Customer Reviews

The Passion Artist (Harper Colophon Books)

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Hawkes' novel about a man whose obsession with women seems trapped in pre-adolescent ignorance is dark, disgusting and tedious. It is prettily written by an author with a good grasp of language, but it is a story that entirely fails to engage. There are no characters with whom to identify, no plot that draws one in, no sympathetic emotions aroused. Were it not a very small volume, and were Hawkes' reputation not highly touted, I would have quit the book early. But I slogged on and can only blame myself for the waste of time.

I hasten to add that as a writer and reader I have no problem with exploration of sexuality, with dysfunction, with examination of obsession or with dark and difficult subjects. I don't expect every novel to be full of sweetness and light and I don't shy away from difficult subjects or profundity. But this book is ugliness dressed pretentiously as art, and it doesn't simply fail the smell test, it really stinks.