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The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex
When one of the most famous paintings in the world is stolen, four young lives are changed, for four very different reasons. The Guy decides to have a house party while his parents are out of town. The Girl is adjusting to life in a new country. The Artist has discovered that forgery is a lucrative business. And his Ex, mother of his baby, is just trying to make ends meet. As Guy, a feckless high-school senior, plans the party of the year, Rafi worries about her mother, who is still grieving over the drowning death of Rafi’s little brother back in Bolivia and haunted by the specter of La Llorona, the weeping ghost who steals children. Meanwhile, Rafi’s uncle is an art dealer involved in a scheme to steal one of the most famous paintings in the world, but he needs the forgery skills of Luke, a talented artist who has just split up with his girlfriend, Penny, who wants nothing more than to get him back to be a proper father to Joshie, the baby Rafi babysits. Engaging, provocative, darkly humorous and fast-paced, with a shocking and near-tragic ending, when Rafi’s mother’s grief tips over into mental illness.
C orrelates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3 Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6 Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
C orrelates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3 Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6 Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
256 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2015
11 people are currently reading
2016 people want to read
About the author
Gabrielle Williams
6 books90 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Gabrielle Williams has worked in recording studios, advertising and television. Her first novel for young adults, Beatle Meets Destiny, was shortlisted for two literary awards in 2010.
Gabrielle Williams has worked in recording studios, advertising and television. Her first novel for young adults, Beatle Meets Destiny, was shortlisted for two literary awards in 2010.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
January 26, 2016
A bit underdeveloped and much less fun than the cover would suggest.
May 6, 2015
Absolutely perfect!
This book has it all… an uncomplicated plot that's made up of complicated characters.
The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex starts off with an interesting account that I still need to research a bit more. It’s about a group that calls themselves the Australian Cultural Terrorist. Back in 1986, they stole a Picasso painting of the Weeping Woman from the walls of the National Gallery of Victoria with the intent of getting the government to increase funding and support for struggling artists.
But really, this book is about:
A Guy who forges his grades, is failing school and incredibly good at hacky sack who also happens to have hero-like reflexes.
A Girl who’s been raised by a mother that believes in old legends and has been tormented by her little brother’s death.
An Artist with a messed up plan involving a Picasso painting.
And his Ex that brings them all together one fateful night.
Gabrielle Williams is masterful when it comes to sharing a story about four different lives in a way that’s both humorous and engaging. I loved how she weaved Latin legends of La Llorona and art history where it became relevant to the story. Books such as this have me researching facts and comparing details because Williams tells them in a way that captivate my attention.
As you can see, it's hard to explain what this book is really about, but I can definitely tell you how it made me feel - connected and in the moment. I felt I was right there with Guy, Rafi, Luke and Penny experiencing their sadness, happiness and frustrations. I worried about all of these characters to varying degrees and when the story ended, as with most Aussie books I enjoy... I wanted more... just a little bit more.
Overall, Gabrielle Williams shared a wonderfully crafted tale about love, death, art and making mistakes. I finished this book in two quick sittings because I was eager to see how these four lives would converge, and let me tell you... what a clever book!
This book has it all… an uncomplicated plot that's made up of complicated characters.
The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex starts off with an interesting account that I still need to research a bit more. It’s about a group that calls themselves the Australian Cultural Terrorist. Back in 1986, they stole a Picasso painting of the Weeping Woman from the walls of the National Gallery of Victoria with the intent of getting the government to increase funding and support for struggling artists.
But really, this book is about:
A Guy who forges his grades, is failing school and incredibly good at hacky sack who also happens to have hero-like reflexes.
A Girl who’s been raised by a mother that believes in old legends and has been tormented by her little brother’s death.
An Artist with a messed up plan involving a Picasso painting.
And his Ex that brings them all together one fateful night.
Gabrielle Williams is masterful when it comes to sharing a story about four different lives in a way that’s both humorous and engaging. I loved how she weaved Latin legends of La Llorona and art history where it became relevant to the story. Books such as this have me researching facts and comparing details because Williams tells them in a way that captivate my attention.
