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Mr. Gwyn & Three Times at Dawn
After celebrated author Jasper Gwyn suddenly and publicly announces that he will never write another book, he embarks on a strange new career path as a "copyist," holding thirty-day sittings in a meticulously appointed room and producing, at the end, brief but profoundly rich portraits in prose. The surprising, beautiful, and even frightening results are received with rapture by their subjects--among them Gwyn's devoted assistant, Rebecca; a beautiful fabric importer; a landscape painter; Gwyn's own literary agent; two wealthy newlyweds; a tailor to the Queen; and a very dangerous nineteen-year-old.
Then Gwyn disappears, leaving behind only a short note to his assistant--and the portraits. As Rebecca studies his words, she realizes that the mystery is larger than the simple fact of Gwyn's whereabouts, and she begins to unravel a lifetime's worth of clues left by a man who saw so much but said so little, a man whose solitude masked a heart as hungry as hers.
Then Gwyn disappears, leaving behind only a short note to his assistant--and the portraits. As Rebecca studies his words, she realizes that the mystery is larger than the simple fact of Gwyn's whereabouts, and she begins to unravel a lifetime's worth of clues left by a man who saw so much but said so little, a man whose solitude masked a heart as hungry as hers.
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First published December 25, 2014
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About the author
Alessandro Baricco
75 books3,994 followersAlessandro Baricco is an Italian writer, born at Torino in 1958. He's the author of several works, including the novels Lands of Glass (Selezione Campiello Award and Prix Médicis Étranger), Ocean Sea (Viareggio Prize), Silk, City, Emmaus or Mr. Gwyn, among others.
He is also the author of the majestic rewrite of Homer’s Iliad, the theatrical monologue Novecento, the essays Next: On Globalization and the World to Come or The Game.
Baricco hosted the book program "Pickwick" for Rai Tre, which, according to Claudio Paglieri, "invited Italians to rediscover the pleasure of reading." In 1994, he founded a school of "writing techniques" in Turin called Holden (as a tribute to Salinger), which, under his direction, has been a resounding success. Since the publication of Silk, which has become a long-standing bestseller both in Italy and internationally, Baricco has established himself as one of the great Italian writers of the new generations.
He was awarded the Fondazione Il Campiello Prize in 2020 and the Penna d’Oro Prize in 2022 for his body of work.
He is also the author of the majestic rewrite of Homer’s Iliad, the theatrical monologue Novecento, the essays Next: On Globalization and the World to Come or The Game.
Baricco hosted the book program "Pickwick" for Rai Tre, which, according to Claudio Paglieri, "invited Italians to rediscover the pleasure of reading." In 1994, he founded a school of "writing techniques" in Turin called Holden (as a tribute to Salinger), which, under his direction, has been a resounding success. Since the publication of Silk, which has become a long-standing bestseller both in Italy and internationally, Baricco has established himself as one of the great Italian writers of the new generations.
He was awarded the Fondazione Il Campiello Prize in 2020 and the Penna d’Oro Prize in 2022 for his body of work.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
March 11, 2024
This was a great read but it left me without the power to fully describe it. The idea was brilliant, better than “Silk” in my opinion which didn’t capture me with its story so much as the form of writing. I hope to continue with Baricco since this book showed me what else he's capable of, beyond "Silk."
(Update on a review from 2020)
The basic idea of "Mr. Gwyn" is that Mr. Gwyn is a successful and wealthy author who finds himself bored with writing and his life in general so he decides he will never write another book. Instead, he rents a room where he has his assistant sit for him, as well as other people, while he writes, rather than paints, a portrait of them. The only requirement is that they be nude and behave as if he isn't there while he constructs this portrait of words.
It’s hard to know what to say about this book, other than it’s very unusual, and very imaginative. Can a book so charged in eroticism have no actual sex? What do you feel while you're being observed? What do you feel while you're naked and waiting for him to arrive? What do you feel if he doesn't arrive that day and you're left for hours to wait in the nude? It's a peculiar form of voyeurism but in no way explicit or even voyeuristic, if that makes sense. Can observing someone at close range for a period of time let you into the very heart of that someone, even if they were a total stranger up to now? Can a portrait in words penetrate the heart? In a sense, maybe... because the events in this book served up to its characters a portrait of their secret selves, which they may or may not have known themselves, let alone imagined that anyone else could see beneath the surface.
