Grateful for Books: The Opposite of Art

Sunday November 13, 2011

A great artist is cast into the icy Harlem River by a hit-and-run driver.

His heart stops.

He sees something that defies description.

Presumed dead by all who knew him and obsessed with desire to paint the inexpressible, he embarks on a pilgrimage to seek help from holy men around the globe.

After a quarter of a century, when the world begins to whisper that he may be alive, two people come looking for the artist: the daughter he never knew existed, and the murderer who hit him on the bridge all those years ago.

Doesn’t that sound like a fascinating read?

I’m reviewing Athol Dickson’s The Opposite of Art today, and it’s one of those books I’m thankful for in this month of gratitude.

Athol Dickson’s fiction has been favorably compared to the work of Flannery O’Connor (The New York Times), Octavia Butler (Publisher’s Weekly), and Daphne du Maurier (Cindy Crosby, Christianity Today fiction critic). He’s a three time Christy Award winner, and my favorite novel of his is The Cure.

I’m thankful for The Opposite of Art not because it was an easy novel or a quick, fluffy read—I’m thankful because it made me think. There were sections I pored over and sections, I’ll admit, I skimmed through. But the bottom line was, I was in search of treasure and I turned page after page, convinced I’d find it when Dickson’s main character did.

Last month I read a post on Novel Rocket by Athol Dickson entitled Why I Will Not Sell My Novel. It’s about art and writing as a calling and the problem of platform and marketing that authors so often face. It was fascinating. It’s clear that Dickson feels called to write and he pours all of himself into his words.

I mentioned that The Cure was one of my favorites from this author, and I still personally rank it above The Opposite of Art. But I’m glad I read it. It was a journey, an experience.

I’m thankful for books that make me think.
And the authors who pen them.

I received a copy of this book as part of Glass Road PR Bloggers program, but the opinions above are my own.

Check back tomorrow - I'm surrounded with gratitude this month, and I'm determined to share that focus with you.