The Center of the World, Thomas Van Essen
The Center of the World, Thomas Van Essen
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The Center of the World

Author: Thomas Van Essen

Narrator: various readers

Unabridged: 9 hr 53 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/04/2013

Categories: Fiction


Synopsis

Alternating between nineteenth century Europe and present-day New England, the narrative follows the great British painter J. M. W. Turner and his scene of artists, intellectuals, and lovers; and Henry, a middle-aged family man whose otherwise mundane existence is disrupted by the discovery of The Center of the World, Turners controversial painting of Helen of Troy that had been thought to be lost forever. This transcendently beautiful painting was so erotic that it was hidden away and supposedly destroyed until Henry happens to stumble upon it while vacationing at his summer home in the Adirondacks. Now in possession of an object of unimaginable value, Henry finds himself torn between wanting to sell the work and keeping something of beauty in his life. Returning to the nineteenth century, the reader follows the creation of the painting and learns more about Turners beliefs, technique, manner, and indecorous affairs. Filled with sex, beauty, and love (of all kinds), this novel explores the ever-evolving role of art in our lives.

About Thomas Van Essen

Thomas Van Essen graduated from Sarah Lawrence College and earned his PhD in English from Rutgers University. He lives in New Jersey with his family. The Center of the World is his first novel.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Rich on May 09, 2013

The Center of the World is the story of a painting that doesn't exist - but by the time I turned the last page, I wished it did. The painting in question bears the same title as the novel, and it is a work of both erotic power and remarkable beauty and detail. Thomas Van Essen leads us, deliberately......more

Goodreads review by Anastasia on June 22, 2014

I'm a half-rabid Turner fan and ran across a mention of this book in the general info swirling around Mike Leigh's biopic coming to the US soon: Mr Turner. It won the Palme d'Or at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. So I was expecting too much, something akin to standing in front of a Turner in a quiet......more

Goodreads review by Brian on May 14, 2017

In preparation for seeing the JMW Turner paintings in the Tate in London I went to the library site to find a book about him. I found this. It is a nicely constructed story of a secret painting and its provenance from the time it was painted till now. An absorbing audiobook that was part historic fi......more

Goodreads review by Ricki on July 05, 2013

This week I read The Center of the World by Thomas Van Essen. When asked about his inspiration for writing the novel, Van Essen answered that while in a nineteenth century nonfiction graduate course, his professor related a story about Ruskin supposedly burning J.M.W. Turner's erotic sketches. Van E......more

Goodreads review by Danielle on April 14, 2013

The Center of the World is a sweeping tale about a fictional painting of the same name by J.M.W. Turner depicting an erotic scene of Helen of Troy. The story shifts back and forth from 19th century England where we witness the creation of the painting and present day New England where a married man......more