The second part, "Three Times at Dawn" reveals some of his writing and acts as closure to the mystery which ends "Mr. Gwyn". (tThere are cases where this is sold as a very short second book; don't be scammed!) This book is basically indescribable - or at least it was for me - because while the idea of someone abandoning a successful career and starting over is nothing new, there are writers and writers. It's a haunting book and if you're looking for something else by Baricco after having read "Silk", this isn't a bad choice at all.
(Update on a review from 2020)
The basic idea of "Mr. Gwyn" is that Mr. Gwyn is a successful and wealthy author who finds himself bored with writing and his life in general so he decides he will never write another book. Instead, he rents a room where he has his assistant sit for him, as well as other people, while he writes, rather than paints, a portrait of them. The only requirement is that they be nude and behave as if he isn't there while he constructs this portrait of words.
It’s hard to know what to say about this book, other than it’s very unusual, and very imaginative. Can a book so charged in eroticism have no actual sex? What do you feel while you're being observed? What do you feel while you're naked and waiting for him to arrive? What do you feel if he doesn't arrive that day and you're left for hours to wait in the nude? It's a peculiar form of voyeurism but in no way explicit or even voyeuristic, if that makes sense. Can observing someone at close range for a period of time let you into the very heart of that someone, even if they were a total stranger up to now? Can a portrait in words penetrate the heart? In a sense, maybe... because the events in this book served up to its characters a portrait of their secret selves, which they may or may not have known themselves, let alone imagined that anyone else could see beneath the surface.
The second part, "Three Times at Dawn" reveals some of his writing and acts as closure to the mystery which ends "Mr. Gwyn". (tThere are cases where this is sold as a very short second book; don't be scammed!) This book is basically indescribable - or at least it was for me - because while the idea of someone abandoning a successful career and starting over is nothing new, there are writers and writers. It's a haunting book and if you're looking for something else by Baricco after having read "Silk", this isn't a bad choice at all.
January 24, 2024
I have actually read this book before (for some reason I didn't add it to Goodreads the first time), and my intention was just to read the first few chapters. However, I got totally sucked into this book's orbit again and I just had to keep reading (I lovvve when that happens). This one is hard to explain, but I will try.
A well-known writer, Jasper Gwyn, has decided he is done with writing books for publication, and to emphasize his point, he writes a list of 52 things he will never do again and publishes it in THE GUARDIAN (this novel is set in London). He has not told his literary agent this, and his agent discovers this list in the newspaper along with the rest of the world. The rest of the book explores what he does with his time after his declaration, and it is truly captivating! He makes up a new career that suits his exact skills and interests, and then sets about making it happen - a total reinvention of his life.
There are not many reviews of this book, but I would love to read more analyses of this novel... the character, his choices, how his choices affect others, and so on. If you like original, quirky books which make you think, then give this one a try (and let me know what you think).
A well-known writer, Jasper Gwyn, has decided he is done with writing books for publication, and to emphasize his point, he writes a list of 52 things he will never do again and publishes it in THE GUARDIAN (this novel is set in London). He has not told his literary agent this, and his agent discovers this list in the newspaper along with the rest of the world. The rest of the book explores what he does with his time after his declaration, and it is truly captivating! He makes up a new career that suits his exact skills and interests, and then sets about making it happen - a total reinvention of his life.
There are not many reviews of this book, but I would love to read more analyses of this novel... the character, his choices, how his choices affect others, and so on. If you like original, quirky books which make you think, then give this one a try (and let me know what you think).
Read
August 15, 2015This is unlike any book I've ever read. I cared about the characters and what happens to them, the story presents a puzzle and I was definitely interested in finding out how it would end. But, for me the real pleasure of reading this book was not so much the plot and characters as the many thought provoking insights into -what exactly? Life? Love? Art? This is a book I will definitely read again,on one hand to better connect all the dots but mainly to mull over many of the ideas. For instance: "So in the end he realized that he was in a situation known to many humans, but not therefore less painful: that which alone makes them feel alive is something that is, slowly, fated to kill them. Children, for parents; success, for artists; mountains too high, for mountain climbers."
April 13, 2015
A most beautiful portrait
January 28, 2025
It's Baricco,therefore it's perfect.
April 28, 2021
It is difficult to directly describe the beauty of this book.
