The Prize

by Jill Bialosky

Edward Darby has everything a man could hope for: meaningful work, a loving wife, and a beloved daughter. With a rising career as a partner at an esteemed gallery, he strives not to let ambition, money, power, and his dark past corrode the sanctuary of his domestic and private life. Influenced by his father, a brilliant Romantics scholar, Edward has always been more of a purist than an opportunist. But when a celebrated artist controlled by her insecurities betrays him, and another very different artist awakens his heart and stirs up secrets from his past, Edward will find himself unmoored from his marriage, his work, and the memory of his beloved father. And when the finalist of an important prize are announced, and the desperate artists maneuver to seek its validation, Edward soon learns that betrayal comes in many forms, and that he may be hurtling toward an act that challenges his own notions about what comprises a life worth living.

A compelling odyssey of a man unhinged by his ideals, The Prize is also an unflinching portrait of a marriage struggling against the corroding tide of time and the proximity to the treacherous fault line between art and money.

Genres: Fiction, Art, Audiobook, Novels, Adult, Literary Fiction

325 pages, Hardcover

Published September 15, 2015

About the author

Jill Bialosky was born in Cleveland, Ohio. She studied for her undergraduate degree at Ohio University and received a Master of Arts degree from the Writing Seminars at The Johns Hopkins University and a Master of Fine Arts degree from University of Iowa Writer's Workshop.

Her collections of poems are Subterranean (Alfred A. Knopf, 2001) and The End of Desire (1997). Bialosky is also the author of the novel House Under Snow (2002) and The Life Room (2007) and co-editor, with Helen Schulman, of the anthology Wanting A Child (1998).

Her poems and essays appear in The New Yorker, O Magazine, Paris Review, The Nation, The New Republic, Kenyon Review, American Poetry Review among other publications.

Bialosky has received a number of awards including the Elliot Coleman Award in Poetry. She is currently an editor at W. W. Norton & Company and lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It was interesting to him how quickly artists forgot the curator's hand, but he let it
go. Part of being a successful dealer was to be self-effacing and allow oneself to be a
mirror for the artist."

Edward Darby, 'Manhattan Art Dealer', almost 42 years old, is a captivating character. ( married with a daughter).
He's introspective, lonely at times, unsure of himself, and continues to bump up against his heart-mind-and soul...(split and confused about his choices)

Darby worked hard to get ahead in the art world, but is constantly doubting himself and comparing himself to his father who was a brilliant Romantics scholar.
He also is doubting his marriage...and feeling guilty about it...even more guilty about a secret he has kept from his wife. Being miles away from home, he in Berlin, his wife in New York, could be challenging for an 'unsure' person...don't you think?

Edward is drawn to a woman - an artist- while in Berlin. He actually had once seen her years before and felt the same way. He tells her that he realizes he has never known how to enjoy himself.
OH BOY, I'm thinking ..."trouble-is-coming"! When Edward took his solitary walks --he 'had' to remind himself that he was lucky to have a home, a career he enjoyed, and a beautiful wife and daughter. His wife, Holly, does not wear blinders...
and his daughter is 'aware' of things going on, too. Honestly ...I had no idea what direction this novel was going in.
I'm happily married - 37 years ...but even I could see the excitement and beauty of the 'art-world' that Edward Darby had a chance to be a part of - in ways many ordinary people don't. Where might he make his biggest
contribution life..,at home or at work? Is is it possible to live in two worlds that seems so very different from one another.
Edward 'serves' others...but what happens if he allows himself pleasures he graves? Will he hurt the people he loves most?

When Edward first began working at the gallery he was thrilled to work with artists who believed he could help them. He was fascinated by what inspired artists. He learned - in some cases - necessity was an artists inspiration for their paintings more than inspiration. I thought about this. Are we talking about obsession?
Are 'true' artists, ( including writers. musicians, dancers, etc), so driven to their art form...that it's NOT always about inspiration? -- but more about survival? Is 'domestic' home life a 'necessity'? Or.. is domestic life an 'inspiration' for passionate artists? Which feeds the other? I got to see how mixing the inner-thinking and feelings about how these two worlds blending together are very complicated through this novel. I was very curious as to how Edward would resolve his issues.

