The Portrait

by Megan Chance

Book Overview

Struggling with a devastating past and his own fierce nature, New York art master Jonas Whitaker resists his original impulse to dismiss Imogene Carter, an aspiring artist who seeks Jonas's... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0440220807
• ISBN13: 9780440220800
• Release Date: September 1995
• Publisher: Dell Publishing Company
• Length: 388 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Dark and Different Romance.....

Anyone tired of reading cliche romances should check this book out. I've never read one like this before and I probably never will. DARK doesn't begin to describe this one. Jonas Whitaker is a brilliant artist who also struggles with bipolar (manic/depressive) disorder. He has been left by people who could not contend with his mental illness his whole life. He is lonely, isolated, and on the brink of "madness". Imogene comes to him as a student wanting to learn from a "master". She has been overlooked her whole life and seeks to find approval from her uncaring father through learning to paint. Jonas is at first unimpressed by Imogene, but over time develops an obsession for her. She becomes his muse, and through his eyes Imogene begins to see herself as beautiful. This book brings Imogene and you as the reader through one of Jonas's mood cycles. The fictional depiction of a manic/depressive cycle is as "real" as it can get. You are swept away during his manic phase....you feel the energy, the activity, and the creativity. Imogene is drawn to Jonas and call him a "shooting star"....a typical description of an individual in a manic phase. Jonas's tumble into depression is also captured. You feel the despair, the hopelessness, the fatigue. It is a fictional masterpiece of the cruelty of this mental illness. The love story is sweet and touching. Imogene vows to stay with Jonas...no matter what. I found myself wondering how it would all work, but Imogene made me believe that she was the one person that could endure the "better or worse", the "in sickness and health"..."till death parts them". It is a beautiful love story.

A touch of ivory, burnt umber..a small pool of Naples yellow

There are often times when I question a writer's decisions...why did she say that?..why did she let that happen?....there were no such times in this book. Not once did I question a sentence, a word, an emotion, an action. This book read like poetry. It was intriguing from start to finish. We were taken on a coaster ride through the cold, dark world of a madman and the cold, dark streets of nineteenth century Greenwhich Village.This was a captivating read and definitely worth more than its 5 star status.

A fantastic read...(4 1/2 stars)

"The Portrait" was so absolutely different than anything I have ever read. It tells the story of Imogene and Jonas. Imogene has felt invisible her entire life. To gain acceptance of her father, she decides to enroll in an art class. The instructor of this class is Jonas. Jonas has a fear of abandonment due to his manic behavior caused by a mental illness. No one in his life has stood by him. No matter what they promise, they all eventually leave...until Imogene. Watching Imogene and Jonas come together had me flipping the pages like mad to get to the ending. This book was truly unputdownable. I loved Imogenes tenacity and I adored Jonas as well, although, I must admit that Im not sure Id have the strength to be in a relationship with him. All in all, this book, even though not quite a 5 star read for me...is definitely a keeper.

Beautiful Romance of the Atypical

If you're looking for a darker, angsty read of the unusual, this romance is one of the most beautifully written pieces of the genre. A keeper for me. Yes, Imogene wants Jonas to teach her art, but he also teaches her about courage and strength, and in return Imogene teaches the bipolar Jonas about trust and love. Set in the early 1900s, this novel is an amazing testament to Megan Chance's skillful ability to craft realistic characters.

An interesting love story

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were different and interesting. Imogene wasn't the usual timid woman and Ms. Chance certantly took risks when she wrote the character for Jonas. This book showed the dark side of the artist, along with the good side. Excellent writing.