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Artifice
Would you like a couch with that painting?
Obscurity is a way of life for Gavin Vonn Getch, a painter who works at a frame shop in a small New England town. His life changes when billionaire Gary Eastman enters his shop and becomes the ultimate a lifetime commission for all his work in exchange for a crap-load of money.
Some of his artist buddies envy him and others think he's sold out. Curious as to where his paintings are being displayed, he makes a trip to the DLC headquarters, where a shocking discovery forces him to reevaluate his deal with Eastman and his identity as an artist.
Why does an artist create? What alternatives are there to completely selling out? Is there no genius--only marketing? The book is a satirical, and sometimes surreal look at the art world.
Watch the animated book trailer! youtu.be/eiPDRTCGikQ
Obscurity is a way of life for Gavin Vonn Getch, a painter who works at a frame shop in a small New England town. His life changes when billionaire Gary Eastman enters his shop and becomes the ultimate a lifetime commission for all his work in exchange for a crap-load of money.
Some of his artist buddies envy him and others think he's sold out. Curious as to where his paintings are being displayed, he makes a trip to the DLC headquarters, where a shocking discovery forces him to reevaluate his deal with Eastman and his identity as an artist.
Why does an artist create? What alternatives are there to completely selling out? Is there no genius--only marketing? The book is a satirical, and sometimes surreal look at the art world.
Watch the animated book trailer! youtu.be/eiPDRTCGikQ
236 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 24, 2016
About the author
Eric Bickernicks
9 books19 followersDownload High Strangeness for FREE here: http://high-strangeness.net
Cape Cod author. How many stories about dragons, detectives, zombies and vampires does the world need? Trying to supply a change of pace.
Working on Higher Strangeness at the moment.
#offbeat #humor
Cape Cod author. How many stories about dragons, detectives, zombies and vampires does the world need? Trying to supply a change of pace.
Working on Higher Strangeness at the moment.
#offbeat #humor
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
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August 14, 20222.5
I'm so glad I listened to this audiobook. It's completely different from anything that I have ever read. The topic didn't interest me as much as I thought it would; however, I was able to relate it back to my life someway--asking the question "what does it mean to be a sell-out?"
I really enjoyed the performances in the audiobook. On top of Bickernicks who performed the main lead, we listened to 40 other voices whose tones, interest in the story, and voice acting skill were tremendous.
There were a few moments I was confused by--1. Some voices did not match the character 2. the production level was not high--most guest actors sounded as if they were using a cellphone to record their voices.
Overall, great book. Not sure if I'll ever read it again, but glad I gave it a try. A more in depth review of this audiobook with be featured on http://audioshelf.me
I'm so glad I listened to this audiobook. It's completely different from anything that I have ever read. The topic didn't interest me as much as I thought it would; however, I was able to relate it back to my life someway--asking the question "what does it mean to be a sell-out?"
I really enjoyed the performances in the audiobook. On top of Bickernicks who performed the main lead, we listened to 40 other voices whose tones, interest in the story, and voice acting skill were tremendous.
There were a few moments I was confused by--1. Some voices did not match the character 2. the production level was not high--most guest actors sounded as if they were using a cellphone to record their voices.
Overall, great book. Not sure if I'll ever read it again, but glad I gave it a try. A more in depth review of this audiobook with be featured on http://audioshelf.me
March 5, 2017
A bit of a tongue and cheek look at the art industry. The author takes readers into the life of Gavin, an artist who gets the chance of a lifetime creating art for an extremely rich man. However, not all is as it seems when Gavin discovers what is really going on. Well written story that is worth picking up and going behind the scenes of the art world and the artists.
May 22, 2017
Struggling artist Gavin Vonn Getch thinks he’s hit Easy Street when a billionaire offers to become his benefactor as long as everything he paints goes directly to him. Sounds like a sweet deal until Gavin finds out that his paintings are meeting an undignified end!
