In the Full Light of the Sun

by Clare Clark

Based on a true story, this gorgeous new novel follows the fortunes of three Berliners caught up in an art scandal—involving newly discovered van Goghs—that rocks Germany amidst the Nazis’ rise to power.Hedonistic and politically turbulent, Berlin in the 1920s is a city of seedy night clubs and sumptuous art galleries. It is home to millionaires and mobs storming bakeries for rationed bread. These disparate Berlins collide when Emmeline, a young art student; Julius, an art expert; and a mysterious dealer named Rachmann all find themselves caught up in the astonishing discovery of thirty-two previously unknown paintings by Vincent van Gogh.In the Full Light of the Sun explores the trio’s complex relationships and motivations, their hopes, their vanities, and their self-delusions—for the paintings are fakes and they are in their own ways complicit. Theirs is a cautionary tale about of the aspirations of the new Germany and a generation determined to put the humiliations of the past behind them.With her signature impeccable and evocative historical detail, Clare Clark has written a gripping novel about beauty and justice, and the truth that may be found when our most treasured beliefs are revealed as illusions.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Art, Mystery, Historical, Germany, Art History

432 pages, Paperback

First published July 9, 2019

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Clare Clark (b.1967) is the author of The Great Stink, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year, and The Nature of Monsters.

Clark's novel Beautiful Lives (2012) was inspired by the lives of Gabriela and R.B. Cunninghame Graham.

Reviews

[ABCme · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Paintings are not potatoes. To write about art you must speak as art speaks, passionate and directly to the soul."

If you're an art buff and you like historical fiction, then this is a book to be devoured! In the span of 15 years we cover three main areas in German society, mostly set in Berlin, spun together by a massive heist in the art world.
All characters go from high to low and eventually find their way back. Meanwhile one Van Gogh painting goes missing and quite a few more seem to be forged.

In part one we get to know Julius, an art critic who has written a bestseller on Van Gogh and is well respected in the art world. The 1920's are a good place to be, with WW1 over and the country on the rise. Until the monetary crash sets in and his life changes dramatically.
We also follow Matthias, a young aspiring dealer with a dream of one day opening his own art gallery.
Among their circle of friends is Emmeline, who takes us into part two of the book, showing the reader her struggle to make it as an artist. We are moving on in time, 1927, and Matthias has opened his gallery. The financial crisis behind us, we now enter the rise of Nazism and the hatred for Jews.
There are many dealings in the art world and out of the blue some Van Gogh paintings turn up. Matthias is accused of selling forgeries.
Arriving at part three, the year 1933, where we meet Frank, the lawyer who lost Matthias' case, which got Matthias arrested and sent to prison without any concrete evidence.
Germany is slowly being trampled by nazis, Jews are fleeing the country and Frank, himself a Jew, is struggling to keep a job.
Throughout all these personal events, the most likely forged Van Gogh paintings are still investigated and the real one Julius once owed is still missing. Frank makes it his mission to solve the case, for lack of something better to do.

"In the Full Light of the Sun" is an intriguing read, moving at a pleasant pace, well written and beautifully crafted. The characters are true to life and set in vivid scenery.
I could have done with a bit more excitement in the ending, but all in all a book worthy of its title, right where it should be.

Thank you Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the ARC.

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading this, but, unfortunately, it was a very average, mediocre tale. What piqued my interest the most was that it is apparently based on a true story and is an amalgamation of truth and fiction. The ever-changing perspective made it difficult to get comfortable, and although I am a huge fan of lyrical prose, this was a little too flowery for me and it sadly made it rather disjointed. It is fascinating in places and with an intense interest in the art scene, I love nothing more than to enjoy a great book that takes up to that decadent world. However, it did start to come across as quite pretentious when it needn't have been.

It's a struggle to become engaged with the plot, and in some part that is down to the fact that the characters are not particularly likeable. Ms Clark could also have made more of the setting and period - Berlin, Germany in the 1930s at the time when Nazism was on the rise, but I felt this was almost an afterthought. There's no doubt that the author has meticulously researched the topic of fake Van Gogh paintings, but it is all let down by the use of too many characters making it overcomplicated. I rarely comment on cover art but it really is a beauty. I just wish I had found this more satisfying than I did.

Many thanks to Virago for an ARC.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 40%
I should have loved this book. The art world? Vincent Van Gogh? Berlin between the two world wars? All right up my alley. Unfortunately, I could NOT get into this story. I was bored to tears every time I forced myself to pick it up and kept hoping it would get better ... but it didn't. Life is too short to read books that don't captivate you, so I'm bringing this back to the library and moving on to something else.

[Stephanie (Bookfever) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initially I wasn't planning on reviewing this book because I just didn't know what to say about it. But I decided to give it a shot anyway because I consider In the Full Light of the Sun to be my favorite book of 2019 so far. It was a phenomenal read!

I came across In the Full Light of the Sun on Instagram (shoutout to sissireads!) and as soon as I read the description I just knew I had to buy this book and read it as soon as possible because I really enjoy most books set in this time period and it somehow involved Vincent van Gogh's paintings + the cover is gorgeous as well. Buying and reading a book from a recommendation is always a shot in the dark so I'm really happy it turned out as amazing as it did.

