Notes from an Exhibition (Paperback)
Patrick Gale (author)- Not available
From the author of A Perfectly Good Man, the bestselling story of an artist tormented by depression and the toll of creativity.
When troubled artist Rachel Kelly dies she leaves behind an extraordinary body of work - but for her family there is a legacy of secrets and painful revelations.
Rachel exerts a power that outlives her. To her children she is both curse and blessing, as they cope with the inheritance of her passions - and demons. Only their father's gift of stillness can withstand Rachel's destructive influence and the suspicion that they all came a poor second to her art.
Piecing together the clues of her life - as artist, lover, mother, wife and patient - takes the reader from Cornwall to Canada across a span of forty years. What emerges is a tender story of enduring love, and a portrait of a family coping with the sometimes too dazzling brilliance of a genius.
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN: 9780007254668
Number of pages: 304
Weight: 300 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 27 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'Poised and pitch-perfect throughout, this is an engrossing portrait of a troubled and remarkable character. A fine writer at the top of his game' Mail on Sunday
`This is an uplifting, immensely empathetic novel, and Gale's prose, as ever is as clear and bright as the Cornish light' Guardian
'It has the kind of quietly radiant intelligence, craft and integrity that bypasses superficial questions of originality. A novel with a variety and freshness that is all the more powerful and surprising for being discovering in such a circumscribed and very English milieu' Adam Lively, Sunday Times
'Skilfully constructed as a mosaic of different viewpoints that shift back and forwards in time. A warm, well-written novel about creativity and the perils of living with the creative spirit' Times Literary Supplement
'By the end I had laughed and cried and put all his other books on my wish list. This is dense, thought-provoking, sensitive, satisfying, humorous, humane - a real treat' Toby Clements, Telegraph
'Beautifully written, slowly unravelling tale...Patrick Gale's serene and carefully crafted prose conveys a profound understanding of the workings of human relationships and the torment that mental illness causes its sufferers and also those around them' Ross Gilfillan, Daily Mail
You may also be interested in...
“Notes from an Exhibition”
Thought provoking, beautiful prose that continues to resonate days after I finish the book, making me wonder about the family and the impact of the artist's sometimes harrowing experiences. Her paintings are... More
“Dissapointing”
While this book attempts to unravel the history and mystery of the difficult and talented main protagonist, it was impossible to care for any of the main characters who came across as selfish, self regarding and... More
Please sign in to write a review