This audiobook is fantastic! It’s dark humor combined with mystery. I can’t recall the last time an audiobook made me laugh out loud so many times, It’s that funny! The character Gavin has a dry sense of humor that I adored. All the characters in this audiobook are memorable and Gavin’s interactions with them are hysterical.
Throughout this nearly 6-hour audiobook, I was wondering how this story was going to play out. It kept you guessing until the end.
I’m not a fan of author’s narrating their own works, but Eric Bickernicks totally nails this reading. His narration was completely engaging and I can’t imagine any narrator doing a better job than he did.
I hope this won’t be the last I hear from Mr. Bickernicks. He has a real talent for storytelling. This audiobook deserves to be heard. Artifice will surely increase your happiness quotient.
This audiobook was received in exchange for an unbiased review!
This audiobook is fantastic! It’s dark humor combined with mystery. I can’t recall the last time an audiobook made me laugh out loud so many times, It’s that funny! The character Gavin has a dry sense of humor that I adored. All the characters in this audiobook are memorable and Gavin’s interactions with them are hysterical.
Throughout this nearly 6-hour audiobook, I was wondering how this story was going to play out. It kept you guessing until the end.
I’m not a fan of author’s narrating their own works, but Eric Bickernicks totally nails this reading. His narration was completely engaging and I can’t imagine any narrator doing a better job than he did.
I hope this won’t be the last I hear from Mr. Bickernicks. He has a real talent for storytelling. This audiobook deserves to be heard. Artifice will surely increase your happiness quotient.
This audiobook was received in exchange for an unbiased review!
January 10, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this story! It is well-written, suspenseful and FUNNY. Funny is hard to pull off in a book, but Eric Bickernicks did just that with his eclectic characters and sharp, witty dialogue. And this book was free, guys! Go download it right now!
May 4, 2017
I received the audiobook of Artifice for free in exchange for an honest review.
When I first sat down to listen to this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. I went into it with an open mind because from my understanding it would be a unique and funny look at the art world. I'm all about people making fun of art since, as a person with an art degree, I enjoy people pointing out the ridiculousness of the scene. I was pleasantly surprised by the material. There were a lot of moments where I was shaking my head "yessss" at what our main character, Gavin, was talking about, and there were a lot of moments where I was frustrated with Gavin. The book successfully made me flip flop from thinking the main character was an idiot to finding him incredibly endearing. If a book is able to make me feel a whole range of emotions then, in my mind, it's done a great job.
The performance of most of the voice acting in the book is fairly strong. I would say Gavin (narrated by the author) is very well done as is Linda, Gavin's girlfriend. They have such a great chemistry with each other and I really love their interactions. There's no cliche'd extra plot in this book of Gavin trying to woo Linda for 3 hours while also trying to be a successful actor. The pair just instantly click and from there their relationship flows very naturally. Some of the sound quality of a few different voice actors is low and it definitely shows when they are having a conversation with someone that recorded with higher quality equipment. The most noticeable shift came from the Goons. Goon #1 recorded with great equipment and was clear in tone as well as quality. Goon #2, however, sounds like he recorded with his cellphone. His sound is poor and, even though his performance is strong, he loses me a little bit with the less than stellar recording.
One major thing that I did have a problem with in this book was the timeline. I was never sure how long something was taking or when it was taking place. I assume the entire plot happens over a series of months, perhaps a year as the relationship between Gavin and Linda hints at becoming deeper. Their relationship development was my time marker, haha. I would have liked to have had maybe some holidays thrown in there in order to give me a jumping off point. The book takes place in Boston, so I expected some gnarly snow fall, but none of that was ever added into the story, so I'm assuming we didn't get to winter? Or started following Gavin in the Spring? There was a beach party in there, but I'm just guessing about the timing at this point.
