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    Notes from an Exhibition: A Novel
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    Notes from an Exhibition: A Novel
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    Notes from an Exhibition: A Novel
    Audiobook10 hours

    Notes from an Exhibition: A Novel

    Written by Patrick Gale

    Narrated by Joan Walker

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    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. 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 her family came 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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDreamscape Media Audio
    Release dateDec 20, 2016
    ISBN9781520048963
    Author

    Patrick Gale

     Patrick Gale was born on the Isle of Wight. He spent his infancy at Wandsworth Prison, which his father governed, then grew up in Winchester, before attending Oxford University. He now lives on a farm near Land’s End. One of the United Kingdom’s best-loved novelists, his recent works include A Perfectly Good Man, The Whole Day Through, and the Richard & Judy Book Club bestseller Notes from an Exhibition. His latest novel, A Place Called Winter, was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Prize, the Walter Scott Prize, and the Independent Booksellers’ Novel of the Year award. To find out more about Patrick and his work, visit www.galewarning.org.    

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    Reviews for Notes from an Exhibition

    4/5

    7 ratings18 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A story of a mentally disturbed painter who's illness is considered to be both a blessing and a curse by her family. Most of her paintings were described vividly that you can't help imagine it and get struck how brilliant all of her paintings are.Not exactly a happy book to read but indeed a thought provoking one. A family in the end endures a tragic lost and at the same times weathers it.This novel portrays love, intelligence, humour well written.
    • 3/5
      Bit disappointed with this one after devouring his early six or seven novels some years back. I didn't mind the switching back and forth in terms of chronology and points of view. And I quite liked the technique of telling the story through the notes from Rachel's posthumous exhibition. But it wasn't till halfway through the book that I felt involved enough to care about the characters. Yes, it's not a plot-driven novel but more about the dynamics of the family. This would not typically be a problem for me. But when you're switching the chronology around and deliberately hold back key pieces of the puzzle (who is Rachel really?, when and how did Petroc die? what happened with Morwenna), you focus attention on the plot and when there's not much to it, it doesn't quite work.So if it's more about characters, you have to make them more appealing and worth caring about, and I didn't really till quite late on. Also, his switching points of view didn't work well as he didn't always stick strictly with one point of view in a given passage. and some of the ways in which he expressed a point of view wasn't convincing. He put thoughts in a child's point of view that I just couldn't imagine a child expressing to him/herself.That having been said, by the end of the book, I did feel I'd read a reasonably convincing portrait of a particular family life.
    • 4/5
      I did enjoy this, a convincing portrait of the main caharcter.
    • 4/5
      Gorgeous read. I went to a random reading where Patrick Gale read out the first chapter (along with other bits and pieces). I had never heard of him or the book. It was being released the next day. I immediately went out and bought it and DEVOURED it. There are lots of elements of his fictitious family that aroused my interest at the time - the effect of living with bi-polar disorder, quakers, eccentric artist, estrangement of children who grow up around mental illness...lots of things that rang a few personal bells and lots to chew on but Gale does it all with a light touch and through a thoroughly fleshy cast of characters. The sort of book where not a lot happens but an awful lot happens with far more humanity than most authors are able to muster. One of those times where I couldn't stop reading but at the same time wanted to stop myself because I knew I would be sad to leave his world and its people behind. And goddammit, I really was gutted when I was done. I hope (and he hinted at his reading that maybe he wasn't quite done with all of these characters) there will be a follow up. In the meantime, I'll wait until I have forgotten it sufficiently to justify reading it again...
    • 4/5
      I found this book utterly compelling.Patrick Gale writes wonderfully of complex charaters, without them being at all unbelievable. the dynamics of family life are beautifully captured, and I found myself researching aspects of the book, such as the Quaker faith, as I read. I loved the technique of each chapter opening with a description of a painting relevant to the chapter which followed.My one criticism is that I felt the last two chapters should have been the other way around for a more satisfactory end. Without wanting to spoil, I felt that the story would have come full circle had this been the case, rather than feeling a little "up in the air" .
    • 4/5