As you can see, it's hard to explain what this book is really about, but I can definitely tell you how it made me feel - connected and in the moment. I felt I was right there with Guy, Rafi, Luke and Penny experiencing their sadness, happiness and frustrations. I worried about all of these characters to varying degrees and when the story ended, as with most Aussie books I enjoy... I wanted more... just a little bit more.
Overall, Gabrielle Williams shared a wonderfully crafted tale about love, death, art and making mistakes. I finished this book in two quick sittings because I was eager to see how these four lives would converge, and let me tell you... what a clever book!
April 15, 2015
This review appears on Happy Indulgence. Check it out for more reviews!
The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex is a new Australian title meshing different age groups, with two teenagers and two characters in their early 20’s. Mixing a light heist story with some major character development, it presented an interesting perspective of life from majorly flawed characters.
This book takes a while to warm up. After meeting all of the characters, I wondered whether to continue on, seeing as I didn’t know where the story was going to go. What I found within it’s pages, was a light heist story where all four characters will learn some crucial life lessons about what’s important. Each character is terribly flawed, which made them hard to connect with at the start.
The Guy has forged his results on his report card and seemingly has no direction in life. The Girl has a broken family, having lost her brother. I did like Rafi’s perspective with her Spanish descent though, which made things more diverse. A Spanish legend was covered which presented a large part of the book. I wasn’t a fan of The Artist Luke though, who is a lying cheater who has knocked up his ex girlfriend and treats her like rubbish. He forges famous paintings for a living and is only focused on his latest heist, instead of his baby.
The last character, Penny really pissed me off. Even though Luke cheats on her and treats her terribly, she uses their baby as an excuse to constantly go back to him. I was really disappointed to see that she never learnt her lesson, and her feelings that his behaviour was justified. I was disgusted by how she presented herself as a doormat to his bad behaviour, because somehow she tells herself that he still cares. It’s even sadder because I know this happens in real life, and I wasn’t happy seeing it consistently happen throughout the book, with no major life lesson as a result. Every woman deserves a man who will treat her right, but if you willingly go back and make excuses for the man, then you’ve only got yourself to blame.
I found The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex difficult to get into, but ended up being swept away with its diversity and flawed characters. Unfortunately I couldn’t warm to a lot of the characters, aside from Rafi, although I did end up liking the brief romance towards the end. An interesting perspective, but the characters weren’t for me.
Thanks to Allen & Unwin Australia for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex is a new Australian title meshing different age groups, with two teenagers and two characters in their early 20’s. Mixing a light heist story with some major character development, it presented an interesting perspective of life from majorly flawed characters.
This book takes a while to warm up. After meeting all of the characters, I wondered whether to continue on, seeing as I didn’t know where the story was going to go. What I found within it’s pages, was a light heist story where all four characters will learn some crucial life lessons about what’s important. Each character is terribly flawed, which made them hard to connect with at the start.
The Guy has forged his results on his report card and seemingly has no direction in life. The Girl has a broken family, having lost her brother. I did like Rafi’s perspective with her Spanish descent though, which made things more diverse. A Spanish legend was covered which presented a large part of the book. I wasn’t a fan of The Artist Luke though, who is a lying cheater who has knocked up his ex girlfriend and treats her like rubbish. He forges famous paintings for a living and is only focused on his latest heist, instead of his baby.
The last character, Penny really pissed me off. Even though Luke cheats on her and treats her terribly, she uses their baby as an excuse to constantly go back to him. I was really disappointed to see that she never learnt her lesson, and her feelings that his behaviour was justified. I was disgusted by how she presented herself as a doormat to his bad behaviour, because somehow she tells herself that he still cares. It’s even sadder because I know this happens in real life, and I wasn’t happy seeing it consistently happen throughout the book, with no major life lesson as a result. Every woman deserves a man who will treat her right, but if you willingly go back and make excuses for the man, then you’ve only got yourself to blame.
