Negative Positive
Title: A novel of the attraction, and strangeness, of genius.
Review: Set in colonial New England, this is the story of a talented but conventional portrait painter (trained in England) who encounters a child prodigy, a young girl who paints brilliant but often bizarre pictures. The early scene in which Daniel Sanborn first watches Rebecca Wentworth paint is remarkable. The author conveys both the attraction of genius, of superlative ability, and also the degree to which its originality can be deeply disconcerting.Begiebing's earlier novel, The Adventures of Allegra Fullerton, also featured a woman artist, and the books share a concern with the opportunities afforded women in two different eras of American history.
Is the review positive or negative? 