Kelly
Written on Nov 16, 2014
Starry Nights reminded me of A Night at the Museum, where the artwork comes alive at night. Set in Paris, Julien is a cultured young man, a rarity in young adult today. He finds pleasure in art, wandering the halls of the Musée d'Orsay where his mother is the curator. His relationship has just ended, where his former girlfriend has left him for another budding artist, so he immerses himself in his part time position as a tour host, while the gallery prepares for it's latest acquisition, the Girl in the Garden. It's love at first sight for Julien, as he takes in her painted beauty and the story behind the portrait. The girl immortalised by Renior who had fallen in love, then the family purchase her portrait to keep her virtue safe from prying eyes.
But as she emerges from her frame, the connection between Clio and Julien is lukewarm at best. She the girl trapped within the canvas until Julien awoken her, and he the forlorn heartbroken teen who has seemingly latched onto Clio, obsessed with her.
I take her hand. Run my index finger along hers. Fell her skin warm to my touch. "Clio." I breathe her name into the painted world we float on. I cup her face in my hands, my palms on her cheeks, holding her soft and close as golden starlight streaks across the night.
For the first half, I was swept up in the romance of Paris, the gallery and the magic of the impressions coming to life. It was truly lovely. But as the mystery of the paintings begun to unravel, it also begun to lose that whimsical touch. The romance was sweet, the hand holding and stolen kisses through the gallery at night was charming, but more suited for the younger audience. The secondary characters were quirky and fun, from Julien's best friend, to the flamboyant apron wearing Bonheu. who's mother was the private owner of the Girl in the Garden. I simply loved him. He created ceramic five legged cows, wore aprons as a fashion statement and marched to the beat of his own drum. He was simply fabulous.
Overall it was lovely, but the mystery surrounding why the paintings were fading and destructing took the storyline in a completely different direction and it lost my attention. One aspect I found odd was that although set in France, the dialect was completely in English and I was hoping it would have explored Parisian street artists, rather than just the Musée d'Orsay and bakery treats Julien liked to indulge in. It needed more Paris, less romance and far more Bonheu and his fabulous aprons.
Entertaining, if you're looking for a quick, fluffy read.