The reason that I can only give this 3 stars is because I didn't laugh as much as I would have hoped and the story just felt a little rushed at times. The things that Gavin does and goes through a really serious and it just seemed a little too magical that he was able to succeed at most of the stuff he did. Of course, there are times that Gavin falls flat on his face (figuratively and literally), but for me, the story seemed rushed at points, and when it was "fluffed up" there were a lot of unnecessary details. I think some things like the description of what "People of Walmart" is could have been taken out and replaced with some timeline information like I mention in the paragraph above.
All-in-all, this was a great experience and I liked the journey I went on in Artifice. I would totally recommend this audiobook to a friend. I think the performance given by all of the voice actors is wonderful even if some of the performers had lower quality equipment. The time and dedication that Eric Bickernicks put into the novel shines through in his own narration. There is a level of care that you don't get too often in your narrators, but what Eric is able to do is very strong and excellent.
We will be discussing more of Artifice on the May 15th episode of AudioShelf - an audiobook review Podcast. Find out more here: Audioshelf.me
When I first sat down to listen to this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. I went into it with an open mind because from my understanding it would be a unique and funny look at the art world. I'm all about people making fun of art since, as a person with an art degree, I enjoy people pointing out the ridiculousness of the scene. I was pleasantly surprised by the material. There were a lot of moments where I was shaking my head "yessss" at what our main character, Gavin, was talking about, and there were a lot of moments where I was frustrated with Gavin. The book successfully made me flip flop from thinking the main character was an idiot to finding him incredibly endearing. If a book is able to make me feel a whole range of emotions then, in my mind, it's done a great job.
The performance of most of the voice acting in the book is fairly strong. I would say Gavin (narrated by the author) is very well done as is Linda, Gavin's girlfriend. They have such a great chemistry with each other and I really love their interactions. There's no cliche'd extra plot in this book of Gavin trying to woo Linda for 3 hours while also trying to be a successful actor. The pair just instantly click and from there their relationship flows very naturally. Some of the sound quality of a few different voice actors is low and it definitely shows when they are having a conversation with someone that recorded with higher quality equipment. The most noticeable shift came from the Goons. Goon #1 recorded with great equipment and was clear in tone as well as quality. Goon #2, however, sounds like he recorded with his cellphone. His sound is poor and, even though his performance is strong, he loses me a little bit with the less than stellar recording.
One major thing that I did have a problem with in this book was the timeline. I was never sure how long something was taking or when it was taking place. I assume the entire plot happens over a series of months, perhaps a year as the relationship between Gavin and Linda hints at becoming deeper. Their relationship development was my time marker, haha. I would have liked to have had maybe some holidays thrown in there in order to give me a jumping off point. The book takes place in Boston, so I expected some gnarly snow fall, but none of that was ever added into the story, so I'm assuming we didn't get to winter? Or started following Gavin in the Spring? There was a beach party in there, but I'm just guessing about the timing at this point.
The reason that I can only give this 3 stars is because I didn't laugh as much as I would have hoped and the story just felt a little rushed at times. The things that Gavin does and goes through a really serious and it just seemed a little too magical that he was able to succeed at most of the stuff he did. Of course, there are times that Gavin falls flat on his face (figuratively and literally), but for me, the story seemed rushed at points, and when it was "fluffed up" there were a lot of unnecessary details. I think some things like the description of what "People of Walmart" is could have been taken out and replaced with some timeline information like I mention in the paragraph above.
All-in-all, this was a great experience and I liked the journey I went on in Artifice. I would totally recommend this audiobook to a friend. I think the performance given by all of the voice actors is wonderful even if some of the performers had lower quality equipment. The time and dedication that Eric Bickernicks put into the novel shines through in his own narration. There is a level of care that you don't get too often in your narrators, but what Eric is able to do is very strong and excellent.
We will be discussing more of Artifice on the May 15th episode of AudioShelf - an audiobook review Podcast. Find out more here: Audioshelf.me
May 28, 2017
Do you remember Daria, the animated series on MTV which ran from the late 1990's to the early 2000's? The series' main character was Daria Morgendorffer, a smart, acerbic, misanthropic teenage girl who observes the world around her. Set in a fictional suburban American town, the show is a satire of high school life, and full of allusions to and criticisms of popular culture and social classes.
