A Book A Week

What makes great art? Walk through any museum and you'll be surrounded by works of varying importance. I'll admit that sometimes a visit to a museum leaves me overwhelmed by the things that I see. Yes, there are obvious masterworks. The Mona Lisa has been a permanent resident of the Louvre since the 1700s. It is safe to say that art gains its significance through the collective impact it has on society throughout history. In her novel The Exhibitionist, Charlotte Mendelson explores a family and the impact that has on their dynamic. 

Ray Hanrahan is an artist, though this painter's star seems to have faded from his glory days.  It has been several years since his last exhibition, and the art world is beginning to forget about him. Not to worry, though. Ray is mounting a comeback, a new showcase of his work that is sure to bring him back into the limelight and cement his status as one of the country's preeminent artists. 

The Hanrahan is in various levels of support of their patriarch. Ray's wife Lucia is also an artist, one who (rumor has it) is said to be more talented than her husband. This forms a wedge between the couple causing verbal spats and threats of infidelity. Not even Lucia's battle with cancer was able to mend the pair's discontent. As the gallery is prepared for Ray's revival, the marriage seems to be at a breaking point. 

Then there are the children. The eldest daughter Leah is in full support of her father. She is Ray's biggest champion who has become his right hand in mounting his artistic resurgence.  Her sister Jess has completely removed herself from the situation, seeking exile in Edinburgh, away from the family. Then there's Patrick, the nervous stepson who is too afraid of his parents to admit that he dreams of leaving their life to become a cook at a pub. As the family gathers for Ray's big day, their interpersonal tensions threaten to derail the entire event. 

The Exhibitionist was released in the UK last year where it garnered critical acclaim and was longlisted for the 2022 Women's Prize. As it makes its US debut this week, I fear the novel may not meet the same acclaim with this new audience. The publisher advertised the novel as comedic, but I didn't find myself laughing at it. Instead, I was turned off by the main character Ray. He's an entitled jerk who treats his family extremely poorly. Even so, the rest of the family is hardly innocent. The novel takes place over a weekend where we are subjected to their troubles which are all mostly self-inflicted. I kept wanting to shout at them to just talk to each other and tell the truth! There are deeper contemplations on the nature of art, relationships, and class, but I found the characters too grating to get much meaning out of anything else. Mendelson provides a few glimmering moments of brilliant insight that only added to my longing for a book that focussed more on the deeper themes than the trivial family squabbling. I know the book has garnered acclaim, but it simply didn't land with me. I was perfectly happy to be finished with the entire family. 

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

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