4 out of 4 stars
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The Artist Spoke, by Ted Morrissey, is an interesting narration on the influence of literature within a society. When world-renown author Elizabeth Winters sends out a call for 753 participants for her new secret project called Logos, Chris jumps at the chance to join even though his participation sends cracks through his relationship. Before the event can begin, however, Elizabeth Winters unexpectedly dies in a plane crash. Conspiracies abound about how and why the death occurred, including the question of if it is real or a publicity stunt. Meanwhile, Logos moves forward and Chris soon meets a fellow participant called Beth who he feels an immediate connection to. As Chris and Beth spend more time together over the Logos weekend, Chris contemplates his life choices, relationships, the influence of literature over the centuries, and literature’s potential place in the future. Will Chris hold on to the past or look for potential in something new?
In all honesty, I initially had mixed feelings about this book. I would say that it’s more of a narration that’s heavy on introspection as opposed to a straightforward story and I was thrown off a bit by that. As I neared the end of the book and reflected on how everything played out, I realized that I actually loved the story. I found myself wanting to do deep analyses of the various aspects of the story such as the main character’s romanticizing of his relationships and the way he views women or the various methods that Elizabeth Winters employs to publish her works.
I especially found the concept of the new “Dark Ages” that the characters discuss to be particularly interesting. This is the idea that in today’s society there is an intense lack of interest in reading and literature in general while the world is simultaneously oversaturated with mass-produced books. The irony that I read this book on my phone for the ease of access was not lost on me.
The only negative I found is that the dialogue has no quotations marks around the spoken lines. I found this a bit confusing throughout and at times wasn’t sure initially if a line was an inner thought or spoken word. I saw no other negatives, especially with the story itself. I realize the long-winded nature of some of Chris’ thoughts may not appeal to all audiences, but I don’t count that as negative and, to me, that seemed to be the whole purpose.
I found minimal typos and believe this book was professionally edited. Based on all the positive aspects and the professional editing, I rate this book four out of four stars.
There are a few references to physical intimacy and several instances of strong language. Due to this, I would recommend this book for mature readers, especially those who love literature and recognize the need for continued arts throughout society.
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The Artist Spoke
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