The character, Agnes Murray, was control freak, a handful for Edward, but he figured it was part of his job to figure out how to handle her. Plus, it was part of his character -as a man- that he loved to please women. He learned to present things to her in such ways, that she always felt it was her idea. However, temperamental Agnes could be,
she genuinely cared to receive a positive response about her paintings....exploring 9/11 as her subject.
Many other characters round this story out...giving us much to think about and enjoyment.
A delicious journey from start to finish. At times Jill Bialosky reminded me of another favorite author, 'Michael Cunningham'.

Art, ambition, power, money, jealousy, betrayal, ....
An intimate look into the art world as well as the inner voices of our emotional selves.
"The Prize" is a prize-read!

Lovely- lovely writing!!!!

[Marjorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a slow, leisurely book with beautiful poetic touches throughout. It’s quite an in-depth look into the art world and how passion for creating art and the business end of selling it often clash. I felt as though I was walking next to these characters and living their days alongside of them as their lives are written so realistically.

The main character, Edward, is a partner in an art gallery. He strives to do all he can to help an artist achieve what they want from their art. He puts his heart and soul into his work, often to the detriment of his marriage. His star artist, Agnes, is often insecure and difficult to deal with and has a true artist’s passionate temperament. Their relationship is a fascinating one and I truly enjoyed the hours spent watching how their roles play out.

Also explored in this book is the marriage of Edward and his wife, Holly. Edward has kept something vitally important from his past from Holly. That secret, along with the betrayal that develops at the art gallery, set Edward on an unexpected path as his world begins to unravel. Just as the writing of his life as an artist’s representative is written realistically and beautifully, so are his marriage’s struggles.

I knew I would love this book when I read that the author is a poet. What more could you ask for then an author with the heart of a poet writing about the passionate and turbulent art world? The book never disappointed. Now that I have a taste of this author’s work, I’ll be looking for her other books, especially her memoir about her sister’s suicide.

This book was given to me by the publisher through Edelweiss in return for an honest review.

[Dindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Artfully Written The Prize is a Winner. Captures the art world and the intersection of art and commerce perfectly. Equal billing to the mind of an artist and the gallerist - art for the sake of art versus art as a business. Characters well-drawn come to life through the author's descriptions, gestures, clothing choices, tone of voice and foibles. Great read for those in the art world and illuminating to those wondering what all the fuss is about.

Artfully Written The Prize is a Winner. Captures the art world and the intersection of art and commerce perfectly. Equal billing to the mind of an artist and the gallerist - art for the sake of art versus art as a business. Characters well-drawn come to life through the author's descriptions, gestures, clothing choices, tone of voice and foibles. Great read for those in the art world and illuminating to those wondering what all the fuss is about.

[Freesiab BookishReview · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so looking forward to this book. I quit at 50% because I was just dreading reading anything more from the protagonist. 2 stars because the writing was good and I enjoyed learning about the other side of the art world but the plot had no direction. I can read books about an unlikeable protagonist but this guy is just deciding whether or not to have an affair. It's really not more complex and the back and forth musings are killing me.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

So refreshing to read a truly adult novel -- written by, for, and about adults, and interrogating their adult problems. Yes, on paper, this book has been done a million times before: oh woe is me, I'm a ridiculously rich, successful, and overprivileged old white guy facing down a completely banal and cliché midlife crisis from the back seat of my BMW town car. Straight from the heart of Updike Country....No thanks. But in Bialosky's hands this whole exercise feels totally new and different, something nuanced and effortlessly readable (it helps if you are an art fan).

One minor confusion: the titular prize is mentioned for the first time literally 30pp. before the book ends, and has very little bearing on the novel. Wha?

