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A review by mwgerard
The Ecliptic by Benjamin Wood
4.0
Author Benjamin Wood seems to find his stories among the desperately brilliant and talented, who can’t seem to get a handle on their own intelligence. In The Bellwether Revivals, his characters get themselves into trouble because Cambridge somehow isn’t intellectually stimulating enough. Wood’s characters are continually grappling with the anxiety of influence, paralyzing themselves entirely.
In his newest novel, the characters are an overwhelmed group of artists who have fled to a secretive colony on an island near Turkey. Here, they have all their needs taken care of and they are to focus only on their work. Novelists, playwrights, painters and the like are sponsored by a previous tenant who has since become successful.
The tale is seen through the eyes of Knell (not her real name — everyone has a pseudonym), a celebrated painter in London who has lost her drive. The cabal of four frustrated geniuses has been there the longest and have forged a bizarre friendship. Under the watchful eye of the provost, the inhabitants are expected to respect each other’s anonymity and not make contact with the outside world.
Please read my full review here: http://mwgerard.com/review-the-ecliptic/
In his newest novel, the characters are an overwhelmed group of artists who have fled to a secretive colony on an island near Turkey. Here, they have all their needs taken care of and they are to focus only on their work. Novelists, playwrights, painters and the like are sponsored by a previous tenant who has since become successful.
The tale is seen through the eyes of Knell (not her real name — everyone has a pseudonym), a celebrated painter in London who has lost her drive. The cabal of four frustrated geniuses has been there the longest and have forged a bizarre friendship. Under the watchful eye of the provost, the inhabitants are expected to respect each other’s anonymity and not make contact with the outside world.
Please read my full review here: http://mwgerard.com/review-the-ecliptic/