Cover Image: Natural History

Natural History

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Member Reviews

I think this may be a case of ' it's not you, it's me' things. I've tried to finish this numerous times but it's too brainy for me. It makes me think of the works of Faulkner and how I never got along with his books . I admire how well written it is, and I wish that I had enough talent to write something like this but as you can see I do not. My rating is purely on whether I enjoyed my time with this book and not an indicator of the quality of writing. Again, Faulkner's works weren't for me either. I did not post a review on Goodreads because I'm unable to finish it. Thank you for the chance to read it though.

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Thanks to Netgalley and FSG for the ebook. This novel is dizzying in the different worlds and stories it explores. A curator of a museum of natural history in New Jersey is approached by a famous fashion designer for a possible collaboration. The meetings lead no where, but open the curator up to looking at the world differently. Seven years later, the designer has passed away and leaves the curator several envelopes that lead him on a sort of epic discovery about her family, a famous photographer father born in Israel and an actress mother who drags the whole family to a cult in South America and later goes on trail for creating an art project that manipulates the stock market. The author has so much fun digging into these characters and also dozens more. It’s a brainy, fun, jumble of a novel.

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I was really excited for this book. It was that excitement that seemed to push me to keep going in the first half. The book started in an expected manner, but then quickly became as monotonous and melancholic as the narrator's own insomnia. Once the pace quickened it did not become an easy, speed read to the finish as the story developed, but my interest remained piqued. The translation was well done - and I think shows the author's layered and opulent writing style full of descriptions and feelings and nuance. Overall - a good read.

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I appreciate having had an opportunity to read and review this book. The appeal of this particular book was not evident to me, and if I cannot file a generally positive review I prefer simply to advise the publisher to that effect and file no review at all.

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As deeply complex and riveting as The Overstory. The basic plot is obscured in layers of dramatic allusions to fire, art, camouflage, and revolution. The story is revealed in pieces of beautiful narrative, descriptions of art work, photography, and mysterious envelopes delivered to the primary narrator after the death of a fashion designer. Readers will contemplate deep human questions for weeks and months after finishing. Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Poetic language and almost dreamlike scenes abound in this novel. But, it was difficult to follow the threads and at times felt like it was trying too hard. I did not, personally, connect with the characters enough to finish this one.

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Readers who enjoy getting lost in an adventure of art and philosophy and all sorts of untied threads - and some spectacularly poetic language thrown in - will enjoy this intellectual romp.

Me? Not so much. I found it difficult to follow, to be honest. I tried. And I loved the language, wish I could read it in the original.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this interesting novel in exchange for a frank opinion.

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A wonderful little novel, slipping between New York and Costq Rica - the past and present. Art, fashion, nature..

This is a story of discovery and of nature.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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I honestly don't know how to describe this. It's the meshed stories of a museum curator obsessed with the quincunx, who connects with Giovanna a fashion designer to put on an exhibit but it never happens. When she dies, he receives her archive which leads to Yoav, an Israeli photographer. This does not have a straight line narrative but it does have gorgeous language. I admit to almost giving up in part because it felt overwhelming in spots but it's a worthy read. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. For fans of literary fiction.

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This book was written for a very specific clientele that is, unfortunately, not me. The writing almost reads like poetry and I often found myself completely lost in the story. I think that this is written for far artsier readers than I and others will adore it! Unfortunately, I was not able to finish it since I just got too frustrated at being lost!

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https://www.ralphlauren.com/rlmag/culture-summer-reading-list-books-Rae-DelBianco.html?ab=en_US_dlp_ATHOME_Slot_7_S1_Image_SHOP

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Interesting. I enjoy artsy, esoteric books with beautiful prose but, the storyline and characters? No thank you.
I didn't care for the characters and I had a hard time following the plot. At times, the author writes in excruciating detail that detracts from the story, so I did skip over large swaths of this book. The book frustrated me.

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this is a beautiful book. I'm sorry I can't offer a more definitive review, as I'm a reader judging the L.A. Times fiction contest. I will also say, though, that there was a lot of pontificating and hemming and hawing in the early pages, that lost me as someone who is reading 159 books right now. That said, your typical reader will not be so pressed for time and won't be concerned with that at all.

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A very slippery novel to categorize, this was perfect reading while under quarantine. There was so much lush imagery, so well described, and so much foggy, middle-of-the-night atmosphere. Our narrator receives a nighttime summons from a famous designer who wants to collaborate on a project, using his expertise as a natural museum curator for her collection employing patterns found in nature, camouflage.

From this incident springs a quest for truth, an examination into what is the true meaning of art and a journey of discovery. From deep night rambling in the Bowery to sun soaked Costa Rica, to the past and possibly to promises of the future (do photographs really capture the exact moment, or are they lies as has been noted elsewhere, or portents of the future as is posited here). I particularly loved a digression into the work of Edward Hopper, a favorite of mine, who the narrator discovers while killing time at the Met during a torrential downpour. He becomes besotted with Hopper, noting that Hopper's power to hold the viewer. I loved the density of the prose, which may be thanks in no small part to the fine translation. Highly recommended.

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Natural History was an interesting read, but it is a difficult book to review. First off, let me share what I loved about it. The prose was a delight to read, so lyrical and dreamlike. The text was chock full of lines you wanted to remember and quote--utterly beautiful writing. I also appreciated many of the themes and ideas presented through the story; Fonseca had some interesting things to say. However, despite these positives, I found it hard to connect with the book on any level other than admiration for the author's style and turn of phrase. I never came to care deeply for any of the characters. Nor did I have any special interest in the plot and what was happening outside of the aesthetic. In some ways, I think the gorgeous writing and literary adeptness overshadowed the story itself, which was a shame. If Fonseca had been able to better balance the two, I think this could have been stunning. As it is, I am giving it 3.5 stars. I liked it and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it, but I couldn't fall in love with it aside from appreciating Fonseca's skill as a writer.

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