The story takes place in Berlin, Germany over the course of ten years from 1923 to 1933, between the first and second world war. It's divided in three parts, each part in the point of view of a different character. Part one was about Julius, an art connoisseur, part two was about Emmeline, a young artist and part three was about Frank, a Jewist laywer. I really loved how the book was set up like this because I always enjoy multiple points of view more than when it's just one. So that was probably one of my most favorite parts along with the beautiful prose. Each character was very different and unique in their own way. I loved this.

As the synopsis says the years between the wars it's set in were very turbulent and this really shows in the story. My favorite point of view was probably Frank's because with him you really see as Nazi Germany begins to rise, how quickly things got bad for Jews. And honestly, we need books like this one so we won't ever forget all of this happened. It wasn't a happy book, it actually was quite hard to read at times because of the topic and setting but it was also one of the best books I've ever read. I know it will be a favorite read for a long time to come.

Overall, In the Full Light of the Sun was outstanding. The writing was exceptional, so beautiful and the story really took my heart and soul. I would very highly recommend it.

[Roman Clodia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeous cover but I found it hard to get involved in this book. It seems that novels about art nearly always hinge on questions of authenticity vs. forgery and questions of beauty vs. value: this one is no different. The background of Berlin with the rise of the Nazis is somewhat thinly-rendered, and the writing is unflashy. That this is a true story about fake Van Goghs is interesting and the story is well-researched - but oddly unengaging in my case.

[Anni · Rating 3 out of 5]

The superficial glitz and glamour of Berlin's hedonistic high-society hides the decadence beneath, in this fictionalised art-world fraud scandal which took place during the Weimar period. The quest for verifiable artistic attribution echoes the search for authenticity and intrinsic value, in an era of conspiracy, corruption and moral degeneracy. If you enjoyed the show 'Cabaret' you may appreciate this literary delve into a nation's dark psyche.

Edited and reviewed for Whichbook

[Ellie Midwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

“In the Full Light of the Sun” is one of those novels that are so beautifully written and meticulously researched, you’ll forget that you’re actually reading a book and will feel yourself transported back in time. The story itself is fascinating. An art critic, a humble art dealer hoping to make a name for himself, a young artist searching for her path in life, and the greatest scandal with forged Van Gogh paintings that unites them all - you just can’t ask for more intrigue than that!
But it wasn’t just the plot that made me so infatuated with this novel; more than anything I enjoyed the portrayal of the characters, the sketches of Weimar Germany’s everyday life, the scenes which were so well put-together they appeared genius in their seeming ordinariness. The smell of Emmeline’s coworker’s sandwich, the voice and a smile of Dora’s elderly grandmother, the vividness of the color on Van Gogh’s pictures in Rachmann’s gallery, the gentle rocking of a train - every single detail comes alive in this novel, and it takes some great talent to create such vivid settings!
I also appreciated the story being told from different points of view: Julius Köhler-Schultz’s, Emmeline’s, and Frank’s. It was fascinating getting to know each; however, Emmeline quickly became my favorite with her fierce, unapologetic personality and huge, loving heart. The scenes with Dora’s grandmother were so very emotional, they touched me to the core, just like most of Frank’s diary, which was definitely the most difficult to read emotionally-wise due to all the horrors the poor man found himself facing in the new, Hitler’s Germany.
The historical setting was immaculately researched and presented; the characters came alive with every page; the prose itself was imaginative and incredibly vivid - I really can’t recommend this novel highly enough! This is one of the books that I shall definitely be re-reading in the future.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Berlin, 1923: The story starts with Julius, an accomplished art dealer, who is going through a divorce. His private life hinders on the world of art. And I was looking forward to the latter, and not the personal drama.

Another art dealer, Rachmann, makes an appointment with Julius to sell some art. But there is more to Rachmann than one could predict. There is a mystery to his character, which might be more appealing to those who like to read mystery.

Originally, when Julius was “invited to Munich, where the university wished to bestow some honour or other upon him,” he refused. Now, in Munich, he meets Emmeline, a young art student.

The three characters are involved in mystery of discovery of 32 previously unknown paintings by Vincent van Gogh.

The backdrop of Berlin’s time period is presented in words, rather than in action.

At some points there is a lot of dialogue, which isn’t engaging. Maybe for those who enjoy reading mystery, they might find this tone of dialogue interesting.

There is also some foul language, which doesn’t enrich the story.

@FB/BestHistoricalFiction

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

I adore reading about this era, a sliding doors moment of history as it were, and particularly the hedonistic atmosphere of the Weimar digs in Berlin. Yes, this girl loves Cabaret. But I found In the Full Light of the Sun oddly unengaging.

Perhaps it’s because I have little interest in artistic jargon, but this one was difficult to get involved with. Clarke’s writing is pretty solid; she uses some lovely imagery and the initial third of the novel is compelling. Then the plot changes direction, plateaus and never really picks back up again.

To my distress, the politics of the era is thinly-rendered. There’s some quintessential exposition in there that I found difficult to consume – not only because I have a good grounding in the history besides, but because it is somewhat uninspired. The characters similarly are a little archetypal, although I did find Julius a sympathetic member of the cast.