That difficulty is itself the point of the book; the feeling of finding a pure depiction of your innermost self in a piece of fiction which, on its face, has nothing to do with you.
Baricco did something truly profound with his work here.
That difficulty is itself the point of the book; the feeling of finding a pure depiction of your innermost self in a piece of fiction which, on its face, has nothing to do with you.
Baricco did something truly profound with his work here.
March 29, 2021
Met een constant aanwezige rust doorheen het boek voel je geen haast noch spanning maar toch ben je constant met jouw ogen aan het staren naar het einde dat onverhinderlijk op je afkomt. Je weet niet wanneer het er zal zijn. Je ziet op willekeurige momenten het licht hier en daar doven. Geen geluid, complete stilte, en enkel duisternis dat volgt, om op het einde een soort intimiteit te beleven die je nergens anders voelt.
Een verhaal van Alessandro Baricco die ik met alle genot tot me heb laten binnen dringen.
Een verhaal van Alessandro Baricco die ik met alle genot tot me heb laten binnen dringen.
September 9, 2023
It was an okay reading: I liked the characters and the story but overall I'd give it a 3/5 because I expected something with more depth :)
September 28, 2023
A unique and captivating book. In love with it and did not want to put it down.
July 22, 2025
Ik zat hier helemaal in van bij de start.
De novelle in dezelfde uitgave is een mooie aanvulling.
De novelle in dezelfde uitgave is een mooie aanvulling.
October 29, 2025
5 sterren voor de novelle 'driemaal bij dageraad', dat was echt prachtig
June 9, 2020
The first part, titled Mr. Gwyn, is the story of Jasper Gwyn, a renowned author with a taste for the whimsical who decides suddenly, one day, that he will no longer write. After a hiatus in which he comes across a few quirky characters, he decides to become a copyist, a profession of his own invention that makes portraits of patrons for a living. What’s interesting about this premise is that rather than actual portraits of paint or photography, these portraits are made from words, words which are assembled after a lengthy period of solitude with the subject in meticulous circumstances that Gwyn has set up prior to their meeting. The whole concept is heady and kind of pretentious, I know, but bear with me. After he disappears, his assistant, Rebecca, endeavors to find him through what seems to be several hidden clues in his writings, and makes a shocking discovery about the portraits that throws the reader for a loop.
The second novella is a “fictional” book titled Three Times at Dawn; fictional in the sense that this is one of the in-universe written works mentioned in the first part. It is much shorter than Mr. Gwyn, and is comprised of three chapters that each tell a separate story that occurred at dawn. The style of the novella is very strange: largely dialogue-based, often between just two characters; and with no quotation marks or indications of who is talking, it is up to the reader to keep track. On its own, the stories would make no sense, but they start to come to life knowing the background information of Mr. Gwyn.
My thoughts? Honestly, this book was a little too pretentious, which you think would be right up my alley, but here’s the issue: it had little to no drive, at least until the very end. From reading the back of the book before buying it, it seemed like the bulk of Mr. Gwyn was going to be about his disappearance, and Rebecca’s journey to finding out where the eclectic author went. In reality, however, that comprised only a few chapters at the end. Because of this lack of overt conflict, the book dragged so much that I had to read it over a long period of time, episodically, because the combination of textbook-like density coupled with the slow pacing made it an exhausting read. The premise is unique, for sure, and there were some incredibly gorgeous passages of word painting that truly moved me, but it felt like swimming through really fancy mud for those nuggets of truly astounding writing. Sometimes I like books that are slower-paced, but it’s very difficult to pull off such a style without it dragging. This book, unfortunately, is a prime example.
Spoilers ahead, for those who want to read it first.
The main lure of Three Times at Dawn is that we finally get to read the golden prose of Jasper Gwyn, whose literary genius is praised throughout Mr. Gwyn as being nothing short of virtuosic. Being perfectly honest, however, I was kind of let down. The format of the novella is a bit jarring at first, as I would often lose track of who was talking at any given moment. To the author’s credit, the transitions between the straight dialogue and the more descriptive passages were very smooth due to this technique, so it served a good purpose. I just don’t know if it’s worth your reader getting lost halfway down the page of indented, un-quotation-marked dialogue between two people and having to flip back to when the exchange started. However, maybe that's just my short attention span talking. I did like the subtle homages to the events of Jasper Gwyn, and it was an interesting game to try and find out whose portrait was hidden in the novella. Overall, it was an interesting way to follow up Mr. Gwyn.