[Lori Tatar · Rating 5 out of 5]

So maybe all the classics haven't already been written. Goodreads provided me with a copy of "The Prize: A Novel" by Jill Bialosky. It is an incredible look at one man, Edward Darby, who has everything. He runs with the art crowd and is, in fact a curator for a high-end and very reputable gallery, has a beautiful and kind wife along with a lovely teenage daughter. The story takes the reader on a one year journey with Edward, his weaknesses and losses, the unfairness of disloyalty (this on many levels). In the end, it is about being human; it is about love; it is about second chances. This is a stunning novel that resonates truth and passion and art. This is all done in the high-octane environment of the art world, where throats are cut everyday. I found the story outstanding in its depth and superb character development. Many kudos to Ms. Bialosky.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book through a First Reads giveaway. Honestly, that was probably the only reason I finished it, apart from my naive hope that it might get more interesting or pick up speed as it went along.

The plot is wafer-thin: the protagonist, Edward Darby, cheats on his wife, deals with a bunch of vague and horrifically dull art drama, and has an existential whine-fest every few pages despite the fact that his life is pretty good apart from the problems he keeps creating for himself (see aforementioned infidelity). Now, I'm willing to forgive lack of plot if the characters are actually interesting, but these ones aren't.

Edward has to be one of the most boring protagonists I've ever come across. He's a black hole of personality about whom I could never bring myself to care and who sucked the life out of the few supporting characters who showed a glimmer of promise. There were two or three minor female characters, specifically, who seemed about a million times more interesting, so I'm not sure why the book was written wholly from his perspective and not one of theirs or, at the very least, in alternating perspectives. For example, the issue of Agnes' and Nate's volatile relationship and perpetual power struggle was infinitely more compelling as a concept, yet it isn't even featured prominently enough to be considered a proper sub-plot.

As if the dearth of plot and memorable characters wasn't enough, there are also pacing issues. Scenes like Edward going to visit his mother in a nursing home or having an appointment with his therapist drag on for ages, while potentially more important and engaging scenes go by in a flash. The titular prize isn't even brought up until the book's final 30-40 pages, and its outcome and subsequent impact on the characters' lives is rushed through at breakneck speed and frankly underwhelming. It doesn't help that it gets overshadowed by a weirdly shoehorned-in mini-sub-plot dealing with a mundane bit of drama regarding Edward's deceased father.

I didn't really get the point of it all. What is the reader meant to take away in the end? Maybe I would have appreciated it more if I were closer in age and experience to the characters, but I doubt that's the issue, since I've enjoyed similar books before. It is possible to make the art world (and the mid-life crises of its inhabitants) interesting, as proven by authors like Siri Hustvedt, who you'd probably be better off reading instead. A book like What I Loved or The Blazing World runs circles around this one any day.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when an artist’s desire to be rich and famous collides with the need to be true to his art? Similarly, what are the moral responsibilities of a gallery to the artistic vision of a painter or sculptor and vice versa. And finally, what is the price of deception—personally and professionally?

Jill Bialosky, author of four poetry collections, two novels, and a New York Times bestselling memoir, has written a haunting tale that explores the inner demons of artist Agnes Murray and her art dealer, Edward Darby. Agnes has the volatile combination of insecurity, inflated ego, and a desire for fame. The reader is frequently reminded of her fine, Irish beauty—the lustrous, red curls, green eyes, and slender frame. She is described as nearly anorexic, as if consumed by her ambition and her creative endeavors. Utterly dependent on others’ opinion of her, she allows her husband, “art whore” Nate Fisher, to control her.

Meanwhile, Edward has demons of his own. He has kept troubling secrets from his wife, Holly, and over the course of 25 years, has not shared much of his professional life with her. Bialosky explores the impact of this on a marriage. Edward’s gift for compartmentalizing allows him to justify his affair with the beautiful sculptor, Julia Rosenthal, while still being comforted by hearth and home, represented by his wife. As Elizabeth Rosner writes in the San Francisco Chronicle, “It’s tempting to ask whether Edward’s limited self-awareness is what prevents him from being a true artist himself. Lacking the necessary spark of creative genius, he has made a life of service to the brilliance of others; thus he is in a perpetual state of searching for someone else’s fire to restore his own.” *

The Prize is an exploration of the depths of passion--erotic and creative—and analyzes the flawed, all too human, characters that populate its pages. As author Howard Norman concludes, “The Prize is vividly modern, and in the tensions offered between art and life, timeless. Yet finally, Bialosky’s novel is a kind of old-fashioned love story, with an ending whose bittersweetness is powerfully earned”**

*www.sfchronicle.com/books/article/The...
** Www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/i...

