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A Kind of Self
A Kind of Self tells the story of the glamorous cosmopolis and what glittering appearances conceal. The truth about love and lust, career and ambition – the frenzied life in New York and its never-ending surprises.
Cleo is a worldly and sophisticated art advisor who has drawn the clumsy attentions of a rich, but childish hedge fund manager. Pascale, a journalist by vocation and a beautiful woman of tender sensibility, is pursued by a wily, wicked seducer and betrayed by a friend. Verdoyer, a cultured art collector, has conquered the glitzy world of gallery openings and vernissages, only to walk away from it all, wearied and disillusioned. Peels, an archaeologist, goes his own way, making sense of ancient puzzles and seeking clues to contemporary life.
All is revealed at the Miami Art Fair – where paths cross in serendipity, where fate’s inescapable reality makes itself known.
“… absorbing … an engrossing story.” (Kirkus Reviews)
“I came for the story of an intelligent and sensitive young woman and her encounter with wayward love. I stayed for the life lessons.” (Maria Prospeia)
“The combination of glamour and insight, the access to understanding the ‘why’ of human nature – A Kind of Self is captivating and enriching.” (Petra E. l’Armoniaon)
Cleo is a worldly and sophisticated art advisor who has drawn the clumsy attentions of a rich, but childish hedge fund manager. Pascale, a journalist by vocation and a beautiful woman of tender sensibility, is pursued by a wily, wicked seducer and betrayed by a friend. Verdoyer, a cultured art collector, has conquered the glitzy world of gallery openings and vernissages, only to walk away from it all, wearied and disillusioned. Peels, an archaeologist, goes his own way, making sense of ancient puzzles and seeking clues to contemporary life.
All is revealed at the Miami Art Fair – where paths cross in serendipity, where fate’s inescapable reality makes itself known.
“… absorbing … an engrossing story.” (Kirkus Reviews)
“I came for the story of an intelligent and sensitive young woman and her encounter with wayward love. I stayed for the life lessons.” (Maria Prospeia)
“The combination of glamour and insight, the access to understanding the ‘why’ of human nature – A Kind of Self is captivating and enriching.” (Petra E. l’Armoniaon)
545 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 25, 2024
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6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 17, 2025
I had high hopes for A Kind of Self as the book blurb sounded interesting and it is set during my once favorite time in Miami, Art Week. Unfortunately, like Art Week in more recent years, the sheen and excitement of what could be is buried under so much spurious and superficial nonsense that 20% into the story I was ready for the experience to be over. While I did ultimately finish the novel, the experience left me feeling most like the character Pascale. Pascale was entrapped and betrayed by Slaht, a narcissistic sociopath; his goal was to destroy her and rob her of her dignity.
The book opens focused on Cleo. How she is described and her dizzying response to an awkward pass made by her client, including incomprehensible use of archaic Greek and German sentences and suggestions of old mythologies is weird. After this long introduction to Cleo and the fumbled attempts at romance by her client Staecker we never hear from Cleo again. The story moves on to Staecker and the rich sociopath, Slaht. Slaht meets Rosemary and Pascale at a bar in New York and after much cajoling talks them into joining him and Staecker on a private jet flight to Miami. We have the briefest of interruptions in the primary story of Slaht and Pascale to be introduced to Verdoyer, an art collector, and Peels, an archaeologist, with very little impact or connection to the rest of the larger narrative. To suggest, as the blurb does, that “all is revealed…paths cross in serendipity” is quite the stretch. For a book that takes place over one weekend, very little happens aside from mountains of oddly strung together prose in pseudo intellectual blah blah.
This novel may be for someone, but it most certainly was not for me. Perhaps this book found me at the wrong time and place, which thoroughly colored my judgement and enjoyment. I will say the random cultural references and otherwise original use of language was interesting, it just became tiring and was not enough to make this a worthwhile read for me.
Thank you to BookSirens for the free advance review copy I received. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book and I do so voluntarily.
The book opens focused on Cleo. How she is described and her dizzying response to an awkward pass made by her client, including incomprehensible use of archaic Greek and German sentences and suggestions of old mythologies is weird. After this long introduction to Cleo and the fumbled attempts at romance by her client Staecker we never hear from Cleo again. The story moves on to Staecker and the rich sociopath, Slaht. Slaht meets Rosemary and Pascale at a bar in New York and after much cajoling talks them into joining him and Staecker on a private jet flight to Miami. We have the briefest of interruptions in the primary story of Slaht and Pascale to be introduced to Verdoyer, an art collector, and Peels, an archaeologist, with very little impact or connection to the rest of the larger narrative. To suggest, as the blurb does, that “all is revealed…paths cross in serendipity” is quite the stretch. For a book that takes place over one weekend, very little happens aside from mountains of oddly strung together prose in pseudo intellectual blah blah.
This novel may be for someone, but it most certainly was not for me. Perhaps this book found me at the wrong time and place, which thoroughly colored my judgement and enjoyment. I will say the random cultural references and otherwise original use of language was interesting, it just became tiring and was not enough to make this a worthwhile read for me.
Thank you to BookSirens for the free advance review copy I received. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book and I do so voluntarily.
Displaying 1 of 1 review