What I Loved by Siri Hustvedt

“Set in the art world of New York over a 25-year period, What I Loved uses art as a focal point for examining relationships. Written in the style of a memoir by its main character, art historian Leo, it is a narrative about family, friendship, love, and loss. Leo buys a painting by an artist, Bill, and he, Bill, and their families become intertwined for decades. They end up living in the same building and vacation together.

What starts as a dreamy, even-paced story breaks into a mad run as lives unravel over time. Ironically, as Leo loses his eyesight, he gains more insight about the deeper meaning of his life and the constellation of people surrounding him.

A painting can catch the purity of a moment. However, that purity cannot be held. Ever evolving, the moments of anticipation, discovery, and hope turn to death, duplicity, and disillusionment.”

— Dev