Van Gogh, Encore

by John Andrew Karr

Imagine Vincent van Gogh in our modern world. Suppose, during the last year and a half of his life, when he severs part of his ear and commits himself to the insane asylum, he stumbles into the very circumstance he has longed for his entire adult life -- a family. Would his life change for the better, or would his self-destructive tendencies again prevail? Van Gogh, Encore is a speculative novel based upon the last year and a half of Vincent van Gogh's life. The tale, set in the United States, presents an alternative dimension to the complex and fascinating artist who died impoverished and unappreciated ... while the images he created went on to have global impact, and can be found on everything from vodka bottles to vehicle dashboard covers, television commercials to t-shirts, and whose original works sell for millions.

Genres: Fiction

486 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2010

About the author

John Andrew Karr (also John A. Karr) writes of the strange and spectacular. He is the author of a handful of independent and small press novels and novellas, including the Mars Wars science fiction series via Kensington Books’ Rebel Base imprint. Short stories have appeared in New Reader Magazine, Flame Tree Publishing, Danse Macabre, Allegory and others.

He’s a North Carolina resident, IT worker, and all-around family guy. He is also an ardent believer in the quote from Carl van Doren (1885-1950), U.S. man of letters: Yes, it's hard to write, but it's harder not to.

www.johnandrewkarr.com

Reviews

[John Karr · Rating 4 out of 5]

wrote it and liked it ... ;^)

[Yossarian_22 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pedantry at its worst

[Grace Krispy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if... what if Vincent Van Gogh were alive today, in modern times? What if his life took a different turn, if he met someone he could love? What might be in store for him? Van Gogh is famous for his powerful works of art, and infamous for his mental health issues and resulting bizarre behavior. How would that play out in the context of today?

In this work of speculative fiction, John A. Karr portrays the last 18 months of Van Gogh's life in the United States, and presents possibilities of a different future for the troubled, but gifted, artist. Given a different setting and nationality (Van Gogh is Canadian in this book), and a blossoming love with a vivacious woman, Van Gogh gets another chance at life. The book stays true to many facts of Van Gogh's later life- his brother Theo's support, his relationship with Gauguin (including the knife threat and Van Gogh's plan to start an artists' colony), cutting his ear off and offering it to a prostitute, and his battle with mental illness and epilepsy. The author seamlessly and realistically weaves these facts into the new context, creating an engaging read.

At nearly twice the size of the average ebook, this was a page-turner. Descriptive and eloquent, this book really allows you to feel what it might be like to be Van Gogh, to live inside his tormented mind as he attempts to make sense of contradictory stimuli. The author uses carefully selected words and phrasing to portray Van Gogh's thoughts in a way that really highlights his inner turmoil, as well as his artistic passion. The characters were nicely drawn, but the star of this story is really Vincent, whose character is well-established. With regards to other characters, I did find a little hard to believe the love Lynn obviously felt for Vincent. I could understand his attraction to her, but didn't really get why she was so attracted to him. His paintings were genius, but she obviously loved him for much more than that, and his obvious vulnerability didn't seem to me quite enough to explain that love.

This book could use one more editing pass to fix the last mistakes (not enough to be really frustrating, but enough to make note), but overall was engaging and satisfying. A recommended read for anyone who enjoys speculative fiction, or is a fan of Vincent Van Gogh's life and work.

@ MotherLode blog

[Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed reading Van Gogh, Encore by John A. Karr.

Clearly, Mr. Karr researched extensively about his subject matter, Vincent Van Gogh. In this work of speculative fiction, we follow the last eighteen months of Van Gogh's turbulent life, which takes place in Wilmington and Raleigh, North Carolina, during our time and explores whether a woman's love can save Vincent from himself. While that may seem cliche to some, anyone familiar with Van Gogh's mental and physical health challenges is well aware that saving Vincent from himself is a tall order indeed.

Mr. Karr very effectively employs descriptive, detailed prose reminiscent of Ernest Hemingway's The Nick Adams Stories to establish mood and place. The reader feels as if he or she is sitting with Vincent in his small rented house, bereft of most comforts except for his many paintings stacked in the garage, or standing behind him as he paints the scene at Wrightsville Beach, or witnessing his bouts of self-loathing and conflict.

The author John A. Karr uses actual events in Vincent's life in the context of modern America, including his poverty, financial support from his brother Theo (who lives in Atlanta in Van Gogh, Encore), the pivotal visit from Gauguin, Vincent's dream of establishing an artists' colony, and the act for which he is best known (beyond his artwork) ---- cutting off his ear.

The book is very engaging, and reads rapidly. The last few chapters are veritable "page-turners." Giving away the outcome in this review would steal much of the reader's enjoyment, so I'll restrain myself here and remain mum about what happens to Vincent. The reader will not know until the last couple of pages.

I heartily recommend Van Gogh, Encore.

[Djrmel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karr shows us the famous and infamous moments of Van Gogh's life as an artist through a 21st century filter, and creates a contemporary fiction to fill in the rest. The people that we know of that played a large part in Van Gogh last years come with him, and play similar roles as they did in the real story. What Karr does best in this book is creates the inner dialog of the mind that "saw" Starry Night, Night Cafe, Wheatfield with Crows and all those other magical recreations of light and color and movement. There are many theories of what was wrong with Vincent Van Gogh, what illness or disability caused his seizures and depressions. Instead of trying to explain the problem Karr allows it to be a tool, the very important tool of bringing those masterpieces to life. This is when this book is the most readable, when the "why" is forgotten and there's no attempt to make modern sense of a man who didn't do very well into his own time, let alone ours.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very thought-provoking story and I thoroughly enjoyed thinking of Van Gogh in current day America. I have always enjoyed his art, and became intrigued by the man after spending time in Provence in amongst the settings of several of his paintings. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in great art, Van Gogh himself or a good story about a man struggling with many things, including madness. Only criticism: there is a twist at the end, and I didn't like the outcome. But you'll have to read it to find out what I mean!