Feast Your Eyes by Myla Goldberg β336 pages and Audio
ARC from Scribner in exchange for an honest review.
Book Blurb:
Feast Your Eyes, framed as the catalogue notes from a photography show at the Museum of Modern Art, tells the life story of Lillian Preston: βAmericaβs Worst Mother, Americaβs Bravest Mother, Americaβs Worst Photographer, or Americaβs Greatest Photographer, depending on who was talking.β After discovering photography as a teenager through her high schoolβs photo club, Lillian rejects her parentsβ expectations of college and marriage and moves to New York City in 1955. When a small gallery exhibits partially nude photographs of Lillian and her daughter Samantha, Lillian is arrested, thrust into the national spotlight, and targeted with an obscenity charge. Mother and daughterβs sudden notoriety changes the course of both of their lives and especially Lillianβs career as she continues a life-long quest for artistic legitimacy and recognition.
Narrated by Samantha,Β Feast Your EyesΒ reads as a collection of Samanthaβs memories, interviews with Lillianβs friends and lovers, and excerpts from Lillianβs journals and lettersβa collage of stories and impressions, together amounting to an astounding portrait of a mother and an artist dedicated, above all, to a vision of beauty, truth, and authenticity.
My Review: 4.5 stars
Feast Your Eyes is a book that will stick with me forever as it has altered the way IΒ view photography. I was introduced to Goldbergβs writing back in 2000 with Bee Season, and havenβt read anything of hers since. Something about this title and cover intrigued me and I was so glad to receive a copy from Scribner.
Honestly, I began reading this book, was totally hooked, and for whatever reason that I completely donβt recall, it got put aside. I saw it was available on audio so I picked up where I left off and was completely riveted. Huge kudos to the narrators who blew me away with their cadence and tone. This book reads in letters, diary entries and articles so one would think an audio version wouldnβt work, but alas, it did so beautifully.
Initially, this book brought on reminders of Dani Shapiroβs Black and White, which inexplicably is not up on my website. Goldberg takes this theme of mother photographer and daughter subject to a whole new level. Lillianβs role of photographer usurps her roles parent, friend and partner. Sheβs deeply committedΒ to the truth photography represents and somehow the reader can visualize every picture described. How this affects her daughter, Samantha, as a child, teen and adult, fluctuates as the novel progresses.
This book is more than just photography; I assure you. Everything from womenβs rights, the legal system, consent, abortion, stages of death, relationships and family. Never did I imagine a book predicated on photography could inspire such a powerful and eloquent book. Truly a life described through a camera lens. Brava!
Quotes I liked:
Once you can read, you can no longer open a book and see a jumble of letters; after you get to know someone’s face, you can’t see her as a stranger.β
βItβs funny how you donβt see something until you have to.β
βSometimes the people youβd expect to be important drift past like clouds, while the seemingly random types end up changing everything.β