Shattered Lives
First of Patrick Gale's novels that I've read and found it a very 'gentle' read, even though the subject matter was anything but gentle. A story of family life and family deaths and, at the centre, Rachel - the mother, forever wrestling with her own demons, for as well as being a gifted artist, she was bipolar. We learn of the effect this had on her husband's life, as well as the lives of her three children as they grew up. Time has moved on, the children are all adults and Rachel has died. Following her death, an exhibition of her pictures has been mounted, and the notes beside each work are used to commence each chapter. I liked the way the different stories from this family's life were related by each of its members, giving us a rounded view of the dynamics of that family. It's gentle in a slow-paced way, and there is a twist near the end which I hadn't expected. The author appears to have dealt with the subject of manic depression in a very down to earth, real, way and Rachel's long-suffering husband, Antony, was my quiet hero! We're left with the feeling that we know each of these characters so well, as the emotions and expectations of each one was revealed so thoroughly. I was also very interested in the input regarding Quakerism. All 'round, a really good novel.

Multiple viewpoints don't add up to a novel
What started out as a fairly enjoyable, if rambling, novel ended up as an excess of pointless multiple views that had me keen to finish and get it over with. I rarely give up on a novel, especially one that begins with such promise, but it was a hard slog to an end that had neither resolution nor satisfaction.

Part of the problem is due to the multiple viewpoints, a device deliberately chosen, and which sometimes works. It fails so dismally here because it destroys all suspense, leaving the reader to wade through page after page of pointless detail, knowing all the while where it's headed. Had this story been told in a more linear fashion - you know, that old chestnut of beginning, middle and end (sorry for being such a traditionalist) it would have been far more enjoyable.

The other problem is that there's way too much detail. There are whole sections crying out for an editor, for someone with a little quality control to step in and end what becomes excrutiatingly boring to read. I ploughed on because there were only fifty or so pages left and I was interested enough to want to know how it ended. How frustrating, and infuriating, it was to get to the end and find I'd been told the ending earlier in the book.

The best parts are those that deal with the two subjects of bipolarity (especially in connection with creativity) and Quakerism. So I'm not saying it's rubbish, by any means. I will not, however, be bothering with any more books by this author.

Great book, clever and intriguingly done
This is a great read. I really loved the way the paintings in the exhibition are each linked to the artist's life and reflect the ups and downs of her mental health, while the story is told alongside. I was, however, a bit surprised by the ending which left me a mite unfulfilled. Worth the read all the same though. Pretty brilliant.

The Whole Picture, In Parts
Gale has set up this book in a fascinating way. To begin with, the chapters throughout the book are prefaced with the types of background notes you would find on artworks at an exhibition - in this case, they are from the posthumous exhibition of Kelly's work. This is, of course, where the title of the novel comes from. These notes are essentially tiny insights into Kelly's artistic world, and yet still leave so much unsaid. The chapters themselves are written in vignette style, with each of the different characters having chapters to themselves. This means that while Rachel is still the central person here - since it is her life and work that is the thread of continuity throughout all these stories - we also get to see everyone else in her life on their own. What makes this so fascinating is that we don't get bogged down with long descriptive passages of Rachel's past, or anyone else's. Instead, we get to see pieces of her life, through both her eyes and through those of the people that lived with her. Moreover, it is interesting to see what parts of their lives each of the characters focus on, as their own personalities and problems colour what they tell us about.

This is not a book you're going to breeze through, even though the language is so approachable and honest feeling, the characters so believable and the story so interesting. No, you're going to want to savour this book from beginning to end, contemplate what you're reading about and think about those things that make you the person you are - both internally and externally. In fact, this may well be one of those rare books you want to read more than just once. That is about as high praise as I can give any book, and I can't impress upon my readers enough just how marvellous this book really is. Patrick Gale is a master storyteller who gives us not just something to think about, but to feel as well. There's nothing "in your face" here and like a clever optical illusion where close inspection may only make us think we're looking at a bunch of disconnected lines, when we pull back we find our eyes and brains have filled in what is missing and has forced us to make sense of the whole. Surely five stars out of five isn't enough, but that's all they allow here, so that's what I'll give it. Get this book and read it soon - you won't be disappointed, I promise you.

(Note: this is part of a larger review that appears on DooYoo under my username "TheChocolateLady".)

Thoroughly absorbing read!
I found this rather an intriguing and absorbing book. Notes From An Exhibition centres around Rachel Kelly, an artist with Bipolar disorder. The story and family secrets unfold as you read each chapter. At first I must admit I didn't know If I would like this book as the chapters jump backwards and forwards through the decades but I actually found it quite easy to read (reading The Time Traveler's Wife helped I think!) I was enveloped by Rachel and her passion for art and I loved the notes about her paintings all the way through and how they linked in to chapters throughout the book. I was engaged by the other characters in the book and would liked to have known more about Petroc who's character didn't appear to be as fully fledged as Hedley or Morwenna's. I empathised very much with Morwenna especially on her 10th birthday and the fact that Rachel just didn't see that her actions could hurt someone else so much. At first I was disappointed with the ending of the book but then I realised just quite how sad and moving it was. I really enjoyed the book and will endeavour to read some more of his books now.

I liked the fact that the author had written notes in the back of the book which I thought was lovely to get an insight into the author's thoughts and feelings and he obviously writes very much from the heart and thoroughly investigates his subject matters; artists (Barbara Hepworth - didn't know she existed in real life!), bi-polar, Penzance. I liked the fact he provides a little walking tour of Penzance that readers can go and do!

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