An Object of Beauty

Thought provoking

Art writer Daniel Frank of the Stockbridge, Massachusetts Franks is bone marrow weary of his 24/7 thoughts about his amoral former lover Lacey Yeager. He knows she will sleep with anyone to get a head. In hopes of purging her from his blood, he writes down his thoughts about the rise and rise of Lacey Yeager in the upscale Manhattan art world.

In the Clintonian Era, twenty-three years old beautiful Lacey Yeager obtains an entry level job as a Sotheby staffer. The intelligent and ambitious Lacey quickly rises up in rank in the company's normally glacial pace. As she did at Sothby's to obtain promotions, Lacey uses her body and brain to obtain a position at exclusive Barton Talley's gallery of "Very Expensive Paintings"; ethics is for the hogs and legalities is for the frightened losers. Finally she achieves her objective of opening up the Lacey Yeager gallery in Chelsea and even 9/11 fails to prevent her meteoric rise to the troposphere of the high priced art universe.

As a microcosm of the greed that led to the crash, An Object of Beauty is a terrific look at the ultra rich in which avarice with a need for more is a way of life as Steve Martin eloquently states that America has an aristocratic class with no moral ties to the country. The addition of pictures of paintings adds a fine art touch to the story line. However, this is Lacey's tale as she is a fascinating prototype as seen through the eyes of her whining former lover who exposes much of himself having a brain with one icon imprinted on it even as he exposes the woman he loathes and cherishes. Although the ending feels off kilter, Mr. Martin provides a profound condemnation of wealth without morality is worthless.

Harriet Klausner

13 out of 17 people found this review helpful.

A work of art in the form of the written word

Lacey Yeager and her life is truly like the works of art she touches every day. Art is a thing of beauty to some and an unrecognizable glob to someone else. Either way no one can explain why they feel that way but Lacey had a way for drawing people in but for a reason no one can clearly explain. Art is something that you love or hate and everything in between is just white space.

Lacey rises to the top of the art world by figuring out the players, learning how the game is manipulated and using all her acquired skills to buy for cheap and sell for high. She uses men like toys and friends are just as well for her personal pleasure. Lacey brings people close and never lets them really know what she is up to. Her apartment is overpriced and her clothes always chic but underneath it all is a woman that needs validation and be as complicated as she is simplistic.

This story is told through the one consistent man in Lacey's life Daniel Chester French Franks - yes he has heard the jokes about his name! Daniel tells the tale of Lacey as seen by a man that loves her and hates her at the same time but still can't live without her. Lacey grows as an art expert and woman and as they plays out you realize there is more than a pretty face behind that frame.

Steve Martin is a man who clearly knows how to write a book with characters you know and understand and basically feel they are people you interact with. This is a gift of a great writer and again with this book Mr. Martin shows he is someone that knows how to tell a joke and play out a straight line. The addition of an art history lesson is one that this reader thoroughly enjoyed and thought was a smooth addition to the pages.

6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

It's too frantic, although still brilliant.

When I finished "Shopgirl" I hugged it, I literally hugged it for about 20 minutes, that's how much I loved it. The writing, the feeling, the small but ample plot... everything was so delicately placed that before I knew it I was in love. I was sad when I finished it. I read it again.

"An Object Of Beauty" isn't a "bad" book... it just seems to lack those things which made "Shopgirl" so incredibly perfect. The plot was frenzied, I felt like he wanted to tell 12 stories at once, and while I commend the attempt-- even understand why, I just didn't feel like it stacked up. I enjoyed reading it, and I did so in 3 days, but part of the drive behind it was the fact that I kept looking for "it" to happen. I was looking for the spark, the glow, the "aha" moment that would make me go "Oh, here we go, now I can forgive how I felt."

I hit the last page and instead of wanting to hug it, I simply went "Really?" I wasn't satisfied.

I love all things Steve Martin, and probably if it was anyone else I wouldn't push them to so high a bar... but he missed, just by a hair, the beauty that there could have truly been.

3 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

Boring

Reads like an Arts History text book with a thin and slow moving story line interjected sparsely throughout the narrator's lecture! I would not read unless you are an Arts major!

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

What is the value of beauty?

