I've enjoyed this podcast for quite a while, and the audiobook is just like a really long podcast episode, or listening to several in a row. Dasal is a major public figure in our city, and Raleigh adores her, so this will be an easy sell.

I've always had an interest in art history and figured this would make for an interesting read. It was just that...interesting. Not fascinating, not mind-blowing, not boring. The author took an artist or an artistic era and then said, "here's an unusual story about that." Some were enjoyable and some were not. I'm glad I read it, but I probably won't remember any of it in a week or so. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Like its namesake podcast, this book presents histories and mysteries from the art world, from Van Gogh’s supposed suicide to Andy Warhol’s obsession with time capsules. Some of the chapters will be familiar to the podcast’s fans, others entirely new. I knew a little about art, but I learned a ton by reading this book!

A collection of stories about famous works of art, from the creator of the ArtCurious podcast. Dasal gives the inside scoop on everyone from Claude Monet to Andy Warhol. It's everything your European Art History 101 didn't teach you.

Love it! Art lovers will enjoy reading this side of art! I've always known art isn't only the serious, lofty subject it's been taught we should view it as. It's has a really wild (sometimes dark), never boring side, too!  I've always thought art, as it's taught in grade school through high school needed to lighten up a bit. So I went to study art for a bit as a kids in a real art school. My instructors there told us kids lots of fun tales about various artists, both dead, and living.  I have not looked at art the same since and thoroughly encourage art lovers to please read about the artists! Sometimes the stories behind the works are known, too. This books a great start! Teach the children! Art is fun!

The author presented the topic of art history in a fun manner and some of the descriptions made me laugh, but this really isn't the book to learn the pivotal and important part of art history. Although, what do I know only having a miniscule understanding on the subject. However, I did learn a bit more about some famous masterpieces and why. It is clear the author loves art, so I appreciated that.

Just wasn't the book for me.

Thanks to Netgalley, Jennifer Dasal and Penguin Group Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 9/15/22

The best teachers of art history are those who can weave the technical aspects of a particular way of looking at art into stories that capture and remain in the imaginations of the everyday museum wanderer. Jennifer Dasal does just that. 

I read this with my computer to hand, pulling up photos of the works as she talked about them. Glimpsing the inner and social worlds of artists gives learners a unique understanding of the cultures in which they lived. And this was a fun way to learn!