About this title: "Justly praised for his complex historical thrillers ("An Instance of the Fingerpost; The Dream of Scipio"), Pears scales down to a simple tale of vengeance told by a narrator obsessed with destroying the man he once called his friend and mentor."--"Publishers Weekly."
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9780007202768ISBN:0007202768
Description: Good. This is an EX-LIBRARY COPY. We only offer carefully selected, quality books, in this category. The normal stamps and labels may be present and the front flysheet has been tidily removed. The supplying library will benefit financially from your purchase. This book is in GOOD overall condition. It shows signs of having been read and has general light wear to the cover, spine and pages. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780007791187ISBN:0007791186
Description: Good. This book is in GOOD overall condition. It shows signs of having been read and has general light wear to the cover, spine and pages. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Date Published: 2007
Description: Good. All orders are dispatched from our UK warehouse within one working day. Established in 2004. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780007791187ISBN:0007791186
Description: Very Good. PAPERBACK BOOK-VERY GOOD OVERALL CONDITION-TRUSTED DEVON (UK) BASED SELLER-IN STOCK-SENT WITHIN 1 WORKING DAY-AVAILABLE BY EMAIL FOR QUERIES-NO QUIBBLE REFUND IF NOT COMPLETELY SATISFIED- read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780007791187ISBN:0007791186
Description: Good. This book is in GOOD overall condition. It shows signs of having been read and has general light wear to the cover, spine and pages. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9781573222983ISBN:1573222984
Description: Very Good in VERY GOOD jacket. First Edition. 1st edition, 1st impression. No major defects-unabridged, clean, complete, not falling apart; some light wear. A perfectly good reading or reference copy. read more
Description: Good. Ships from the UK. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Your purchase also supports literacy charities. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: HarperPerennial
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9780007232819ISBN:0007232810
Description: New. Brand new books, maps and cd's available immediately from a reputable and well rated UK bookseller; despatched promptly and reliably worldwide. read more
"This is a beautiful little masterpiece of a book. It might well have been titled, "The Menacing Foreshadowy Book of Foreshadowing", because right from the beginning (in fact, right from reading the cover flaps), you know that something bad is going to happen . . . and the badness is deliciously telegraphed in a thousand ways over the course of the book.
It is a monologue, the words of an artist as he paints a portrait of his subject, an art critic whom he has known for years. As he creates his portrait in oil, his words create a verbal portrait of the man, as well as portraits of several other characters from their shared history, and a self-portrait of the artist himself.
By the end of the book, the artist's motivations and intentions become clear. What kept this book from being truly great, I think, is that by the end of the book the artist has convinced us of the justice of his crime. Instead of revealing a monstrous, horrible fate for an innocent man, Pears essentially shows us a fate which is more or less deserved, if perhaps not richly. His protagonist is self-effacing, not grandiose.
Like the others of Pears' "serious" books, this one is incredibly well written. It is a joy to read just for the prose, even if the struggles within the art world and artists do come across as a bit fey and silly."
"Hm. Well, I suppose the ending was worth slogging through this slim though trying book. Not bad but not one of my favorite Pears novels. Maybe it'll grow on me."
"Pears goes back for another bash at the mystery with art connections, but from a new angle. It isn't a detective story with some Old Master as the MacGuffin but an unfolding monologue that slowly presents the picture of an artist carrying out what seems like a long-anticipated and intricately planned murder. Pears' narrative voice is very effective here, and even though I began to suspect the ending within the first 10 pages of this short novel, the twists and turns that lead the narrator to his vengeful act are fascinating. The pace is not even, just as in The Dream Of Scipio there are moments when it seems the author is only using the story and the character as a peg to hang his own musings, but the last 20 pages or so are completely gripping. And yes, more than only a creepy, murderous monologue, but the balance between plot and theme is much more successful than in The Dream Of Scipio."
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