Overall, I would recommend the book for the atmosphere and meticulous character-building, the interesting premise and at times virtuosic prose. However, be prepared for the book to have all of the drive and pacing of a funeral dirge, and be just a bit pretentious for its lack of direction. If you are looking for a well-paced mystery/crime novel (which, idiot that I am, thought it was initially), then you will be disappointed. 3/5
The second novella is a “fictional” book titled Three Times at Dawn; fictional in the sense that this is one of the in-universe written works mentioned in the first part. It is much shorter than Mr. Gwyn, and is comprised of three chapters that each tell a separate story that occurred at dawn. The style of the novella is very strange: largely dialogue-based, often between just two characters; and with no quotation marks or indications of who is talking, it is up to the reader to keep track. On its own, the stories would make no sense, but they start to come to life knowing the background information of Mr. Gwyn.
My thoughts? Honestly, this book was a little too pretentious, which you think would be right up my alley, but here’s the issue: it had little to no drive, at least until the very end. From reading the back of the book before buying it, it seemed like the bulk of Mr. Gwyn was going to be about his disappearance, and Rebecca’s journey to finding out where the eclectic author went. In reality, however, that comprised only a few chapters at the end. Because of this lack of overt conflict, the book dragged so much that I had to read it over a long period of time, episodically, because the combination of textbook-like density coupled with the slow pacing made it an exhausting read. The premise is unique, for sure, and there were some incredibly gorgeous passages of word painting that truly moved me, but it felt like swimming through really fancy mud for those nuggets of truly astounding writing. Sometimes I like books that are slower-paced, but it’s very difficult to pull off such a style without it dragging. This book, unfortunately, is a prime example.
Spoilers ahead, for those who want to read it first.
The main lure of Three Times at Dawn is that we finally get to read the golden prose of Jasper Gwyn, whose literary genius is praised throughout Mr. Gwyn as being nothing short of virtuosic. Being perfectly honest, however, I was kind of let down. The format of the novella is a bit jarring at first, as I would often lose track of who was talking at any given moment. To the author’s credit, the transitions between the straight dialogue and the more descriptive passages were very smooth due to this technique, so it served a good purpose. I just don’t know if it’s worth your reader getting lost halfway down the page of indented, un-quotation-marked dialogue between two people and having to flip back to when the exchange started. However, maybe that's just my short attention span talking. I did like the subtle homages to the events of Jasper Gwyn, and it was an interesting game to try and find out whose portrait was hidden in the novella. Overall, it was an interesting way to follow up Mr. Gwyn.
Overall, I would recommend the book for the atmosphere and meticulous character-building, the interesting premise and at times virtuosic prose. However, be prepared for the book to have all of the drive and pacing of a funeral dirge, and be just a bit pretentious for its lack of direction. If you are looking for a well-paced mystery/crime novel (which, idiot that I am, thought it was initially), then you will be disappointed. 3/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2015
I have read three Alessandro Baricco novels, beginning with Silk, which I appreciated for its elegance but did not honestly like, moving on to City, which I thought would be fun but did not get at all... so I left Baricco till I recently tried Emmaus, which was moving and elegant (and is reviewed on this page). Now I have read Mr. Gwyn – and really enjoyed it. Perhaps I am finally growing into literary sync with Baricco.
Mr. Gwyn is another very imaginative work by this Italian author. It is short (250+ pages); and divided into 2 parts, the second being a long short story or novella (80+ pages) purportedly written by the eponymous Mr. Gwyn, who is a writer, and the subject of the first part of the book.
The first story takes place in London. Jasper Gwyn is a successful but reclusive writer who detests the “famous writer” part of his identity. One day Jasper Gwyn decides to quit writing. He publishes a list of 52 things he will never do again in The Guardian, the ultimate being to never produce another book. Then Jasper disappears for a couple of years as he considers his next career. This all in the first couple of short chapters.
When Jasper Gwyn resurfaces, he has decided to become a ‘copyist’. It is not quite clear what being a copyist entails. It requires ‘writing’; but the intent is more akin to painting a portrait than creating a literary character study. Indeed, the most difficult aspect of this story is understanding the subtle distinction Baricco is trying to draw between writing a character and ‘painting’ a character with words. As with the art of painterly portraiture, Mr. Gwyn’s new vocation has to do with sitting with a subject over an extended period of time (a month) in a carefully constructed space, with meticulously planned sound and especially light. Mostly in silence.
