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The Art of Devotion
In the tradition of bestselling authors Ian McEwan and Anne Enright, Samantha Bruce-Benjamin’s brilliant and timeless debut unveils the dark side of human nature as four women share the poignant tale of love, obsession, and ultimate betrayal that binds them forever.
Have we all not wished to keep forever the one person we love the most?
The secluded beaches of a sun-drenched Mediterranean island are the perfect playground for young Sebastian and Adora. Emotionally adrift from their mother, Adora shelters her sensitive older brother from the cruelties of the world. Sophie does not question her children’s intense need for one another until it’s too late. Her beloved son’s affections belong to Adora, and when he drowns in the sea, she has no one else to blame.
Still heartbroken years later, Adora fills her emptiness with Genevieve, the precocious young daughter of her husband’s business associate and his jealous wife, Miranda. Thrilled to be invited into the beautiful and enigmatic Adora’s world, the child idolizes her during their summers together. Yet, as the years progress, Genevieve begins to suspect their charmed existence is nothing more than a carefully crafted illusion. Soon, she too is ensnared in a web of lies.
Stunningly told in the tragic voices of four women whose lives are fatefully entangled, The Art of Devotion is evocative and haunting, a story of deceit, jealousy, and the heartbreaking reality of love’s true power.
Have we all not wished to keep forever the one person we love the most?
The secluded beaches of a sun-drenched Mediterranean island are the perfect playground for young Sebastian and Adora. Emotionally adrift from their mother, Adora shelters her sensitive older brother from the cruelties of the world. Sophie does not question her children’s intense need for one another until it’s too late. Her beloved son’s affections belong to Adora, and when he drowns in the sea, she has no one else to blame.
Still heartbroken years later, Adora fills her emptiness with Genevieve, the precocious young daughter of her husband’s business associate and his jealous wife, Miranda. Thrilled to be invited into the beautiful and enigmatic Adora’s world, the child idolizes her during their summers together. Yet, as the years progress, Genevieve begins to suspect their charmed existence is nothing more than a carefully crafted illusion. Soon, she too is ensnared in a web of lies.
Stunningly told in the tragic voices of four women whose lives are fatefully entangled, The Art of Devotion is evocative and haunting, a story of deceit, jealousy, and the heartbreaking reality of love’s true power.
378 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 2010
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840 people want to read
About the author
Samantha Bruce-Benjamin
2 books52 followersSamantha Bruce-Benjamin is the author of The Art of Devotion, an Examiner and Bookreporter Best Book of 2010. Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, she holds a Master of Arts with Honors in English Literature from The University of Edinburgh. A former Random House and BBC literary editor, she divides her time between New York and Edinburgh, where she is currently reading for a PhD in Creative Writing at The University of Edinburgh.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
June 3, 2010
I hate doing this... The author probably spent years writing this debut novel, put a lovely cover on it, got my attention, and well.. I hated it and am now telling the world I hated it and why... but I gotta be honest.
First of all, the story takes place in the 1940s for the most part, but I would not classify it as historical because there is nothing whatsoever historical about it. It's just a story, a family torn apart story and they just happen to live in the 1940s. There is no detail whatsoever about the time period.
Second of all, the story is told from the viewpoints of four different women. This would be fine, but the key word is "told." The entire tale is told. There is no showing at all. Adora is either blabbering to the reader about her wonderful self or her wonderful Oliver or she is addressing her narrative to her long dead brother, Sebastian. Miranda just goes on and on about her jealousy of Adora, who is supposedly her friend. Genevieve aims her narrative at Adora whom she often calls her "beloved" or her aunt. Sophie, Adora's mother, blabbers about Adora and Sebastian. The story is about how all these women met on an island for the summers and Adora "stole" Miranda's daughter, Genevieve and there was tragedy of course. Not a single conversation or piece of action in the entire book. It was all like this: "And I looked at you, my beloved, and you even wore diamonds in the pool" or like this, "I remember how that summer all the dogs on the island began coming to our home for handouts and Sebastian adopted them all and blah blah." I have an arc and am NOT quoting directly from it, but making an example out of my own words.
A total miss for me. Not what I was looking for or expecting.
First of all, the story takes place in the 1940s for the most part, but I would not classify it as historical because there is nothing whatsoever historical about it. It's just a story, a family torn apart story and they just happen to live in the 1940s. There is no detail whatsoever about the time period.
Second of all, the story is told from the viewpoints of four different women. This would be fine, but the key word is "told." The entire tale is told. There is no showing at all. Adora is either blabbering to the reader about her wonderful self or her wonderful Oliver or she is addressing her narrative to her long dead brother, Sebastian. Miranda just goes on and on about her jealousy of Adora, who is supposedly her friend. Genevieve aims her narrative at Adora whom she often calls her "beloved" or her aunt. Sophie, Adora's mother, blabbers about Adora and Sebastian. The story is about how all these women met on an island for the summers and Adora "stole" Miranda's daughter, Genevieve and there was tragedy of course. Not a single conversation or piece of action in the entire book. It was all like this: "And I looked at you, my beloved, and you even wore diamonds in the pool" or like this, "I remember how that summer all the dogs on the island began coming to our home for handouts and Sebastian adopted them all and blah blah." I have an arc and am NOT quoting directly from it, but making an example out of my own words.
A total miss for me. Not what I was looking for or expecting.
February 22, 2023
This book is going to be the biggest hit for book clubs. I honestly don't know how to even write my reading experience. But I'll try. For you.
The story is unique because it is told in four distinct voices thus four perspectives. Each voice adding more to the story. I found myself leaning more sympathetically to each character after the chapter she wrote. And then I would change my mind as I was pulled through another voice and new information.
The book begins with a simple story and ends with a tangle of secrets, betrayal, loves lost, gained, new understanding. The way I felt about each character at the beginning is not the way I felt about her by the end of the book.
Here they are in simplistic terms and I want so much to say more but I don't want to ruin the book for you.
Adora - She's the center of the universe. She is beautiful and tragic. As a child she arrived on the island with her brother, two years her senior. When her mother was widowed, Adora took the role as caretaker for her brother, Sebastian. She devoted herself to him with her all-consuming love. Established early in the book is that she died in 1938. Her voice comes from the diaries she keeps from the time of her brother's death at the age of 20 until her death at 38. She is unable to have children and decides she loves her husband's best friend's daughter, Genevieve whom she loves as completely as she did her brother.
Genevieve - By the age of 8 she had essentially been stolen by Adora. She spent every summer on the island until the age of 18. She begins the narration as a 20 year on the eve of her wedding. She sounds resigned and not thrilled as she might have been.
Miranda - Genevieve's mother. She bitterly laments the losses she has endured at Adora's hands. She feels victimized by her husband and Adora and manipulated by her daughter.
Sophie - Adora's and Sebastian's mother who blames Adora for Sebastian's death. She is jealous of Sebastian's affections for his sister and loathes her for being the child that lived.
It is killing me to say nothing more of the story but I don't want to ruin it for you. The symbolism is poignant. The dogs, the olive grove, the flowers, the sea. Motherhood a recurring theme, as it is a form of devotion, although can be dichotomous.
As each woman speaks, more is revealed, eventually providing the reader with completely unexpected twists and turns. The innocent may not be so innocent. Malice is also an art. And some people truly are without guile. Others are simply duped.