      Patrick Gale is one of the British writers of my own generation (can't really say "young writers" any more!) that I admire most. He hops about quite a bit between styles and influences, but what he comes up with is usually interesting and rewarding, and he has a remarkable talent for dissecting family relationships.In this book he uses the conceit of an exhibition catalogue to reconstruct the life of his central character, the painter Rachel Kelly, through a series of incidents seen from different viewpoints and at different moments in her life. This structural technique can be frustrating for the reader, because it takes a long time for the bits to start slotting together, and because of the trauma of repeatedly losing touch with viewpoint characters with whom we thought we were establishing an intimate relationship. However, I think it is an effective technique, and it does reflect the way that we often learn about other people's lives in the "real world".Beyond the family relationships, the three big themes Gale throws into the mix are visual art, bipolar disorder, and Quakerism. The relationship between mental illness and creativity is a fairly hackneyed theme in fiction, of course, but this configuration of it was obviously an interesting challenge to Gale, who has previously written mostly about musical creativity (he's a musician himself) and Alzheimer's disease. As an ignoramus about painting, I felt that he did a pretty good job of conveying the experience of seeing and creating abstract paintings - certainly on a par with Joyce Cary's The Horse's Mouth, which he mentions as his favourite novel about a painter. It was nice to have Quakerism at the centre of a novel, rather than a few token Quaker characters at the periphery, but Gale is writing as an outsider attracted by the idea and impressed by the Quakers he's met: he doesn't really manage to convey what it might feel like to be on the inside, as a birthright member. His characters can't quite get over thinking of what Quakers do as a bit odd and what the outside world does as normal.Iris Murdoch is an obvious influence, as ever, and the chapters set in 1950s Toronto can't help having a touch of the Margaret Atwoods about them, but it's a nice sign of how Gale has become an established writer in his own right that we can amuse ourselves spotting joky little allusions to his earlier books, especially in the "catalogue notes" that introduce each chapter.
    • 5/5
      My first book by Gale, and I will definitely read more. This book initially took me by surprise, jumping about as it does from character to character and between past and present. Every chapter focuses on a different character, and you are left to work out for yourself whether it is happening now or earlier. Everything becomes clear soon enough, and every chapter adds something to the overall picture of the main character (main though she dies right at the beginning of the book), building up a picture rather the way a painter might. I admired the way that, though the whole book is written in the third person, I got a real sense of every character's voice. This is writing of the highest standard, and it credits the reader with the intelligence to draw the story out of the narrative. Very highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      My first impulse is to say that this book is all about the characters. Upon reflection, however, it seems that it is about the relationships among the characters; the effects of their interaction with one another. Rachel Kelly is an artist suffering from bipolar disorder. Her husband, a Quaker, has made it his life's work to care for her and shield her from the effects of her illness as they raise four children to adulthood. In various ways, each of the children is touched by Rachel's illness and by her demanding talent. Gale explores these unfolding lives through a series of vignettes, providing a sort of backstory to the conventional notes provided at an artist's exhibition--in this case, Rachel's. Gale has a gift for gentle understatement that allows the reader to share an intimacy with his characters and to ache for them without falling into melodrama. This is a lovely book and I will make it a point to search out Gale's otherworks. A word of caution: for readers who prefer their stories neatly tied up with all loose ends tucked away, this book may not prove satisfying
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book. Gale is an excellent story teller and in this story he weaves a complex family drama set in Cornwall and centred on an artist and her family. The book moves backwards and forwards in time to reveal family secrets. A rather abrupt ending but apart from that highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      Notes from an Exhibition is the story of Rachel Kelly, a recently deceased artist. This is a family story: Rachel had a husband and four children and she struggled with bipolar disorder. The writing is absolutely superb. Patrick Gale tells the story in a non-linear, multi-voice style, but the narrative is never confusing. His characters are so finely developed and he has a keen sense of observation for detail; these aspects of his writing combine to guide the reader through the story. This is my second novel by this author. Drawing characters deeply and making them realistic is something Mr. Gale excels at. So is telling a good story. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      I picked up this book at a charity book sale not having heard of the author before and I am overwhelmed with how good it is. It's beautifully written and has such amazing depth of character observation that this would be enough, but the plotting is superb too. The plot might in other hands have been melodramatic, but the book is constructed so subtly and the focus is sufficiently on characters who are simply human, that it is believable on every page.
    • 4/5
      This is a beautiful story. This book is artfully constructed and told through several voices.
    • 5/5
      A beautifully crafted novel - excellent reading.
    • 5/5
