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Type of bind: Hardcover
Format: Bargain Price
Label: Viking
Manufacturer: Viking
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 352
Printing Date: February 09, 2004
Publishing house: Viking
Sale Popularity Level: 64951
Studio: Viking
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Product Description:
It was Emily Carr (1871–1945)—not Georgia O’Keeffe or Frida Kahlo—who very first blazed a path for modern women artists. Overcoming the confines of late Victorian culture, Carr became a major force in modern art. Her boldly original landscapes are praised yesterday for capturing an untamed British Columbia—and its indigenous peoples—just before industrialization would change it forever.
In her latest novel, Susan Vreeland brings to life this fiercely independent and underappreciated figure. From illegal potlatches in tribal communities to prewar Paris, where her art was exhibited in the famed Salon d’Automne, Carr’s story is as arresting as it is vibrant. Vreeland tells it with gusto and suspense, giving vivid portraits of Carr and the unconventional people to whom she was inevitably drawn: Sophie, a native basket maker; Harold, the son of missionaries, who embraces indigenous cultures; Fanny, a New Zealand artist who spends a summer with Carr painting in the French countryside; and Claude, a French fur trader who steals her heart. The result is a glorious novel that will appeal to lovers of art, native cultures, and lush historical fiction.
Amazon.com:
Novelist Susan Vreeland has made a career of fictionalizing the lives of artists and of particular paintings, like Artemisia Gentileschi¹s magnificent Judith in The Passion of Artemisia. In her third novel, The Forest Lover, Vreeland's subject is the courageous Canadian painter Emily Carr, who traveled through native villages and wilderness of British Columbia in the early 1900s, often alone, on a quest to paint totem poles and other artifacts before the indigenous traditions died out and the poles were destroyed or sold. Vreeland's Carr is deeply respectful of the people she meets, and is rewarded with their trust and their stories. She brings the same sensitivity with her to Paris to see the new art, is exhibited at the Salon d'Automne, and returns to Vancouver in 1912 with a style so direct, and colors so expressive, that a conservative local reviewer dubs her a wild beast, literally, a Fauve. Vreeland's strength is in the tacks of emotion during dialogue, and in her nimble, exact prose. As she depicts her, Carr is an endearing and believable balance of sensitivity and determination‹an artist of life as well as a remarkable painter. --Regina Marler
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Rated by buyers 
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This is another one of those books I'd never have read had it not been assigned in my book club. Fortunately, it was better than I thought it would be. Although the story wasn't my cup of tea, the book definitely has its merits.
Surprisingly, many people have never heard of Carr--the subject of this story--critics place her work on par with household names like Georgia O'Keefe and Frida Kahlo. Vreeland successfully paints her own portrait of this artist using words to bring to life the fast disappearing lush forests and colorful indigenous people who inhabit the world that Carr sought to preserve through her art. Carr found British Columbia's native culture fascinating and was sympathetic to the challenges the indigenous people faced as the white man gained increasing control over their territory and way of life. As a result, she felt compelled to paint the Indians and her beloved woodland as often as she could.
Carr's choice of career and subject matter were controversial in her time--the late 1800s. Vreeland makes clear that being a woman artist assured a lonely life and represents a decision that was not popular with Carr's family or society in general. Spending time with Indians was also behavior that rendered Carr the topic of unfavorable local gossip. Many times Carr was misunderstood, doubted herself, and faced conflicts because of her devotion to her purpose. Yet she refused to give up or give in, and eventually she earned a respectable place for herself among the professional ranks.
In exploring Carr's life and career, Vreeland asks the reader to consider some crucial questions. What does it mean to be an "artist," for example? Carr watched other artists change their paintings to conform to popular tastes to make them easier to sell. She disdained to follow suit, however. She refused to paint anything other than the "truth" as she saw it. Carr was at times frustrated because she sold so little work, and it caused her to question whether her painting "mattered." Was it meaningful or valuable to anyone? What does that mean about "truth"? Art for its own sake versus art created for a market is of course a concept that is still debated.
The other key philosophical concept in this novel involves determining where artists find inspiration. For Carr, inspiration came from nature and the way the Indians kept a close relationship with the environment. Vreeland explores Carr's pantheism and compares it with the Indians' indigenous religion and Catholicism. The author also examines religious philosophy as an artistic motivator. She suggests that Carr eventually determined that there is a "spirit" within the self, which isn't defined by any one religion, but which plays a critical role in serious art. Carr believed that someone can become a competent artist, but without that underlying "spark," his/her work will lack that special something that makes all the difference and makes a work successful.
Although several book club members said this was not a book they would have picked up and read of their own choosing, they were pleasantly surprised. The rest of the group flat out loved this book. Indeed, Carr's story receives skillful handling with Vreeland's careful molding. We were even able to draw some parallels between the story and modern Shanghai. Though Carr fans should not expect complete biographical accuracy (slight suspensions of biographical and historical faithfulness is tolerated in favor of spinning a good story within this genre) the tale is well told and will be especially enjoyed by art lovers, those interested in British Columbia, native American culture, women's history, and historical fiction.
Rated by buyers -
This latest art inspired novel is made up of little episodes in the life of Emily Carr as she travels from her home in British Columbia, to San Francisco, England and Paris and finally back to the forests of her homeland.
The story is set in an era when British Columbia was being industrialized and the Canadian Government was actively attempting to excise Indian cultures by evicting tribes from their cultural lands and outlawing native ceremonies. Carr spent much of her life attempting to capture on canvas and preserve for all time the beauty and uniqueness of the native people and their dying culture as well as the magnificent forests in which they dwelled.
Of course, as with all great artists, Carr is misunderstood by her family and most of her peers. She finds a mother of sorts in Sophie Frank, a Squamish woman considered by "civilized society" to possess attitudes and beliefs considered primitive, but whose ideas and ideals are more in tune with Carr's own value system and vague spirituality.
Although Vreeland relies on some strongly fictional elements in this story, we are able to discern the truth of Carr's struggles against the surreptitious crimes of sexism and racial prejudice prevalent in the day.
Just as Carr transferred her innermost feelings to canvas, Vreeland has painted a sensitive portrait of the woman who blazed the trail for the likes of Georgia O'Keeffe and Frida Kahlo.
Rated by buyers 
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Vreeland's account of Emily Carr's life paints a visual conception of her life that feels like a personal experience. Her writing reminds me of Barbara Kingsolver, another favorite of mine. She is very descriptive in both scenery and characters. There are times when I wonder if I read the experience of Carr's life or if I dreamt it. This is a wonderful read when you are hungry for good literature.
Rated by buyers -
Beautifully written book about a fascinating person. I had never heard of Emilie Carr until I read this book and was totally captivated by the story. My husband is currently reading it and can't seem to put it down.
Ms. Vreeland is definitely on my "recommended authors" list.
Rated by buyers -
This was a very beautifully written book that every American and Canadian ought to read. Based on historical records, Susan Vreeland paints a troubling account of how Christian missionaries encouraged and practiced genocide and a small scale holocaust against the natives of this continent. It's not always comforting, but good for one seeking truth. It left me in a state of repentance and confession, ever renewed in my vow to honor and respect the traditions of the natives around me.
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