If that sounds like a very quiet, non-action sort of story, it is. Please hang in with Mr. Gwyn - and with Rebecca, his first ‘subject’ to be copied, who then becomes his agent. If you like beautiful writing, you will suddenly be charmed. Charmed by the surprises, quietly wonderful in a literary way.
Many critics hail Alessandro Baricco as inventive – that is an apt word. As a writer, I admire what he does, and I wonder how he does it. It feels like Baricco is a writer who listens more closely than most to his every thought as he moves through a story, and he hears/sees openings to new directions most of us do not. His unusual directions feel simple and natural; artistically, they allow him to follow his story thread in truly original directions.
Following from this observation: If it doesn’t too strange, I have to say that there is interesting wisdom in Baricco – or at least in Emmaus and Mr. Gwyn. Amid the inventive storyline, out pop quiet reflections that last. Forgive the word ‘wisdom’ – but that’s how these gems land in this reader’s soul.
Three Times at Dawn, the shorter story that follows the main part of the book, hearkens back to things we have learned (or guessed) in the Mr. Gwyn story. As the title implies, it concerns three separate incidents occurring as night transforms to dawn. (Hint: Light is key.) It’s mostly dialogue. It feels strange. It comes together perfectly in its conclusion.
Obviously my enjoyment of an Italian writer depends on Ann Goldstein’s translation. She is an artist too. One question: Is London a English publisher’s/translator’s substitute for an Italian city? It makes no difference to the quality of the story, I would just be interested to know…
5 stars. Poetic literature that feels simple and goes deep.
Mr. Gwyn is another very imaginative work by this Italian author. It is short (250+ pages); and divided into 2 parts, the second being a long short story or novella (80+ pages) purportedly written by the eponymous Mr. Gwyn, who is a writer, and the subject of the first part of the book.
The first story takes place in London. Jasper Gwyn is a successful but reclusive writer who detests the “famous writer” part of his identity. One day Jasper Gwyn decides to quit writing. He publishes a list of 52 things he will never do again in The Guardian, the ultimate being to never produce another book. Then Jasper disappears for a couple of years as he considers his next career. This all in the first couple of short chapters.
When Jasper Gwyn resurfaces, he has decided to become a ‘copyist’. It is not quite clear what being a copyist entails. It requires ‘writing’; but the intent is more akin to painting a portrait than creating a literary character study. Indeed, the most difficult aspect of this story is understanding the subtle distinction Baricco is trying to draw between writing a character and ‘painting’ a character with words. As with the art of painterly portraiture, Mr. Gwyn’s new vocation has to do with sitting with a subject over an extended period of time (a month) in a carefully constructed space, with meticulously planned sound and especially light. Mostly in silence.
If that sounds like a very quiet, non-action sort of story, it is. Please hang in with Mr. Gwyn - and with Rebecca, his first ‘subject’ to be copied, who then becomes his agent. If you like beautiful writing, you will suddenly be charmed. Charmed by the surprises, quietly wonderful in a literary way.
Many critics hail Alessandro Baricco as inventive – that is an apt word. As a writer, I admire what he does, and I wonder how he does it. It feels like Baricco is a writer who listens more closely than most to his every thought as he moves through a story, and he hears/sees openings to new directions most of us do not. His unusual directions feel simple and natural; artistically, they allow him to follow his story thread in truly original directions.
Following from this observation: If it doesn’t too strange, I have to say that there is interesting wisdom in Baricco – or at least in Emmaus and Mr. Gwyn. Amid the inventive storyline, out pop quiet reflections that last. Forgive the word ‘wisdom’ – but that’s how these gems land in this reader’s soul.
Three Times at Dawn, the shorter story that follows the main part of the book, hearkens back to things we have learned (or guessed) in the Mr. Gwyn story. As the title implies, it concerns three separate incidents occurring as night transforms to dawn. (Hint: Light is key.) It’s mostly dialogue. It feels strange. It comes together perfectly in its conclusion.
