read: The Sun, the Moon, & the Stars (4 stars)

The Sun, the Moon, & the Stars by Steven Brust
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this based on the recommendations from several authors. I share their high opinion about the insights it portrays into the creative process and the creative mind. There isn't much story here, but the characterizations and the framing devices keep things moving and interesting.

I give it high marks for overall theme and structure. The intermingling of the current tale with a Hungarian folk tale and even the subject matter of the painting the narrator is working on is pretty brilliant.

On the other hand, the writing might be a little too self-aware, even for a first-person narrative. It's also somewhat awkward and clunky at times. There's nothing I can really put my finger on. Maybe it just felt a little dated. For something written in the 1980s, it had more of a 1970s feel.

I'd still recommend it, especially to creative types: writers, artists, musicians. The ruminations and discussions on what art is and how it is produced are thought provoking and worth the read. I might even re-read this, as other authors do, when I need reminding of why we do art.

View all my reviews on Goodreads