I found The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex difficult to get into, but ended up being swept away with its diversity and flawed characters. Unfortunately I couldn’t warm to a lot of the characters, aside from Rafi, although I did end up liking the brief romance towards the end. An interesting perspective, but the characters weren’t for me.
Thanks to Allen & Unwin Australia for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 17, 2017
Smart and smiley and refreshing original. Loved so much about this: the premise and the twisty, brilliant and daring way everything some together. Williams is an outstanding author marching along to the beat of her own drum.
This one is marketed as YA but with 4 POV's (some young adult age) it's perfect for fans of adult fiction, too.
This one is marketed as YA but with 4 POV's (some young adult age) it's perfect for fans of adult fiction, too.
March 30, 2015
‘The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex’ is the new young adult novel from Australian author Gabrielle Williams.
So I had the absolute pleasure of reading this story when it was still a manuscript, and now it’s in my hot little hand as a finished book and I need people to know that it’s one of my favourites of 2015, and should be on everyone’s must-read list.
Allow me to explain …
This book opens with a history lesson;
On 2 August 1986, a group calling itself the Australian Cultural Terrorists stole one of the world’s most iconic paintings – Picasso’s Weeping Woman – off the walls of the National Gallery of Victoria and held it to ransom, demanding an increase in government funding for artists in Victoria. The painting was the subject of an international manhunt involving Interpol, Scotland Yard and the Australian Federal Police.
The Australian Cultural Terrorists were never found.
Pretty cool, right? You can definitely see how this little slice of Aussie history got the wheels churning in Gab William’s very clever, writerly mind. The theft of The Weeping Woman has its own Wikipedia page and everything – and is even more intensely fascinating because there’s so many question marks hanging over the whole episode (that’s where Williams steps in with some creative licence for this story!).
‘The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex’ is narrated by an omniscient narrator, as we follow the four very different characters of the title (Guy, Rafi, Luke and Penny) each of whom is in some way touched by the disappearance of The Weeping Woman. I almost don’t want to say too much about any of the main characters, because it will give too much away about how each of them fits into this mystery puzzle like pieces of a jigsaw. I will say that through these four young characters, Gabrielle Williams explores everything from school atrophy, grief and mental illness, single-parenthood and egomania.
And while the whole story hangs on a famous piece of artwork – from one of the forefathers of Cubism, no less – the book isn’t necessarily about the transcendence or even the beauty of art. Instead it looks at a darker side of the profession and imagination – at the pursuit of beauty no matter the cost, and the manic-drive to create that which is in our heads, even at the day-to-day, hand-to-mouth struggle of most artists. There are even some very funny interludes in the form of letters-to-the-editor, where people complain about the ugly impenetrableness of art – and these had me laughing-out-loud.
I’ve got to say, Gab William’s exploration of the darker side to the art world is utterly refreshing. I’m currently struggling to chew my way through Jandy Nelson’s Printz-winning 'I’ll Give You The Sun' which is lovely but full-to-bursting at the seams with talk of the magical, healing properties of art creation and appreciation and I’ve got to say … I roll my eyes at a lot of it. Going from that book to Gabrielle Williams’ is like taking a big gulp of refreshing, no-bullshit air. I especially appreciate Gab William’s frankness because the pivot-point of her novel is Picasso’s Weeping Woman, and there’s even some exploration here of the “great master” as kind of a misogynist – it feels like there’s some Guerilla Girls politics subtext in this book, for the way a male-driven art world is portrayed in none-too flattering light against the women who are sometimes trodden on in their pursuit of greatness.
I also loved this book for the reason I love most of Gab William’s books – Melbourne. From her first 'Beatle Meets Destiny' to 'The Reluctant Hallelujah', I always love seeing my city through Gab’s eyes on the page. And Melbourne of the 80’s through Gab’s eyes is pure enjoyment;
The Crystal Ballroom was all sticky carpet and cigarette smoke and body-slamming music. The Withers had come and gone, and John Lydon (ex-Johnny Rotten) had just taken the stage. He gripped the microphone in his fist and yelled, ‘God Save the Queen,’ out to the audience, riling them up and making Penny feel chalky and brittle. She hadn’t realised punk was still such a big thing in Melbourne. She thought it had died back in the late seventies, but apparently not. Not if the spiky, safety-pinned crowd at the Crystal Ballroom was anything to go by.