[BookBrowse · Rating 4 out of 5]

"As a portrait of middle-aged vulnerability and weakness, this is a rich story with a believable, complex central character. Edward might choose the worst imaginable moment to reveal the secret from his past to his wife, Holly, but he remains a sympathetic character, even when his failings are most obvious. The marriage between the two celebrity artists is also intriguing, with suggestions of competition and manipulation between the pair. The Prize is a moving, well-crafted novel but at times the drama lacks urgency. Bialosky has a penchant for mirroring her character's interior struggles or disappointments in descriptive passages that slow the narrative." - Kate Braithwaite, BookBrowse.com. Full review at: https://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/in...

[South Buncombe Library]

1 star and I'm tempted to create a new category on the shelves list of "do not recommend."

If you're looking for a book about art and its influences on society, you'd do better with The Woman Upstairs or The Swan Thieves or Tell the Wolves I'm Home. If you're looking for a book about an unraveling marriage and sad people with first world ennui, go with Among the Ten Thousand Things or Dept. of Speculation. Even Hausfrau, which makes the reader feel slightly suicidal, is better than this.

I do not recommend The Prize. -Sarah

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this. I didn't care about Edward or Holly or Julia-- but I was a little interested in Agnes and Nate in a train wreck negative kind of way. I thought the writing was clunky and unrefined, the characters were undeveloped and uninteresting, and the plot was boring and sludgy. This wins no prizes from me.

[Robert Blumenthal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm most familiar with Jill Bilowsky through her poetry, which I find to be wonderful. I read her memoir about her dealing with the suicide of her younger sister and liked it okay, but was not overwhelmed by it. I enjoyed this novel immensely for about the first 2/3 of it, finding it intelligent, compelling and beautifully written. Many "poets" try to overdo the prose when they embark on novel writing, and Bilowsky is careful in her use of poetic elements.

The story is about a man in his forties who is dealing with some crises--the death of his father, reassessing his 20-year marriage to his wonderful wife, as well as his career as a very successful art dealer in New York. I loved the author's depictions of art and the telling of the relationship between father and son was quite good. The main problem I had with this book was in the narrative aspect of it. I felt that the plot dragged as the novel wore on. The author introduced some really nice developments that had a lot of narrative potential, but I felt that she could have developed them better. One of the most glaring problems for me was that I was not as emotionally involved as I felt that I should have been. The lead character is really kind of a jerk (deeply flawed at best) and it was hard for me to care about him. However, the autho does end the story effectively, and some of the writing is so well-honed that the novel was an overall success for me.

[Tori · Rating 1 out of 5]

Made it 1/4 of the way through this book. I am wondering if anything is going to happen. It's just a guy on a work trip deciding if he wants to have an affair or not. I don't need 325 pages for that. I read a few reviews to see if I should keep reading, but they all say "slow" and "leisurely" and then give it 4 or 5 stars. I guess that for some people "slow" is a quality they like in a book.

[Tuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

smart and quiet story of modern jet setters, art world, and triangles.

[Aumaine Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Relatively flat characterization and world

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well done analysis of enduring relationships, friendships, love, infidelity, intimacy and commitment. Bialosky examines marital strength of several couples: Nick Fisher and his wife Agnes Murray both world renowned artists; Edward Darby, co-owner of the Mayweather and Darby art gallery in NYC, and his wife Holly, an animal rights activist; Julia Rosenthal, a sculptor, and her husband, Roy, an architect; Edward's father, Harry, who had been a professor at Princeton focused on the works of Keats, his wife and mother of Edward, Bev, and an associate professor of Harry's, John Kincaid.
Edward and Holly's marriage is strained and frigid. Edward is absorbed in his glamorous world of famous artists and Holly doesn't relate to it nor the people. Julia and Roy's marriage is cold since she delivered a stillborn child. Nick is too self assured and Agnes competes and stresses over her art versus Nick's. Harry committed suicide and prior to his death had been withdrawn into his writing and research for years.
I really enjoyed this book.

