The Art of Vanishing

Down on her luck, Claire stumbles into a job as a museum janitor. Later, she stumbles into a painting.

A cozy and whimsical exploration of magical realism, the Art of Vanishing by Morgan Pager offers a new perspective on the classic tale of star-crossed lovers. We are introduced to Jean - the son of Henry Matisse who was immortalized in the 1917 painting “The Music Lesson,” which hangs on the wall of a prestigious museum (in reality, it’s on display at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia). The author’s imagination is vivid- the writing all but tells you the name of the various paintings explored through the story in its colorful and pointed descriptions. The Pager’s appreciation for art and museums shines passionately in this story, saving the storyline from failing into the category of “just another insta-romance.”

The plot centers on Claire’s extraordinary ability to “jump” into paintings, that is - to be pulled into the two-dimensional world of the art. There, she meets Jean, and they develop a swift attraction to one another. They spend their nights exploring neighboring paintings until Claire is obligated to jump back into reality. It’s implausible, but that’s not the point; the means are not as important as the end. While Jean spends his days frozen in time re-reading the same book, Claire’s life is rapidly unraveling as a pandemic unfolds in real time.

As the museum abruptly shutters its doors, both Clarie and Jean are confronted with a new reality. The pandemic is described tastefully- and while some readers may feel sorely to this topic it wasn’t overdone or over dramatized. Rather, Pager offers a very humane perspective on this time in history, exploring many of the common struggles faced during this era.

A heartwarming and enjoyable debut from Pager - I recommend The Art of Vanishing to fans of magical realism and anyone who wants a cozy escape! I am excited to see more from this author and look forward to the conversation around this novel.

I was genuinely so excited to dive into this book. The premise of a museum janitor falling in love with the man in a famous painting is a great one, and I really was enjoying everything so much until the story ground to a COVID-induced halt. While I generally don't have qualms about pandemic-adjacent plots in books, this one felt almost claustrophobic in the way that it drew parallels between social isolation and the strange life those in the paintings were forced to live. This is a smart thing to do, but it just really made it hard for me to read, even though I genuinely tried before setting this one aside for good.

While this ultimately wasn't for me, I loved the magical aspects and both main characters, so I am confident that this will work well for many.

I've been following Morgan Pager, aka NYCbookgirl, for several years and was thrilled to receive an ARC of her debut novel The Art of Vanishing. A love story both TO art and about art (literally, a romance between a character in a painting and a janitor at the museum), set amidst the backdrop of COVID, The Art of Vanishing started as a slow burn and really grew on me throughout. The book bounces back and forth between the perspectives of Jean, Matisse's son and one of the subjects of a painting hung in a gallery, and Claire, who was hired as a museum janitor as a side-job and has always been fascinated by the idea of just stepping into art, quite literally.

When Claire realizes Jean has some sort of LIFE inside his painting, she takes a chance and is able to step into his world. Claire teaches Jean about the modern day while giving her a brief respite from her hard life as a single, impoverished mom. When COVID hits, Jean and the other paintings have no idea why the museum shutters overnight, and Claire is thrown back into her home life with her grandmother and daughter, stuck in a small apartment. When the museum reopens, things are different, and a mysterious new journal is put on display near Jean's painting. As Clair and Jean's relationship deepens, they are both thrust into a series of events that will change the course of their futures.

Though The Art of Vanishing started slow, the story crescendos towards the end and finalizes with a heartwarming conclusion. My favorite part of this book was how it treated COVID - I've read several books with COVID as a secondary plot-line, but Morgan filters the storyline through a really intelligent lens here. The art pieces learn what the pandemic means in a piecemeal way, with only the Influenza epidemic as a background, and there's nods to collective hobbies and spare time passion projects that I've not seen before. It presents such a dark time in our history in a way that feels compassionate, not depressing. I also greatly appreciated Claire's perspective as a young mom going through this time with her young daughter.

I love that the magic here isn't questioned with any seriousness, it just IS. Looking forward to Morgan's future books, and thoroughly enjoyed this one.