I also loved ‘The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex’ because it’s a young adult book edging towards New Adult. There are characters in their early-20’s here who are so relatable for all the ways that their life is still hanging onto the dregs of childhood, and they have some tough times ahead that nudges them more fully into adulthood … but the same way that Gab takes the glowing sheen off the art world, she likewise portrays both teen years and early-20’s in equal hardships, highlighting the many ways we can all stand to grow up a little bit more.
I love ‘The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex’. I loved it in manuscript form, and now that it’s a finished book I love it even more. I can’t even begin to tell you how much you need this book in your life right now.
So I had the absolute pleasure of reading this story when it was still a manuscript, and now it’s in my hot little hand as a finished book and I need people to know that it’s one of my favourites of 2015, and should be on everyone’s must-read list.
Allow me to explain …
This book opens with a history lesson;
On 2 August 1986, a group calling itself the Australian Cultural Terrorists stole one of the world’s most iconic paintings – Picasso’s Weeping Woman – off the walls of the National Gallery of Victoria and held it to ransom, demanding an increase in government funding for artists in Victoria. The painting was the subject of an international manhunt involving Interpol, Scotland Yard and the Australian Federal Police.
The Australian Cultural Terrorists were never found.
Pretty cool, right? You can definitely see how this little slice of Aussie history got the wheels churning in Gab William’s very clever, writerly mind. The theft of The Weeping Woman has its own Wikipedia page and everything – and is even more intensely fascinating because there’s so many question marks hanging over the whole episode (that’s where Williams steps in with some creative licence for this story!).
‘The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex’ is narrated by an omniscient narrator, as we follow the four very different characters of the title (Guy, Rafi, Luke and Penny) each of whom is in some way touched by the disappearance of The Weeping Woman. I almost don’t want to say too much about any of the main characters, because it will give too much away about how each of them fits into this mystery puzzle like pieces of a jigsaw. I will say that through these four young characters, Gabrielle Williams explores everything from school atrophy, grief and mental illness, single-parenthood and egomania.
And while the whole story hangs on a famous piece of artwork – from one of the forefathers of Cubism, no less – the book isn’t necessarily about the transcendence or even the beauty of art. Instead it looks at a darker side of the profession and imagination – at the pursuit of beauty no matter the cost, and the manic-drive to create that which is in our heads, even at the day-to-day, hand-to-mouth struggle of most artists. There are even some very funny interludes in the form of letters-to-the-editor, where people complain about the ugly impenetrableness of art – and these had me laughing-out-loud.
I’ve got to say, Gab William’s exploration of the darker side to the art world is utterly refreshing. I’m currently struggling to chew my way through Jandy Nelson’s Printz-winning 'I’ll Give You The Sun' which is lovely but full-to-bursting at the seams with talk of the magical, healing properties of art creation and appreciation and I’ve got to say … I roll my eyes at a lot of it. Going from that book to Gabrielle Williams’ is like taking a big gulp of refreshing, no-bullshit air. I especially appreciate Gab William’s frankness because the pivot-point of her novel is Picasso’s Weeping Woman, and there’s even some exploration here of the “great master” as kind of a misogynist – it feels like there’s some Guerilla Girls politics subtext in this book, for the way a male-driven art world is portrayed in none-too flattering light against the women who are sometimes trodden on in their pursuit of greatness.
