by Danielle Ganek
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Product Description
As The Devil Wears Prada demystified the world of high fashion, this funny and insightful debut novel dishes the crazy and captivating Manhattan art scene. When painter Jeffrey Finelli is run over by a cab, the art world clamors for the instantly in-demand work by the late “emerging artist”—especially an enormous painting called Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him.
Gallery receptionist and aspiring artist Mia McMurray fi nds herself at the center of the hype. She is an amused witness as a Birkin-toting collector, a well-muscled Irish artist, a real estate baron, and Lulu herself, the artist’s niece and muse, battle over the brand-new masterpiece. In the midst of the madness, Mia finds her own creative expression and artistic identity, not to mention love.
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Average Customer Review:
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 fun look at the art world, 2008-05-06
In Manhattan's Chelsea section Mia McMurray works as a gallery receptionist assisting patrons at Simon Pryce Art Gallery by looking snooty and pretty. However, Mia sees the job as temporary as she dislikes her peers whose self-importance seems ridiculous to her as all they do is act like candy to customers; Mia plans to cross the barrier and have her work hanging at a gallery; albeit a nice one rather than the dump she works in.
When talented artist Jeffrey Finelli is killed by a taxi on his opening night gala, Mia watches the entire accident in slow mo. She also observes the fascinating holy war over his paintings as a battle royal between collectors and his estate explodes. His death leads to a feeding frenzy as everyone wants to own an original Finelli especially his masterpiece "Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him". However, the painting's model, Finelli's niece, Lulu claims ownership.
Lulu and Mia become friends; encouraging each other. The former quits Wall St to paint and takes a chance on love with an artist; while the latter begins to date art dealer Zach Roberts while quitting her candy girl role to become a writer.
In many ways this chick lit tale is a coming of age story as Mia finds her groove when she stops watching and begins doing. The story line is amusing as Finelli stars in the art of death with his posthumous season being like uneaten asparagus quickly over though his masterpiece keeps reselling. This is a fun look at the art world as Lulu and Mia take no prisoners.
Harriet Klausner
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Trying too hard, 2008-03-31
Danielle Ganek desperately wanted her novel, Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him, to be a witty, chic, well-written novel. The problem is this becomes painfully obvious after reading only the first page of the book- this is not an effortless work of prose. Mia, the novel's narrator, is a gallery receptionist/undercover aspiring painter who describes the rise of the late-artist Jeffrey Finnelli. Finnelli is killed by a taxi on the opening night of his collection, which then sends the values of his mediocre paintings through the roof. Along the way, Mia makes friends with Jeffrey's muse, contemplates her future and tries to play hard to get with an art adviser (despite her insistence that she will never get involved with someone in her industry again).
The premise for the novel has potential (that's why it gets three starts), but is just so poorly executed. The novel is told in the present tense, even though most of it is technically in the past. Description is used in excess and there is a certain cheesiness factor at times (A checklist quiz of where they should go on their dinner date? White flowers spread throughout a bedroom because that color seems to fit her? Please...) I was disappointed with the "chick-lit" feel of the novel, since I really hadn't anticipated it would turn out that way. Definitely not one I'd recommend.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 Lulu meets God and Doubts Him, 2008-02-17
This book just didn't appeal to me. The characters were well done, but bored me. I was disappointed because the blurb attracted me to it. Someone else may love it, but not I! Genre of art dealing was well done.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Good read for a cold winter day, 2008-01-30
Light, fluffy, funny - read it and forget about the cold weather for a day. Nice way to spend time when you don't want to go out.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
A good descriptive painting of a crazy art world, 2008-01-29
I enjoyed this book! Danielle Ganek pulls no punches as she sets out to lambaste the world of contemporary art through the eyes of Mia- the gallerina who tells us the story. There is plenty to satirize. The collector, the gallery owner, the art advisor and even the artists themselves. The chapter describing Mia's effort to sell a collector by bringing a piece to his home is full of satire and insight. (Likened to sex as Mia calls it).
Ironically the climax of the book occurs when Mia discovers that the central character's niece, the "Lulu" of the title, has one thing going for her that nobody can duplicate. She has talent. All at once, the craziness, the greed, the absolute insanity of the contemporary art world starts to make sense! Its that talent that the rest of us can't have or possibly learn. Its that talent that makes us all want those works,and, ironically, justifies the almost obscene behavior of the entire art world-all driven by the one thing they don't have. Talent.
Perhaps as others have said, a short story, but its a good one.
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