Patrick Gale's best so far (Notes from an Exhibition - Patrick Gale)

Member Name: cerys82

Product:	Notes from an Exhibition - Patrick Gale
Date:	22/05/09 (8 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautifully sketched family drama

Disadvantages: n/a

I have read several books by Patrick Gale and enjoyed them all. This is his most profile one to date as it was chosen as a "Richard and Judy" recommended read.

It tells the story of Rachel Kelly, a successful artist who is bipolar and her family, including her husband Anthony and her grownup children. It does not give too much away to say that it starts with her death and then tells her life story and the impact she has had on her children's lives by selecting key points in their lives. It also describes their varying reactions to her death with the backdrops of their own current situations.

Each section begins with the titular "Notes From An Exhibition" analysing a particular painting from various points in her career against elements in her personal life. It then leads into a focus of one of the members of her family. The characters of her children and their varying fortunes and life paths are particularly well described. A particular bugbear of mine in most fiction that centres around families is that the relationships and characters of siblings are just not convincing as their back histories are just not well sketched enough. With this book I felt that the explanations were satisfactory without being indulgent.

I am so excited to see how Patrick Gale will follow this up.

Summary: Excellent analysis of family relationships