Reviews

The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson

charmedlassie's review

challenging funny reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

imrereads's review against another edition

This is probably too early to get a real impression, but I just didn't find the characters particularly interested. Might try again another time.

book_lizard42's review

2.0

I am sick to death of stories about weak women sticking it out with abusive, narcissistic men. How am I supposed to feel besides angry? I don't feel sorry for the characters. They actively CHOOSE this. If the book had ended with what's-his-face and Leah getting shot in the behind with a nail gun, I'd have given it another star.

HOW WAS THIS BOOK LONG-LISTED FOR AWARDS?

Also, I found out it was supposed to be... funny? Nope. Missed the mark. I am going back to re-read something I love to get the taste out of my mouth.

melissareads70's review against another edition

dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a marmite novel, and I love marmite. Ray is a narcissistic monster who dominates his family into submission. I agree with other reviewers who don’t like any of the characters but  I did desperately want them to be able to escape .  The writing  is excellent , the middle class London artists living in their Victorian terrace were vivid and real , lamb with garlic, mould and overgrown gardens, addiction and hoarding , I loved hating them all.

princessjigglypuff's review against another edition

challenging slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

I got the sprayed edge which was beautiful, but I hated this book. The phrase ‘juicy follicles’ made me want to hurl and I spent the whole book confused. And none of the characters were likeable. At all. 

eleni_daniels's review

emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

nidhi2023's review against another edition

This is a pretty bad book. I picked it up because it was long listed for the women's prize, but the book was unreadable.

The plot of the book focuses on a family and takes place over a single weekend where the patriarch of the family, Ray, an artist, is having an art show after a long time. The family is composed of the father(Ray) and the mother (Lucia), two daughters(Leah and Jess), and a stepson (Patrick- the mother' son). The main characters also include one of the daughters boyfriends, and a married, female MP who the mother is having an affair with.

Ray is absolutely terrible- he has no redeeming quality, is a bad father and bad husband, pretty emotionally abusive throughout the whole story. He never gets any better. The other characters all want his approval (I have no idea why) and kind of suffer through the book.

I hated this book so much, because while I started out feeling bad for most of the other characters in the book, by the midway point I was starting to feel so angry at them for doing absolutely nothing to ever improve the situation. The entire book talks about people's efforts to tiptoe around the patriarch of their house and to attempt to get him to like them- to an extent where Lucia, who is objectively a better artist, gives up her art to keep peace in the house. He (and one of her daughters Leah) is also absolutely horrible to her while she recovers from cancer. He also cheats on her during this time.

There is absolutely no reason why any of them would want his approval, the book does not bother to lay down any logic as to why they want it either. It kinds just drags on and on about how terrible Ray is and how he is ruining everyones life, and has been doing it in the past. No one actually seems to be doing much about it though.

I DNF'd it at about the 60% mark, 

jennymcc97's review

emotional funny mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.75

dancinrio's review

3.0

What a group of thoroughly unpleasant characters. Doubtless a lot of skill went into creating such odious people but I did not enjoy spending time with them.

belsbooks06's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-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

2.25