This book completely ruined my dinner date with my husband tonight. I could think of little else. The more I processed it with him, the more irony or symbolism I found. I also found this is a very difficult book to explain because the story contains so many layers. Read it then explain it to you husband. Go ahead. Watch his astonished look when you try to explain the dogs.
(They aren't really dogs, they are representative of devotion. Okay, they really are dogs but they are so much more. Now, see? It doesn't sound coherent but it makes perfect sense. Really. It does).
The author has an incredible command of language and human capacity for love, devotion, annoyance, avoidance, malice, and just putting words to feelings I've never thought to articulate yet they resonate. Her descriptions are beautiful and heart breaking.
This is a book that will either be dearly loved and deeply irritating
Contains a Reader's Group Guide. I suggest reading the guide before beginning the book. I highly recommend reading the book for in a book club.
The story is unique because it is told in four distinct voices thus four perspectives. Each voice adding more to the story. I found myself leaning more sympathetically to each character after the chapter she wrote. And then I would change my mind as I was pulled through another voice and new information.
The book begins with a simple story and ends with a tangle of secrets, betrayal, loves lost, gained, new understanding. The way I felt about each character at the beginning is not the way I felt about her by the end of the book.
Here they are in simplistic terms and I want so much to say more but I don't want to ruin the book for you.
Adora - She's the center of the universe. She is beautiful and tragic. As a child she arrived on the island with her brother, two years her senior. When her mother was widowed, Adora took the role as caretaker for her brother, Sebastian. She devoted herself to him with her all-consuming love. Established early in the book is that she died in 1938. Her voice comes from the diaries she keeps from the time of her brother's death at the age of 20 until her death at 38. She is unable to have children and decides she loves her husband's best friend's daughter, Genevieve whom she loves as completely as she did her brother.
Genevieve - By the age of 8 she had essentially been stolen by Adora. She spent every summer on the island until the age of 18. She begins the narration as a 20 year on the eve of her wedding. She sounds resigned and not thrilled as she might have been.
Miranda - Genevieve's mother. She bitterly laments the losses she has endured at Adora's hands. She feels victimized by her husband and Adora and manipulated by her daughter.
Sophie - Adora's and Sebastian's mother who blames Adora for Sebastian's death. She is jealous of Sebastian's affections for his sister and loathes her for being the child that lived.
It is killing me to say nothing more of the story but I don't want to ruin it for you. The symbolism is poignant. The dogs, the olive grove, the flowers, the sea. Motherhood a recurring theme, as it is a form of devotion, although can be dichotomous.
As each woman speaks, more is revealed, eventually providing the reader with completely unexpected twists and turns. The innocent may not be so innocent. Malice is also an art. And some people truly are without guile. Others are simply duped.
This book completely ruined my dinner date with my husband tonight. I could think of little else. The more I processed it with him, the more irony or symbolism I found. I also found this is a very difficult book to explain because the story contains so many layers. Read it then explain it to you husband. Go ahead. Watch his astonished look when you try to explain the dogs.
(They aren't really dogs, they are representative of devotion. Okay, they really are dogs but they are so much more. Now, see? It doesn't sound coherent but it makes perfect sense. Really. It does).
The author has an incredible command of language and human capacity for love, devotion, annoyance, avoidance, malice, and just putting words to feelings I've never thought to articulate yet they resonate. Her descriptions are beautiful and heart breaking.
This is a book that will either be dearly loved and deeply irritating
Contains a Reader's Group Guide. I suggest reading the guide before beginning the book. I highly recommend reading the book for in a book club.
October 12, 2010
I recently stayed at a hotel where they leave three complimentary novels on your nightstand, novels you are welcome to take home with you... so I did. I knew from the fifth page or so that I would hate this book. But I kept reading it anyway because it was free and there's something wrong with me. This is the kind of book in which every character has some horrible secret, and just when you've come to terms with those horrible, ridiculous secrets, you realize that you've been duped. Because guess what? Those were fake secrets meant to hide the real secrets, which are even more horrible and absurd. This story is like the bastard child of VC Andrews and F. Scott Fitzgerald, except that actually sounds kind of good. This wasn't.
June 28, 2010
This review was initially posted on my blog: Knitting and Sundries
AND I wish there were a 1/2 star designation on Good Reads, as I gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars! :)
In this book, you are taken into a world of privilege and serenity through the voices of 4 women:
* Sophie - mother to Adora and Sebastian
* Adora - married to Oliver
* Miranda - married to James who is a good friend of Oliver's, mother of Genevieve
* Genevieve (Gigi) - who reveres Adora and thinks more of her than of her own mother
We are aware of the life-shaping tragedy in Adora and Sophie's background: a tragedy that still affects them both years later - the drowning death of Sebastian at a young age.
In a lyrical fashion, we are slowly pulled into the charmed and privileged world of Adora and Oliver, the beautiful couple, who live on a Mediterranean island in the beautiful home where Adora and Sebastian grew up. They fill this home with guests and laughter. Always at the center of this universe, Adora, whose name means "adored" - and she was, indeed.
As I read, I felt ... not jealous .. but ENvious. "Wouldn't this type of life be great to live? So serene, so care-free?" Even though Adora and Oliver aren't able to have their own children, their love for each other is so obvious and profound that it almost seems to make up for it.
But all is not as it seems. Sophie blames Adora for Sebastian's death and avoids seeing her as much as possible. Her tale is full of bittersweet regret and sorrow.
Miranda has a daughter, Gigi, who spends her summers with Adora and Oliver. Miranda feels almost as though Adora has 'stolen' her daughter from her, which we find is somewhat true. She is also in a marriage that lacks even the most basic intimacy, so her daughter is all that she has to hold on to.
As the book comes out, betrayals, lies, deceit and more of the life-shaping story of Sebastian are artfully woven into each chapter. In a couple of places, I felt my mouth open in an "Oh!' of astonishment. "Didn't see THAT coming".
I have a difficult time really describing the flow of this book. It's sort of like a warm, slow-flowing river. You are floating along on your back with your eyes closed, enjoying the ebb and flow, when an undertow grips you and pulls you down a bit. As you open your eyes, the undertow eases, and you are again floating along on a river of words. You close your eyes once again, and then the undertow hits once more. As more and more of the intricate connections in this book are revealed, the curtain is slowly pulled aside, and the illusions of both the reader and the characters are slowly ground underfoot.
Go along for the ride and watch out for the undertow. This book is well-worth the read.
Quotes:
Genevieve: No, your friends saw only the incomparable beauty of a woman who had lost practically everything, yet beamed graciously through it all. In all honesty, I don't think they cared to look much deeper than the image you projected or the magnificent generosity you displayed. They were too busy reveling at the lavish parties you held or taking siestas in the exclusive hotels you pulled strings for them to stay in, during their sojourns on your island in the Mediterranean Sea.
Sophie: It is a dark thing for a mother to admit, but I couldn't bear to think of him being alone. I never escaped the feeling that Adora failed him by living only to serve his memory. Indeed, by continuing to live.
Adora: It is a dull sensation, your heart breaking, like the sound of a pebble dropping on the sand. Not a shattering, not a tearing apart, there is nothing shrill or grandiose about the sensation.
Miranda: I've often considered what might have been if I'd simply turned the other way, welcomed life instead of steeling myself against it. And yet I did know once what it was to yearn for the days of happiness, each one better than the last. I learned my lesson when they all ended.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher to objectively review.