Lacey Yeager is a brilliant up and coming art student who upon graduating from college lands herself a job at Sotheby's as an intern. Starting at the bottom doesn't exactly pay the type of money that Lacey's been accustom to and she struggles to find a way to get there one way or another.

Her life is chronicled in sporadic details by her high school friend, Daniel Chester French Franks, as he meets with her through different times of her life. What he doesn't know as a fact he fills in to make the story complete. He is also an art school graduate and a former one night stand of Lacey's.

As Lacey works from the basement, cataloging pictures, she begins to look for her next step on the ladder of success. She begins to learn how art works are sold, which ones sell and why others don't. As she begins to work her way to the top, she finds out that they are more than objects of beauty but objects of value. Much of the way she begins to see a parallel in her own life. She begins to work towards the finer things in life she desires which means finding herself a rich, wealthy and successful man willing to lavish it on her.

In the latest novel by Steve Martin, former Saturday Night Live star, actor and now author, in Object of Beauty we see how Lacey's life and the art objects she finds and sells are similar and how certain some things can be rendered priceless.

I received this book compliments of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review. I would have to rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars just based on the content contained within the storyline itself that some readers may find offensive, such as profanity and sexual content. Overall I think the story shares a profound message that not all beauty can be seen from the outside and everything has a price.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

disappointed

was very disappointed in this book. would not recommend

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

An Object of Beauty

Steve Martin's latest novel, An Object of Beauty takes into the world of art; the gallery owners, museums and collectors. Daniel Franks and Lacey Yeager met in college, not really lovers but lifelong friends. She is eager to move up and have her own gallery one day. This is Lacey's story as seen through the eyes of Daniel. I found the novel to be fascinating and enjoyable. I really liked how in depth Martin got with the art world and the people in it.

1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Easy Read & Entertaining

This book is no Shop Girl, but it still was enjoyable. Even though the protaganist is not the most likealbe person, I still found myself wanting her to succeed.

Couldnt put it down! But don't get on nook!!

Loved this book. sad it's over. Do yourself a fsvor thiugh and read the actual book. There are 20ish color images of the art mentioned in the book, and seeing those, in color snd at the size he intended in thr book was very helpful. I reserved a copy from our library and only had to wait a week or so to get it.

Sorry Nook, you lose on this one.

Martin has done better

I have liked Steve Martin's books in the past. There was humor and human insight and enough reality inside small but interesting stories. So I ordered this book expecting a light but insightful read. Not so much. There is a lot about art and the New York art world and those people who must own valuable pieces to complete themselves or their quests. And of deception and greed and doing whatever it takes to get what one wants. But the story did not move with enough pace or enough energy. The narrator was too distant and hard to distinguish. The main character was, well, just sleazy---though "artsy". And so on. It only became interesting in the end when all of the earlier events began to reveal their import and come together. The very end. Too late for me.

Gossipy Read

Nicely turned out book - a bit of gossip and intrigue and a good amount of art. Felt a bit like an art lesson mixed in. Very different, but not snobby in the least.

Bad

Wost book ive ever read

0 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

quite good

I really enjoyed this book.

0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Enjoyed the art - disliked the characters

The art parts were interesting, the characters were not, and the plot was dull.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

The Art World

This an intriguing look into the art world and its many personalities and characters.
I've always enjoyed this author's books and this was no disappointment.

not for everyone, but it was for me

if you are interested in art and want to think, this is for you.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Loved It!

Steve Martin returns to wild and crazy in a formulaic, slapstick tale of an art critic without a clue learning the art of life and love from a ruthless young woman on the make. Oh yeah, and the guy is really, really, stupid. Well, sort of. Perhaps only in terms of expectations. Seriously, this is my favorite type of book: one that takes me to places I haven't been. In this case, an absurd world focused on "converting objects of beauty into objects of value." It is written with intelligence and wit. Perhaps some day first editions will sell for sums only those beyond wealthy can afford. Those of us who converted to e-books will feel pretty foolish then. All we'll have is the memory of enjoying a great read.

Fantastic

Just enough fact to being you to believe this story could possibly be true! Great read

Beautiful writing,terrible story.

The story is so weak,that even Martin's beautifully simplistic writing technique cannot save it. The main character is distant and you're left wondering when the story will FINALLY pick up, and it never does. Frankly, it was forgettable and a wast of time.

Loved it

No text was provided for this review.