Title: The Blazing World
Author: Siri Hustvedt
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Literary Fiction, Art
Year of Publication: 2014
Date of Publication: March 11, 2014
Pages: 384
ISBN-10: 1476747245
ISBN-13: 978-1476747248
Summary of The Blazing World by Siri Hustvedt
The Blazing World is a novel about the life of Harriet Burden, an artist who feels overlooked in the male-dominated art world.
Harriet was married to a famous New York art dealer. Frustrated by the lack of recognition, Harriet creates a bold experiment, a hoax if you will: she exhibits her work under the names of three male artists to test how gender biases shape perception.
The idea was that at the end of the exhibition, it would be announced that the works are actually Harriet’s and not those of the male artists. But things did not go as planned. The third of the three artists becomes problematic.
The book is written posthumously, so as a reader, you understand that Harriet Burden is dead and she did not receive the recognition during her lifetime.
Main Themes
The novel is about gender inequality and the nature of artistic expression. It looks at how societal biases influence the perception of art and the struggle for visibility faced by women in male-dominated fields.
Writing Style
Siri Hustvedt tells the story from multiple perspectives. Harriet’s story is told through the perspective of her daughter, her friend Rachel, her psychotherapist, associates in the art world, and her lover Bruno.
Harriet herself wrote a series of journal entries, one for each letter of the alphabet. Some of the journal entries are missing but we get to read a number of the book. The book also includes statements, reviews and interviews from people who knew her.
What makes it all very interesting is that although this is a fictional book, it is written as though it is non-fiction. It is also a very educational book and if you are someone who is interested in contemporary art, you would definitely learn a lot and find this a good read.
Impact of The Blazing World
The novel sparks conversations about the role of women in art and the challenges of challenging entrenched power dynamics.
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