Eventide: A Novel by Therese Bohman

(Thank you to Other Press for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

An astute novel following the life of an art professor at Stockholm University as she navigates the academic world, with its undercurrents of sexuality, competition, deceit, and fear

In her forties and childless, Karolina Andersson feels adrift living alone after the breakup of a long relationship. She finds fulfillment in her work, and when she starts advising a new postgraduate student, she is struck by his confidence. He claims to have discovered new materials from a female artist working around the turn of the century that would change the historiography of Swedish visual arts. Karolina soon finds herself embroiled in a game with unexpected complexities, both emotional and professional.

Eventide is a perceptive novel of ideas about love, art, and solitude in our time, and the distorted standards to which women are held in their relationships and their careers.

my thoughts:

An art professor in her forties who is single and pondering the quality of her life after ending a long-term relationship.  She considers what is the meaning and purpose of her life.  She notices the vast differences between her friends that are married with children and her own single, childless life.  She's having one-night stands, walks of shames, affairs with married men.  She feels lonely and drinks too much. Her sole focus is work, work, work.  And she begins to wonder if career over family was the right choice to make.

Talk about an arresting read! I absolutely LOVED Eventide by Therese Bohman. It was a melancholy tale chock full of art references that I enjoyed learning about and a character that I couldn't help but relate to.  The story explores loneliness, relationships, academia, gender wars, and so much more.  The writing was elegant, realistic, and mesmerizing.  I found myself captivated by this character study of a woman and her life in progress.  I loved reading her thoughts about her life, her work, her art, her affairs, etc..  And I loved when she found herself involved with a postgraduate student who claims to have discovered an unknown artist who will change the art world - he is smart, confident, pretentious, sexy, and irresistible to her.  Their relationship reawakens a passion in her that is fascinating to read about. Such a great story!!

I would happily recommend Eventide to fans of Bohman's books and anyone looking for their next great read - you will LOVE this book!!


Thank you to Other Press for providing me with a copy of this book!