The Art of Vanishing by Morgan Pager was an okay read. I thought the concept was very interesting and it seems like something I would love but I couldn't get over how forced the dialogue felt and how rushed the story felt. I couldn't force myself to care about the characters because they felt very two dimensional. The romance was very insta-love and the chemistry simply did not exist. It just felt incomplete and lacking in substance.

Pleasantly surprised! I was a little wary based on the description of the novel but ended up enjoying myself.

I enjoyed the genre-blending and concept of this book. I could also really tell that the author has an appreciation for art and museums, and thought that translated well into the story! I will definitely think of this book the next time I’m at a museum.

However, the dialogue did not work for me (felt forced/overcompensating) and many pieces of the magical realism aspect left me confused. I felt that the relationship and characters were also underdeveloped/rushed and left me wanting more from each, Personally, the direction the plot went in during the last 40% (covid, burglary) was not for me either.

The impact of art, creativity, and boundless love+
/connection was what stood out in this one! I think many readers will appreciate the escape this book provides.

Thank you for the opportunity to be an early reader, and I will still look forward to this author’s next book!

This was super sweet and cozy. It was a good page-turner that kept me interested and I liked the characters. As someone who enjoys art and museums, it was right up my alley.

dnf at ~50%
I had really high hopes going into this book because the premise sounded so interesting to me. However, as the book started I was a bit confused almost about the reality of this book. I know that it’s magical realism but it seemed a bit too hard to believe. There also wasn’t a lot of chemistry between the two main characters for me. It left me somewhat disappointed.

Thank you to the publisher, Ballantine Books, as well as NetGalley for the eGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was an original, inventive, and romance-filled debut! I am really impressed with Morgan Pager's ability to weave the two perspectives together to create a fascinating love story based on an appreciation for art.

I didn't know quite what to expect going into this one, I do not always take well to the cheesy rom-coms, but this had a lot of depth and I had a blast getting lost in the story. While the premise is not realistic, the story is told in a way that makes you want to believe that it is, and take a running start at the next painting you see.

I loved this and look forward to reading more by Pager in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this book is not for me. The love story is way too rushed, even for insta-love and this makes both Jean and Claire seem ridiculous and immature. The dialogue is too stilted. And the worldbuilding aspect of this book is nonexistent. Perhaps another round of editing could have helped.

Hard to enjoy - too many plot holes and needed more world building. Felt too much like fanfiction, I was looking for something more introspective and edgier. This was all fluff, no substance.

This story was so delightful! I was a little wary that the high concept of a woman being able to jump into museum paintings couldn't be executed in a way that allowed me to suspend any disbelief. But I found the writing so charming, the pace quite lively, the descriptions of museum life (both at night and in the daytime) so vivid, and the characters so sweet... that I truly did get lost in the plot and couldn't wait to pick the book back up again every time I had to pause reading it. I could totally see this story as a movie. I think this will be a popular debut novel with art lovers, romance readers, and anyone who wants an imaginative, immersive escape from the real world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

In The Art of Vanishing, Morgan Pager tells the story of a couple who fall in love against all odds even though their love story appears to be doomed from the very start. I loved reading this novel so much. As soon as I read the synopsis of it, I knew this was a book I would be interested in reading as the concept of it is very unique and I have never read a book like this one before. I loved the main characters of Jean and Claire and found their love story to be enchanting. I really enjoyed how the author brought these characters to life and how interesting the story was. There was never a dull moment in this book for me. I liked learning about new works of art I had never heard of before and having the subjects of various paintings come to life was such a cool concept to me. I think a lot of people will enjoy this story just as much as I did; the author truly has a gift for writing and for keeping readers captivated by the story she tells. I am looking forward to reading more from Morgan Pager!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Art of Vanishing by Morgan Pager is a lovely and inventive story about an art museum janitorial worker, Claire, who has the magical ability to jump into the paintings. I really wanted to love this but I found the writing to be so simple that it didn’t match the concept of the story. I wanted more! That being said, it was a perfectly entertaining reading - I just didn’t feel anything (and I wanted to!). I think many readers will enjoy this and I commend the author on creating such a creative debut. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were well developed and the world within the museum was created beautifully.

