Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Chasing Beauty:
An old school influencer.
Quick synopsis:
A biography of Isabella Stewart Gardner who created a popular museum in her own name.
Fact for Non-History People:
In the 1800s, Washington D.C. was a popular honeymoon destination.
Fact for History Nerds:
Isabella’s museum was the site of the infamous 1990 heist where 13 works of art were stolen.
My Take on Chasing Beauty:
Let me make a quick confession. I just don’t find Isabella Stewart Gardner all that compelling. I don’t have a particular issue with her. She seems to have been a decent human for the most part even though it is clear that she probably had some self-entitlement issues as someone who grew up with (and married into) enormous wealth. However, two other famous names come up in this book, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Abigail Adams. I couldn’t help but compare and I found that Isabella paled in comparison. Someone more well versed in art and fashion may heartily disagree with my assessment of her. I absolutely concede this is my opinion and not a fact.
At this point, you must assume that I am not recommending Chasing Beauty. In fact, I very much recommend this book. Somehow, although I could not personally connect with Gardner, author Natalie Dykstra made me totally okay with reading on anyway. Her meticulous research and ability to stick to the interesting or emotional beats of Gardner’s life made it an easy read. If this seems totally surprising, well, then welcome to my world because I am shocked, too. But here we are!
In summary, if you are into art and fashion, you should definitely read this book. If you are not the target audience like me, you won’t be mad if you sat down with this book anyway.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Mariner Books.)
Verdict:
A very well-written biography. Buy it here!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.