The Instructor: A Novel [Hardcover]

Ann Ireland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1997

Worldly, sardonic art instructor Otto Guest enthralls 19-year-old Simone. When he invites her to Mexico, she agrees with no thought of the consequences. But she soon finds herself in an unfamiliar world of heat and grit and uncertain of her presence in Otto's life. What begins as a young woman's infatuation rapidly escalates into a piercing study of power, obsession, and the difference between art and reality.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

And they say the art of letter-writing is dead. In her second novel, The Instructor, Ann Ireland resurrects the practice by craftng her book as one long letter that recounts the unhappy love affair between Simone Paris and her art instructor, Otto. The letter, written by an older, wiser Simone, has the benefit of perspective--a quality that this book examines both in life and in art. Simone is writing to her ex-lover six years after their liaison; she is now the director of a summer arts festival, and Otto has asked her for a job. Under the circumstances, a simple yes or no is not so simple--hence the letter.

Simone was 19 when she met Otto, a man old enough to be her father, but intriguingly everything her own father is not. She is attracted by his aesthetics, his persona as an artist, and so she seduces him, then follows him to Mexico. It isn't long, however, before Simone discovers that Otto still loves his ex-wife, and her carefully constructed idea of love begins to unravel. Simone's painfully garnered perspective--on herself, on Otto, on the nature of love and need gives The Instructor depth, making for an interesting read.

From Library Journal

In Ireland's charming debut (A Certain Mr. Takahashi, 1986), two Toronto teenagers come of age over a crush on the glamorous new symphony conductor. Her new novel is less winning. The heroine, Simone Paris, addresses this memoir to her former art instructor and lover, Otto Guest. Now the director of a summer arts festival, Simone believes that she has at last become her own person. But Guest's reappearance on the scene after a six-year absence provides a catalyst for revisiting the past. Simone recalls how Guest, fleeing a failing marriage and a troubled son, persuaded her to run away with him to Mexico when she was only 19 years old. As soon as they arrived in the sleepy backwater town of San Patricio, it became all too clear that Otto had been this way before. As he fell back into old habits, their affair quickly played itself out. A competently written but unremarkable novel; purchase where Ireland has a following.?Barbara Love, Kingston P.L., Ontario, Canada
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Ecco Pr; 1st edition (April 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0880015373
• ISBN-13: 978-0880015370
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,037,132 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars honest, August 4, 2000

By 

N. Reno-Welt "nrw" (new york) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Instructor: A Novel (Hardcover)

This book is a beautifully crafted window into the heart and mind of a young woman, Simone, who is in love with her art teacher, Otto. Unfortanately, as their unbalanced relationship unfolds, Simone's heart begins the slow process of realizing the truth- that she is not the one special girl that will break the banality between teacher and student. This book clearly portays the power that a teacher has over a student (despite what ensues when class is over) and when Simone's sees her own inablity to be honest for fear of losing Otto, she begins the long journey to finding her true self again.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An accurate look at a teacher-student relationship, August 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Instructor: A Novel (Hardcover)

This book is a beautifully crafted window into the heart and mind of a young woman, Simone, who is in love with her art teacher, Otto. Unfortanately, as their unbalanced relationship unfolds, Simone's heart begins the slow process of realizing the truth- that she is not the one special girl that will break the banality between teacher and student. This book clearly portays the power that a teacher has over a student (despite what ensues when class is over) and when Simone's sees her own inablity to be honest for fear of losing Otto, she begins the long journey to finding her true self again.