I also loved this book for the reason I love most of Gab William’s books – Melbourne. From her first 'Beatle Meets Destiny' to 'The Reluctant Hallelujah', I always love seeing my city through Gab’s eyes on the page. And Melbourne of the 80’s through Gab’s eyes is pure enjoyment;
The Crystal Ballroom was all sticky carpet and cigarette smoke and body-slamming music. The Withers had come and gone, and John Lydon (ex-Johnny Rotten) had just taken the stage. He gripped the microphone in his fist and yelled, ‘God Save the Queen,’ out to the audience, riling them up and making Penny feel chalky and brittle. She hadn’t realised punk was still such a big thing in Melbourne. She thought it had died back in the late seventies, but apparently not. Not if the spiky, safety-pinned crowd at the Crystal Ballroom was anything to go by.
I also loved ‘The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex’ because it’s a young adult book edging towards New Adult. There are characters in their early-20’s here who are so relatable for all the ways that their life is still hanging onto the dregs of childhood, and they have some tough times ahead that nudges them more fully into adulthood … but the same way that Gab takes the glowing sheen off the art world, she likewise portrays both teen years and early-20’s in equal hardships, highlighting the many ways we can all stand to grow up a little bit more.
I love ‘The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex’. I loved it in manuscript form, and now that it’s a finished book I love it even more. I can’t even begin to tell you how much you need this book in your life right now.
January 20, 2016
This review can also be found on: http://reading-is-dreaming-with-open-...
"It was funny how you, yourself, could pretend something to you, yourself, that you, yourself, knew full well was untrue."
The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex begins with a real-life incident about a mob calling itself "Australian Cultural Terrorists" who stole a Picasso- the Weeping Woman- on the 2nd of August, 1986, from the National Gallery of Victoria to draw the attention of the government to increase the funding of struggling artists of Victoria. The painting became the subject of an international manhunt involving Interpol, Scotland Yard and the Australian Federal Police and yet the Australian Cultural Terrorists were never found.
Fear not, this book is hardly about art per se. It's about four characters who are unexpectedly brought together by the painting, for better or for worse. They are:
•The Guy, as suggested in the title, is a guy named Guy (sorry, couldn't resist that) who is brilliantly flunking out of school and has one, rather useless, talent- hacky sacking.
•The Girl, Rafi, has been raised by her mom who's quite off the hinge since her little brother's untimely death.
•The Artist is Luke, who is the mastermind behind the whole Picasso-stealing plan.
•The Ex is Penny, who somehow makes everything come together without intending to that fateful night.
What I liked most about the book are undoubtedly the well-crafted characters and plot. This book is narrated by a third-person omniscient narrator as we are shown the trajectory the lives of the main characters takes when the painting crosses their path. I don't want to talk much about the characters or the plot for fear of spoiling the story for you should you read it, but trust me when I say it suffices for you to know that these were some of the best-written YA characters I'd come across so far. Rafi's mother was really heart-breaking and quite unnerving to read about. Rafi herself was probably the character I liked second least- the one I hated being the Bastard-Ex, a really convincing bastard.
The author should certainly be lauded for touching various subjects such as grief, single-parenthood, academic decline, narcissism and mental illness and still doing justice to them as she weaved a truly interesting story around an art-theft that baffled many its day. This story looks at the murkier side of the art profession and brings to light what most artists go through at one time or the other without being too preachy about it. There are also many LOL moments when we are shown intercepts from letters-to-the-editor where people whine about the ugly impenetrability of art. We are also shown the hardships that teens and people in their early 20s go through, and you'd find yourself rooting for a couple of these characters whether you want to or not.
I loved this book much more than I thought I would and made me remember that first impressions aren't necessarily the best impressions. Overall, this was one clever narration and you'd be doing yourself an unforgivable crime if you don't give this book your time of day.
The story idea: 4/5
The realization of the story: 4/5
The characters: 5/5
The cover: 3/5
Enjoy factor: 4/5
Final Rating: 4/5
February 23, 2017
Amazing story, with a perfect twist. Definitely not something I would usually read, but I don't regret it one bit. Kinda sad it took me so long to read (what happens when you study so many hard subjects), makes remembering connections a bit harder. Though I do love the connections to Aussie Culture. The strong themes that make you question your morals, and humour that is sometimes black is a perfect combination. The different takes on art is also an awesome thing and having a look inside the artist's mind of what they painted about. I also love how you can only sort out the whole storyline once you have read the whole book. I really didn't think I would like a book like that, but I'm happy to be proven wrong (occasionally). And the little cheesy chapter at the end was a sweet ending. Though stills feels like it is missing something. Oh well you can't have everything. No book is perfect but this is pretty close.
