The book was intriguing, and I definitely was left thinking and pondering after I had finished it. I wish I was still able to discuss literature with my college professors, because I wish I was able to talk to them about this story.

White on White is a deceptively sinister novel on the liminal spaces of various dualities and how they are reflected in art and personal intimacy. Nearly every sentence of this novel mines the depths of contrast and foil. The clearest comparison I can make is to Rachel Cusk’s “Outline,” in which the narrator absorbs the tellings of others with minimal feedback herself. The narrator of White on White also remains a mystery, painted in a similar manner as the title suggests. As she absorbs the stories of a painter from whom she is renting an apartment, Savaş gradually deceives the reader in crafting characters containing hidden depths kept at arm’s-length. I let out a quiet “whoaaaaa….” upon reaching the final pages. I was left in awe at the pure craft of this novel. Intimate yet distant, complex yet digestible, the novel itself emulates the art and relationships at the center of this story. I plan to read this one frequently, as an example of how what a novel hides from us is just as important as what it reveals.

On December 7th we get “White on White” by Lauren Groff!

A PhD student moves to a city to research Gothic nudes and while so rents an apartment from painter, Agnes, who lives in a nearby town with her husband.

Agnes begins to spend more time at the apartment, staying in the studio upstairs. Throughout the tenants one year stay, she gets to hear Agnes life story. Her life seemingly falls apart, her stories are frenetic, and her white on white canvas painting in work is unfinished.

“In the year that I lived there, I had the sense of having stepped inside another life.”

This is one of those books where nothing happens, not necessarily in a bad way. You’re reading for the atmosphere and character observation and/or development. I enjoy these types of narratives; however, this short book reads slightly dry with underwhelming emotional impact.

I think the kicker is that we watch Agnes spiral and become laid bare in a way she has never been. The whole time this was distracted for me by the fact that our narrator has zero reaction, complete neutrality, and an almost lack of humanity for this lady’s crisis. That’s probably intentional as she is also unnamed and by standing, but I don’t think it did the story any philosophical favors. As a short novella, this character dynamic may work with some readers. The punch of the book and sole personal expression of the tenant is met at the last two pages when Agnes painting is revealed.

Reading this was an average experience, but it does leave room for a lot of interpretation. Personally this was underwhelming, but I can appreciate and understand an audience that sees plenty value in this slow realistic loss of stability.

We are all artists in our own ways. We have access to depths of our psyches from time to time. Some people spend more times at those depths than most. We often consider such people artists. They can create masterpieces that change the course of culture and history. However, artists may also find themselves transfixed by the depths, unable to transform their insights into a communicable result. At times that can be dangerous to the artist; at others it can be a threat to those in close mental or physical proximity.

Aysegul Savas’ subtly powerful new novel “White on White” is all about art and artists. The unnamed narrator is studying 12th century paintings, sculpture, and iconography - especially as regards the depiction and interpretation of dress and nudity. The owner of the flat is a prominent art historian, his wife a painter with some history of past renown.

Savas’ writing is wonderful. I especially enjoy her approach to dialogue. It was done in a highly unique manner: one character talked incessantly, inappropriately, obsessively. The narrator did not participate orally, or verbally, instead has rich inner dialogues that may be reactive, reflective, or contemplative, always wise, and insightful.

There is a growing sense that there is something disquieting, disturbing, simply wrong. The study of Gothic nudes, the house, the serendipitous meetings, the “dialogue”. “White on White” is a novel about art, but it is something much more.

Thanks to Riverhead Books and Netgalley for the eARC.