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"Charlotte Mendelson's The Exhibitionist is a "furiously funny" novel (Sunday Express, UK) about a marriage between two artists, Lucia and Ray, which begins to unravel over the course of one weekend. Meet the Hanrahan family, gathering for a momentous weekend as famous artist and notorious egoist Ray Hanrahan prepares for a new exhibition of his art-the first in many decades-and one he is sure will burnish his reputation for good. His three children will be there: eldest daughter Leah, always her father's biggest champion; son Patrick, who has finally decided to strike out on his own; and daughter Jess, the youngest, who has her own momentous decision to make. And what of Lucia, Ray's steadfast and selfless wife? She is an artist, too, but has always had to put her roles as wife and mother first. What will happen if she decides to change? For Lucia is hiding secrets of her own, and as the weekend unfolds and the exhibition approaches, she must finally make a choice about which desires to follow. The Exhibitionist is the latest, extraordinary novel from Charlotte Mendelson, a dazzling exploration of art, sacrifice, toxic family politics, queer desire, and personal freedom"--… (more)
hairball: Not sure what the publication of these books in such close proximity, along with that movie, “Fair Play,” says about this moment. “We recognize that disparity exists, but all we have is recognition and frustration“?
Many poor reviews, just noticed that this was originally published in 2022. I don’t know if revisions were made but it clearly hasn’t made much difference. These characters are so un-relatable that I often found myself cringing when they spoke. It seems no one has a “vertebrae” as Lucia would call it. I found it to be an outrageous story told by unreliable characters with a ridiculous, unresolved ending. ( )
I was very emotionally involved in this novel. My husband kept hearing me say I hope someone kills him, not my usual reaction to a book. Ray is such an odious character and the depiction of the hold he maintained over his family is realistic and horrible. Over the past 7 years, we have seen horrible behavior and no one stands up to the bully in question. This is the same but on a much smaller scale. Read it to find out what happens. ( )
Great book about family dynamics. Occasionally funny. Characters were very well drawn and credible. Story line moved at a pace. No word waster. I read it in 3-4 days. ( )
Interesting story about a dysfunctional family and the wife's subservience to the husband. Professional jealousy abounds, and I can imagine this to be true. The two daughters and the son seemed a little less believable but a marriage relationship such as this could have some pretty dramatic consequences for the children. There were some aspects of the writing that I didn't like, but I would probably try another of Mendelson's books if it fell into my hands at the local library. ( )
It took me awhile to get interested in this story. It was hard for me to understand for quite awhile the characters and the roles they played. After more than halfway through, I did find the story interesting and looked forward to getting back to the book. What a sad story and situation. Lucia and Ray and their relationship…and even Priya - quite believable and convincing. Leah..not so much. Why is all I have to say about that. Hated the abrupt ending ( )
"Charlotte Mendelson's The Exhibitionist is a "furiously funny" novel (Sunday Express, UK) about a marriage between two artists, Lucia and Ray, which begins to unravel over the course of one weekend. Meet the Hanrahan family, gathering for a momentous weekend as famous artist and notorious egoist Ray Hanrahan prepares for a new exhibition of his art-the first in many decades-and one he is sure will burnish his reputation for good. His three children will be there: eldest daughter Leah, always her father's biggest champion; son Patrick, who has finally decided to strike out on his own; and daughter Jess, the youngest, who has her own momentous decision to make. And what of Lucia, Ray's steadfast and selfless wife? She is an artist, too, but has always had to put her roles as wife and mother first. What will happen if she decides to change? For Lucia is hiding secrets of her own, and as the weekend unfolds and the exhibition approaches, she must finally make a choice about which desires to follow. The Exhibitionist is the latest, extraordinary novel from Charlotte Mendelson, a dazzling exploration of art, sacrifice, toxic family politics, queer desire, and personal freedom"--
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Book description
The luminous fifth novel from Man Booker-longlisted and twice-longlisted Women's Prize author Charlotte Mendelson.
The longer the marriage, the harder truth becomes.
Meet the Hanrahan family, gathering for a momentous weekend as famous artist and notorious egoist Ray Hanrahan prepares for a new exhibition of his art - the first in many decades - and one he is sure will burnish his reputation for good.
His three children will be there: beautiful Leah, always her father's biggest champion; sensitive Patrick, who has finally decided to strike out on his own; and insecure Jess, the youngest, who has her own momentous decision to make.
And what of Lucia, Ray's steadfast and selfless wife? She is an artist, too, but has always had to put her roles as wife and mother first. What will happen if she decides to change? For Lucia is hiding secrets of her own, and as the weekend unfolds and the exhibition approaches, she must finally make a choice.
An extraordinary new novel from acclaimed author Charlotte Mendelson, The Exhibitionist is a dazzling exploration of art, sacrifice, toxic family politics, queer desire, and personal freedom.
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