Customer Reviews
Engaging and flawless - By: G. Munro, 28 Jul 2010 
I loved this book. It's the first book I have read by Patrick Gale & I have since bought more (although they are waiting on my "to read" pile). I have passed this book around friends & family & have bought it as a gift several times. I personally don't read reviews that give the synopsis of a novel, I don't like to know too much about a story but prefer to hear people's general opinions so just wanted to add my personal review of this book rather than a synopsis of the story.
I thought it was a beautiful story, it was woven together so eloquently, the language was beautiful & the story itself so sad, but exquisite. I would recommend this book to anyone.
Perfect - By: auntiecaren, 05 Jul 2010 Our Bookclub has just read Notes from an Exhibition - & prompted quite a lively discussion! Most of us loved the book, the depth & complexity of the characters & their relationships with each other within the broader confine of a family & friends. Patrick Gale has woven such a rich tapestry, with vivid perception, that each of us found we could closely identify with at least one character or situation. The only criticism we had to make wasin the format. Few of us like books which start by setting the scene for the end - we prefer a chronological rendering of a story - but understand that it would be difficult to present this particular plotin any other way. Overall, we loved it, & will be looking for more of Patrick Gales work to enjoy.
beautifully written - unputdownable - By: Mrs A Heath, 26 Jun 2010 This is the first book by Patrick Gale that I've read, & I'm already looking for the next one. The structure is intriguing, & I kept wanting to go back to previous chapters to read them again with the extra insights from each latest gem. I live with someone who has bipolar disorder (not as severe as Rachel's), & who is also an artist (a musician). Patrick Gale writes with an exquisite understanding of the extreme highs & lows that bring daily challenges to partners & close family, as well as the joy such talent can give to everyone touched by this person's art & spontaneity.
Could have been so much more - By: E. Smithies, 17 Apr 2010 
This is a really frustrating book - the main character Rachel is extremely unlikeable, & I didn't understand who her husband truly was, & why he was with her. This book focusses on too many characters so you never get a full handle on any of them. The ending seems rushed & lazy.
In praise of Notes from an Exhibition - By: M. I. Horn, 20 Mar 2010 This book was my choice for our book group. Half the group liked it, the others didn't, but it generated the most lively discussion we have ever had about any book. It is about a bi-polar Quaker artist who livesin Cornwall & her relationship to her family, & the effect her illness has on them & her art. It is lively, well written & thought provoking, besides having a very good plot. One is taken by surprise by several of the twists & turns. I love Patrick Gale's books & this onein particular. I would definitely recommend it.
