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The Forest Lover
The Forest Lover
Author: Susan Vreeland
In her acclaimed novels, Susan Vreeland has given us portraits of painting and life that are as dazzling as their artistic subjects. Now, in The Forest Lover, she traces the courageous life and career of Emily Carr, who—more than Georgia O’Keeffe or Frida Kahlo—blazed a path for modern women artists. Overcoming the co...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780143034308
ISBN-10: 0143034308
Publication Date: 11/30/2004
Pages: 464
Rating:
  • Currently 3.6/5 Stars.
 56

3.6 stars, based on 56 ratings
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

jscrappy avatar reviewed The Forest Lover on + 59 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 7
Although Vreeland's Girl in Hyacinth Blue remains my favorite, I walso enjoyed this look at the life of Emily Carr, a Canadian painter I had never heard of before. Vreeland vividly describes Carr's passion for capturing the vanishing art of the Indians of British Columbia and her desire to find her own vision as an artist. The Native American characters in the book are poignant but dignified, and the sorrow of their fractured culture runs as an undercurrent through the entire book. Carr's character is well-drawn, particularly as she ages and questions the value of all she has worked for. I like the way Vreeland writes about art.
CozyLover avatar reviewed The Forest Lover on + 335 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
When I bought this book I really had no idea what it was about. The title and cover were what intrigued me. It turned out to be a truly excellent book, based on the life of Canadian artist Emily Carr who lived during the Victorian era. Truly magnificent.
reviewed The Forest Lover on + 9 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
Although I liked Vreeland's other books ("Girl in Hyacinth Blue" was wonderful), I just couldn't get into this one. It seemed too strident, too preachy, too SOMETHING>
reviewed The Forest Lover on + 216 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
I love Susan Vreeland's books and for some reason I hadn't read this before. I feel like this is her best. Emily, an artist in British Columbia, in the first decades of the twentieth century, has great depth of character, the focus on the Fauvist art movements and native Canadian tribal issues and artwork are well-researched and worked into a novel well.
reviewed The Forest Lover on
Helpful Score: 3
I read this book through to the end, thinking it was a true story of the life of an unusual artist, and I suppose much of it is true. However, I felt outraged to learn--was it in the foreword, or at the end of the book?--that the whole story of the love affair with the French fur trader had been made up. That, and something in the tone of the writing, spoiled it for me, though I will admit that I enjoyed reading some of the parts that discussed the artist's technique.
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reviewed The Forest Lover on + 14 more book reviews
WONDERFUL BOOK. TAKES YOU INTO THE LIFE OF EMILY CARR AND THE NATIVE TRIBES OF CANADA
canadianeh avatar reviewed The Forest Lover on + 242 more book reviews
The more I listened to this autobiographical tale, the more I was drawn into it. Little is known of the life of Emily Carr, but this story could be real. Emily Carr was captivated by the spirit of the natural world in British Columbia and the indigenous people who lived there, both of which were regarded as having nothing of value by the newcomers to the province. The forest that she loved was wanted only for its timber, as it is today. The people that lived there were worthless, dirty, heathens to be Westernized by missionaries. Only in the east and Europe was she accepted as a genius artist. She was accepted by the artists of the Group of Seven, Canada's internationally acclaimed painters. This story does much to imbue us with the spirit of her love for the woodlands and the woodland people and of her struggles for recognition for herself and the people whose world she loved.
zenzib avatar reviewed The Forest Lover on + 2 more book reviews
Wonderful story of an artist in British Columbia. Love reading about her experiences and creativity.


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