If I based my rating solely inn the writing I'd give it a higher rating. The writing itself was beautiful. And I also enjoyed the discussions on art which were always intelligent, insightful, and educational. But, I felt the plot, and the characters themselves disappointing. With the exception of the museum's new curator,every character in this novel was obsessed with Alena, even though she'd been dead for two years. The new curator wasn't obsessed with the Alena, but then she had never met her. But for me, the curator was the most annoying character in the novel. She was such a dormouse .Everyone pushed her around; she knew it ; and she kept on letting them do it. I wanted to take her by the arms, shake her, and tell her to start standing up for herself ! ( )

“Must every action—every word and thought—recall Alena? Swimming, currents, beaches, exhibitions, artists, parties. How long until my bodily presence had half the substance her absence did?”

An unnamed young art historian is unexpectedly hired as the curator of a small museum, after meeting the charismatic owner in Venice. As she tries to settle into her new position, she feels the haunting presence of the former curator, Alena. She must contend with Agnes, Alena’s close friend and colleague, who constantly reminds her she is not quite up to Alena’s cutting-edge standards. The storyline follows the mystery of what happened to Alena. She is presumed to have died while night-swimming off the coast of Cape Cod.

This book is a retelling of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. It has a similar gothic tone, but not quite as sinister. I particularly liked the way this story follows some of the main themes of Rebecca but does not adhere too rigorously, allowing it to stand on its own even if the reader is not familiar with its predecessor. Alena’s character is well done. Told in flashback, we get a feel for her artistic temperament and reckless lifestyle. The writing is full of metaphors, perhaps a few too many.

Our protagonist finds it is hard to live up to the ghost of near perfection. It is also difficult for a book to be compared to a classic. This novel does not quite get there, but I found it intriguing and entertaining. It will appeal to those that enjoy books that feature art, artists, and the sea. ( )

Alena by Rachel Pastan was a very clear reboot of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. As someone who always loved that story, I was hooked. The book is centered around the art industry and the a specific museum. The scandal and drama is real. The characters are spicy and vindictive in a way that only could be told in fiction, but also seem to leap from the page. The backdrop is perfect for a reboot of Rebecca.... read more on https://bythecoverreview.com/2017/07/23/alena-by-rachel-pastan/ ( )

This book has been critiqued as being a re-write of "Rebecca". Being that I don't believe I've read "Rebecca" yet (but do have it on my to-be-read shelf) I can't make that comparison. What I can write about is my take on the book.

I read the first chapter and wound up borrowing it from a friend. It seemed that it might be interesting and have a mystery slant to it. It did have some of those elements.

The protagonist is a young lady from the mid-west. She has graduated magna cum laude with a degree in the Arts. She goes to New York with the intent of enrolling in one of the Arts schools to get her PhD, but winds up getting a Masters in Curatorial Studies. Her first job lands her at Midwestern Museum of Art, working for an overbearing, self-centered lady named Louise Hayes. Instead of doing much curating work she finds she is a personal assistant to keep Louise happy.

In Spring it is time for the Biennale in Venice and Louise will be going. As a 'treat' she takes the protagonist along. Since the protagonist has never traveled to Europe, this is a terrific thing and the protagonist expects to see and experience a lot of the Art to be found. As it turns out, she finds herself being the personal assistant and not being able to see much of anything. To remedy this lack of Art, the protagonist takes to sneaking out when she can.

She meets Bernard Augustin, a rich man who has established his own personal museum on Cape Cod called the Nauquassett. A small facility that specializes in showing up and coming contemporary artists. He takes her around and shows her to the various sights, while they strike up a friendship. Keeping this short, he winds up offering her the Curatorship of the museum. It is a spur of the moment offer. She quits Louise and takes the job.

When she arrives she finds that she is taking the place of the illustrious and seemingly omnipotent Alena, who had mysteriously disappeared two years prior. Not only is the staff still dedicated to Alena, but Bernard also still has a strong connection to Alena. No one knows exactly what has happened to Alena or why.

The museum has been closed since Alena's disappearance. The plan is to launch a re-opening exhibit that will bring the museum alive. It is the protagonist's job to make it happen, but she is constantly running up against the missing Alena. Comments by the staff of how Alena would handle it along with a patronizing manner; Bernard taking off for periods of time; questions left unanswered, the strong impression of Alena found in all the corners of the museum. Constant impediments for the protagonist to deal with.

I found the writing was good but a bit too much on atmospheric descriptive (my term). The descriptions of the people, settings, weather and so on were a little too plentiful. It may be a style of telling a story, but I prefer a little more character action to scene description. I did enjoy some of the dialogue using Art terms in describing the art. It did make me smile. ( )

Very engaging readable novel about an inexperienced curator at a contemporary art museum on Cape Cod. It's not totally dependent on your knowing Rebecca, although since I practically have that book memorized, it certainly added to the entertainment value.

Pastan writes beautifully about art, contemporary art in particular. It's a pleasure to read a novel where modern art isn't the butt of a joke. ( )