AND I wish there were a 1/2 star designation on Good Reads, as I gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars! :)
In this book, you are taken into a world of privilege and serenity through the voices of 4 women:
* Sophie - mother to Adora and Sebastian
* Adora - married to Oliver
* Miranda - married to James who is a good friend of Oliver's, mother of Genevieve
* Genevieve (Gigi) - who reveres Adora and thinks more of her than of her own mother
We are aware of the life-shaping tragedy in Adora and Sophie's background: a tragedy that still affects them both years later - the drowning death of Sebastian at a young age.
In a lyrical fashion, we are slowly pulled into the charmed and privileged world of Adora and Oliver, the beautiful couple, who live on a Mediterranean island in the beautiful home where Adora and Sebastian grew up. They fill this home with guests and laughter. Always at the center of this universe, Adora, whose name means "adored" - and she was, indeed.
As I read, I felt ... not jealous .. but ENvious. "Wouldn't this type of life be great to live? So serene, so care-free?" Even though Adora and Oliver aren't able to have their own children, their love for each other is so obvious and profound that it almost seems to make up for it.
But all is not as it seems. Sophie blames Adora for Sebastian's death and avoids seeing her as much as possible. Her tale is full of bittersweet regret and sorrow.
Miranda has a daughter, Gigi, who spends her summers with Adora and Oliver. Miranda feels almost as though Adora has 'stolen' her daughter from her, which we find is somewhat true. She is also in a marriage that lacks even the most basic intimacy, so her daughter is all that she has to hold on to.
As the book comes out, betrayals, lies, deceit and more of the life-shaping story of Sebastian are artfully woven into each chapter. In a couple of places, I felt my mouth open in an "Oh!' of astonishment. "Didn't see THAT coming".
I have a difficult time really describing the flow of this book. It's sort of like a warm, slow-flowing river. You are floating along on your back with your eyes closed, enjoying the ebb and flow, when an undertow grips you and pulls you down a bit. As you open your eyes, the undertow eases, and you are again floating along on a river of words. You close your eyes once again, and then the undertow hits once more. As more and more of the intricate connections in this book are revealed, the curtain is slowly pulled aside, and the illusions of both the reader and the characters are slowly ground underfoot.
Go along for the ride and watch out for the undertow. This book is well-worth the read.
Quotes:
Genevieve: No, your friends saw only the incomparable beauty of a woman who had lost practically everything, yet beamed graciously through it all. In all honesty, I don't think they cared to look much deeper than the image you projected or the magnificent generosity you displayed. They were too busy reveling at the lavish parties you held or taking siestas in the exclusive hotels you pulled strings for them to stay in, during their sojourns on your island in the Mediterranean Sea.
Sophie: It is a dark thing for a mother to admit, but I couldn't bear to think of him being alone. I never escaped the feeling that Adora failed him by living only to serve his memory. Indeed, by continuing to live.
Adora: It is a dull sensation, your heart breaking, like the sound of a pebble dropping on the sand. Not a shattering, not a tearing apart, there is nothing shrill or grandiose about the sensation.
Miranda: I've often considered what might have been if I'd simply turned the other way, welcomed life instead of steeling myself against it. And yet I did know once what it was to yearn for the days of happiness, each one better than the last. I learned my lesson when they all ended.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher to objectively review.
June 8, 2010
The first thing I noticed about The Art of Devotion was the beauty of the text -- the language is so lyrical. Other reviewers have mentioned how the writing is almost poetic. It certainly flows so well.
Just as I was adjusting to the language, I was drawn to the glamourous and rarified circles that the characters lived in. Much like I loved reading about the characters that F. Scott Fitzgerald would come up with (think: Great Gatsby, short stories with titles like A Diamond as Big as the Ritz!), I enjoyed Bruce-Benjamin's references to the Metropolitan Club, the mysterious island in the Mediterranean and to great wealth.
The Art of Deception opens with a wedding reception at the exclusive Metropolitan Club in New York City. I'd been curious about this building ever since I'd seen it on the Upper East Side years ago, so this detail caught my attention right away. The novel tells us about the lives of privileged British nationals living in Europe from 1919 until 1940. During this time of great wealth, and the novel is vaguely reminiscent of Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby in that the main characters of The Art of Deception are privileged and insulated by their wealth. Even the quote above reminds me of Nick's opening words in The Great Gatsby.
The novel is told by four different women:
Adora - daughter of Sophia, sister to Sebastian, wife to Oliver. Adora is British by nationality but she's grown up on an unidentified island in the Mediterranean. Graced with breathtaking and unforgettable beauty and great wealth, Adora opts for an unconventional life on her island. One source of sadness is that she and Oliver cannot have children. Adora takes a deep liking to Genevieve and showers her with love and support.
Genevieve - daughter of Miriam and Oliver's best friend, James. Genevieve had been drawn to the beauty, glamor and charm of Adora and Oliver ever since she was a child. Genevieve and her family spend their summers with Adora and Oliver on their island. Genevieve's close relationship with Adora shapes a large part of her identity as a young woman.
Miriam - mother of Genevieve and wife to James. The novel opens with Miriam revealing herself as the protective and devoted mother. Though Miriam spent her summers on the island, it is clear that she had felt distanced from Adora and Oliver. While James and Genevieve are devoted to Adora and Oliver, Miriam does not feel part of their group but instead harbors some resentment towards them.
Sophie - mother of Adora and Sebastian. Extremely wealthy, beautiful, well connected and brilliant, Sophie and her husband had enjoyed the glamour, culture and stimulation of diplomatic circles. Sophie decides to relocate the family to the island in the Mediterranean for her children's sake. One of the book's strengths comes from the way that Samantha Bruce-Benjamin captures so the complicated and uneasy relationship between Sophie and Adora.
As I got drawn in by the language, the characters and their glamorous lives, the author slowly reveals all sorts of hidden truths and twists in the novel. As I was reading these revelations about the characters and the events in their lives, I was struck by how well Samantha Bruce-Benjamin had planned each clue and how each part built on the next. The Art of Devotion is an unusual and unexpected read.
ISBN-10: 1439153949 - Paperback $15.00
Publisher: Gallery; Original edition (June 8, 2010), 378 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Just as I was adjusting to the language, I was drawn to the glamourous and rarified circles that the characters lived in. Much like I loved reading about the characters that F. Scott Fitzgerald would come up with (think: Great Gatsby, short stories with titles like A Diamond as Big as the Ritz!), I enjoyed Bruce-Benjamin's references to the Metropolitan Club, the mysterious island in the Mediterranean and to great wealth.
The Art of Deception opens with a wedding reception at the exclusive Metropolitan Club in New York City. I'd been curious about this building ever since I'd seen it on the Upper East Side years ago, so this detail caught my attention right away. The novel tells us about the lives of privileged British nationals living in Europe from 1919 until 1940. During this time of great wealth, and the novel is vaguely reminiscent of Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby in that the main characters of The Art of Deception are privileged and insulated by their wealth. Even the quote above reminds me of Nick's opening words in The Great Gatsby.
The novel is told by four different women:
Adora - daughter of Sophia, sister to Sebastian, wife to Oliver. Adora is British by nationality but she's grown up on an unidentified island in the Mediterranean. Graced with breathtaking and unforgettable beauty and great wealth, Adora opts for an unconventional life on her island. One source of sadness is that she and Oliver cannot have children. Adora takes a deep liking to Genevieve and showers her with love and support.