A real shame. Maybe the real nitty gritty of the novel is too niche for me, but the glacial pace and lack of punch probably did not help much either.

[Olga Miret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and to Virago for providing me an ARC copy of this novel and allowing me to participate in the blog tour for its launch. I freely chose to review it, and I’m very happy I did.
I am sure you will have noticed the beautiful cover and it might give you a hint of what the book is about. Yes, the book is about Vincent Van Gogh; well, about his art and his paintings, and the controversy that followed the sale in Germany in the 1920s of some of his paintings, which later were identified as fakes (well, perhaps, although the controversy about some of Van Gogh’s paintings, even some of the best-known ones, has carried on until the present). But that is not all.
The story is divided into three parts, all set in Berlin, each one narrated from one character’s points of view, and covering different historical periods, although all of them in the interwar era and told in chronological order. The more I thought about it, the more I felt that the author had chosen the characters as symbols and stand-ins for each particular part of that period of the history of Germany they represented. By setting the story in the 1920s and 30s, in the post-WWI Germany, we get immersed in a rapidly changing society, and one whose political developments and social unrest share more than a passing similarity with some of the things we are experiencing internationally nowadays.
The first part, set in Berlin in 1923, is told in the third-person from the point of view of Julius Köhler-Schultz. He is an art expert, collector, has written a book about Van-Gogh, and is going through a difficult divorce. But he is much more obsessed with art and preoccupied about his artworks than he is about his family. This is a time of extreme inflation, where German money is so devaluated that it is worth nothing, and the comments about it reminded me of a photograph of the period I had seen not long ago where children were playing in the streets with piles of banknotes, using them to build walls, as if they were Lego bricks. As the novel says:
“The prices were meaningless —a single match for nine hundred million marks — and they changed six times a day; no one ever had enough. At the cinema near Böhm’s office, the sign in the window of the ticket booth read: Admission –two lumps of coal.”
This section of the book establishes the story, and introduces many of the main players, not only Julius, but also Matthias, a young man Julius takes under his wing, who wants to learn about art and ends up opening his own gallery; and Emmeline, a young girl who refuses to be just a proper young lady and wants to become an artist. Julius is an intelligent man, very sharp and good at analysing what is going on around him, but blind to his emotions and those of others, and he is more of an observer than an active player. His most endearing characteristic is his love and devotion for art and artists, but he is not the most sympathetic and engaging of characters. He is self-centred and egotistical, although he becomes more humanised and humane as the story moves on.
The second part of the novel is set in Berlin in 1927, and it is told, again in the third-person, from Emmeline Eberhardt’s point of view. Although we had met her in the first part, she has now grown up and seems to be a stand-in for the Weimar Republic, for the freedom of the era, where everything seemed possible, where Berlin was full of excitement, night clubs, parties, Russian émigrés, new art movements, social change, and everything went. She is a bit lost. She wants to be an artist, but does not have confidence in herself; she manages to get a job as an illustrator in a new magazine but gets quickly bored drawing always the same; she loves women, but sometimes looks for men to fill a gap. She can’t settle and wants to do everything and live to the limit as if she knew something was around the corner, and she might not have a chance otherwise. Although she gets involved, somehow, in the mess of the fake paintings (we won’t know exactly how until much later on), this part of the story felt much more personal and immediate, at least for me. She is in turmoil, especially due to her friendship with a neighbour, Dora, who becomes obsessed with the story of the fake Van Goghs, but there are also lovely moments when Emmeline reflects on what she sees, and she truly has the eye of an artist, and she also shares very insightful observations. I loved Dora’s grandmother as well. She cannot move but she has a zest for life and plenty of stories.
“When Dora was very little her governess put a pile of books on her chair so she could reach the table but Dora refused to sit on them,’ Oma said. ‘Remember, Dodo? You thought you would squash all the people who lived inside.’”
The third part is set in Berlin in 1933 and is written in the first person, from the point of view of Frank Berszacki. He is a Jewish lawyer living in Berlin and experiences first-hand the rise to power of the Nazis. He becomes the lawyer of Emmeline’s husband, Anton, and that seems to be his link to the story, but later we discover that he was the lawyer for Matthias Rachman, the man who, supposedly, sold the fake Van Goghs, the friend of Julius. As most people who are familiar with any of the books or movies of the period know, at first most people did not believe things would get as bad as they did in Germany with Hitler’s rise to power. But things keep getting worse and worse.
“I want to know how it is possible that this is happening. It cannot go on, we have all been saying it for months, someone will stop it, and yet no one stops it and it goes on. It gets worse. April 1 and who exactly are the fools?”
His licence to practice is revoked, and although it is returned to him because he had fought for Germany in the previous war; he struggles to find any clients, and the German ones can simply choose not to settle their bills. He and his wife have experienced a terrible loss and life is already strained before the world around them becomes increasingly mad and threatening. When his brother decides to leave the country and asks him to house his daughter, Mina, for a short while, while he gets everything ready, the girl manages to shake their comfortable but numb existence and has a profound impact in their lives.
Although I loved the story from the beginning, I became more and more involved with the characters as it progressed, and I felt particularly close to the characters in part 3, partly because of the first-person narration, partly because of the evident grieving and sense of loss they were already experiencing, and partly because of their care for each other and the way the married couple kept trying to protect each other from the worst of the situation. I agree that not all of the characters are sympathetic and easy to connect with, but the beauty of the writing more than makes up for that, as does the fascinating story, which as the author explains in her note at the end, although fictionalised, is based on real events. I also loved the snippets from Van Gogh’s letters, so inspiring, and the well-described atmosphere of the Berlin of the period, which gets more and more oppressive as it goes along. I found the ending satisfying and hopeful, and I think most readers will feel the same way about it.
This is not a novel for everybody. It is literary fiction, and although it has elements of historical fiction, and also of the thriller, its rhythm is contemplative, its language is descriptive and precious, and it is not a book where every single word moves the plot forward. This is not a quick-paced page-turner. Readers who love books that move fast and are heavy on plot, rather than characters and atmosphere, might find it slow and decide nothing much happens in it. There is plenty that happens though, and I could not help but feel that the book also sounds a note of caution and warning, because it is impossible to read about some of the events, the politics, and the reactions of the populations and not make comparisons with current times. As I do sometimes, although I have shared some quotes from it already, I’d advise possible readers to check a sample of the book before making a decision about it. This is not a book for everybody. If you enjoy reading as a sensual experience, appreciate the texture and lyricism of words, and love books about art that manage to capture the feeling of it, I cannot recommend it enough. It is beautiful. This is the first book by this author I’ve read, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.