Morgan Pager brings art to life in such a magical way with The Art of Vanishing. A romance whirlwind develops between a museum janitor and a man... inside a famous art painting. When Claire figures out that she has the ability to jump into the paintings and enter a new world filled of iconic figures in paintings, she finds herself falling into an intimate relationship with Jean, the son of Henri Matisse, who lives in "The Music Lesson."

The Art of Vanishing has beautifully drawn out characters and a page-turning plot. Excellent read for museum lovers and artists!

this felt a little insta-lovey to me and the characters felt flat. I was intrigued by the story but also a bit bored.

What It’s About

Sad, reclusive Frenchman Jean Matisse has been stuck—literally—for over a century, a snapshot of his 19-year-old self frozen in one of his famous father’s paintings. His days are spent sitting very still, wistfully watching museum visitors and re-reading the same book on repeat (le sigh). While his fellow painted companions get up to nightly shenanigans (think Harry Potter portraits meets Night at the Museum), Jean prefers to keep to himself, reflecting on his lonely existence.

That is, until Claire—a beautiful and mysterious janitor with Secrets™️—starts working the night shift. Turns out Claire is far more observant than the other museum staff members, and notices that the painting subjects move around at night. She also has a magical touch and after ignoring the “do not touch the artwork” sign, is transported into Jean’s painting.

What follows is an enchanting love story reminiscent of Midnight in Paris (a fantastic film, despite its problematic director—again, le sigh). Jean and Claire flit between paintings, exploring sunlit beaches, attending lavish parties, and embarking on whimsical adventures. But their mystical bubble doesn’t last forever, and these two lovebirds are soon forced to reckon with the realities of their own separate worlds.

My Thoughts

A lot happens in this book, and while I have plenty to say, I’m not about to spoil it for you 8 months ahead of its release date (I may be snarky, but I’m not that mean😅).

Here’s what I can say:

I loved it. This book is mystical, whimsical, and seamlessly blends genres to create a truly magical love story. (And yes, I said love story—not romance novel. There’s a distinction, and it’s subtle but important.)

Actually, make that two love stories.

The first, of course, is Jean and Claire’s. Their relationship is wholesome, tender, and so beautifully written that I was completely invested in their star-crossed romance from the get go.

The second love story is the author’s ode to museums. This book is a love letter to the way museums can transport us—offering a magical escape from the monotony of everyday life. It’s poignant, enchanting, and made me want to visit every museum in my area immediately.

This book was an absolute delight—charming, magical, and effortlessly enchanting. I was swept up in the whimsy from page one, and I’m so grateful to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC.

I really wanted to like this one, but it reads like a debut with stilted dialogue and a super rushed love story. Jean falls in love with Claire instantly by learning nothing about her, and Claire falls in love with Jean by looking at a painting for a few nights. I thought I was going to love this, but it wasn't my jam.

Jean is a quiet thoughtful individual that puts in 8 hours per day at the museum, he’s an expert on one page of a French novel from 1917, he’s the son of the famous painter, Henri Matisse, and oh, he lives in a painting. Claire is a young woman that begins her new job as a night shift maintenance worker at the museum, she loves the art so much that it seems to her that they’re moving…and maybe it is not just fantasy. There is the inherent danger of a human with knowledge of the paint world’s inner workings, however, Jean throws caution to the wind and breaks the barrier between the two worlds by pulling Claire into his universe. Both are in their early 20s, although Jean has been that age for over a hundred years, they both have past relationships that threaten to jeopardize this potential romance. Jean lays his heart out in the open, whilst Claire keeps her life on the outside close to her chest. Overall, I was extremely intrigued by the premise of this book and perhaps I let my expectations shade reality. It gave me Night at the Museum and Kate and Leopold vibes that made me jump at the chance to read this rom-com. However, reality and expectations seem to rarely find common ground, and I found this one to be a little disappointing.