Bought this today at Half-Price Books. I just love everything I've read by this author.

Plan to read soon......

A fake autobiography.... Great, as to be expected from this author..... it does remind me a bit of Mother Night, especially towards the end.
Vonnegut's later works begin to show me a lot of "real-life" stuff; although there are many artists throughout his family (including his son Mark the doctor, who's done watercolor exhibitions), and he himself was very good at drawing, this is the first of his works I've encountered that delved into the world and business of painting.

Am hoping to RABCK this to somebody, and will go fishing ASAP......

Am sending this to Judyslump612 - enjoy!

A most gracious gift from an excellent friend and BookCrosser. Thank you, BigJohn!

This was published in 1987, so it's a bit more linear than some of his later work. But if you just picked up the book, without seeing the cover, and read a page at random, you would have no difficulty guessing Vonnegut as the author. If you like his work, of course, that's a good thing.

I'm not sure how the Bluebeard story enters into this. The narrator, Rabo Karabekian, does have something hidden behind a locked door, but it's not really a terrible secret. And he's also on the receiving end. The artist whose apprentice he is says "Your loving Papa asked just one thing of you as an expression of your loyalty: 'Never go into the Museum of Modern Art.'" Of course he does that, and of course there are consequences.

The most interesting character, to me, was Circe Berman, who walks into Karabekian's life at the beginning of the book. Like her namesake, she seems to be a transformative enchantress, manipulating him into revisiting and changing many of his decisions and attitudes. I didn't like her much, probably due to my own attitude to change.

I agree with BigJohnLefty that this reminded me of Mother Night, and also that I liked the background of artists and painting. I enjoyed reading it, and I'm happy to be sharing it with another BookCrosser who's another Vonnegut fan.

Sent to Ellastix in grateful appreciation of her willingness to send me a very interesting book by an Australian author.

The fabulous Bluebeard and his companion have arrived here in Perth. Thank you so much, JudySlump612. This is a Vonnegut I am yet to read, and, as a painter, I'm keen to get into it after reading your reviews. Thanks!