Book Title : The Optickal Illusion
Book Author : Rachel Halliburton
My Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Exptected Publication Date : February 8th 2018
With such a clever title, this is indeed a clever book.
A historical fiction that is based on the scandal that happened in the 1700’s concerning the British Royal Academy when Benjamin West, an American, was its President.
How did I come to know all of this? Why reading this book of course and the googling I had to do. That’s one of the reasons I totally love Historical Fiction. There is bound to be something new to learn.
This was an art-focused book. Lots of talk about it. The paintings, the painters, the techniques used. For an art lover, it was really enjoyable to read.
My main concern and drawback was the number of characters involved. I sometimes got lost as to who is who, and whether that person added anything significant to the plotline.
We are also taken back and forth into the story a lot. Benjamin’s past and how he had moved to America. Part of the plotline as well.
As much as I enjoyed it, I had a mini issue with the way the story was told. I wished we were in the act rather than talked at a later time about it. Get what I mean? This had me a bit disconnected from the story.
But overall, it’s an entertaining read. I’d totally recommend this for peeps who are interested in art and the eighteenth century.
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