'I was completely enthralled by Notes from an Exhibition. Patrick's Gale's prose grows ever more acrobatic and heartstopping, though somehow he never seems to be showing off. And few writers have grasped the twisted dynamics of family the way Gale has. There's really no one he can't inhabit, understand and forgive.' Armistead Maupin 'All the characters are dimensional and heartbreaking. It is a book saturated with love and humanity. And it has a great last line.' Barbara Gowdy 'Poised and pitch--perfect throughout, this is an engrossing portrait of a troubled and remarkable character. A fine writer at the top of his game.' Mail on Sunday 'This is an uplifting, immensely empathetic novel, and Gale's prose, as ever is as clear and bright as the Cornish light.' Guardian 'A tender, powerful novel.' The Gloss 'This is a book full of insight, intelligence and quiet humour familiar from his previous masterpiece, Rough Music.' Image magazine 'Gale moves seamlessly between different characters, and from past to present, so we never the narrative thrust. An excellent summer read.' Psychologies magazine 'His sense of place is utterly coherent and he makes the background easy to navigate!the writing itself is so unpretentious, and Gale brings such patience and generosity to the story, that one cannot help but respond to his uplifting faith in human nature.' New Statesman 'Notes from an Exhibition is a story about family life and the tensions that at once bind it and tear it apart. Patrick Gale's focus is sharp and this small group of characters is carefully observed and lovingly brought to vivid life!Each chapter of the book begins with an epigraph taken from the catalogue for a retrospective exhibition of Rachel's life and work. These passages then spark a chapter which relates to the painting or the object described. Those moments described are non-sequential, making the book a kaleidoscope of pictures, sometimes comic, sometimes unutterably moving. Ultimately, Notes from an Exhibition is a rewarding read.' Peter Burton, Express 'Gale deals with this anxious family with humour and humility and the eccentric characters are sympathetically and truthfully drawn. The overriding theme is the powerful bond that family relationships create, and an unexpected, all enduring love.' Gay Times 'By the end I had laughed and cried and put all his other books on my wish list. This is dense, thought-provoking, sensitive, satisfying, humorous, humane -- a real treat.' Telegraph 'Beautifully written, slowly unravelling tale!Patrick Gale's serene and carefully crafted prose conveys a profound understanding of the workings of human relationships and the torment that mental illness causes its sufferers and also those around them.' Daily Mail 'It has the kind of quietly radiant intelligence, craft and integrity that bypasses superficial questions of originality. A novel with a variety and freshness that is all the more powerful and surprising for being discovering in such a circumscribed and very English milieu.' Sunday Times 'Skilfully constructed as a mosaic of different viewpoints that shift back and forwards in time. A warm, well-written novel about creativity and the perils of living with the creative spirit.' Times Literary Supplement
