Lives of the Artists

by Robert Clark

MARY AND ALEX have attained the pot of gold at the end of the dot-com rainbow. Wealthy beyond their wildest dreams, the thirtysomething Seattle couple is now free to do whatever they wish.That means pursuing the artistic vocations they always felt more suited to—writing for Mary and painting for Alex—in the intoxicatingly inspirational setting of Florence. But then Tom, their newly unemployed, recently mugged and always lost-soul of a friend, comes to stay with them, ostensibly seeking his own artistic outlet. Befriended by their famous neighbour, a bawdy expat American writer, and adopted by an Italian street child, Mary and Alex discover that freedom is indeed another word—but for what? Lives of the Artists is a compelling portrait of the complex relationship between art and ideas; an exploration of love and the way it shapes our purpose, our past and our present; and a recounting of the tragedy and comedy that often befall those who search for la vita bella . A novel crafted with clean and classic style, sensual and often funny, this is a modern story for discerning lovers of literary fiction.

Paperback

First published May 23, 2005

About the author

Robert Clark is a novelist and writer of nonfiction. He received the Edgar Award for his novel Mr. White's Confession in 1999. A native of St. Paul, Minneapolis, he lives in Seattle with his wife and two children.

Clark's books touch on several genres but often return to questions centered in God: "Is there a God? Does he love us? Is he even paying attention?"

Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Robert^^^Clark

Reviews

[Mandana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The reading went very slow at the beginning and it was hard to make a connection with the characters that appeared to be very uninteresting as I can put. As the book progressed, however, they became much more intriguing, complicated and interesting. The different layers of the story unravelled slowly which made it constantly a better read.

Towards the end, the characters became very alive and the whole plot was very well wrapped up. The book is all about human spirit and his thirst for discovering and experiencing newer feelings and creating chaos, especially when things seem very much in order. I'd say though the role of Wright Turner was quite essential in forming the idea of change and chaos in the mind of the other three characters, Mary, Alex and Tom, and in resurfacing their inner ambitions.

[katen moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than i thought would be. Glad i stuck it out. Quite a bit of sex--written very well