A really interesting premise and wonderful execution. I really enjoyed reading this book. Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

This is an excellent read for anyone confronting any type of creative block or who enjoys indie shorts. The story follows three strangers who meet online and agree to help one another on their artistic paths. I suspect the advice and support they give each other would be helpful to anyone. So that's great, but I found the story itself to be lacking. The pacing definitely felt like it would do better for a mini series and was difficult to read through. Some of the narration felt obvious and out of place simultaneously. I did enjoy the characters, so I can't help but wonder if some good nuanced acting, instead of written exposition, would do this story some good.

Ultimately, I enjoyed this as an airport read. Something to fill time in a highly distractible environment, but not something I would cuddle up with on a precious day off.

2.5 stars

The Closerie is a Parisian artists' café where Hemingway met with like-minded people in the 1920s. Angela Roth reimagines this idea for our time.

An engaging and beguiling story of three lives which come to be interwoven, initially online and subsequently in person, as each of the three protagonists attempts to deal with the realities of becoming established in the creative world. A well-paced and carefully constructed narrative.

The Closerie tells a story about creativity, how it's found, sustained, and everything else in between.

Overall, I adore this type of naturalism. It's slow, and it takes careful turns. It follows Damian, Natascha, and Johannes as they create a community, albeit an exclusively tiny one, for themselves, A support system of some sort. But to me, everything about their friendship seem forced, It's confusing, and if I am to be completely honest, a little uncomfortable.

But still. This book left me feeling inspired to look into my own creative spirit to rediscover the things that make me eager to create and express.

Online Friendship! This is a book about our three main characters who met online to talk about their arts, writing, and everything (their doubts etc). Damian, a budding writer, has founded a virtual artists’ café, where he meets the emerging poet Johannes and the beginning painter Natascha. Via screens in their apartments, the three artists discuss their progress and self-doubts and, over time, grow closer and closer despite their idiosyncratic personalities.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC!

I’m afraid I couldn’t finish this book, so this review doesn’t reflect a full reading. I found the prose bland, awkward, and unimaginative; the dialogue stilted and unnatural; and the plot (of which I read) slow and lacking a fullness to it, a shame as I could really relate to the marketing copy for the book! I’m guessing this just wasn’t my cup of tea, but I’m sure other readers may take more away from it. With thanks for the free review copy.

The plot and concept of this book are interesting. I love the idea of recreating a salon of writers and creators. The three young people in this story do just that, via the internet, and eventually, they meet in person. The writing just seemed awkward to me. It starts off in third person with the three characters equally represented, but then switches to the one guy for part of it. And it seems like maybe it's his story because he's the only one you learn about in any detail, and then it cuts out and gets blurry and then all three characters are together at the end. Weird. Maybe others will feel differently, but that's how it sat with me.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free e-galley of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was very intrigued by the concept of this book, however it did not live up to expectations. The writing is clunky, switching between first and third person for no understandable reason. The characters are ill-defined, their dialogue confusing, and their connection contrived. I think this novel could make a very interesting screenplay for a short film, particularly as the language is more expository than psychological, and the descriptions based on what we can see, not how anyone feels. I appreciate the ability to have read this book, but I believe it needs a lot of polishing.

Lovely book that was a delightful read consisting of following three creative artists. Each united by modern technology, they form strong bonds of friendship as their lives intertwine and bring a smile to your face. A perfectly positive staple for any upcoming summer escapes.

Blog Review: https://drizzleofjoyblog.wordpress.com/2022/04/18/the-closerie/

Loved this book, it was amazing, such a lovely story and read. I couldn't put this down. Thank you so much

The Closeries is a novel so blatantly about creativity which, as an artist myself, I appreciated and respected. However, I personally found it uninspiring and bland. It wasn't as complex nor as intimate enough to achieve the goals it had set out. It's a quick and easy read, yet it gives you nothing in the end.

DNF. I couldn't get past Natascha's starving a rabbit because she was busy. And then mentioning it more than once to complete strangers.

I really enjoy this novel, it’s an intriguing and exciting concept. The stories are casual but gripping, normal but beautiful. I love the writing and the characters are wonderfully interesting.

4.5 ⭐️

I love everything about this book. It’s truly a novel about creativity. It takes you to so many beautiful places from Berlin to Paris to Basal and Geneva…etc and the art and openness in this book are so therapeutic i enjoyed every single page.
It also alternates between first and third pov which was a bit confusing for me at first but once i got the hang of it i really liked it, i found the writing in general unique and captivating.
I loved the characters and the only reason i didn’t give this book a full 5 stars it’s because i wished the characters connected more on a personal level (they kind of did but it wasn’t much?). Also i was a bit confused with Natasha and Damian’s relationship by the end; i didn’t expect that ending and tbh i didn’t like it either.

Overall I’m manifesting for this book to become a bestseller and no i won’t shut up about it till everyone i know has read it 😌

Truly inspiring! This book surprised me in a very positive way. It tells the story of three creatives who meet daily in an online artist's café. You get to know them, their art, and soon you feel like a member of their Closerie.

Besides its unusual setup, the story is funny, sometimes sad, and it leaves you with a wonderful feeling once you've finished it. The book inspires me to better incorporate creativity into my life and it is a perfect get-away for times in which reading the news leaves you with a dreaded feeling.

It's a quick read because you won't put it down until you are finished. Strong recommendation.

This book is exceptional in several ways. Once you start reading, it is very difficult to stop. In fact, I read it in one day because I always wanted to know how the story proceeds. It was interesting to read a novel about creatives and I absolutely adored the dialogues, which are stimulating and yet entertaining at the same time. The story leaves a lot of room for imagination so that I keep thinking about it even after I finished it. It was a pleasure to take part in the Closerie of the three artists, and I was almost sad when it was over and time to leave.

I was drawn to the cover and the title. Closerie: A Novel of Creativity—a story about three strangers meeting virtually to talk about their art and writing and the doubts and fears that accompany being creative in today’s world.

The novel was a quick read—finished it in a sitting. It confused me at first, with the perspectives shifting from just one character’s first person POV to third person POV. After I got used to it, I started to enjoy the conversations the characters had, as well as discovering their personalities at the same time each of them was getting to know the other.

The story progressed quickly, and while it felt like I got to know the characters quite well, I wish they were more fleshed out and hadn’t only focused more on one character (who was quite unbearable). I felt like this could have been a longer novel with more chapters dedicated to the backgrounds (and motivations) of the other two.

While it was an interesting read, the ending felt rushed. I suppose it’s because I was waiting to know more about the other characters. Or waiting, at least, for some character development? I don’t feel there was any. I guess this book is just a slice-of-life type of story. A lighthearted (although incomplete) character study. A quick glimpse into the creative process of an artist and a writer. A story of new friendships and finding connection.