The Art Restorer

by Julian Sanchez

[Lianne]

I was approved of an ARC copy of this novel through NetGalley. This review in its entirety was originally posted at caffeinatedlife.net: http://www.caffeinatedlife.net/blog/2014/07/09/review-the-art-restorer/

The Art Restorer was a curious read featuring a mix of mystery, historical fiction, romance, and a meta-examination of plot and story. The story moves through brief chapters and reminded me of Dan Brown and Steve Berry’s books with the infusion of a mystery from decades past. Despite of the short chapters moving the story along, I thought it was a bit of a slow drift; it only started picking up when Sert’s story entered the plot and Enrique and Bety started piecing together the mystery from different angles.

I think my favourite aspect of the novel was the look into the writing process. In a way, it sort of contributed the feeling of the story moving slowly, but on the other hand I thought it was interesting the way that Enrique approached his writing and starting a new novel, as well as his dealings with his publishers.

What affected my reading experience of this novel was the writing itself. I’m not sure if this might be in part due to the translation, but I found the writing style to be rather clunky and heavy at times, both dialogue and narration. It started easing off a bit once I was well into the novel, but it still felt rather stilted and not natural at times.

On another note, I personally could have lived without the love triangle and ensuing melodrama between Enrique, Bety, and Helena. I found the dynamic between Enrique and Bety already interesting and could have stood on its own without the presence of another character (Helena) in the mix. I can see why Helena was included in the drama, to propel the tensions further, and force Enrique to make a decision, but I wished the conflict was contained between Enrique and Bety and that they overcame their personal doubts and issues on their own/together without the third wheel.

Overall, The Art Restorer was an interesting read despite of my reservations. There’s a bit of travel involved so it wasn’t solely set in San Sebastián but I think those were my favourite parts of the novel. I also enjoyed the dynamic between Enrique and Bety, perhaps more than the plot itself.