[Amy Bruno · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I saw this cover I knew I had to read it! I know, you shouldn't judge a book by the cover but I'm an unapologetic cover nerd :) It's so gorgeous and the colors grab me every time I look at it. In this case, the cover is just as fabulous as the story.

Set in 1920's Berlin, In the Full Light of the Sun is a story about four people caught up in an art scandal involving fake Van Gogh paintings.

Based on a true story, it's told in three parts - Julius, an art dealer & authenticator, Emmeline, an art student and aspiring artist, and Frank, a lawyer. I like how the author did that, to give a complete story with three varying sides. My favorite part was Emmeline's story. I didn't like her at first but she really grew on me.

I was completely fascinated with this book and learned so much about the art world that I didn't know. Clark's writing is wonderful and easy to read, and I will definitely be picking up her other books. Highly recommended for those that love historical fiction and art!

[Eleanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clark’s enormous but addictive new novel fictionalizes an art-world scandal that rocked 1930s Berlin regarding the authenticity (or not) of several dozen recently discovered Van Gogh paintings. Clark’s three point-of-view characters are Emmeline, an aspiring young artist; Julius, an art historian whose reputation is on the line; and Frank, a Jewish defense lawyer. The plot is over-complicated–there are too many names to remember and not enough clarity regarding the details of the fraud–but Clark’s most memorable character, the charismatic and manipulative art dealer Matthias Rachmann, is a real success.

[Amy’s Booket List · Rating 5 out of 5]

My love affair with Van Gogh began in the summer before my freshman year of college. I was particularly obsessed with Josh Groban’s self-titled debut album. Once during my who-knows-how-many times listening of the CD, yep, the CD, I finally stopped to listen to the words of a song called Vincent. It was haunting and beautiful and incredibly sad. It was possibly the first time in my life that I felt that depth of hopelessness in a song (don’t judge, I was 18 and knew nothing). So, I replayed the song and booted up my laptop, which I thought was incredibly cool even though it weighed 20 pounds and still needed a wire to connect to the internet. Then I searched Starry Starry night by Vincent Van Gogh.

I have never in the 16 years since (don’t do the math, that’s rude) forgotten that moment. It was spell binding. Sitting on my mother’s couch, gazing at swirls of paint that felt like they were moving. I fell into that painting like countless other people have, losing sense of time and space, imagining what it would feel like to be sitting at that café table, under those stars, in that moment. I swear, it changed me. I finally understood the transformative power of art, and I would never go back.

My point in telling this story, is for you to understand where I am coming from when I started reading this book. I read the blurb seeing Van Gogh before anything else. I saw the stunning cover filled with his familiar brush strokes, and knew I needed to read this piece of historical fiction. I am so glad that I did.

The tri-character storytelling model was extremely unique because of the way it was executed. Each narrator exists in subsequent chapters told by other characters, but they are no longer the focus. Clare Clark filled in gaps of knowledge by learning other perspectives, but never took the story backwards. She constantly moved the narrative without sacrificing backstory or history. I can’t say enough how difficult this is to do.

The setting of the book, Germany directly following World War I, felt like watching a sunset. You are surrounded by light, beauty, and grace, but slowly the shadows begin to creep in. At first, it’s a comforting softness, dulling the glare of war, but before you realize what is happening, the shadows have deepened. They have lengthened and blackened until everything is consumed in its darkness. Even when you notice what is happening, the inevitability of time makes you powerless to stop it. Reading a story during this time period feels much the same.

What I found I enjoyed most about In the Full Light of the Sun was its unpredictability. Every time I thought I knew what this story was truly about or what was going to happen, time would jump forward or the plot would suddenly shift directions. This was even more palpable when the narrator would change.

