An Object of Beauty: A Novel [Hardcover]

'Steve Martin...on the evidence of this book seems to be almost indecently multi-talented...Martin cunningly mixes the work of real artists with those of his own invention... it has something of The Great Gatsby about it...An Object of Beauty is an impressive and enjoyable book. The real protagonists of the novel are Art and Money - and the love affair between them' THE SUNDAY TIMES 'Substantial and profound...Martin casts the same sharp eye over Lacey's manipulation of her lovers as over her manipulation of the market. He launches a blistering attack on the banalities of conceptual art - not least when a billionaire collector grabs a Joseph Beuys Felt Suit from his wall after his tuxedo is stained. This is a rich and illuminating novel that neither relies on nor suffers from its author's celebrity status.' DAILY MAIL 'Funny man Steve Martin proves his literary mettle with this genuinely good novel examining the New York art world. Following a young intern determined to conquer the scene, it charts the complexities and absurdities of art-centric Manhattan. Think The Devil Wears Prada with paintbrushes.' GRAZIA '[An Object of Beauty] has something intelligent to say about how taste and collecting have changed over the past ten years and how the easily understandable movements of the Sixties and Seventies have given way to the pluralism today, where anything goes. It shows how absurd most collectors and curators have become in their attempts to keep abreast of this shifting scene where money is no more real than the art it helps to buy.' THE SPECTATOR 'Lacey is a wonderfully enigmatic heroine...Martin sketches his characters deftly, evoking their world with ease...But the real objects of beauty are the art works themselves. Described lovingly, and illustrated with colour plates, it is evident why this medium is a passion for our characters and the author himself. Martin is illuminating and informative and has many a wise word...those with no prior interest in art should also reach the final page enlightened and captivated' DAILY EXPRESS 'Glistening with glamour, intrigue, ambition and betrayal, Steve Martin's (yes, the actor) novel is intoxicating.' EASY LIVING 'The expertise of Martin is dazzingly in evidence here...it is thoroughly delightful, evoking a vanished gilded age' NEW YORK TIMES 'a look behind the scenes of the New York art world. Charting the rise of glamorous Lacey Yeager it lifts the curtain on what drives collectors... a wry perceptive and properly told story from an insider and a fan.' ELLE 'Best known for classic films such as Parenthood and L.A. Story, Steve Martin is also an accomplished writer. His latest novel tells the story of ambitious Lacey Yeager, who's determined to crack the New York art world. However, her bubble looks set to burst as a secret from her past threatens to destroy everything she's worked for.' STAR (5 star review) 'An Object of Beauty charts the hedonistic and ugly underbelly of the New York art scene over the last 20 years. Slyly navigating its choppy waters is Lucy Yeager, an ambitious self-involved art seller who could enter a room 'with the pizzazz of a Broadway star'. The book bursts at the seams with research, from varnishes to price tags... and the scene's beauty, fetishisms and absurdities are all neatly captured.' METRO 'This novel deftly tracks the story of an antiheroine shimmying her way up the social ladder in the Nineties New York art scene. The chapters skip by and Martin's writing is shot through with an addictive dry wit.' SHORTLIST 'an extraordinarily insightful exploration of the New York art market, and just how money, greed and criminality infuse it to the core...you can't help but be completely beguiled by Martin's quiet authority.' DAILY MIRROR 'He writes prose like he plucks a banjo: pitch-perfect' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY 'Object clearly owes an inspirational debt to both The Great Gatsby and Breakfast at Tiffany's, proving that Martin's good taste in literature rivals his good taste in art.' THE SCOTSMAN 'The author himself is a longtime collector and is clearly at home with the egos, machinations and downright insanity of that world and he provides a pitch perfect backdrop...Steve Martin is a talented writer and his knowledge of the art world means this book has a great behind-the-scenes feel to it' SUNDAY EXPRESS 'Martin is a well known art collector himself and his insider knowledge of this world is wonderfully realised in the fine detailing throughout the book. Although an incredibly easy and enjoyable read it does have some darker and more universally resonant undertones...art is not considered a thing of beauty but a commodity bought by idiots and sold by unscrupulous brokers. Pop art, as the saying almost goes, will indeed eat itself.' TIME OUT 'Lacey Yeager uses everything at her disposal to advance from a junior post at Sotheby's to owning her art gallery in New York. A winning novel from actor turned novelist Steve Martin.' WOMAN & HOME 'A tale of glamour, subterfuge and modern art from comedian, actor and art collector Steve Martin...Using his insider knowledge, Martin paints the glittery surfaces of this elite world with panache, but also reveals the rot beneath as economies, personal morality and the value of contemporary art take a tumble into the dirt.' MARIE CLAIRE 'Martin's talent is for capturing the personalities and machinations that characterize the art world, which he does deftly... An Object of Beauty is clearly the work of a connoisseur' TLS 'Steve Martin engages the reader with knowledge (he's an avid art collector) and a dry wit.' CHOICE 'Martin's career as a novelist is going from strength to strength, and his new book, about a young woman making her way in the absurd New York art scene, is a well-observed joy.' HEAT 'An Object of Beauty is the tale of eager young thing Lacey Yeager who trades her way up from Sotheby's basement to a space of her own via some dodgy dealing,a rich collector as a lover and association with a rising star artist exquisitly named Pilot Mouse. It is an engaging story peppered with real world references... Martin has set out to examine the zeitgeist, and mores of the bourgoisie through the flawed protagonist, as did Wharton.' THE ART NEWSPAPER --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Lacey Yeager is young, captivating, and ambitious enough to take the NYC art world by storm. Groomed at Sotheby's and hungry to keep climbing the social and career ladders put before her, Lacey charms men and women, old and young, rich and even richer with her magnetic charisma and liveliness. Her ascension to the highest tiers of the city parallel the soaring heights--and, at times, the dark lows--of the art world and the country from the late 1990s through today.