June 25, 2015
Wow - it's a long time since I've been reading a book and start to feel disappointed when I realise there's only a few pages to go. But that's how it was with this clever, well-written dramedy inspired by the theft of Picasso's Weeping Woman by a mob calling themselves the Australian Cultural Terrorists in the 80s. This book had a Magnolia style story - ie. separate characters whose lives all end up intertwining in unexpected ways. There were some great characters - the Bastard-Ex was certainly a convincing bastard and the unhinged mother was both heart-wrenching and unnerving. The thing I liked best about this book was I felt like I could really tune into the emotions of the characters. I wouldn't say this book is necessarily YA - apart from the fact many of the characters are in that age bracket - it easily works as crossover or adult fiction as well. Highly recommended.
June 1, 2024
I don't think I actually read the blurb for this book before buying it. One of my book buddies was reading it and gushed so much, and it fit my biggest reading goal for this year - more Aussie books - so I just went for it. I didn't realise it was based around a real theft in Melbourne, that the book was set in the past or that there would be four POVs to visit. Or that I would not want to put this book down.
Fantastic read.
Fantastic read.
January 1, 2024
Recommended by one of my kids (originally chosen by me), this young adult fiction is a fun, engaging, well scripted story. I love the way it is entwined around the theft of Picasso’s The Weeping Women in 1986 Melbourne.
It is so sad that Williams died so prematurely in 2023, but this is definitely one to savour.
It is so sad that Williams died so prematurely in 2023, but this is definitely one to savour.
July 14, 2015
Slow to start but when it does, not far into the book, there's no stopping. Had me holding my breath and shivering. As a plus, made Google The Weeping Woman and learn about it.
December 27, 2017
I found the first two chapters quite rough, but once I got to Luke's perspective I became intrigued, and by the time I got to Penny's first chapter, I was settling in nicely and any reservations I had about whether I would enjoy it, disappeared out the window. Bub-bye.
Basically, I inhaled this book. The 5 shiny stars are probably a dead giveaway, but I loved it. I loved how the characters lives were interconnected and intertwined. The complete originality of the story and how it's set in the 80s. How deeply invested I was in the lives of the characters and how much I got swept up their story. The writing and the cleverness of how it all came together. Hats off to Gabrielle Williams.
I'm not a huge fan of multiple POVs - the juggling back and forth, trouble distinguishing between voices or most commonly, liking one more than the other. This book had four perspectives in total - Guy (the Guy), Rafi (the Girl), Luke (the Artist) and Penny (His Ex). But once I'd met them all, I came to enjoy their voices a lot and equally, which is a rarity for me. They each bring something to the story, it's a perfect balance.
This book marches to the beat of its own drum and I love that about it. The same could be said about The Reluctant Hallelujah, which I also loved and devoured.
The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex knocked my socked off; a favourite of 2017. My only complaint has to do with me, the reader, in that I wish I'd savoured it more and not inhaled it as quickly as I did. But if you pick this up and it casts its spell on you, like it did me, you'll understand why I did what I did. Simply marvellous.
Basically, I inhaled this book. The 5 shiny stars are probably a dead giveaway, but I loved it. I loved how the characters lives were interconnected and intertwined. The complete originality of the story and how it's set in the 80s. How deeply invested I was in the lives of the characters and how much I got swept up their story. The writing and the cleverness of how it all came together. Hats off to Gabrielle Williams.
I'm not a huge fan of multiple POVs - the juggling back and forth, trouble distinguishing between voices or most commonly, liking one more than the other. This book had four perspectives in total - Guy (the Guy), Rafi (the Girl), Luke (the Artist) and Penny (His Ex). But once I'd met them all, I came to enjoy their voices a lot and equally, which is a rarity for me. They each bring something to the story, it's a perfect balance.