On a side note, there were several references in this book to famous people of the times. Most notably, for me anyway, were the references to Josephine Baker. I had honestly never hear of Josephine Baker, until I was asked to review a book about her called, Josephine Baker’s Last Dance. Since then, I have noticed her name multiple times, and have to admit to finding her fascinating.

What’s Missing

If a book falls short of a 5 star rating, I try to figure out why instead of leaving it to the whim of my feelings. Sometimes, I am successful with this, sometimes I’m not. The only reason I didn’t give this a full 5 star rating is mostly a feeling. I didn’t have any to wholly root for, so possibly I wasn’t as nervous or didn’t feel as much stress when things happened to each character.

Conclusion

Tragic and wonderfully written, In the Full Light of the Sun’s pages are filled with an artists joy and a prisoner’s desperation.

*Special thanks to Clare Clark, HF Virtual Book Tours, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for a copy of In the Full Light of the Sun in exchange for an honest review.

[Cindee · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a chore to read there was nothing that stood out and I could not connect to any of the character hopefully I never read anything like this again. I did not connect to or really care about any of the character they were all 1 dimensional although I felt for the plight of one character the rest were so forgettable. I do not like the story it was dull and the most boring thing I have ever read I was happy to finally finish it. The story with the art was boring the pace was way to slow and the plot just dragged way too much. So overall I really did not like this book and found it boring will never read anything by this author ever again.

[Thomas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did anyone........anyone........anyone actually read this book prior to publication? Do not judge this book by it’s cover or the blurb. The cover is stunning. By all accounts noted in the blurb I should have adored this book. I was duped.
The storylines went everywhere and nowhere. The characters, if that is what one can even call them were exceedingly underdeveloped and astonishingly underwhelming. The POV structure..... was not. The author actually told other stories where a few of the same characters popped in to say hello. Additionally, I cared not a single wit about ANY character or storyline.
Usually, I chalk my dislike of a book up to “it’s me not you.” However, this time I must say “it is indeed you - definitely you.”
The author seriously should apologize.
Normally, I will give an author a second chance. This is however, a “one and done.”

[Tripfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novel set in Weimar BERLIN



The novel is set against the backdrop of the 1920s/30s Berlin when the political and financial situation was in flux, changing week by week. The hyperinflation of the 1920s, with its concomitant food and fuel shortages soon gave way to the rise of Nazism and xenophobia.

It is against this backdrop that the author has set her novel, with the leitmotif of art and the little-known Van Gogh forgery scandal. This is the story of the role of art in the period and of chosen characters who played their fictional part in the world of art dealership and connoisseurship.

There is deception, self-deception and lives lived in tumultuous times. A novel of the time with prescient relevance to what is going on with the UK and Europe now. The narrative charts the involvement of three Berliners – Julius, a middle-aged art expert who wrote “The Making of Modern Art”; young Emmeline, only 17 years old when the book opens and Rachmann, a mysterious art dealer. Several hitherto unknown paintings by the famous Van Gogh have come to light and the characters’ individual roles are explored as their lives overlap.

Moving from the hedonistic – oftentimes nihilistic – times towards the rise of Hitler, the nature of art and the styles that are abhorred and conversely lauded are brought into sharp relief as the political spectrums begin to change. Art became a political statement and weapon.

This was an interesting novel to read whilst in Berlin, to get a feel for the footsteps past in the city. Currently Berlin is a city of cranes, there are huge numbers of building projects across the landscape, but tucked away it is still quite possible to find gems of the era that survived bombings and destruction of WW2.

My art history tutor said that when you visit a new city, always look up and it is amongst the gables and rooftops that you will find the true gems of a period. I saw many buildings in Kreuzberg of the era and imagined some of the characters in the book conducting their affairs behind the windows.

This was a novel to savour in the capital city. I enjoyed it, particularly the art aspect. At times it was a little earnest but it is clear that the author has enjoyed the research and revelled in the era and the storytelling.

From the Historical Fiction Roundup of the Sunday Times (24.2.19): “With great skill and sympathy, Clark evokes a febrile society in which politics, love and art offer no certainties, and the ground always threatens to open beneath her characters’ feet”

[Chris C · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's really hard for me to put a rating on this book because there were parts that actually fully engaged me but one aspect that almost threw me out of the story.

I should say I mean that in the sense of the structure of the novel, not the plot. I found the plot to be, all-in-all, very enjoyable.

My main issue was with the changing of POV's. I'm not one to normally complain about this but I think anyone who goes into this knowing that there are 3 character stories told, would be incredibly surprised upon finishing the first and second stories to see who we follow in the final part of the novel.

I did like that particular character's story in the sense that it gave us a different view of Germany in the early-to-mid 1930's, however I just felt that it didn't tie in and flow as well as the first two characters stories did and if I'm honest I was hoping for another character.

In saying all of that, I really grew to like some of the characters who I initially thought I would hate, which is all thanks to Clark's ability to humanise even the most frustrating people.

And yes, I am being immensely vague by not saying character names, not because there are twists and turns but because I think people should go on their own journey's with these characters with as little foreknowledge as posible.

Definitely glad I read this and it's put me in the mood to go out and read more historical fiction!

