|
| 
| Author: Patrick Gale
Publisher: HarperPerennial
Category: Book
List Price: £7.99
Buy New: £3.86
You Save: £4.13 (52%)
New (42) Used (49) from £0.01
Avg. Customer Rating:  75 reviews
Sales Rank: 259
Media: Paperback
Pages: 374
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.1 x 1.2
ISBN: 0007254660
EAN: 9780007254668
ASIN: 0007254660
Publication Date: January 7, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
|
| Customer Reviews:
Great book, clever and intriguingly done October 17, 2008
This is a great read. I really loved the way the paintings in the exhibition are each linked to the artist's life and reflect the ups and downs of her mental health, while the story is told alongside. I was, however, a bit surprised by the ending which left me a mite unfulfilled. Worth the read all the same though. Pretty brilliant.
 The Whole Picture, In Parts October 12, 2008
Gale has set up this book in a fascinating way. To begin with, the chapters throughout the book are prefaced with the types of background notes you would find on artworks at an exhibition - in this case, they are from the posthumous exhibition of Kelly's work. This is, of course, where the title of the novel comes from. These notes are essentially tiny insights into Kelly's artistic world, and yet still leave so much unsaid. The chapters themselves are written in vignette style, with each of the different characters having chapters to themselves. This means that while Rachel is still the central person here - since it is her life and work that is the thread of continuity throughout all these stories - we also get to see everyone else in her life on their own. What makes this so fascinating is that we don't get bogged down with long descriptive passages of Rachel's past, or anyone else's. Instead, we get to see pieces of her life, through both her eyes and through those of the people that lived with her. Moreover, it is interesting to see what parts of their lives each of the characters focus on, as their own personalities and problems colour what they tell us about.
This is not a book you're going to breeze through, even though the language is so approachable and honest feeling, the characters so believable and the story so interesting. No, you're going to want to savour this book from beginning to end, contemplate what you're reading about and think about those things that make you the person you are - both internally and externally. In fact, this may well be one of those rare books you want to read more than just once. That is about as high praise as I can give any book, and I can't impress upon my readers enough just how marvellous this book really is. Patrick Gale is a master storyteller who gives us not just something to think about, but to feel as well. There's nothing "in your face" here and like a clever optical illusion where close inspection may only make us think we're looking at a bunch of disconnected lines, when we pull back we find our eyes and brains have filled in what is missing and has forced us to make sense of the whole. Surely five stars out of five isn't enough, but that's all they allow here, so that's what I'll give it. Get this book and read it soon - you won't be disappointed, I promise you.
(Note: this is part of a larger review that appears on DooYoo under my username "TheChocolateLady".)
Thoroughly absorbing read! October 10, 2008
I found this rather an intriguing and absorbing book. Notes From An Exhibition centres around Rachel Kelly, an artist with Bipolar disorder. The story and family secrets unfold as you read each chapter. At first I must admit I didn't know If I would like this book as the chapters jump backwards and forwards through the decades but I actually found it quite easy to read (reading The Time Traveler's Wife helped I think!) I was enveloped by Rachel and her passion for art and I loved the notes about her paintings all the way through and how they linked in to chapters throughout the book. I was engaged by the other characters in the book and would liked to have known more about Petroc who's character didn't appear to be as fully fledged as Hedley or Morwenna's. I empathised very much with Morwenna especially on her 10th birthday and the fact that Rachel just didn't see that her actions could hurt someone else so much. At first I was disappointed with the ending of the book but then I realised just quite how sad and moving it was. I really enjoyed the book and will endeavour to read some more of his books now.
I liked the fact that the author had written notes in the back of the book which I thought was lovely to get an insight into the author's thoughts and feelings and he obviously writes very much from the heart and thoroughly investigates his subject matters; artists (Barbara Hepworth - didn't know she existed in real life!), bi-polar, Penzance. I liked the fact he provides a little walking tour of Penzance that readers can go and do!
superb, moving, inspiring October 5, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
a moving and inspiring account of a family battling against the dark forces of mental illness, combined with the dynamics of contemporary family life made this an intriguing and unmissable book.
Ashendon Book Group says... September 18, 2008
This is a good choice for a book group - everyone enjoyed reading it and we all took different things out of it. Some of us didn't switch on to the style of writing at first (i.e. what the `notes' were all about) but soon got the hang of it. It was an easy to read book though not necessarily a page turner. There were some intriguing twists and plenty of tension throughout.
The story of a talented, artist Rachel Kelly with her strong yet disturbed character is told through an almost visual description of her own and the lives of those she influenced and is well illustrated by the `notes'.
The other central character Anthony clearly loved Rachel and his strength of love is what holds their family together. Though Rachel was a Mum she was not really very good at it and certainly was not a good role model. Anthony, on the other hand, was a great Dad and an excellent role model for their children.
Rachel was not without love for her children howeverand little things in the book remind the reader continually of this.
Patrick Gale connects with his readers throughout the book. One good example of this is again beach day - every one of us have had `stones `moments with our own parents or children.
There were so many characters and each stood out from the others. There was no one character we couldn't love - big parts and small.
The `twists' in the tale are superbly constructed and entwine through the book.
Those of us who know Penzance were able to visualise the setting for much of the story and this made it quite special. Do take the opportunity to do the walking tour at the end of the book if (when) you visit Penzance, it takes about 2 hours and it's recommended. And the cinema is exactly as described in the book. So, go see a film there is you get chance.
We say, read it and enjoy. And we also recommend `Rough Music' by Patrick Gale
|
|
|
| |
