" this author? Why did I wait so long to read this book that has been on my TBR list for so long? The answers to these and other questions will ... remain unanswered for now, because I have to go search out some of this author's other works.
June 29, 2012
Voy a permitirle un largo suspiro satisfecho a mi romàntica obsesiva interior.
Ahhhhh...
¿Còmo no me va a gustar una historia de amor sobre un pintor manìaco-depresivo y su estudiante depresiva y emocionalmente-dependiente? La combinaciòn ideal .
Muy buen libro en el gènero .
Ahhhhh...
¿Còmo no me va a gustar una historia de amor sobre un pintor manìaco-depresivo y su estudiante depresiva y emocionalmente-dependiente? La combinaciòn ideal .
Muy buen libro en el gènero .
September 8, 2018
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book.
Original, amazing and touching.
Original, amazing and touching.
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