Genevieve - daughter of Miriam and Oliver's best friend, James. Genevieve had been drawn to the beauty, glamor and charm of Adora and Oliver ever since she was a child. Genevieve and her family spend their summers with Adora and Oliver on their island. Genevieve's close relationship with Adora shapes a large part of her identity as a young woman.
Miriam - mother of Genevieve and wife to James. The novel opens with Miriam revealing herself as the protective and devoted mother. Though Miriam spent her summers on the island, it is clear that she had felt distanced from Adora and Oliver. While James and Genevieve are devoted to Adora and Oliver, Miriam does not feel part of their group but instead harbors some resentment towards them.
Sophie - mother of Adora and Sebastian. Extremely wealthy, beautiful, well connected and brilliant, Sophie and her husband had enjoyed the glamour, culture and stimulation of diplomatic circles. Sophie decides to relocate the family to the island in the Mediterranean for her children's sake. One of the book's strengths comes from the way that Samantha Bruce-Benjamin captures so the complicated and uneasy relationship between Sophie and Adora.
As I got drawn in by the language, the characters and their glamorous lives, the author slowly reveals all sorts of hidden truths and twists in the novel. As I was reading these revelations about the characters and the events in their lives, I was struck by how well Samantha Bruce-Benjamin had planned each clue and how each part built on the next. The Art of Devotion is an unusual and unexpected read.
ISBN-10: 1439153949 - Paperback $15.00
Publisher: Gallery; Original edition (June 8, 2010), 378 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
June 11, 2010
It really reminded me a lot of a Jodi Picoult story in how it unfolds and the unique take on each situation by the characters. Each one of them has a secret and they are all related. I really found it fascinating how the book unfolds. This really isn't really historical fiction although it does mostly take place during the 1940's. I really felt as though I was reading the private diaries of these characters. I really recommend this one and wish I could described it better. It is just one of those books that stays with you since it is so beautifully written and anything I write about it just fails to describe it.
MINI INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR:
Mary! How wonderful to read your very kind review. I am so profoundly touched that readers such as you are enjoying what I've written: after all, when you write, you always write for those imaginary readers in your imagination - so how brilliant to meet one of you. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my book, I so appreciate it. I'll check back in throughout the day to answer any questions you might have. Very best wishes and thank you! Samantha
June 8, 2010 6:03 AM
2. Bethie said...
Sounds great! Do you make an outline before you write the story.
June 8, 2010 6:17 AM
3. Samantha said...
Hmm...good question. I have done in the past, but not for this book. I keep everything in my head: I don't actually like working with synopsis: I find them too limiting. So, if I ever do use them, they are like a template - I wander off in my imagination a lot! I hope this answers your question and thanks!
June 8, 2010 7:00 AM
4. Mary (BookHounds) said...
Samantha:
This is such a charater driven story. I was just amazed at how you created such a human face for each character. I had a love/hate relationship with Adora. That was the "wow" factor for me with this story. Did Adora tell you were she wanted to go or did you direct her?
June 8, 2010 7:30 AM
5. Samantha said...
Thanks for your question. Adora really was a surprise to me: she definitely directed me, not the other way around. I just find myself still fascinated by her, even though I created her, if that makes sense at all to you! She proves the most compelling to me because I still struggle to make sense of her. Thanks!
June 8, 2010 7:56 AM
6. Mary (BookHounds) said...
Thank you Samantha.
I have two more:
You mention Adora and Sebastian adopting stray dogs several times in the book and specifically one dachshund. Are dachshunds special to you?
Is the island based on a real place? I kept guessing the location and would love to visit it. Your descriptions were so detailed that I wanted to be there right now.
June 8, 2010 10:31 AM
7. Samantha said...
I do have a dachshund: his name is Geordie Beau and he IS in the book! In fact, all of the dogs, are our dogs - past and present - so they have very special significance. Yes, the island is based on a real place where I spent all of my summers growing up. Thanks!
June 8, 2010 11:28 AM
MINI INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR:
Mary! How wonderful to read your very kind review. I am so profoundly touched that readers such as you are enjoying what I've written: after all, when you write, you always write for those imaginary readers in your imagination - so how brilliant to meet one of you. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my book, I so appreciate it. I'll check back in throughout the day to answer any questions you might have. Very best wishes and thank you! Samantha
June 8, 2010 6:03 AM
2. Bethie said...
Sounds great! Do you make an outline before you write the story.
June 8, 2010 6:17 AM
3. Samantha said...
Hmm...good question. I have done in the past, but not for this book. I keep everything in my head: I don't actually like working with synopsis: I find them too limiting. So, if I ever do use them, they are like a template - I wander off in my imagination a lot! I hope this answers your question and thanks!
June 8, 2010 7:00 AM
4. Mary (BookHounds) said...
Samantha:
This is such a charater driven story. I was just amazed at how you created such a human face for each character. I had a love/hate relationship with Adora. That was the "wow" factor for me with this story. Did Adora tell you were she wanted to go or did you direct her?
June 8, 2010 7:30 AM
5. Samantha said...
Thanks for your question. Adora really was a surprise to me: she definitely directed me, not the other way around. I just find myself still fascinated by her, even though I created her, if that makes sense at all to you! She proves the most compelling to me because I still struggle to make sense of her. Thanks!
June 8, 2010 7:56 AM
6. Mary (BookHounds) said...
Thank you Samantha.
I have two more:
You mention Adora and Sebastian adopting stray dogs several times in the book and specifically one dachshund. Are dachshunds special to you?
Is the island based on a real place? I kept guessing the location and would love to visit it. Your descriptions were so detailed that I wanted to be there right now.
June 8, 2010 10:31 AM
7. Samantha said...
I do have a dachshund: his name is Geordie Beau and he IS in the book! In fact, all of the dogs, are our dogs - past and present - so they have very special significance. Yes, the island is based on a real place where I spent all of my summers growing up. Thanks!
June 8, 2010 11:28 AM
June 9, 2010
The Art of Devotion by Samantha Bruce-Benjamin is haunting... The prose is beautifully rendered on the page, like a love letter written to the reader... The women who fill the pages of The Art of Devotion struggle for your empathy as each reveals their hidden fears, betrayals, hopes and obsessions... and by the end of the story, their story, we are swept up into their lives.
The novel itself is unique in that the story is told from four points of view. Sophie, Adora, Miranda and Genevieve are the three generations of women that tell their story, unfolding it by alternating passages, almost like pages in a diary. At first I thought that having the four alternating narrators was just to establish the beginning of the story and the voices of the different women, but as the story continued that way, I found it an interesting way to read a story. Instead of having to guess the motivations of one of the other women involved in a particular circumstance, I was able to peek into their thoughts soon enough when it was their turn to "speak". The characters are fleshed out and well developed, and the empathy you will start to feel for them individually is the result of their lives coming to life on the page. Samantha Bruce-Benjamin does a wonderful job creating such strong believable women. And their lives are so entangled with one another too! There is more than one twist and turn to their stories. Secret liaisons and relationships are slowly revealed over the course of the novel, along with betrayals, that will having you devouring the pages for more!