[Jaclyn Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never read Bialosky before, but I wasn’t surprised to read about her poetry background after finishing The Prize. The lyrical book is really wonderful examination of art and marriage and how we can lose or find ourselves in both things (maybe at once). Edward’s character development is progressive, if a little slow, and it’s the secondary characters–especially Edward’s star artist Agnes–who really get to shine. Their inner lives are merely hinted at, but we get enough clues to guess at most of the angles. Bialosky’s descriptions are vivid, especially of the women in the book. Edward fades into every man in a suit on the train, while Agnes, for example, comes alive with uncontrollable red hair, a diminutive figure, haunting eyes. The book has the musical, fluid, sing-song quality of poetry, carrying us through Edward’s life with an eye like his–more suited for art than the real world. But for this kind of book, it works.

[Karen Schnakenberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read to page 215 of 348 but didn’t care enough to continue. The book has been praised for its "peak" into the working of the NY art scene, but the characters are both shallow and shallowly drawn and as a reader I found the characters and situations to be stereoypes -- the insecure artist that needs constant coddling, the jealousy between artists, the high drama of whether or not the generally virtuous (and married) gallery owner would end up sleeping with the female artist he finds highly attractive.

[Terri · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't actually finish this book. I bogged down in the art talk, which was a disappointment. I love art museums, but the writing in this book had nothing of the inspiration I find there. Then I thought the lead was going to be unfaithful, not something I'm against per se, but I don't like it telegraphed quite so strongly. Anyway others may like this but it's not for me.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was interesting to get a sense of the world of NYC art galleries. They seem more passive when I browse them but a lot of ego and negotiation happens behind the scenes. This is basically a mid-life crisis story that has been told many times before in other settings, though. The miscommunication that got characters into the situations they find themselves in seem improbable and silly.

[Elizabeth Mcnair · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was ok-a story about an art "dealer" who's gallery reps a famous artist and his trials and tribulations with her, which sets off what I deemed as a mid life crisis that the main character goes through.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 and rounding up because I got really caught up in it. I loved the poetic writing and learned a lot about the art world - buying, selling, artists, galleries. The author does a very good job of expressing the thoughts of the main character. A very good read.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful read. Will be writing a full review of this book later this month at GreatNewBooks.org.

[Thomas Cooney · Rating 3 out of 5]

So the art world can be both bitchy and sublime…

An uneven but worthwhile read about the denizens of that art world that includes artists themselves, art critics, art appreciators, art historians, and art collectors.

As others have pointed out here, there is nice poetic writing all around, but for me, Bialosky is most poetic when she goes for the simple, stunning line: “It was a vacation just to look at her.”

[peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have owned this book for a decade. i am glad i was finally in the mood to read it. All about the art world, Edward Darby a Gallerist, learns about what he prizes on many levels while working through the death of his father 20 plus years hence and his marriage. I recommend this book with its thoughtful analysis of marriage and rather flawed protagonist.

[Connie Hess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edward Darby is a successful partner in an art gallery. He is a husband and a father. His unhappy childhood follows him into adulthood with midlife crisis events and cliche relationship issues.
I did learn a lot about the art world, artists and galleries.

[Mayine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author... amazing. Each word sparkles. I loved it.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid

I almost gave up on it a few times, but stuck it out. It's a 3.5. I liked the art world discussions. I wanted to also see what Edward would end up doing.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gallery partner's midlife crisis threatens to topple his career and marriage. A well-written, penetrating peek at today's high stakes art world.

[Lyddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the quiet slowness of this novel. Even though most of the characters (Agnes, Holly, Savan) were utterly pretentious and nauseating, Edward's narration really kept me engaged.