      To summarise, Notes from an Exhibition is a modern 'family saga', which revolves around the deceased protagonist Rachel Kelly; whom was a bi-polar artist .It is through her art you are welcomed into her children and widowed husbands lives. Seemingly, this novel does not follow the 'rules' of storytelling, for Gale eagerly plays with the narrative voice, chronology and characterisation throughout.Never has a novel been so engaging. Gale masterfully conveys not only the bi-polar disorder in an empathic manner, but makes the protasgonist sufferer human, which is not an easy feat; especially one in such a poetic manner. The religious theme throughout (Quaker) is not at all heavy handed but releases the beauty of the novel. It is through this theme that the novel's characters come to life, and the concept of 'family' is made so intrinsic.Overall Notes from an Exhibition is a beautiful read and one that shall stay in the heart and mind of this reader for years to come.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this book but, was very disappointed with the ending which seemed rather abrupt. I felt some of the characters' stories were left unfinished; quite a lot of detail when they're introduced, which lures you in, then the change of subject leaves you wondering what happened next. I did however, find it easy to read and a definite page-turner.
    • 4/5
      Notes From An Exhibition synopsis from Amazon:Renowned Canadian artist Rachel Kelly — now of Penzance — has buried her past and married a gentle and loving Cornish man. Her life has been a sacrifice to both her extraordinary art and her debilitating manic depression. When troubled artist Rachel Kelly dies painting obsessively in her attic studio in Penzance, her saintly husband and adult children have more than the usual mess to clear up. She leaves behind an extraordinary and acclaimed body of work — but she also leaves a legacy of secrets and emotional damage it will take months to unravel. A wondrous, monstrous creature, she exerts a power that outlives her. To her children she is both curse and blessing, though they all in one way or another reap her whirlwind, inheriting her waywardness, her power of loving — and her demons. Only their father’s Quaker gifts of stillness and resilience give them any chance of withstanding her destructive influence and the suspicion that they came a poor second to the creation of her art.The reader becomes a detective, piecing together the clues of a life — as artist, lover, mother, wife and patient — which takes them from contemporary Penzance to 1960s Toronto to St Ives in the 1970s. What emerges is a story of enduring love, and of a family which weathers tragedy, mental illness and the intolerable strain of living with genius. Patrick Gale’s latest novel shines with intelligence, humour and tenderness.What a lovely book. Only 374 pages, and well worth the read.Throughout the book, Gale deals with the issues of the illness of bipolar, death, faith and family. His description of the art work was beautiful and I could easily picture the work. He began each chapter with a descriptive plaque like you would find beside an artefact in a museum, which helped connect you to Rachel Kelly.I loved the character of Antony, how he took in Rachel and looked after her, and gave her a family. He seemed the strong, silent type and I just adored him.As someone who is intimate with depression I found Gale wrote extremely sensitively and well. The story was not in chronological order however and did jump between characters and times. I liked the story that unfolded however and the twists and turns that came with it.However, I have found myself wanting more. I would have liked more character depth and to learn consequences of actions that we read about.Overall, this was a good book, I recommend it!8/10
    • 4/5
      This is the first book I've read by Patrick Gale and I was impressed. The story centres around the life of a recently deceased artist Rachel Kelly who suffered from bipolar disorder. There is no plot as such. Instead the story of Rachel's life unravels through the eyes of family members. The author is in fact painting the artist's life as she herself would have created one of her paintings. The novel's strength lies in the characterisation. Gale describes his characters sympathetically and sensitively whilst also portraying their faults and weaknesses.
    • 5/5
      So far there isn't a book by Patrick Gale that I've read and haven't enjoyed. That said, this is only the 4th I've read from his somewhat longer list of novels - 19 works to date. Clearly I have some good reading ahead of me! This book has so many elements that appeal to me. I like Gale's focus on families - especially those which are somewhat deviant from the imagined norm. Mental illness is also a subject near to my heart, and I find that Gale deals with this as it should be: by presenting cases in which the mentally ill person is really not that far outside the range of 'normal'. The boundary is unclear, except perhaps in retrospect. And retrospect is here aplenty. Everyone in this family has a real, believable character and so this reader found lots of valuable insights into real life. Of course, as with all Gale's books, there is solid representation of the gay community and I particularly appreciate the fact the sexual preference is also dealt with in a way that gives straight people (e.g. me) a real understanding of what non-straight people experience (in a western middle class society, such as the one in which I live). I have recently read the marvellous "A Measure of Light" by Beth Powning, which documents the Quaker experience in the New England region and the UK around the 1600s, so I warmed to the presence of serious Quakerism in Gale's story. In fact, I identify quite strongly with Gale's apparent approach to religion (I know nothing about his personal views, I just see how his characters relate to religion). That is, the religious are often seen to bring some good values to the world of human relationships, although the institutional church is seen as less relevant and the 'God' character doesn't rate much of a mention. The semi-rural Cornwall setting is so 'romantic' and yet my reading of Gale's continuing real life story suggests that what might be seen as merely romantic could be closer to reality than I might have guessed. There's not many places in the world I wish to visit, but now Penzance and Newlyn would definitely be on my list if I ever left Australia.