The Tattoo Artist: A Novel

The Tattoo Artist is as unique a book as I've ever read. It is brilliant in its conception and completion. I loved both the story and the metaphors. It is a book that will have you in its grip for a long time.Sara and Philip Ehrenreich meet in New York in the early 20th century. Both are jewish activists. However, Sara comes from poverty and Philip from money. They are both avant-garde in their beliefs and love the world of art, culture, and revolution. Philip wishes more than anything that he could create art but he lacks that real gift. Sara, however, has it, and she becomes a celebrity in her own right. They end up partnering but their relationship is very open and experimental from the beginning. All is well until the depression hits and Philip loses everything. They are backed by a wealthy patron who has been impressed by Philip's mask collection and they head to the South Seas to collect masks from the Ta'un'uuans.Once they reach their destination, unbeknownst to them, they will remain on this island for thirty years. Their first impression of the island and its inhabitants is mind-blowing. All the islanders are tattooed and their first view of them is like watching a moving tapestry. At first, Sara assumes that the beauty of the island is the inspiration for all their tattoos. Gradually she realizes how wrong she is. Their tattoos, which cover their whole bodies, including their tongues and the soles of their feet, tell stories, narratives of lives lived and lives lost. Through a series of unexpected events, Sara finds herself tattooed all over as well.The prologue to the book introduces us to Sara and her tattoos. She is responsible for all of their design except for the tattoos on her face. "My tattoos, like all the tattoos of my island, are a pictorial narrative, an illustrated personal history, though not necessarily a chronological one." Every inch of her body is covered with her story, illustrated by the tattoos she carries with her always.This is a book to savor, to question, to appreciate in all its beauty. It is one of a kind and Ms. Ciment has created a masterpiece.

This was so detailed and descriptive without taking away from what was happening in the story. I felt like I was in the book. I would without a doubt reccomend this book. I gave it 5 out of 5 because when I finished reading I wanted to go back a read it again.

Stories told primarily in flashback either work or they fail spectacularly. I am pleased to state that The Tattoo Artist succeeds.The main character, Sara, has returned to New York after decades of living on an island in the South Pacific. While there, she had been tattooed with the important events of her life until most of her body is covered. These tattoos are used as a framing device for the story, much like Bradbury's Illustrated Man. However, in this instance the ink tells the story of her life. We flashback to 1930s New York where Sara is living the life of a Bohemian artist.I do not want to say much more than that for fear of spoiling one of the memorable scenes (of which there are many). There are moments of intense joy and heart rending sadness. The reader follows Sara as she changes, redefining herself and her concepts of family, friendships, and home.Beautifully written and crafted, The Tattoo Artist is a brilliant novel which has been enshrined on my To Read Again shelf.

Very engaging reading but definitely a fairytale!!

This is only the second book of Jill Ciment's I've read. Whereas on the surface it shares little with Heroic Measures, there are undercurrents that give a picture of an author with a specific point of view regarding displacement. Tattoo Artist is more of a self examination Sara and Philip,members of avant guard artist groups following WWI, struggle through the Depression, and find themselves stranded on an island paradise in 1938 in an attempt to collect the unique death masks carved by Ta'au'aans, the "Michelangelos of South Seas tattooing." Sara is telling her story from the vantage of 1970, after thirty years spent with "her" tribe, finding a city in which television, walks on the moon, skyscrapers and all the "advancements" of the intervening 30 years has transformed the world as she knew it. She observes like Rip Van Winkle, questioning her place in either of the two worlds she's known. On the basis of these two books, I look forward to reading just about anything that Ms. Ciment writes.

A great read. Page turner. Learned alot.

First of all, potential readers should know that this is not a novel about modern day tattoos, but about a woman that fancies herself an artist. The first part is about this woman, Sara and her life as a struggling artist in New York in the 1920's going on 30's. Her and her lover Phillip bored me to tears. In all fairness, I am not an artist, so perhaps fabricating art out of people's old gold teeth may appeal to others. It just did not appeal to me. Part two is interesting. It introduces the island and the Ta'un'uu people and their tattoo culture and history. I enjoyed part two and had most of the novel been about the Ta'un'uu and not about the shallow Sara and Phillip, I would have enjoyed the novel itself a lot more. Part three is Sara's "rescue" and her sudden introduction back into mainstream society. Is it really the best thing for her?

Jill Ciment's new novel "The Tattoo Artist" is deceptively slender. Although it is only 207 pages long, it is stuffed with events, history, fascinating characters and important ideas. For these reasons, book groups will have a great time talking about this novel, especially the ending. As someone who reads novels almost exclusively and who has read almost all of Ciment's work, I think she makes a leap with this book that is similar to the one made by novelist Andrea Barrett in her marvelous book "Ship Fever," which won the National Book Award. Ciment has pushed herself to a whole new level as a writer here. As usual, her prose is spare and taut, and that works very effectively in the service of her tale about a "primitive" society. I couldn't put this book down, and I can't stop thinking about it.