As for me, I loved that show! (I was well beyond my teenage years -- at an age on which the allusions criticisms and not-so-obvious references was not lost.)
The audio version of Artifice sounded like an updated Daria with the characters aged by about 10 years and centered around artists rather than high school students.
Struggling artist Gavin Vonn Getch has the chance of a lifetime when a billionaire offers to become his life-long benefactor provided everything Gavin paints becomes his. Sounds like a sweet deal until Gavin finds out that his paintings are meeting an undignified end or are they?! We meet Gavin's artistic friends, neighbors and thugs.
I am a fan of author’s narrating their own works because I believe the author is the best reader to insert the intended tone into the written words. Eric Bickernick's voice was engaging even when the author reveals the many misconclusions the main character reached causing issues which shouldn't have become issues. This audio is an interesting listen -- a matter-of-fact voice with dry humor combined with a less-than-suspenseful mystery. The "mystery" was more of a curiosity than a whydunit mystery; the reader learns early on whodunit, so, no mystery there.
The primary disappointment I have with this story is that the main character becomes a hypocrite, justifying his purchases as giving benefit despite knowing others' artwork will come to the same end as his artwork. The demise of his artwork is a travesty. The demise of the artwork of his friend and that of his neighbor is not. Aside from that, explaining art references was pedantic.
As for me, I loved that show! (I was well beyond my teenage years -- at an age on which the allusions criticisms and not-so-obvious references was not lost.)
The audio version of Artifice sounded like an updated Daria with the characters aged by about 10 years and centered around artists rather than high school students.
Struggling artist Gavin Vonn Getch has the chance of a lifetime when a billionaire offers to become his life-long benefactor provided everything Gavin paints becomes his. Sounds like a sweet deal until Gavin finds out that his paintings are meeting an undignified end or are they?! We meet Gavin's artistic friends, neighbors and thugs.
I am a fan of author’s narrating their own works because I believe the author is the best reader to insert the intended tone into the written words. Eric Bickernick's voice was engaging even when the author reveals the many misconclusions the main character reached causing issues which shouldn't have become issues. This audio is an interesting listen -- a matter-of-fact voice with dry humor combined with a less-than-suspenseful mystery. The "mystery" was more of a curiosity than a whydunit mystery; the reader learns early on whodunit, so, no mystery there.
The primary disappointment I have with this story is that the main character becomes a hypocrite, justifying his purchases as giving benefit despite knowing others' artwork will come to the same end as his artwork. The demise of his artwork is a travesty. The demise of the artwork of his friend and that of his neighbor is not. Aside from that, explaining art references was pedantic.
October 24, 2017
What did you love best about Artifice?
I enjoyed the psy-comedic thriller of Gavin's attempt to outwit the DLC Group.
What other book might you compare Artifice to and why?
The dark comedy reminds me of the black-and-white PI detective stories. But this is completely modern age and technology.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
I didn't care for their vacation to Florida; but it came together in the plot as well as for developing and solidifying Gavin and Linda's relationship.
Any additional comments?
This was a wonderful and easy to listen to audiobook! I also downloaded the book, for times when it was more fitting to read than listen. Or to review a chapter because I missed something. Which goes to show - this book is filled with lots of characters, all whom have a role and story to be told. So EVERYTHING is important; there are no fillers and fluff!
I really really really (have I said really enough?) hope this author gives us more dark pleasant books like this!
I wasn't crazy about the final chapters and really hoped for something somewhat different (instead of the beach party) but would give the story 4.5 stars, if I could. Overall, it's a solid 5 to recommend!!
I review all book and audiobooks, but am happy to admit: "I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."
I enjoyed the psy-comedic thriller of Gavin's attempt to outwit the DLC Group.
What other book might you compare Artifice to and why?
