A dark and disturbing novel brought vividly to life in this audiobook. This is a story of suspense, set at the turn of the 20th century, by the bestselling author of An Instance of the Fingerpost. In the early years of the twentieth century, influential art critic William Nasmyth travels to a remote island off the coast of Brittany to sit for a portrait painted by his old friend, the gifted but tormented artist Henry MacAlpine. Over the course of the sitting, MacAlpine recalls their years of friendship, the double-edged gift of the critic's patronage, the power he wielded over aspiring artists, and his apparent callousness in anointing the careers of some and devastating the lives of others. The power balance between the two shifts dramatically from what it had been, with the critic now the passive subject while the painter struggles to capture the character of the man, as well as his image on canvas...And as the painting develops, so a story begins to emerge - one of betrayal, hypocrisy, forbidden love, suicide and ultimately murder. Reminiscing with ease and familiarity one minute, anger and menace the next, MacAlpine eventually reveals why he has accepted the commission of this portrait, why he left London mysteriously at the height of his success, and why, now, with dark determination, he feels ready to return...Set against the dramatic, untamed landscape of Brittany, during one of the most explosive periods in art history,The Portrait is a darkly atmospheric, psychologically complex, macabre and chilling novel from a master storyteller.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Praise for An Instance of the Fingerpost: 'This is a novel that combines the simple pleasures of Agatha Christie with the intellectual subtlety of Umberto Eco. It is a landmark in the genre' John Sutherland, Sunday Times 'Enthralling... An Instance of the Fingerpost is a brilliant achievement... wholly absorbing' T.J. Binyon, Evening Standard 'A slippery thriller of audacious ingenuity' Robert Minghall, Independent on Sunday Praise for The Dream of Scipio: 'Combining the visceral pleasures of a thriller with the more intellectual excitements of a novel of ideas... ' Sunday Telegraph 'Combines dazzling erudition with assured narrative skills to offer glimpses of some of history's darkest corners' Independent on Sunday 'Vivid, admirably imagined, ultimately very moving... This is a novel of the very highest ambition... Immediate, sensuous, beautiful' Allan Massie, Scotsman
About the Author
Iain Pears was born in 1955, educated at Wadham College, Oxford and won the Getty Scholarship to Yale University. He has worked as a journalist, an art historian and a television consultant. He is the author of many books, including the bestselling An Instance of the Fingerpost and The Dream Of Scipio. He lives with his wife and son in Oxford.
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