In the Full Light of the Sun by Clare Clark
Publication Date: July 9, 2019
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Hardcover, Paperback, & eBook
Genre: Historical Fiction
Hedonistic and politically turbulent, Berlin in the 1920s is a city of seedy night clubs and sumptuous art galleries. It is home to millionaires and mobs storming bakeries for rationed bread. These disparate Berlins collide when Emmeline, a young art student; Julius, an art expert; and a mysterious dealer named Rachmann all find themselves caught up in the astonishing discovery of thirty-two previously unknown paintings by Vincent van Gogh.
In the Full Light of the Sun explores the trio’s complex relationships and motivations, their hopes, their vanities, and their self-delusions—for the paintings are fakes and they are in their own ways complicit. Theirs is a cautionary tale about of the aspirations of the new Germany and a generation determined to put the humiliations of the past behind them.
With her signature impeccable and evocative historical detail, Clare Clark has written a gripping novel about beauty and justice, and the truth that may be found when our most treasured beliefs are revealed as illusions.
Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐As soon as I saw this cover I knew I had to read it! I know, you shouldn't judge a book by the cover but I'm an unapologetic cover nerd :) It's so gorgeous and the colors grab me every time I look at it. In this case, the cover is just as fabulous as the story.
Set in 1920's Berlin, In the Full Light of the Sun is a story about four people caught up in an art scandal involving fake Van Gogh paintings.
Based on a true story, it's told in three parts - Julius, an art dealer & authenticator, Emmeline, an art student and aspiring artist, and Frank, a lawyer. I like how the author did that, to give a complete story with three varying sides. My favorite part was Emmeline's story. I didn't like her at first but she really grew on me.
I was completely fascinated with this book and learned so much about the art world that I didn't know. Clark's writing is wonderful and easy to read, and I will definitely be picking up her other books. Highly recommended for those that love historical fiction and art!
Praise
“As compelling as it is expansive… In an age that has apparently lost faith in experts and verifiable sources of information, Clark’s fictionalization of the Wacker affair stands as a salutary tale for the post-truth era.” —The Guardian“[Clark] excels at evoking the febrile tensions of the Weimar Republic… A gripping and ultimately moving story about art, artifice and authenticity.” —The Mail on Sunday
“With great skill and sympathy, Clark evokes a febrile society in which politics, love and art offer no certainties, and the ground always threatens to open beneath her characters’ feet.” —The Sunday Times
“Set over the decade of the Nazis’ rise to power, In the Full Light of the Sun loosely follows the real-life mystery of whether paintings apparently by Van Gogh that were exhibited in Berlin in the 1920s were forgeries…The most enjoyable mystery here is the matter of whether anyone is really their authentic self.” —The Times (UK)
“An engrossing read.” —Image Magazine Ireland
“Clark’s beautiful writing is as dense and layered as thick, Post-Impressionist oils.” —Tablet
“A completely fascinating novel about the early 20th century art world and its many dubious machinations. Expertly researched, compellingly narrated and full of potent resonance today.” —William Boyd, author of Sweet Caress
“Clare Clark casts her spell of time and place with casual elegance and no apparent tricks - yet caught me up in this juicy story of colossal art fraud, the passions and intrigues of her vivid and moving characters - and the truly terrifying rise of the Nazi party, with all its contemporary echoes. The atmosphere of this book lingers on.” —Laline Paull, author of The Bees
“I loved In the Full Light of the Sun, a novel about deception, self-deception, truth, love and lies that will enthrall anyone fascinated by Van Gogh, the art world and Berlin in the 1920s. Written with verve and assurance it is both engaging and humane.” —Amanda Craig, author of the Lie of the Land
“In her gripping new novel Clare Clark paints a picture of Weimar Berlin in which surface glitter hides sinister and bitter truths. Page by page she brings secret lives into the light; nothing: not love, not art, not politics, is what it seems, and few escape the brutal forces that emerge.” —Stella Tillyard, author of Aristocrats
“A wonderful novel: passionate, intelligent, humane, it held me from the first page to the last. Van Gogh's fleeting genius—achingly out of reach, the pull so strong—is wonderfully evoked; and the house of cards that was the Weimar Republic provides the perfectly rendered backdrop for a story about our willingness to deceive in the pursuit of beauty.” —Rachel Seiffert, author of A Boy in Winter
"Clark's mastery of historic and artistic details merges with skillful plotting and compelling characters in this accomplished novel. A suspenseful, atmospheric portrait of Berlin during Hitler's rise."—Kirkus
"Infused with Clark’s signature attention to historical detail...Evocative prose and excellent pacing make this fine historical a must-read for art history buffs."—Publishers Weekly
About the Author
CLARE CLARK is the author of four novels, including The Great Stink, which was long-listed for the Orange Prize and named a Washington Post Best Book of the Year, and Savage Lands, also long-listed for the Orange Prize. Her work has been translated into five languages. She lives in London.
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Blog Tour Schedule
Monday, July 22Review at Rebecca is Reading
Tuesday, July 23
Review at Bibliophile Reviews
Thursday, July 25
Feature at Diana_bibliophile
Friday, July 26
Review at Gwendalyn's Books
Monday, July 29
Review at Passages to the Past
Tuesday, July 30
Review at A Bookish Affair
Thursday, August 1
Review at Coffee and Ink
Review at Orange County Readers
Friday, August 2
Review at Mama's Reading Corner
Monday, August 5
Review at Amy's Booket List
Wednesday, August 7
Feature at Let Them Read Books
Friday, August 9
Review at Book Reviews from Canada
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away three copies of In the Full Light of the Sun by Clare Clark! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on August 9th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US & Canada only.
– Only one entry per household.
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– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.
In the Full Light of the Sun
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