The dark comedy reminds me of the black-and-white PI detective stories. But this is completely modern age and technology.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
I didn't care for their vacation to Florida; but it came together in the plot as well as for developing and solidifying Gavin and Linda's relationship.
Any additional comments?
This was a wonderful and easy to listen to audiobook! I also downloaded the book, for times when it was more fitting to read than listen. Or to review a chapter because I missed something. Which goes to show - this book is filled with lots of characters, all whom have a role and story to be told. So EVERYTHING is important; there are no fillers and fluff!
I really really really (have I said really enough?) hope this author gives us more dark pleasant books like this!
I wasn't crazy about the final chapters and really hoped for something somewhat different (instead of the beach party) but would give the story 4.5 stars, if I could. Overall, it's a solid 5 to recommend!!
I review all book and audiobooks, but am happy to admit: "I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."
September 3, 2019
I absolutely enjoyed the humor in this book. The book is full of unique and quirky characters and has a fun and enjoyable storyline but the book goes into deeper questions about the relationship between an artist and the art that it creates. Gavin is relatable and engaging as a character.
November 4, 2019
No Classic, But Good Fun
The kind of book that actually keeps you reading just to find out what the heck was actually going on! Characters were well written and you really do find yourself rooting for them. All in all rather a good read if not an actual masterpiece!
The kind of book that actually keeps you reading just to find out what the heck was actually going on! Characters were well written and you really do find yourself rooting for them. All in all rather a good read if not an actual masterpiece!
Did Not Finish
June 17, 2019Too much language.
January 11, 2017
This novel is fairly simple. It's about an artist who gets pulled into a deal with a millionaire, a lifetime commission: the millionaire owns all his art, but he will give 1500 dollars for every painting the artist gives him. Only the artist finds out . Fueled by rage, the artist begins to create bad art on purpose and try to find a way out of the deal.
Things That Were Good
-The tone was humorous and it was actually funny, though sometimes it did go a little overboard.
-Some interesting questions about what motivates the creation of art.
-Funny side characters who are stereotypical bad artists: Brent with his dead animal paintings, others with their pastoral landscapes.
-Art references, though always well explained.
Things That Were Not So Good
-Main character is kind of obnoxiously Art Student, like hardcore judging people who aren't artists, into Impressionist landscapes (of all things) and just kind of too hipster a lot of the time.
-Love interest character is introduced for pretty much no reason, adds basically nothing to plot, does little except look pretty and act, once again, like a Cool Art Student.
-Dang it, I didn't need those art references explained!
-I don't care if it's purposefully bad art, why on Earth would you make a painting of Nazi swastikas?
-WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU SIGN A CONTRACT WITHOUT READING IT THOROUGHLY, WITH A LAWYER?
Overall
I mean, it's not bad? And it's free-in fact there's a link to a free copy in the author's bio, if I'm not mistaken. So...if it interests you.
Things That Were Good
-The tone was humorous and it was actually funny, though sometimes it did go a little overboard.
-Some interesting questions about what motivates the creation of art.
-Funny side characters who are stereotypical bad artists: Brent with his dead animal paintings, others with their pastoral landscapes.
-Art references, though always well explained.
Things That Were Not So Good
-Main character is kind of obnoxiously Art Student, like hardcore judging people who aren't artists, into Impressionist landscapes (of all things) and just kind of too hipster a lot of the time.
-Love interest character is introduced for pretty much no reason, adds basically nothing to plot, does little except look pretty and act, once again, like a Cool Art Student.
-Dang it, I didn't need those art references explained!
-I don't care if it's purposefully bad art, why on Earth would you make a painting of Nazi swastikas?
-WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU SIGN A CONTRACT WITHOUT READING IT THOROUGHLY, WITH A LAWYER?
Overall
I mean, it's not bad? And it's free-in fact there's a link to a free copy in the author's bio, if I'm not mistaken. So...if it interests you.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews