Nude

by Naeem Murr

Albert Butler wished once to be an artist, but scandal destroyed his life. Now old and sick, he takes us back through his troubled childhood, England’s blitz, and two passionate and destructive affairs. We see his life as an autobiography of nudes. Returning to his former London haunts, he confronts old friends who have never forgiven him his sins, and after making his confession to a defrocked priest, sets out on a journey along the Thames that will bring him to the final and naked truth about himself.

92 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Naeem Murrʼs first novel, The Boy, was a New York Times Notable Book. Another novel, The Genius of the Sea, was published in 2003. His latest, The Perfect Man, was awarded The Commonwealth Writersʼ Prize for the Best Book of Europe and South Asia, and was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize. His work has been translated into eight languages. He has received many awards for his writing, most recently a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Pen Beyond Margins Award. He has been a writer-in-residence at the University of Missouri, Western Michigan, and Northwestern University, among others. Born and brought up in London, he has lived in America since his early twenties, and currently resides in Chicago.

Photo: copyright Alan Cross.

Reviews

[Amanda Veazey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking.

[Rowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I started this book last year in December, but it’s no matter because even though this book is short, it’s deeply written. In order to understand, one must go slow. This is my second reading of it, and I understood it this time because I went more slowly. Mae West says that anything worth doing is worth doing slowly. This is a short story, bound like a book, so it counts for the reading challenge if interested in that sort of thing. I’m open to any novellas you might want to recommend.

[Alison · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a short story! Not a lot of buildup and I would have to read it again to fully grasp the setting of the book.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

a glimpse of breathtaking beauty.