This book marches to the beat of its own drum and I love that about it. The same could be said about The Reluctant Hallelujah, which I also loved and devoured.
The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex knocked my socked off; a favourite of 2017. My only complaint has to do with me, the reader, in that I wish I'd savoured it more and not inhaled it as quickly as I did. But if you pick this up and it casts its spell on you, like it did me, you'll understand why I did what I did. Simply marvellous.
August 11, 2015
Poor Race. Race Matthews that is. They called him the 'Minister for Plod', '...a tiresome old bag of swamp gas' and a '...pompous fathead' - they being a group calling themselves the Australian Cultural Terrorists (ACT). Race, being a pollie, had a thick skin and had possibly been called much worse - and we are, all these years on, still no closer to knowing who those rude guys were. But they managed to perpetrate one of the most audacious of art heists in our history - and on Race's watch. This event Gabrielle Williams has woven very deftly into her latest novel for the savvy YA crowd, 'The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and his Ex'
Mr Matthews was Minister for the Arts in the Sate Government, back in 1986, when a Picasso, 'The Weeping Woman', mysteriously disappeared from the National Gallery of Victoria. The thieves left a calling card on the wall in its lieu, imposed with the acronym - ACT. For some time the staff at the gallery assumed the prize painting had been taken to the Australian Capital Territory for some form of restoration - then the reality dawned on them. Whilst it was missing, all sorts of rumour mongering and innuendo went on as to what had happened the valuable stolen item. Eventually it, equally mysteriously, turned up in a railway concourse locker. The canvas had been expertly wrapped and was in good health. Therefore it was surmised it was no amateur job - maybe even an inside job, given the specialist tools required to remove the painting from its location and then to release it undamaged from its frame.
Ms Williams, on given the task of describing herself as a writer, in a few words, for an on-line forum operated by teen readers, offered up that she is '...original, quirky, interesting, different, unique, funny, pacey, literary and relatable.' After reading 'Guy/Girl/Artist/Ex', I would concur. It was certainly an original approach to append a range of diverse, innocent characters around those fictionally doing the stealing of the great man's work. A quirky guy, Guy, is the hero of the piece - someone who initially spends most of his time figuring out ways to prevent his olds from discovering how entirely slack he was being at school, but later becoming far less shallow. The novel is truly interesting in its recreation of the eighties and it is certainly different, having a bunch of characters of Latin American origin as major participants in the goings-on. I could continue, but you get the gist that I like this novel. It also possesses a structure that must have been no mean feat to figure out in the author's head. As well, the tale hit all the right notes for her audience with the coming together of the Guy and Girl. Their intimate scene is handled with just the right amount of tact. For its readers, it gives out positive messages in the escape of Ex from Artist - he being an out-and-out drop-kick, the type of boyfriend to be avoided at all costs. The author has alluded to the fact that Ex is her most autobiographical creation. The parallels include the fact she is also single mum who has been involved, in her time, with several plonkers decidedly lacking in sensitivity. Ex also shares Ms William's tastes in music and fashion.
The book, in part, is based around the premise that the Spanish for 'weeping woman' is 'llorona' - that and a couple of admittedly unlikely coincidences. In the hands of a less skilled wordsmith I would find the latter detracting from my pleasure in the product, but not so much here. I have no doubt the age-group this novel would appeal most would accept these occurrences in their stride - and that is not intended to be disparaging in any way. I particularly enjoyed Raffi as a protagonist - a new arrival in Oz from Columbia, thus part of the Spanish connection. Gabrielle W reports she is working on a sequel to this terrific yarn. Hopefully in it Rafi and Guy will continue their adventures as a team - and perhaps more.
This promising writer first came to the attention of lovers of YA with her well-gonged 'Beatle meets Destiny'. She has been praised by critic Graeme Wood of the Age as '...one of the funniest young adult fiction authors around.' For me, I trust she goes around many more times in the future, giving us more unique takes on young people on the verge of adulthood.