Obviously my enjoyment of an Italian writer depends on Ann Goldstein’s translation. She is an artist too. One question: Is London a English publisher’s/translator’s substitute for an Italian city? It makes no difference to the quality of the story, I would just be interested to know…
5 stars. Poetic literature that feels simple and goes deep.
July 31, 2025
Het is niet mijn gewoonte beoordelingen te bespreken, te verantwoorden of te vergoelijken. Dat ik dat nu toch doe, heeft te maken met de uitgave van dit boek en met de appreciatie van 'Jan' van De Groene Waterman, een betrouuwbare gids in een excellente - maar dat is geweten in Antwerpen en tot ver daarbuiten - boekhandel. Jan, die Jan dus, die ik nauwelijks in de ogen durf te kijken bij het afrekenen, tipte dit boek. Ik las eerder al wat van Baricco. 'De jonge bruid' vond ik prachtig. Aan 'The game' waagde ik met niet, wegens de nogal verdeelde kritieken. Ik ben geen Jan die in een boekhandel werkt, zodat ik moet kiezen. Terzake ,u: 'Mr Gwyn' verdient 5 sterren. Het aanhangsel (sorry) sprak me minder aan, behalve het derde hoofdstuk. Vandaar 4 sterren als eindbeoordeling.
June 17, 2023
A unique and captivating book that already brought me to tears by the halfway mark.
March 16, 2016
I found this book simple yet written in such a way that every time I picked up I was in love with itand didn't want to put it down. But also I did want to take my time with it, read each chapter slowly and enjoy the sentences and the imagery.
I think having Three Times at Dawn was a beautiful addition! It made the story feele ven more real. As in, you're tempted to go look for the books written by Jasper Gwyn.
I read Alessandro Baricco's Silk a long time ago so there's no way for me to compare or even talk about the writting style, but I do remember liking it. I think I might've liked this duo of novellas better though.
I think having Three Times at Dawn was a beautiful addition! It made the story feele ven more real. As in, you're tempted to go look for the books written by Jasper Gwyn.
I read Alessandro Baricco's Silk a long time ago so there's no way for me to compare or even talk about the writting style, but I do remember liking it. I think I might've liked this duo of novellas better though.
February 19, 2016
Jasper Gwyn declared in a newspaper article that he was never going to write novels ever again. So then why does he decide to write portraits? Is that even possible? After a dozen clients become enthralled with his work, Gwyn suddenly disappears. A former client beings to put clues together on where he could be and how his written portraits are so affective. The writing style was different yet it drew me in entirely, whimsical and methodical.
September 17, 2017
A pleasant read, the type that would be nice with a cup of tea in the early morning. Honestly, I didn't completely understand it but there was a sort of serenity in the writing that I really enjoyed.
January 3, 2015
A must-add to my personal library...
January 14, 2016
interesting characters and ideas. a good read.
Read
May 14, 2019I LOVE,LOVE,LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 2, 2020
This is fabulous novella and quite unlike anything else I’ve read for a considerable time.
The translation works beautifully and Baricco’s precise, clipped and stunning prose feels like a friend gently regaling you by the fireside with wine aplenty to share. The book is split into two halves: firstly the tale of the enigmatic author, Gwyn who turns his back on writing and more besides with an abrupt declaration in The Guardian and then we are given three short stories ‘Three Times At Dawn’, though I shan’t detail how they relate to Gwyn himself lest I spoil the tale.
The book is very much about our inability to see ourselves for what we truly are. Are we destined either to labour under misapprehension or are we doomed to an endless quest to discover the nature of ourselves? Will liberation be found once we reach a truer understanding of who and what we are? Does the answer lie in the eyes of an outsider, a portraitist for example? Baricco’s book leaves us with few answers in any way, but it does delight with its cryptic examination of selfhood. Once I’d finished I felt as if I’d been living much of my life in a hall of mirrors. Anything that can upset my applecart like that deserves no fewer than five stars.
The translation works beautifully and Baricco’s precise, clipped and stunning prose feels like a friend gently regaling you by the fireside with wine aplenty to share. The book is split into two halves: firstly the tale of the enigmatic author, Gwyn who turns his back on writing and more besides with an abrupt declaration in The Guardian and then we are given three short stories ‘Three Times At Dawn’, though I shan’t detail how they relate to Gwyn himself lest I spoil the tale.
