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Notes from an Exhibition

Author: Patrick Gale
Publisher: HarperPerennial
Category: Book

List Price: ~~Ł7.99~~
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New (38) Used (21) from Ł1.05

Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

60 reviews
Sales Rank: 55

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
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days

Also Available In:

•	Hardcover - Notes from an Exhibition

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Customer Reviews: Read 55 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

An absolute gem July 17, 2008
This book is beautifully written. Its an absolute joy and is without doubt worth its 5 stars.

2 out of 5 stars

Disappointing July 10, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

Patrick Gale writes well and I enjoyed the insights into life as a quaker. I also liked many of the descriptions of interactions between the characters but on the whole I found the book boring and disappointing.

5 out of 5 stars

Moving July 5, 2008
Depression is a very delicate subject to write about, Patrick Gale does it brilliantly.A family torn apart by the death of their mother who is not who they think she is.Twists and turns made this a very good read. Caz

3 out of 5 stars

Ho hum June 30, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful

I'm sorry to say that this one didn't light my fire. It centres on a schizophrenic artist recently deceased and the lives of her family. The central character (the artist) presented as an inconsiderate and self absorbed person (not withstanding the severity of her illness) and the lives and concerns of those around her were simply not that interesting. Left me cold, I'm afraid.

3 out of 5 stars

Hmmmh... June 18, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I have, over the years, read a considerable number of Patrick Gale's books and find them enjoyable. Occasionally they rise above this to elevate themselves to a level where I would happily recommend them to others. "Rough Music", his prior novel to this seemed to indicate that perhaps he was about to elevate himself to a place alongside some of Britain's more seriously considered writers. "Notes From An Exhibition" should have been the proof and, whilst it is a thouroughly enjoyable book, it does fall a little short.

Structuring itself around the themes of art, death, and bipolarity the subject matter gives the impression of the serious minded. The handling of the link between central character Rachael Kelly's bipolarity and her creativity is well handled and insightful. Here the book rises to its challenge with aplomb. One clever trick is that the central character is really only fully appreciated from the perspectives of the other characters in the book. This is due, in part I suspect, to her bipolar disorder but it is a very clever conceit indeed.

Gale writes engagingly throughout and I did find the book both easy to read and difficult to put down. You are genuinely engaged by some of the characters in this book. Apart from Rachael, the children Hedley and Morwenna are well rounded, as is her husband Anthony. The trouble is the book devotes time to about 3 more characters and weaves in little subplots.

It's here where the book both falls down and looses its sense of purpose. There is simply too much going on and too many people to spread the story around. The inclusion of Petroc is useful and although his character is not as fully fledged as some his place in the plot is quite important. As for the other brother and Rachel's sister, both could easily have been cut with almost no harm to the plot. I found the closing chapter of Rachel's story utterly superfluous (but I won't reveal why as I'm not in the habit of spoiling things for others).

There are probably enough ideas in here for two novels, loosing some of the more superficial ones would not have been to its detriment. It would ultimately have lead to a possibly darker, bleaker book about art and death but as these are by far the strongest elements it would have been for the better.

I enjoyed this book but found the final stages unsatisfactory due to not fully giving space to explore the impact death on a family in a fuller light. A case, perhaps, of one idea to many. Like a cheese souffle, this book is hugely enjoyable during consumption, yet somehow not substantial enough to satisfy entirely.