Patrick Gale's “Notes from an Exhibition”

The BBC received Patrick Gale's “Notes from an Exhibition” with an uncharacteristic chorus of acclaim, and scores were as follows:

Leanne 8.5
kevin 8.5
Mark 9
Nathalie 8.5
Helen 9
Henri 9.5

Total: 9

I checked out some reviews which mainly tended to be dreary little cheezy and groveling pieces (excuse me while I throw up), however this one from Victoria Leigh of Waterstones in Hexham summed it up nicely:

“Okay, so this book may not may not be the most uplifting or happy books but you can't help but be gripped from the beginning through fantastic settings and an air of mystery. I feel that the book deals sensitively with issues of suicide and depression, and how the enigmatic death of Rachel Kelly is dealt with by her grieving family. Beautifully written and undeniably tragic, the reader will conclude that her life parallels her art as her family are left to piece together her abstract life.”

If it’s of any interest our London branch has produced a writing style guide that is easy to read (an hour or so), well worth a look for those interested in English expression. Quite handy for corporate communications too I would think. Click on “open guide” at this address:

>>> BBC London Branch Style Guide

The next book, selected by Al, is “Marching Powder” by Rusty Young, and we look forward to that read and Al’s inaugural hosting!

Mark Gordon