Notes From an Exhibition - Patrick Gale

Harper Perennial

This was a wonderful book, beautifully written, thought provoking and touching about an artist with bi-polar disorder and the caring husband that loved and nurtured her throughout her life. It also showed her four children and how her illness impacted on their lives. It is written haphazzardly in chapters as if the reader is traveling through the exhibition looking at the paintings of the protagonist. Each picture has notes which reveals the story within that particular chapter. It's a very original read. It also depicts Cornwall beautifully. I'm always put off when these books appear in Richard and Judy's Book Club, however, I'd advise anyone to put those snobbish thoughts behind them and pick up this book. I loved it.

The Thirteenth Tale - Diane Setterfield

Orion Fiction

Although I didn't enjoy this book I do appreciate that it was well written. The tempo was miserable throughout and made the reader feel uncomfortable right the way through until the end. There were however, twists and turns that surprised the reader.

It was narrated by a third person who was writing the autobiography of the protagonist Miss Vida Winters. It was difficult to work out the fantasy from the reality at first, but it did all become apparent in the end. The ending was neatly tied up, but begged a few questions such as "what time period was the piece set in?" There were parallels between the narrator and the protagonist and an empathy for them was created through the narrative. Essentially I felt it was a tale of lonliness and generations of tragedy (as per Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte).