I was giddy with excitement when Mary Martin contacted me to ask if I would review her latest book before it goes to print, The Fate of Pryde, book two in The Trilogy of Remembrance. "Of course, I would be thrilled!" Was my immediate response. As a reviewer it has been an honor to read and remark on Mary's work.
I was first introduced to Mary Martin's writing when I interviewed her for a Writers In The Sky Podcast about The Drawing Lesson which was book one in this series. Mary's work is superb and she gave me one of the most enjoyable interview experiences I have had. That interview aired on 8/27/10. Since that time, Mary has become one of my favorite authors.
Mary E. Martin is the author of two trilogies The Osgoode Trilogy set in the corridors of power in the world of the law, and The Trilogy of Remembrance set midst the glitter and shadows of the art world.
The Fate of Pryde more than lives up to its predecessor in The Trilogy of Remembrance. If you are a lover of words, ideas, and beauty; if you enjoy concepts and abstraction; if you, like me, want a book that will make you pause and look up, caught by some nuance of thought-seed carefully planted by the author, you will appreciate The Trilogy of Remembrance.
Now, on to my review . . .
The Fate of Pryde: The Trilogy of Remembrance,
by Mary Martin
Series: Trilogy of Remembrance
Paperback: 334 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (November 8, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1466263814
ISBN-13: 978-1466263819
With incredible depth of empathy, Mary Martin once again captivates our imaginations and transports us into the heart of artistry. In The Fate of Pryde, part two of The Trilogy of Remembrance, we return to the art world of Alexander Wainwright. Flushed with the success of his recent artistic breakthrough in The Drawing Lesson, Alex finds himself courted and commissioned to create a piece of stained glass for wealthy philanthropist, Jonathan Pryde.
Pryde is a man of immense wealth and power in the art world. Artists, museum boards, and critics alike bend before him. Pryde is a collector and a connoisseur of the artistic vision and Alex’s unique visionary gifts have caught his fascination. Pryde pursues Alex, challenging him both on a personal and a professional level. The further Alex moves into Pryde’s world the more the reader comes to realize that Pryde is dangerously fixated on the source of creative vision, Alex’s vision. Pryde’s desire to understand and to be understood by Alex becomes both a blessing and a source of danger to the artist. There is something not quite right about Jonathan Pryde, but Alex finds himself curiously drawn deeper into the man’s world. What they learn from each other and what they discover about artistic vision is the mystery that surrounds The Fate of Pryde.
Martin understands the healing potential of creativity and art. In The Fate of Pryde she explores the dichotomy of light and darkness and the power of creativity to both reveal and heal what hides within the soul of man. Martin uses the power of creativity as both an antagonistic force, to torment the mind and as a balm for the exploration and healing of her characters. Alex and Pryde both worship at the altar of artistic vision; Alex with open curiosity as a witness to life’s fullness, and Pryde with tormented longing and obsessive desire. Both men are driven forward by their hunger for creative vision. They each struggle in their own way to find a balancing place, one basking in the revelatory healing light vision brings, and the other seeking vision for absolution and redemption. What one man knows the other has yet to discover.
The artistic vision which infuses Mary Martin’s work is pure genius. Her story adeptly illuminates aspects of the human psyche and ego needs, bringing to man’s inner darkness the purifying light of awareness. The Fate of Pryde is a provocative and insightful work of art. I loved it!
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I was first introduced to Mary Martin's writing when I interviewed her for a Writers In The Sky Podcast about The Drawing Lesson which was book one in this series. Mary's work is superb and she gave me one of the most enjoyable interview experiences I have had. That interview aired on 8/27/10. Since that time, Mary has become one of my favorite authors.
Mary E. Martin is the author of two trilogies The Osgoode Trilogy set in the corridors of power in the world of the law, and The Trilogy of Remembrance set midst the glitter and shadows of the art world.
The Fate of Pryde more than lives up to its predecessor in The Trilogy of Remembrance. If you are a lover of words, ideas, and beauty; if you enjoy concepts and abstraction; if you, like me, want a book that will make you pause and look up, caught by some nuance of thought-seed carefully planted by the author, you will appreciate The Trilogy of Remembrance.
The Fate of Pryde will first be available on Create Space in the early fall and later through Smashwords; which gives you plenty of time to read part one, The Drawing Lesson.
Now, on to my review . . .
The Fate of Pryde: The Trilogy of Remembrance,
by Mary Martin
Series: Trilogy of Remembrance
Paperback: 334 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (November 8, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1466263814
ISBN-13: 978-1466263819
With incredible depth of empathy, Mary Martin once again captivates our imaginations and transports us into the heart of artistry. In The Fate of Pryde, part two of The Trilogy of Remembrance, we return to the art world of Alexander Wainwright. Flushed with the success of his recent artistic breakthrough in The Drawing Lesson, Alex finds himself courted and commissioned to create a piece of stained glass for wealthy philanthropist, Jonathan Pryde.
Pryde is a man of immense wealth and power in the art world. Artists, museum boards, and critics alike bend before him. Pryde is a collector and a connoisseur of the artistic vision and Alex’s unique visionary gifts have caught his fascination. Pryde pursues Alex, challenging him both on a personal and a professional level. The further Alex moves into Pryde’s world the more the reader comes to realize that Pryde is dangerously fixated on the source of creative vision, Alex’s vision. Pryde’s desire to understand and to be understood by Alex becomes both a blessing and a source of danger to the artist. There is something not quite right about Jonathan Pryde, but Alex finds himself curiously drawn deeper into the man’s world. What they learn from each other and what they discover about artistic vision is the mystery that surrounds The Fate of Pryde.
Martin understands the healing potential of creativity and art. In The Fate of Pryde she explores the dichotomy of light and darkness and the power of creativity to both reveal and heal what hides within the soul of man. Martin uses the power of creativity as both an antagonistic force, to torment the mind and as a balm for the exploration and healing of her characters. Alex and Pryde both worship at the altar of artistic vision; Alex with open curiosity as a witness to life’s fullness, and Pryde with tormented longing and obsessive desire. Both men are driven forward by their hunger for creative vision. They each struggle in their own way to find a balancing place, one basking in the revelatory healing light vision brings, and the other seeking vision for absolution and redemption. What one man knows the other has yet to discover.
The artistic vision which infuses Mary Martin’s work is pure genius. Her story adeptly illuminates aspects of the human psyche and ego needs, bringing to man’s inner darkness the purifying light of awareness. The Fate of Pryde is a provocative and insightful work of art. I loved it!
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