RC Part 9 - Notes From an Exhibition by Patrick Gale
Categories: uncategorized
Date: 15 February 2008 15:25:39
I have been reading Notes From an Exhibition by Patrick Gale which is part of Richard & Judy's Book Club list this year. Unusually for me I have read it twice, straight through to try and get a handle on the story.
It's a very clever book. Each chapter starts with what looks like a note attached to an exhibit in an art gallery and the following chapter is often linked in some way to the exhibit itself, but the chapters are told from the perspective of different people in the story. Initially I found is very confusing as the story jumps across decades, opinions and viewpoints and it is only at the end that you get to grips with what has happened. Re-reading it though has really helped me to see the links throughout the story.
The story is about an artist called Rachel Kelly who has bi-polar affective disorder (manic depression). However, she has a family secret which she never speaks of during her life and it is only after her death that her family begin to unravel who she really was. Her husband is a gentle, loving man whose Quaker faith keeps him centered no matter what is going on, and I found the bits of the book that focused on the Quakers truly lovely and provided me with one of my favourite quotes about The Society of Friends. Rachel is talking about the Quakers and she says.... ”I like the way it managed to be mystical and no-nonsense at the same time - meditation in plain surroundings. It offers you the divine but it keeps it in a plain pine cupboard alongside the kettle and cookies and Band-Aid.”
It has been an interesting time for me to read this book as one of the over-arching themes throughout the book is that of grief. How individuals deal with bereavement, loss and sadness and how families move on when together. It is a clever book addressing mental illness, sexuality, art, faith and family life. Not always an easy read but well worth the effort.