The setting for the novel is the beautiful Mediterranean, and the story has that carefree feeling to it. We are allowed to enjoy the women and not be concerned with the mundane of day-to-day living. The interactions between Sophie, Adora, Miranda and Genevieve are steeped in deep emotion, spanning 20 years of their lives, from young girls (in the case of Adora, Miranda and eventually Genevieve) to mature women, and the results are haunting. Even after finishing the book I am still thinking about those women and the choices they made. Not to give too much away, but the prologue meant so much more to me after I finished the book, and I would recommend going back and reading it again after you finish too!
I would definitely recommend The Art of Devotion by Samantha Bruce-Benjamin! For it's beautiful writing, memorable characters and its intriguing story. And those 4 women were so interesting to get to know!
The novel itself is unique in that the story is told from four points of view. Sophie, Adora, Miranda and Genevieve are the three generations of women that tell their story, unfolding it by alternating passages, almost like pages in a diary. At first I thought that having the four alternating narrators was just to establish the beginning of the story and the voices of the different women, but as the story continued that way, I found it an interesting way to read a story. Instead of having to guess the motivations of one of the other women involved in a particular circumstance, I was able to peek into their thoughts soon enough when it was their turn to "speak". The characters are fleshed out and well developed, and the empathy you will start to feel for them individually is the result of their lives coming to life on the page. Samantha Bruce-Benjamin does a wonderful job creating such strong believable women. And their lives are so entangled with one another too! There is more than one twist and turn to their stories. Secret liaisons and relationships are slowly revealed over the course of the novel, along with betrayals, that will having you devouring the pages for more!
The setting for the novel is the beautiful Mediterranean, and the story has that carefree feeling to it. We are allowed to enjoy the women and not be concerned with the mundane of day-to-day living. The interactions between Sophie, Adora, Miranda and Genevieve are steeped in deep emotion, spanning 20 years of their lives, from young girls (in the case of Adora, Miranda and eventually Genevieve) to mature women, and the results are haunting. Even after finishing the book I am still thinking about those women and the choices they made. Not to give too much away, but the prologue meant so much more to me after I finished the book, and I would recommend going back and reading it again after you finish too!
I would definitely recommend The Art of Devotion by Samantha Bruce-Benjamin! For it's beautiful writing, memorable characters and its intriguing story. And those 4 women were so interesting to get to know!
June 8, 2010
In Samantha Bruce-Benjamin's debut novel, The Art of Devotion is truly intriguing as the story spans almost 20 years as the lives of one family and their friends are torn apart by scandal and secrets. Lies so deep they cut to the heart of 4 women and slowly destroy them from the inside out.
Four POV’s that converge over time with Sophia, a widow trying to raise her daughter Adora and her son Sebastian who share a scandalous relationship that is ultimately quite disturbing. Three generations of women that who powerful and overpowering in their own right. Adora eventually marries but her marriage, no matter how wonderful her life seems on the outside in this beautiful Mediterranean island the intricacies of her marital lies is unhappiness, loneliness and disappointment.
Soon you are introduced to new characters, Adora’s husband’s friend and his wife, Miranda and their daughter Genevieve. These four woman and their perspectives of so many secrets and lies is disturbing and hunting in their own way especially as Genevieve and Adora's relationship grows over the years.
Truly addictive is their story and at times I wasn't sure if I hated Adora or felt sorry for her. Her bizarre relationship with her brother, her marriage, her farce of a life and all it's happiness and her friendship with Genevieve. So much deception the reader isn't sure what to believe as all the lies are involved and have added their own web of deceit to the game that the twisted mess of their lives doesn't ever seem to end.
Four POV’s that converge over time with Sophia, a widow trying to raise her daughter Adora and her son Sebastian who share a scandalous relationship that is ultimately quite disturbing. Three generations of women that who powerful and overpowering in their own right. Adora eventually marries but her marriage, no matter how wonderful her life seems on the outside in this beautiful Mediterranean island the intricacies of her marital lies is unhappiness, loneliness and disappointment.
Soon you are introduced to new characters, Adora’s husband’s friend and his wife, Miranda and their daughter Genevieve. These four woman and their perspectives of so many secrets and lies is disturbing and hunting in their own way especially as Genevieve and Adora's relationship grows over the years.
Truly addictive is their story and at times I wasn't sure if I hated Adora or felt sorry for her. Her bizarre relationship with her brother, her marriage, her farce of a life and all it's happiness and her friendship with Genevieve. So much deception the reader isn't sure what to believe as all the lies are involved and have added their own web of deceit to the game that the twisted mess of their lives doesn't ever seem to end.
June 8, 2010
I so desperately loved this book. The writing is unfathomably beautiful and the way in which Samantha Bruce-Benjamin so perfectly handles four different points of view kept me gripped until the final page. I simply couldn't put it down. It's a book about universal emotions, but set on an island in the Mediterranean Sea in the 1920s and 30s, so it's like escaping into another world. But the language the author uses, and the way in which she constructs sentences, and her insights into human emotions, well, I have never read anything quite like it. I actually couldn't stop thinking about it once I'd finished it: I almost wanted - although I was crying so much, it would have been impossible - to go and start reading it all over again. It's one of those books where you can't really say anything about what happens because you would give too much away, but the twists as they happen are so shocking that you almost can't believe it. I cannot ever recommend this book highly enough: the characters, the setting, the language, the author's grasp of language, everything is so beautiful that it will haunt you: it has certainly haunted me. I haven't stopped thinking about it since I finished the book last night. A must for book clubs.
June 16, 2010
The Art of Devotion is the debut novel of Ms. Bruce-Benjamin. The reader is introduced to Sophie and her children Adora and Sebastian. Their story spans across two decades and is filled with secrets, lies, betrayal and deceit.
The book is narrated in alternating voices: Sophie, Adora, Miranda (Genevieve’s mother) and Genevieve. It begins with Genevieve’s wedding preparations, the year is 1940. The reader is then transported back in time through a series of flashbacks that reveal the history of Sophie and her children; Adora and her charming husband, Oliver; and his lawyer and best friend James and his wife Miranda.
Oliver and Adora were the power “it” couple back in the day. They threw extravagant parties and everyone wanted to be included in their world. Their lives appeared to be abundant and perfect, however when the truth was revealed, all that remained were unhealed wounds, a trail of lies and a undeniable devotion between a brother and sister.
For me, The Art of Devotion was like watching a documentary of characters telling their perspectives about a family tragedy. At first glance, Adora seems to be controlling and self-centered. As she shares more of herself through her journal entries to Sebastian, she transforms into a broken and bruised woman who is not happy with the path her life is on.
Initially, I was drawn to Miranda. I quickly pitied her and felt Adora took advantage of her at every turn and Miranda had no choice but to accept it. By the end of the novel, my feelings for Miranda changed as I realized she was not the helpless victim, but in fact was more manipulative than Adora.
The Art of Devotion is a dark book about the extremes people will go for the love of another, a sense of belonging and the fear of losing it all. It shows how lies, deceit and secrets can tear a family apart and turn family members into complete strangers. The Art of Devotion would make a good book selection as it would spark conversation centered around family dynamics, loss, and how death can impact a familial structure. A reader’s guide and discussion questions are included.
The book is narrated in alternating voices: Sophie, Adora, Miranda (Genevieve’s mother) and Genevieve. It begins with Genevieve’s wedding preparations, the year is 1940. The reader is then transported back in time through a series of flashbacks that reveal the history of Sophie and her children; Adora and her charming husband, Oliver; and his lawyer and best friend James and his wife Miranda.