The book is very much about our inability to see ourselves for what we truly are. Are we destined either to labour under misapprehension or are we doomed to an endless quest to discover the nature of ourselves? Will liberation be found once we reach a truer understanding of who and what we are? Does the answer lie in the eyes of an outsider, a portraitist for example? Baricco’s book leaves us with few answers in any way, but it does delight with its cryptic examination of selfhood. Once I’d finished I felt as if I’d been living much of my life in a hall of mirrors. Anything that can upset my applecart like that deserves no fewer than five stars.
June 23, 2020
This was something I found on McSweeny. It started off so well! A writer-Italian- who had many successful books but then in an article for the Guardian he admits to 52 things he will never do again- including pretending to like colleagues at university he can't stand. Among these is stop writing. His agent and friend tries to persuade him to no avail. Mr. Gwyn meets an elderly woman in the lobby of a doctor's office and they become friends- she dies but remains his inner voice who he turns to for advice. He also visits a gallery of portraits- all nude- and is struck how, by comparing model photo with painting, the painter "brings the subject home, back home.' He decides to do this in writing. He is very eccentric in going about it. The final part of the book is example of his portraits. I found it not interesting and stopped the book- up to this point really liked. Oh well, will check out more by Baricco.
April 16, 2021
Initially, after I've read only the first part of the book, I thought this is for two stars only. It was the moment when Mr Gwyn sets up his studio for portraits, and Rebecca was his only subject at time. It seemed that it was just another book about exaltations of free-floating artist, and I was not enjoying it. After that, Barrico's writing gained momentum. It got life of its own and a strange but articulated, although at the same time mysterious, entity emerged. It is not a story in traditional sense of word, it is not a mystery either, and it is not some attempt at "saying" anything although you cannot conclude that it is "not saying" nothing. The book, albeit slim and sketchy, has its memorable characters and these characters have life of their own which is at one point irretrievably changed by the encounter with Mr Gwyn, the artist who took interest in them, although for money. Or not?
May 29, 2025
Had a strong impression that Baricco came up with an intriguing idea and then decided to write a book exploring it, for no other reason than that he found it interesting. Can vaguely grasp why other reviewers thought the result was absorbing and excellently done, as well as somewhat romantic. I'd rather read a book that's about something. This one seemed barely about the characters; there was no real plot, just an artistic structure. The central character is supposed to be a great or extremely good writer and the final section is presented as an example of a book he writes based on the portraits-in-writing that he's done in the longer first section. Aside from (once again) the structure I thought that last part was tedious and boring until the last several pages. If you're going to say that a character in one of your books has written something really good and then you offer it, you'd better deliver, and it's hard to clear the bar you've set for yourself.
May 23, 2021
So this is actually two books in one; or rather, one book followed by another. I finished Mr. Gwyn but I skimmed and then did not finish Three Times at Dawn. Mr. Gwyn was cute, but meandering... a lot of build up that didn't really go anywhere. Which is also why I did not finish Three Times at Dawn.
March 2, 2022
This book is so much about love but it is not a live story. It is the story of a writer who seeks his own path. Instead of writ books he decides to try the unthinkable: to write portraits.
I love the prose and the characters.
Love is in the effort, on the details, on the meaning of each persons work.
It is beautiful
I love the prose and the characters.
Love is in the effort, on the details, on the meaning of each persons work.
It is beautiful
February 10, 2025
Buiten hing die duisternis van voor de dageraad, geen nacht en geen ochtend.
Omdat het licht waarin je woont als je jong bent het licht zal zijn waarin je voorgoed zult leven.
Het is trouwens ook niet gezegd dat als je echt van iemand houdt, echt heel veel, dat léven dan het allerbeste zou zijn wat je samen kunt doen.
Omdat het licht waarin je woont als je jong bent het licht zal zijn waarin je voorgoed zult leven.
Het is trouwens ook niet gezegd dat als je echt van iemand houdt, echt heel veel, dat léven dan het allerbeste zou zijn wat je samen kunt doen.
October 21, 2018
Between one part of life and another there’s a single event. Which one is it? Do we choose it or do we decide afterwards that it was it?
That’s the question the book left me with and it’s an amazing feeling to be able to look at your own life and wonder. Did I miss it or is it coming?
That’s the question the book left me with and it’s an amazing feeling to be able to look at your own life and wonder. Did I miss it or is it coming?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews