Book reviews from billy-perry

Shadow Tag

by Louise Erdrich

A plot that delves into the nexus of French and American fine arts, perennial relationship challenges, and Native American culture. Gripping page turner finished in one night. There is an ennui only a suffering wife and martyred mother could understand the intrigue of emotional blackmail, with a backdrop of alcoholism and domestic violence, the turning of the tables and the sadistic vicious cycles that ensue. Lots of twists with a provocative allegorical grand finale.

Crocker Art Gallery: Catalogue of Collections

by Crocker Art Gallery

At 150 pages and large scale, this catalog is generous compared to the average pocket guide. Although I love the many full page color plates with their detailed and informative annotations as a plus, the fact that many BW plates should have been in color is a defect. It is organized by period and by geography and that can feel a little arbitrary as well but still in some ways intuitive. What this 1964 guide does best is reveal a very distinct 15 year period (to 1979) in the collection's lifespan, both in its composition and its mission in the community, especially prior to the 2010 expansion. It is very nostalgic for anyone who lived in Sacramento at that time. It also contains many works that have cycled out of circulation as well as the perennials.