Oliver and Adora were the power “it” couple back in the day. They threw extravagant parties and everyone wanted to be included in their world. Their lives appeared to be abundant and perfect, however when the truth was revealed, all that remained were unhealed wounds, a trail of lies and a undeniable devotion between a brother and sister.
For me, The Art of Devotion was like watching a documentary of characters telling their perspectives about a family tragedy. At first glance, Adora seems to be controlling and self-centered. As she shares more of herself through her journal entries to Sebastian, she transforms into a broken and bruised woman who is not happy with the path her life is on.
Initially, I was drawn to Miranda. I quickly pitied her and felt Adora took advantage of her at every turn and Miranda had no choice but to accept it. By the end of the novel, my feelings for Miranda changed as I realized she was not the helpless victim, but in fact was more manipulative than Adora.
The Art of Devotion is a dark book about the extremes people will go for the love of another, a sense of belonging and the fear of losing it all. It shows how lies, deceit and secrets can tear a family apart and turn family members into complete strangers. The Art of Devotion would make a good book selection as it would spark conversation centered around family dynamics, loss, and how death can impact a familial structure. A reader’s guide and discussion questions are included.
April 17, 2011
A debut novel about a disturbing family history. In the first half of the 20th century, a wealthy family grows up on an enchanting island in the Mediterranean. Like most literary families with a perfect facade, this one hides some dark secrets. Sophie is a widow, raising her daughter Adora and her son Sebastian. Adora and Sebastian are unnervingly close, and their unnatural relationship is the source of whispers around town. Adora grows up to become the unofficial queen of the island, with all the summer families worshipping at her feet. She and her husband, Oliver, enjoy a gilded lifestyle and internal misery. Concurrently, Oliver's best friend, James, and his wife Miranda send their daughter, Genevieve, to the island each summer to stay with the royal couple. Adora and Genevieve become obsessed with each other, alienating Miranda and putting a now-elderly Sophie on alert. When a dashing young man enters the fold one summer, relationships become even more complex and mysterious, leading each unfortunate member of the cast toward ruin. The point of view shifts among Sophie, Adora, Miranda and Genevieve; unfortunately, the voices are indistinct and serve to blur a potentially creative narrative structure. As the family's history unfolds, secrets are revealed and each woman's deception, manipulation and misfortune are uncovered. (Kirkus Reviews)
*****Rate this 5/5. This books shows the dark side of love: Obsession and that what you see is not necessarily what you get. Some pay a very high price for the people they want in their lives.
*****Rate this 5/5. This books shows the dark side of love: Obsession and that what you see is not necessarily what you get. Some pay a very high price for the people they want in their lives.
June 8, 2010
From My Blog...[return][return]The Art of Devotion by Samantha Bruce-Benjamin is an alluring, and at times heart wrenching, narrative told by four women; Sophie, Adora, Genevieve, and Miranda, spanning the years 1919-1940. What unfolds in this novel of beautiful, and at times, lyrical prose is an interwoven story from the perspective of four women and how they played their parts, interacted and the lies and deceptions that bound them together. The Art of Devotion is an extremely vivid novel, filled with detailed imagery that easily makes the reader feel a part of the novel. The style of writing took a little while to get into a rhythm with, but once I did I was unable to put the book down, so absorbed into the lives I was of these women and wanting to find out what kept them together and at the same time what kept them distant. Even after finishing the novel, my mind wanders back to Sophie and her tragic life and then to Genevieve and I wonder about her, for she is the character I worried about the most. I would like to say far more, but then I would be giving away too much of the story. The Art of Devotion will make the reader think, feel, and truly care for the characters and what happened all those years ago on a Mediterranean island so far away from New York. I highly recommend The Art of Devotion and believe this to be an excellent summer reading choice for a discussion group.
June 8, 2010
I love period novels like this -this one mostly takes place between 1919-38. But what I mostly enjoyed about it was how the narrative is told between all four women (Sophie, Adora, Genevieve, and Miranda), giving you the story through their perspective made this quite the experience. Riddled with secrets, deceit, intrigue, jealousy and betrayal you can't help but to love/hate these women. Just when I thought I had it all figured out ... yea, I didn't. This happened more than once. It really had me on my toes and no matter how much I tried to figure the whole thing out it just did not happen.
Ms. Bruce-Benjamin's writing is beautiful even lyrical at times. She is an expert at dropping subtle hints that leave you wanting more.. making you devour her novel voraciously.
All in all, there is definitely someone or maybe an aspect of this novel that we can relate to. For we have all (at some point in our lives) loved, been lied to, felt happiness, experienced disappointment or even lost someone dear to us. Highly addictive and one that I can definitely recommend.
This book was provided for review by Pocket Books.
Ms. Bruce-Benjamin's writing is beautiful even lyrical at times. She is an expert at dropping subtle hints that leave you wanting more.. making you devour her novel voraciously.
All in all, there is definitely someone or maybe an aspect of this novel that we can relate to. For we have all (at some point in our lives) loved, been lied to, felt happiness, experienced disappointment or even lost someone dear to us. Highly addictive and one that I can definitely recommend.
This book was provided for review by Pocket Books.
June 9, 2010
It took me a few chapters to get use the writing style (who is who) once I got comfortable with that, I really enjoyed the story. The author's writing is just beautiful and even relaxing,and yet the story is intense and emotional. You will feel for all of the women knowing that all of them suffer with what they did or what they now wish they had done .Perhaps just a few words of kindness could have help to ease a life time of sorrow, and love may have eased a cold summer girls heart.
April 28, 2020
I enjoyed this book. It's a tale of a troubled family and all that goes along with that. At first I didn't like the way the story goes back and forth in time and from the viewpoint of the 4 women in the story but as you get into the book it makes sense why the author chose to do this. At any rate it was a quick read and not too demanding. I needed a break from the other book I was reading that was more intense...
April 5, 2020
I liked the beautiful writing in this book however the 4 POV made it difficult to keep everything straight. This book is full of love, deceit, obsession, and secrets. The twists made it even more interesting.
June 19, 2019
One of my all time favorite books.
June 19, 2025
Take a shot for every twist made between pages 268 and 375. I promise you’ll be drunk within two chapters.
February 1, 2017
can't recall this
July 11, 2010
I read this book some weeks ago as part of a Hampton Jitney giveaway for the 4th July weekend. I didn't expect anything at all. Then I read it. I cannot rave about this enough. It took about 25 pages for me to get used the changing narrators - there are four different women who tell this story and the pov shifts frequently between them - but when I did I couldn't put it down. The twists are unbelievable, you will never ever see what the author has planned for each character and the setting this aristocratic world in the 1930s, with all of the elegance of that era was just intoxicating. Not to mention the writing, which is lyrical and hauntingly beautiful. Samantha Bruce-Benjamin finds ways to express emotions that will never leave you. I don't think I've done the book justice in my review. I'm not sure anyone can. This book is unbelievable. I have recommended it to everyone I know and I've pasted the reviews I've found of it to try and give you some sense of how extraordinary it is. Buy it. Get it for your book clubs. You will not be able to stop talking about these women and their destinies.
