Based on a true story, this gorgeous novel follows the fortunes of three Berliners caught up in an art scandal—involving newly discovered van Goghs—that rocks Germany amid the Nazis’ rise to power.In the turbulent years between the wars, nothing in Berlin is quite what it seems. Not for Emmeline, a wayward young artist freewheeling wildly through the city in search of meaning. Not for Julius, an … search of meaning. Not for Julius, an eminent art connoisseur who finds it easier to love paintings than people. And most definitely not for Frank, a Jewish lawyer who must find a way to protect his family and his principles as the Nazis begin their rise to power.
But the greatest enigma of them all is Matthias, the mercurial art dealer who connects them all. Charming and ambitious, he will provoke a scandal—involving newly discovered paintings by Vincent van Gogh—that turns all of their lives upside down.
Inspired by true events, this brilliant, humane novel peels back the cherished illusions that sustain us to reveal the truths beneath. A book about beauty and justice, vanity and self-delusion, it asks: Do we see only what we want to see? Even in the full light of the sun?
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“In the Full Light of the Sun” is one of those novels that are so beautifully written and meticulously researched, you’ll forget that you’re actually reading a book and will feel yourself transported back in time. The story itself is fascinating. An art critic, a humble art dealer hoping to make a name for himself, a young artist searching for her path in life, and the greatest scandal with forged Van Gogh paintings that unites them all – you just can’t ask for more intrigue than that!
But it wasn’t just the plot that made me so infatuated with this novel; more than anything I enjoyed the portrayal of the characters, the sketches of Weimar Germany’s everyday life, the scenes which were so well put-together they appeared genius in their seeming ordinariness. The smell of Emmeline’s coworker’s sandwich, the voice and a smile of Dora’s elderly grandmother, the vividness of the color on Van Gogh’s pictures in Rachmann’s gallery, the gentle rocking of a train – every single detail comes alive in this novel, and it takes some great talent to create such vivid settings!
I also appreciated the story being told from different points of view: Julius Köhler-Schultz’s, Emmeline’s, and Frank’s. It was fascinating getting to know each; however, Emmeline quickly became my favorite with her fierce, unapologetic personality and huge, loving heart. The scenes with Dora’s grandmother were so very emotional, they touched me to the core, just like most of Frank’s diary, which was definitely the most difficult to read emotionally-wise due to all the horrors the poor man found himself facing in the new, Hitler’s Germany.
The historical setting was immaculately researched and presented; the characters came alive with every page; the prose itself was imaginative and incredibly vivid – I really can’t recommend this novel highly enough! This is one of the books that I shall definitely be re-reading in the future.
A completely fascinating novel about the early 20th century art world and its many dubious machinations. Expertly researched, compellingly narrated and full of potent resonance today.
I loved In the Full Light of the Sun, a novel about deception, self-deception, truth, love and lies that will enthrall anyone fascinated by Van Gogh, the art world and Berlin in the 1920s. Written with verve and assurance it is both engaging and humane.
A wonderful novel: passionate, intelligent, humane, it held me from the first page to the last. Van Gogh’s fleeting genius—achingly out of reach, the pull so strong—is wonderfully evoked; and the house of cards that was the Weimar Republic provides the perfectly rendered backdrop for a story about our willingness to deceive in the pursuit of beauty.
Clare Clark casts her spell of time and place with casual elegance and no apparent tricks – yet caught me up in this juicy story of colossal art fraud, the passions and intrigues of her vivid and moving characters – and the truly terrifying rise of the Nazi party, with all its contemporary echoes. The atmosphere of this book lingers on.