Customer Reviews

Unveiling: A Novel

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Ms. Wolfe is a very gifted writer. Her words and prhases are thoughtfully chosen although they have a spontaneous and conversational tone that similar to gifted syarn spinners sharing a freas tale with a group of close friends. The characters she develops are wonderfully human , yet strongly defined. I am impressed with the writer's ability to teach readers so much about the beauty and mystery of art along with the tecnicalites of restoraton while simultaneously drawing us into the persons and plot of the story. For me this is a story about a persons confrontation of her deepest yearnings for "the more" of that msystery that transforms existence into a life that thrives. A very enjoyable read. Thank you Ms. Wolfe. Keeep on writing for us.

Like other reviewers, I was somewhat disappointed. The concept - an art restorer restores her life at the same time as she restores an art piece, the Lamentation - has great potential, but the author doesn't quite get there. Perhaps it is partly because her main character is so passive. Even when she's active she's passive - she opposes the expectations placed on her to misidentify the picture for political reasons by her decision to let the evidence carry her wherever it leads, and when sacked for not coming up with the right answer she "goes quietly". She finds love with a good man, but again responds passively to his advances, and there is no real exploration of the emotional shifts involved in her participating in this relationship.

The investigation of the mystery of the painting's origin isn't given the space it deserves, and is summed up in a presentation by the main character at the end, giving too much resolution without much tension having been built up.

Two of the characters (Pia and Nigel) are more like parts of the setting that happen to have lines than realized characters. I would have liked to follow Pia to Belgium and hear about the process of her research, rather than having it summed up in Rachel's presentation at the end, and Nigel could have been dispensed with without any loss at all.

The details of art restoration were interesting, and the moral point about the importance of great works of religious art being retained as objects of devotion rather than converted into cultural commodities is a good one. But a good writing workshop could have made this a much stronger and more enjoyable novel.

This was a colorful, light read that I enjoyed, but unfortunately it made no impact on me as great novels usually do. Wolfe makes the book worth reading in all her detailed descriptions of Rome, the art her character encounters, and the profession of art restoration. Beyond that, I was slightly disappointed that the plot was somewhat weak and anticlimactic. I wish that the author would have expanded upon insights into the main character's emotions and history. Maybe if the book was longer the story could have been stronger. Some sub-plots and references are mentioned quickly and then left untouched, leaving me frustrated at the end of the story. Having read the book in one day and being a teenager, I must admit that the reading level seems below me even though there are some very adult subjects in it. Overall, I appreciated the novel but hope that in the future, Wolfe's writing style matches the content she chooses to include.

Written by English teacher Suzanne M. Wolfe, Unveiling is a Christian novel about a divorced woman working on an art restoration project. As she removes layers of grime from what may be a lost Flemish masterpiece of the Crucifixion, she gradually uncovers the misery that has been obscuring her soul - repressed emotion concerning not only her divorce, but also past sexual abuse and a forced abortion. The burdens of the past weigh upon her, but the dawning of faith and understanding help her in her search to restore what time, neglect, and harm have defiled, both externally and internally. A passionate and powerful novel especially recommended for readers of faith.

When I picked up this novel I expected some depth. What I found was a story that did not quench my apetite. I felt that it lacked real meat. The bones where there but I was not satisfied. I almost felt that wolfe was trying to be the next Dan Brown. However, she did not get to that point because there was not enough substance. Sorry Ms. Wolfe, I am sure (as your students inform us) that you are a great professor, but your book left me wanting more, and not as in a sequal.

I found Unveiling to be a very beautifully written book. The characters, content, and plot were lyrically, sensitively, and subtly rendered. I look forward to reading more of her work!

I saw this book while on a religious retreat and started reading it. It was good, clean, interesting historically. There was nothing heavy-duty about it. It has since been passed onto others.

This book is sold by a "Christian" Publisher. I did not find any Christian value or interest in this novel. There are even outside of marriage-sexual-undertones, definitely not characteristic of a Christian novel.

I found Rachel, the protagonist to be flat, dull and without personality.

There is also a major discrepancy in the book. I can't remember the exact chapter, but at one point Rachel's assistant Pia once again goes away from Rome to perform research in a different part of Europe. A few pages later, Pia, the assistant that went away to perform research is standing in Rome as part of a conversation. Did the editors and author not catch this? This bugs me in a published novel, such a simple mistake can make abook seem ill-written.

Definitely NOT a must read!

Just my 2 cents

Well I have not yet got a chance to read her book, but I must say this. I know Ms. Wolfe as my professor at Seattle Pacific University. If her book has any of the fire and enthusiasm that she displays everyday in her lectures, than this book will be one hot read. Congratulations Professor Wolfe!

In the beginning of the book there is a factual error that has me questining the validity of the rest of the information. It is impossible to fly direct from NY to Rome from LaGuardia Airport. LGA is a domestic airport in NYC with the shortest major commercial runway in the US. A direct flight to Rome would leave from JFK or Newark.

The rest of the book was interesting, but a bit thin.