“When a novel begins by paying homage to a great literary classic like The Great Gatsby, it quickly becomes a game of comparisons, and in The Art of Devotion author Samantha Bruce-Benjamin delivers a worthy and captivating story that lives up to its predecessor….a riveting tale of deception and selfishness….THE ART OF DEVOTION is a revival of elegance and grace, reminding us of an era when all literature was lyrical, with a fluidity that makes it appear song-like. Samantha Bruce-Benjamin's debut places her in a class with the best literary minds, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, whose Gatsby was a clear sign of inspiration." – The Examiner
"A haunting debut novel . . . Filled with secrets, love, betrayal, obsession, and deceit, The Art of Devotion is a beautifully rendered window into one family's dark and complex history on an island in the Mediterranean Sea from the turn of the century until the late 1930s." – Hamptons.com
“Ingenious plot twists.” – Booklist
“When a novel begins by paying homage to a great literary classic like The Great Gatsby, it quickly becomes a game of comparisons, and in The Art of Devotion author Samantha Bruce-Benjamin delivers a worthy and captivating story that lives up to its predecessor….a riveting tale of deception and selfishness….THE ART OF DEVOTION is a revival of elegance and grace, reminding us of an era when all literature was lyrical, with a fluidity that makes it appear song-like. Samantha Bruce-Benjamin's debut places her in a class with the best literary minds, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, whose Gatsby was a clear sign of inspiration." – The Examiner
"A haunting debut novel . . . Filled with secrets, love, betrayal, obsession, and deceit, The Art of Devotion is a beautifully rendered window into one family's dark and complex history on an island in the Mediterranean Sea from the turn of the century until the late 1930s." – Hamptons.com
“Ingenious plot twists.” – Booklist
September 8, 2010
I was one of the lucky ones who received this book for free from the author on The Next Best Book Club (TNBBC). This book not only has one of the most beautiful covers I have ever saw but it s filled will poetry, drama, scandals, twists, turns, and just plain ol' creepy-remarkable. It is told in 4 different voices; Sophie, who is the mother of Adora and Sebastian, Adora, who is the main center of attention who everyone seems to love but is crazy in her own poetic way, Miranda who I did feel sorry for in the beginning but grew to seriously hate her, she was the mother of Gigi and the former lover of Sebastian, and then the last voice was of Gigi who used to stay at the home of Adora on a Mediterranean island every summer. It gets confusing in the beginning to remember who is who and who does what but after the 30 or so pages you start to get the hang of it. There is so much melodramatic tragedies and so much scandal that it is amazing. No characters are really likable but I like that about the story. I rooted for no one. The closest person that I liked was Gigi only because I felt bad for her to be trapped in such a world with such people who really only cared about themselves or who were obsessed with something that they could not control.
There is so much going on in this book that it would take me all day to try to explain but it was a good read. This is definitely what people may call a good "beach read". I recall many times when I was reading this that my mouth was hanging open and people on the subway probably thought I was crazy or just plain ol' slow. I think that in every "chapter" I felt like "OH MY GOD, REALLY???" and I think that causes for a good book. I gave it 3.5 stars only because of being so much drama and no happy moments. I know that there were times when I wished for something and then when it happened I was mad. I never, or very rarely, do I give 5 stars and 4 stars bring it very close to 5 so I think 3.5 is a very good rating and I would recommend it to others.
September 10, 2010
I received this book as part of a giveaway for a book discussion on Good Reads. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the book. Whenever you find yourself ingnoring your everyday life/duties in order to keep reading a book, you know it's good!
The author's writing style is very lush and beautiful. I went between not even realizing I was reading to stopping to be impressed by the beauty of the writing.
The Art of Devotion is told through the use of multiple narrators - the 4 women involved in the story. In most cases, the narration is meant to be notes or journals to another one of the characters. One of my favorite things about this novel is that there is almost constant mystery/intruigue. Once I felt like I had a person or situation figured out, another character would begin narrating and I would realize that I had previously only known part of the story. I appreciated that as a commentary on how life is - in real life, we really only truly know our own perspective, but act on what we believe to be the thoughts/motivations of others.
My only frustration with the novel (which was slight) was an occasional thought of "Is anything really happening in this book?" It is not action oriented at all. There is a lot of talk and thought. And yet, somehow the action of the story moves forward, more is revealed, we grown to better understand the characters. Another possible complaint, which is not one I felt but one I know some people might (like my mother), is that in general these characters are not "likeable". There is not a hero or a neat/tidy ending. If you are a reader who likes to be able to root for a character you like or think is a good person, this may not be the book for you.
Overall, I felt the book was very well written, beautiful, thought provoking and interesting. I would definitely recommend it to friends. It is the first book I've read in a long while that I couldn't put down.
The author's writing style is very lush and beautiful. I went between not even realizing I was reading to stopping to be impressed by the beauty of the writing.
The Art of Devotion is told through the use of multiple narrators - the 4 women involved in the story. In most cases, the narration is meant to be notes or journals to another one of the characters. One of my favorite things about this novel is that there is almost constant mystery/intruigue. Once I felt like I had a person or situation figured out, another character would begin narrating and I would realize that I had previously only known part of the story. I appreciated that as a commentary on how life is - in real life, we really only truly know our own perspective, but act on what we believe to be the thoughts/motivations of others.
My only frustration with the novel (which was slight) was an occasional thought of "Is anything really happening in this book?" It is not action oriented at all. There is a lot of talk and thought. And yet, somehow the action of the story moves forward, more is revealed, we grown to better understand the characters. Another possible complaint, which is not one I felt but one I know some people might (like my mother), is that in general these characters are not "likeable". There is not a hero or a neat/tidy ending. If you are a reader who likes to be able to root for a character you like or think is a good person, this may not be the book for you.
Overall, I felt the book was very well written, beautiful, thought provoking and interesting. I would definitely recommend it to friends. It is the first book I've read in a long while that I couldn't put down.
February 6, 2016
It's safe to say that everyone in this book is slightly unbalanced. And in some cases, slightly is being too generous. This book is literally 378 pages of people tooting their own horns, stroking their own egos, and talking about how much they've been wronged in their ridiculously (for the most part) privileged lives. Once again, I made the mistake of reading a review or two of this beforehand, and what the one reviewer said (with much distaste, I must add) is very true: the plot was TOLD to us, not SHOWN to us. Each chapter is a different woman recounting her feelings about an event that happened in the past, almost like diary entries or letters addressed to either a particular person, or the universe at large, and this got very tedious to read. With that other review in my head, I couldn't really read the book as I might have otherwise because I was under that influence/opinion. Super distracting.
All four of the women are also awful, by the way. In case you were wondering. So much lying and deception and all of that - a book full of Slytherins, if you can get on my level there. And the big reveals weren't even reveals so much as -ohmylife-of-COURSE-you-did-that moments, which also got kind of tedious towards the end. It's like, don't worry about it Samantha, I'll finish your book for you, I know how you're going to try to make these women even more emotionally "complicated" and complex as characters.
