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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
This book is written in the first person and involves no dialog between the characters, instead relying on a combination of the narrator's monologue, responses to "anticipated" questions on the part of the other person, and narrator's recollections in order to move the plot forward. It sounds weird but is fun to read.
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is best read in a few sittings, but if you love character driven books this is perfect. it’s easy to read and depicts spite and revenge in a beautiful way
informative
fast-paced
The Portrait is the sort of book where the first read-through is key. If I were to say anything concrete about its plot or characters, it would give away things that are revealed in such a well-timed manner in the actual book. The relationship between the painter and his sitter is the heart of the book, and to see it unfold organically is more recommendation than any cut-and-dry analysis I could write would do. It is perhaps apt that a book with a less than favourable view of critics should be so resistant to in-depth criticism.
Scottish painter Henry MacAlpine lives on a remote island off of Brittany. He accepts a commission from an old friend/adversary, art critic William Nasmyth, to paint Nasmyth's portrait. Nasmyth sits for several days and does not utter a word as MacAlpine recounts his life as he paints the portrait.
MacAlpine retreated to his island of exile because of Nasmyth's criticisms; he holds Nasmyth accountable for a double crime. His portrait is to be a triptych -- his view of Nasmyth as he was, as he is now, and as he will be.
The novel is written as a dramatic monologue, so we only come to know MacAlpine and his point of view. Even though the reader knows what is coming, the why and wherefore makes this story worth the read.
MacAlpine retreated to his island of exile because of Nasmyth's criticisms; he holds Nasmyth accountable for a double crime. His portrait is to be a triptych -- his view of Nasmyth as he was, as he is now, and as he will be.
The novel is written as a dramatic monologue, so we only come to know MacAlpine and his point of view. Even though the reader knows what is coming, the why and wherefore makes this story worth the read.
Incredibly well written, intense yet subtle story with a unique setup of narration and point of view. Beautiful writing.
"People cannot tell the truth about themselves, for they do not know it."
"You command, and it comes to pass. You lift your finger and a reputation is made, shake your head and the hopes nurtured for years in the ateliers, worked for and so desperately desired, are dashed forever. So, you do not move armies, do not wreak destruction on faraway lands like our politicians and generals. You are far more powerful than that, are you not? You change the way people think, shape the way they see the world."
The novel starts with two old friends meeting. One of them is an artist, commissioned to paint a portrait of his comrade.
Only one of them walks out alive at the end... but which one? And what could possibly drive a man to wreak the destruction of a beloved?
This novella is an enormously tense read, short yet heavy, packed with profound meditations on the meaning of art, the role of a critic versus that of the artist, the tension between objective truth and compassionate humanity, and what it means to choose between success and integrity.
Iain Pears is a revelation! I will look for his other works, I extremely enjoyed this one. He is a fine, intelligent writer, and every page, every paragraph, feels NECESSARY. (Kudos to his editor, too!)
Best read in one sitting! And it will make you re-think the purpose of triptychs. *shudders uneasily at the remembrance of the last fifteen pages*
"You command, and it comes to pass. You lift your finger and a reputation is made, shake your head and the hopes nurtured for years in the ateliers, worked for and so desperately desired, are dashed forever. So, you do not move armies, do not wreak destruction on faraway lands like our politicians and generals. You are far more powerful than that, are you not? You change the way people think, shape the way they see the world."
The novel starts with two old friends meeting. One of them is an artist, commissioned to paint a portrait of his comrade.
Only one of them walks out alive at the end... but which one? And what could possibly drive a man to wreak the destruction of a beloved?
This novella is an enormously tense read, short yet heavy, packed with profound meditations on the meaning of art, the role of a critic versus that of the artist, the tension between objective truth and compassionate humanity, and what it means to choose between success and integrity.
Iain Pears is a revelation! I will look for his other works, I extremely enjoyed this one. He is a fine, intelligent writer, and every page, every paragraph, feels NECESSARY. (Kudos to his editor, too!)
Best read in one sitting! And it will make you re-think the purpose of triptychs. *shudders uneasily at the remembrance of the last fifteen pages*