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for providing me with a copy for review.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is really hard to rate and discuss. It was oddly compelling despite a confusing plot and mostly unlikable characters. The confusing plot has to do with forgeries of Vincent van Gogh's paintings in 1920's Germany (a real scandal never fully resolved to this day). The novel is divided into three sections, each centering on a different character who played some role in the scandal, although there is some overlap. Some characters were pretty loathsome throughout, but some grew on me. Hard to recommend.

[Susan Pearlstein · Rating 2 out of 5]

Germany caught between the Kaiser and the Nazis has had its share of fictional coverage. Clare Clark’s In The Full Light Of The Sun draws its inspiration from real life events that unfolded in the 1920s, when several German-brokered Van Gogh paintings changed hands for ridiculously high prices. But the paintings, initially authenticated as genuine, were determined to be fakes. The ensuing art scandal, with all its accusations and intrigue, rocked Berlin’s artistic establishment and changed the reputation and fates, for better or worse, of several prominent art critics, gallery owners, entrepreneurs and the like.

Ms. Clark uses the underpinnings of this well-researched drama to weave a cast of characters based upon their real life counterparts. Julien is her renowned and respected art critic, in love with Van Gogh’s paintings. Matthias is the would-be gallery owner; if he could obtain just a Van Gogh or two his fortune would be made. Other people, perhaps completely fictional, perhaps drawn from historical figures, interact with these two central characters, providing readers with insights into various aspects of life in Berlin between the wars.

The novel is apportioned into three parts, each with a different point-of-view protagonist. While the underlying plot, the Van Gogh subterfuges, remains constant throughout the book, the changing points of view do not allow readers the opportunity to bond with any one particular character. Just when a reader begins to like, or dislike, or simply understand the central character of a section, that portion of the book ends and the protagonist becomes regulated to the back burner while a new lead character inhabits the spotlight. Especially in the first two thirds of the novel, where duplicitous, scheming and vengeful conduct consistently emerges, more insight into the souls of the primary actors would help the reader to understand why they act as they do.

An abrupt shift in focus also occurs in the last third of the novel. Having spent two thirds of the book observing late 1920s German life styles, amid a precarious economy and chaotic political structure, the last portion of the book shifts to 1933. The chaos is over, the Nazis are in power and Jews, homosexuals, Communists and other non-Aryan undesirables are about to be annihilated. Ms. Clark conveys insight into why so many of the people on the precipice of ruin choose not to flee their country, and she creates an empathetic family for the reader to embrace. But, prior to this portion of the novel, these family members were not mentioned, and the coming nightmare that became Germany in the 1930s and 1940s was barely alluded to.

The point-of view character in the final third of the book is the attorney who had defended the gallery owner against charges of Van Gogh art fraud. At one point, the attorney indulges in a favorite lawyerly pastime: reviewing his performance after the trial is over; trying to determine where he went wrong. The lawyer theorizes, “The story I told the court was logical enough, but it forgot what every child with a picture book knows, that a good story need more than a villain or twelve. It needs a hero.” Had Ms. Clark taken her lawyer’s advice, and created a consistent, heroic character whose presence was felt from the first through the last page, it may have granted readers greater empathy and insights into the people, place and events of Germany on the brink of catastrophe.

[Terry Booth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good story hilighting the artwork of Van Gogh. Based on events that took place between 1930 and 1940 when an unprecedented number of Van Goghs
appeared in the art world. Were they real? Were they fakes? Very interesting.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked this book for the most part. Clark's mastery of language--especially around art--was superb. To be honest, I only gave the book three stars because a) I thought the three-protagonist narrative was not well followed through with a unifying final "chapter" to bring all three stories to resolution, and b) I am a little tired of the must-have lesbian/gay relationship in every book these days. (Don't misunderstand me, I have many L/G friends, but I wonder if publishing is following yet another trend in order to cash in. Yes, I'm cynical after being unable to sell a book with a male protagonist because "manly protagonists" aren't in!)

[Jesika · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book attempts to explore the line between what we believe to be true and what is really true. It is an interesting and complex question applied to a real life art hoax in 1930's Germany - a dancer turned art dealer and his many Van Gogh paintings which experts are completely divided about.

The story pulls you in, the writing is often beautiful and the sense of the importance of art to the characters is very powerful. I think my sense of the imagery and the beauty of this book was hampered by the fact that I did not get most of the references (and that I was unwilling to keep looking them up as I read). For readers who love art history, this is will be the best book you have read in years as the author carefully threads this scandal through the lives of three main characters trying to find a way to live freely in an increasingly unstable pre-WW2 Berlin.

The narratives separately are very good - I think Julius' and Emmeline's were stronger but this may be because by the time I got to Frank's I had realised I didn't care about the central mystery very much. The characters themselves are all very flawed, but I don't feel that it was ever unclear what was happening - I felt that all the 'mysterious plot points' were really not very mysterious at all. The book is well written, but overall I think I would have preferred to read this if it was written with the reader in on the mystery and with a little less cringey dialogue.

I will say that it is fantastic to see so many LGBT relationships in a novel - and unlike other reviewers I don't think this was gratuitous so much as a relatively reasonable fictionalisation of many in the social circles explored. Their relationships are mature and complex and that was great to read. The creeping fear of the Nazi's could, I feel, have been dialled up earlier in the novel, but again the author has clearly put a lot of effort into making this representative of that time.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and its rumination on falsities versus authentic art, people, politics etc. I just feel that others may connect to the heavy art focus in a way I'm not sure I could.