(Here's a hint, Sam - making your readers hate ALL OF THE CHARACTERS EXCEPT FOR THE ONE WHO'S ALREADY DEAD AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK is not the way to make a noteworthy or enjoyable novel. Just a thought, keep it in mind if you ever write anything else #plzdont) #mombook
PS the fact that this book takes place between 1919 and 1940 means NOTHING to the context of the story. Like, it adds nothing. Why couldn't it just have been written in present time? I might not have been annoyed if it had. We'll never know #mystery
All four of the women are also awful, by the way. In case you were wondering. So much lying and deception and all of that - a book full of Slytherins, if you can get on my level there. And the big reveals weren't even reveals so much as -ohmylife-of-COURSE-you-did-that moments, which also got kind of tedious towards the end. It's like, don't worry about it Samantha, I'll finish your book for you, I know how you're going to try to make these women even more emotionally "complicated" and complex as characters.
(Here's a hint, Sam - making your readers hate ALL OF THE CHARACTERS EXCEPT FOR THE ONE WHO'S ALREADY DEAD AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK is not the way to make a noteworthy or enjoyable novel. Just a thought, keep it in mind if you ever write anything else #plzdont) #mombook
PS the fact that this book takes place between 1919 and 1940 means NOTHING to the context of the story. Like, it adds nothing. Why couldn't it just have been written in present time? I might not have been annoyed if it had. We'll never know #mystery
October 9, 2010
So it took me FOREVER to finish this one...not sure if it was lack of interest or time...probably a little of both... Come to learn that this was actually a really good book. 4 women tangled in a web of deciept and lies. Adora, who should have been the evil one, was infact the innocent. She was infact betrayed by her mother and the girl she took under her wing as her own. Her mother casts her aside believing lies that Miranda told her in order to save herself. After all that, Adora was still able to find love in her heart for Genevive, Miranda's daughter. Adora's mother, loving her son Sebastian more than her daughter believed Miranda when she told her Sebastian was the father of her unborn child, and she had seen Adora in a rather compromising position with her brother. Sophia tried to deny that anything "wrong" could possibly be happening. But Miranda convinced her that Sebastian had been taught about sex by someone...how else could she be pregnant? Turns out Miranda had lied about the father because she had no where to go and Sebastian was simple enough and wealthy enough that she could live out her days with her child safe in his presence. The only thing standing in her way...Adora, his sister. Adora simply loved Sebastian with all her soul, never in any other way. She simply adored his soul.
After the first 175 pages I really got into it...just took over a month to get that far....
After the first 175 pages I really got into it...just took over a month to get that far....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2011
I picked up this book because it was a little different and the plot sounded interesting. A story told through the voices of four women across three generations. Cool. Well, the book is quite surreal through its read. I think that is one of its charms. It takes place in a Mediterranean island. The characters and too rich and too beautiful to be true - with names like Sebastian, Miranda, Genevieve and Titania to boot. But, of course, the point is that all of this surrealism is illusory as the deception and true nature of these characters begins to surface. Each character ends up having his/her own secrets - not being the pereson that is put forward. I like the style; I like that the points of view change so often. For me, it's a novel about perception and how it can be impossible to really know the truth about anything because of the different interpretations of one event. In some ways, the novel is syrupy - maybe like a romance novel. It also reminds me a little bit of a Danielle Steele novel - in places. Maybe a Lifetime movie that would be titled "Deceptions" or something. But, it was a fun read. I think this is what might be termed...a good beach novel. I liked it! It was what I was hoping for - escapism without too much fluff.
August 8, 2010
With each chapter, a little more is revealed, up to the very end! Told from the perspectives of the four main female characters, the mystery builds from the first chapter as each woman relates a little of the story. The setting is an island in the Mediterranean Sea, and the descriptions of the beaches and the ocean paint such a vivid picture that you can close your eyes and feel the sunshine and hear the waves crash into the shore. Amidst this beauty is a tale of obsession that begins with Adora and her brother Sebastian, siblings who are much closer to each other than is healthy, and their mother Sophie, a grieving widow who is unable to give her children the attention they need because she is so overwhelmed by her own grief. By the time Sophie is able to function and return to her children, they have shut her out, creating a world in which there is no room for anyone else. Each woman shares her secrets chapter by chapter, and all is not revealed until the very end. A novel about obsession and deceit, THE ART OF DEVOTION grips you and doesn't let go until you have turned the final page.
September 7, 2010
Finished this book last night. I was eager to see how it resolved and kept reading waiting to get to that point. But I have to say that I grew confused and tired of all of the reverses in the apparent characters of the individuals involved in the story. I have to say that this family had some sick puppies in it! I don't know, in the end, I just didn't feel a lot for any of them, particularly when Genevieve revealed what she did in the end. What did I learn from this book? I'm not certain - maybe that all of us are flawed and have the capacity to do terrible things to each other? Who was the villain? Was there one? We didn't get to know Sebastian's or Jack's viewpoint, so perhaps they would have been just as flawed and self-serving as the rest of them, had we heard their voices. I can't say that I would recommend this book, because it just did not have anything uplifting to say (imo).
July 11, 2010
Just buy it. That's all I can say. A friend gave me this to read. This is going to be the most amazing book club pick. It's about four women on an island in the Mediterranean Sea in the twenties and thirties and the stories of who they love and they betrayals of each other. All of the women are so believable and the author does an incredible job of giving insight into them and their motivations in such a human, beautiful way. All of them do things to keep the one they love the most that are horrifying, heartbreaking poignant, cruel. Anyone who has ever loved anyone and known that universal emotion will love this book. I've not read anything like it since The Hours. But Bruce-Benjamin writes in such a way that it haunts you. The writing won't leave you and, yes, you will cry - for hours and hours. And I guarantee that when you finish it you will go back and read it all over again.
March 21, 2012
2.5*
I started out quite liking this book. For the first half or so, I would have rated it 4*. It was different from other books I've read b/c there is hardly any dialogue. It's told from the POV of four different women. While I found the different narratives interesting (the author did a great job defining each individual woman's personality), I grew tired of the repetitiveness of each woman's laments/concerns. This book was interesting, although I can't place my finger on why. I feel it would have been stronger if it was shorter. It could have been told in 2/3, or even 1/2 the amount of pages & had a more profound impact. I had a difficult time connecting with the characters b/c they seemed so over the top in their obsessions, especially Adora & Genevieve. A little disappointed in the drawn out narrative of the book b/c it could have been excellent.
I started out quite liking this book. For the first half or so, I would have rated it 4*. It was different from other books I've read b/c there is hardly any dialogue. It's told from the POV of four different women. While I found the different narratives interesting (the author did a great job defining each individual woman's personality), I grew tired of the repetitiveness of each woman's laments/concerns. This book was interesting, although I can't place my finger on why. I feel it would have been stronger if it was shorter. It could have been told in 2/3, or even 1/2 the amount of pages & had a more profound impact. I had a difficult time connecting with the characters b/c they seemed so over the top in their obsessions, especially Adora & Genevieve. A little disappointed in the drawn out narrative of the book b/c it could have been excellent.
October 26, 2011
A seminal and beautiful novel. It was recommended by a friend who had read it, although it is only available in the UK on ebook currently, which is a shame, as I am sure that it would find a wide readership were it to be released in Europe. The author's writing style is such a refreshing relief to all of us tired by minimalistic sentence structure and pared down prose. The author writes beautifully, her prose is incandescent. She doesn't waste words telling the reader what color the tablecloth is or the dress the characters is wearing but, yet, you see everything. Also, her ear for 1930s language and the writing style of that period is quite astonishingly good. A very clever book, with an astonishing twist you could not see coming. It is very hard to believe that this is a debut novel; it is brilliantly crafted and thoroughly well-executed.
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