[Darcia Helle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't finish this book. I couldn't - and didn't want to - force myself to continue.

The atmosphere is fascinating, but the characters are not. I didn't find them interesting or likable or real.

The writing, for me, tries too hard for literary flare, and instead feels overly flowery and forced.

The pace is slow and the story meanders.

And, so, I stopped reading, because this book is clearly not meant for me.

*I received a review copy from the publisher, via Amazon Vine.*

[Clive Grewcock · Rating 1 out of 5]

This starts badly with too much detail and not enough plot, but as it seemed an interesting premise I hung in there with it. However, it didn't improve, the plot was compressed into a short spell in the middle and then it was back to yet more details with the story resolved late in the book. By then I was past caring and speed reading so I am a bit vague on what happened, but I really cannot be bothered to go back and reread any of this.

[Gwendalyn Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was received as an ARC from the publisher and Author, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own

http://gwendalynbooks.wordpress.com
http://Instagram.com/gwendalyn_books_

Willem van Gogh
“What I do may be a kind of lie, but only because it tells the truth more plainly.”

Clare Clarke, In The Full Light of the Sun, set in 1920s Berlin, between the First & Second World Wars, in a time when Germany was facing climatic political turbulence.

The Authors ability to cleverly divide her narrative voice into three distinctive times, was easy to follow and immensely enjoyable. The books multi layered time frames are set in 1923, 1927 and 1933, with mixed POV’s. Told through the views of Julius, a middle-aged art critic; Emmeline, a young bisexual artist; and Frank, a Jewish lawyer. All three have one distinct thing in common Matthias, a young aspiring Art dealer, who a desire to open his gallery.

What really I really enjoyed was the use of historical events to masterly create a storyline that draws upon a real life scandal that shocked the Berlin Art World.
The riveting discovery of a number of previously unknown works by Van Gogh.
At first they are authenticated, but later they are declared to be forgery. Clark’s compelling literary novel is suspenseful, and gripping atmospheric portrait of Berlin during turbulence of Hitler’s rise to power. A must read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Clare Clarke, delivers quite the impressive, clever, complex, tension-filled and well-written read here that was extremely well-plotted, multi-layered. Faced paced with well developed characters make for a dramatic read.
This highly recommend getting your hands on a copy!

Vincent Willem van Gogh was a Dutch post-impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade he created about 2,100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings, most of them in the last two years of his life.

According to British journalist and art historian Martin Bailey says the patch of floor in front of the Sunflowers in London’s National Gallery gets more scuffed than any other part of the museum, and the Sunflowers are the number one bestseller postcard at London’s National Gallery gift shop.

Are you a fan of Van Gogh?

I definitely am, I took at a special trip to see some of this amazing artists work in person at the Chicago Museum of Art.

The Art Exhibit : In Van Gogh’s Bedrooms

"I experience a period of frightening clarity in those moments when nature is so beautiful. I am no longer sure of myself, and the paintings appear as in a dream." I Vincent van Gogh 

#IntheFullLightoftheSun #ClareClark #HFVBTBlogTours
Historical Fiction,

[Monique · Rating 2 out of 5]

"In the starkness of Vincent's fear, in the savage honesty of his scrutiny, there was something Julius could only describe as heroism."

"a society gets the art it deserves."

" 'Life is an effort,' I say. 'Often a great effort. But it isn't futile.'
'It is sometimes. When you try and you try and it makes no difference, nothing changes at all.'
'But something does change, don't you see? Not the things you want to change, maybe, but you. You change. You learn what it means to try.' "




Couldn't be bothered with this book. It was interesting exploring post-war Weimar Germany and struggling finances, exploration of sex and gender roles and of course the various art movements under the attitude of "with no certainty of tomorrow, there was nothing to be done but to give oneself up to today." It definitely had "Goodbye To Berlin" vibes (didn't enjoy that book either ahaha). I loved the art discussions, especially the excitement between Julius and Matthias. I also enjoyed their father-son relationship.

I didn't really like the characters, they all seem half baked like the plot- almost there but cut off and unfinished. Or the interesting parts for character development came to late for me to care.

The book got incredibly boring and annoying quite quickly and it's been a challenge to get through. It's not what I expected from reading the synopsis and I've had no motivation to read it, which is a shame. I felt more inclined to read the book as the scandal actually came through and began to unravel, but I'd left it too long between breaks and not paying attention I ended up absolutely lost as to what was happening.

The last part felt like a completely different book. It was so out of place, which is a shame because its the best part of the book. It's a completely different set of characters and pov (first instead of third). I loved Frank's character, being afraid but stubborn, to carry on as normal and to see this Nazi regime as a passing trend like most of Germany's politics over the post-war years. I loved the joy Mina slowly brought back to his and Gerda's lives, though I was tired with the Rachmann case by then, to be honest I still wasn't quite clear what went on. Either way, I was so much more invested in reading this last part, I really felt for the family. I'm just sad it was put at the end, this would have been great woven into the rest of the story, much more captivating and emotional!

[Dana Clinton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Last night's discussion of Clare Clark's In the Full Light of the Sun at the Music Hall Book Group was lively, but I myself was not enchanted with this novel. The talk veered off mostly into art and forgeries, into Van Gogh in particular since he was one of the unifying elements of the book, and a bit into the period of Berlin between the wars. All of that was ripe for commentary, but mostly we didn't really tackle the quality of the book itself. It is divided into three sections with a different character in the focus: 1923 and Julius, an art critic whose life and career is beginning to unravel; 1927 and Emmeline, a headstrong girl and talented artist veering into a tortured womanhood; and 1933 and Frank, a Jewish lawyer determined to keep to his principles and weather the gathering storms of this chaotic period in German history. They are all connected via Matthias, an up-and-coming art dealer whose personality is hard to seize and whose actions have far-reaching consequences for all the others. This could have been a riveting read, and Clare Clark writes many beautiful passages, especially describing Van Gogh and the art world. The characters all grab your attention. For me the problem was all structural... not the three sections, which could have provided much richer story development, but all the multiple moments when I felt I was supposed to understand some connection/event/minor character/shady deal and so forth but was left feeling confused, flummoxed, let down. Although this confusion is a good mirror to how many people must have felt living in the Berlin of the 1920's and 30's, and as the good Social Criticism of the novel would have me admire as capturing the essence of a historical period with its chosen style, it wasn't written during that period and so just left me feeling I was missing things all the time. A friend with whom I shared dinner afterwards actually read the entire novel a second time to see if she could understand it better, to no avail. Based on real events (many Van Gogh forgeries and a subsequent trial...), the potential for an all-engrossing novel was there, but much frustration is in the offing for the reader.

[Debra K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to be honest and say that this is not normally the type of story that I pick up but I am really glad that I did. This was a very interesting read, more about the characters than the story.

I have to admit that there were parts where I was a little confused by the characters and timeline, so please do correct me if I have understood it incorrectly. This story is split into three different timelines, with most of them following the life of Emmeline and following the art to a certain degree. In the first part, we start with an art dealer and collector where one of them forms a connection with Emmeline. This part was more about the art with the dealer and the collector. The second part and the third part is where I get a bit confused, but I think that was more about me, the reader, than the writing or the story. We lost a few of the characters from the first part, that I was already getting to know and was looking forward to learning more about the story and we gained a few new characters, who right now I cannot remember. I think the second part was more about Emmaline and watching her grow up and learn more about herself. Honestly, I cannot recall the final part.

I did enjoy reading this novel but have to say that the first part was the best part for me. I lost focus on the story somewhere in the middle of the second part and could not get it back. I would have loved also to have known more about what was going on around the characters a lot more. I also really liked the writing style and would certainly pick up another book by this author.



For more reviews, please check out the link below:
Debra's Book Cafe

Debs :-)

[miss.mesmerized mesmerized · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 1920s are tough in post-war Germany, but the show must go on and the art market flourishes despite all economic struggles. Yet, where money can be made, fraudsters aren‘t far away. Julius is a Berlin based art dealer and specialist in van Gogh; Rachmann is a young Düsseldorf art expert who is hoping to make a career in the business, too; Emmeline is a talented artist and rebel. Since the art world is a small one, their paths necessarily cross and one of the biggest frauds in art links them.

I have been a lover of novels set in the 1920s and 1930s in Berlin since this was a most inspiring and interesting time of the town. Not just big politics after the loss in the first word war and then the rise of the Nazi party, but also the culture and entertainment industries were strong and the whole world looked at the German capital. Quite logically, Clare Clark‘s novel caught my interest immediately. However, I am a bit disappointed because the book couldn‘t live up to the high expectations.

I appreciate the idea of narrating the scandal from three different perspectives and points in time. The downside of this, however, was that the three parts never really merge into one novel but somehow remain standing next to each other linked only loosely. At the beginning, I really enjoyed the discussions about art and van Gogh‘s work, but this was given up too quickly and replaced with the characters‘ lamentations and their private problems which weren‘t that interesting at all and made reading the novel quite lengthy.

[Jill Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weimar-era and Nazi-era Berlin seems to be the setting in about one-in-ten books I read these days. Those inter-war times are fascinating because topics like financial depression, rise of the Nazis and other extremist groups, the "decadent" Berlin society, are only a few that are explored in historical novels and non-fiction. British author Clare Clark has chosen this period for her new novel, "In the Full Light of the Sun" and she has produced a dense-but-interesting story, for the right reader.

The book is set in three time periods, and each part is different, but all reach the same ending. The first two sections are written in the third person but the last one is written in the first person. They are set in 1923, 1927, and 1933 and the art of Vincent Van Gogh links the three sections. Specifically, the possible lost/possible found art of the painter, many years after his death. Maybe the lost art is fake/maybe its the real thing. The reader is left guessing because the Berliners in the book were sort of comme si/comme ca about the truth. Everybody, and I mean everybody, in the story has reasons to hide behind lies to get along.

Clare Clark's book is very well-written but the story lends itself to the term "dense". This book is not an easy read for someone not familiar with the times - social, economic, and political - as well as the intricacies of the art trade. I'd advise everyone thinking about buying this book to read all the reviews they can on Amazon and GoodReads.