Mr Matthews was Minister for the Arts in the Sate Government, back in 1986, when a Picasso, 'The Weeping Woman', mysteriously disappeared from the National Gallery of Victoria. The thieves left a calling card on the wall in its lieu, imposed with the acronym - ACT. For some time the staff at the gallery assumed the prize painting had been taken to the Australian Capital Territory for some form of restoration - then the reality dawned on them. Whilst it was missing, all sorts of rumour mongering and innuendo went on as to what had happened the valuable stolen item. Eventually it, equally mysteriously, turned up in a railway concourse locker. The canvas had been expertly wrapped and was in good health. Therefore it was surmised it was no amateur job - maybe even an inside job, given the specialist tools required to remove the painting from its location and then to release it undamaged from its frame.
Ms Williams, on given the task of describing herself as a writer, in a few words, for an on-line forum operated by teen readers, offered up that she is '...original, quirky, interesting, different, unique, funny, pacey, literary and relatable.' After reading 'Guy/Girl/Artist/Ex', I would concur. It was certainly an original approach to append a range of diverse, innocent characters around those fictionally doing the stealing of the great man's work. A quirky guy, Guy, is the hero of the piece - someone who initially spends most of his time figuring out ways to prevent his olds from discovering how entirely slack he was being at school, but later becoming far less shallow. The novel is truly interesting in its recreation of the eighties and it is certainly different, having a bunch of characters of Latin American origin as major participants in the goings-on. I could continue, but you get the gist that I like this novel. It also possesses a structure that must have been no mean feat to figure out in the author's head. As well, the tale hit all the right notes for her audience with the coming together of the Guy and Girl. Their intimate scene is handled with just the right amount of tact. For its readers, it gives out positive messages in the escape of Ex from Artist - he being an out-and-out drop-kick, the type of boyfriend to be avoided at all costs. The author has alluded to the fact that Ex is her most autobiographical creation. The parallels include the fact she is also single mum who has been involved, in her time, with several plonkers decidedly lacking in sensitivity. Ex also shares Ms William's tastes in music and fashion.
The book, in part, is based around the premise that the Spanish for 'weeping woman' is 'llorona' - that and a couple of admittedly unlikely coincidences. In the hands of a less skilled wordsmith I would find the latter detracting from my pleasure in the product, but not so much here. I have no doubt the age-group this novel would appeal most would accept these occurrences in their stride - and that is not intended to be disparaging in any way. I particularly enjoyed Raffi as a protagonist - a new arrival in Oz from Columbia, thus part of the Spanish connection. Gabrielle W reports she is working on a sequel to this terrific yarn. Hopefully in it Rafi and Guy will continue their adventures as a team - and perhaps more.
This promising writer first came to the attention of lovers of YA with her well-gonged 'Beatle meets Destiny'. She has been praised by critic Graeme Wood of the Age as '...one of the funniest young adult fiction authors around.' For me, I trust she goes around many more times in the future, giving us more unique takes on young people on the verge of adulthood.
July 9, 2015
I can always count on Gabrielle Williams for a fun story set in the Melbourne I know. Well, close to it at least, since her latest, The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex is set in the early 1980's, a time when an activist group, the Australian Capital Terrorists, managed to steal and replace a Picasso painting -- The Weeping Woman -- at the National Gallery of Victoria with an exact replica because of cuts to arts funding.
Using a true event as the backdrop, Williams has created young, impulsive, conflicted characters through four very distinct and interesting point of views, from Rafi, the studious year 12 student, to Penny, the 22 year old ex of Luke (the Artist) and mother of his child, and lastly Guy, opposite in achievements to Rafi, nonchalant and self-appointed hacky sack champion. They're all wonderfully crafted to tell this tale of art, love and loss in 1980s Melbourne. The characters were linked together in the narrative masterfully, proving that Gabrielle Williams is going from strength to strength in her storytelling.
This is a fast read for an older teen crowd, verging on new adult but not quite there. This is truly Williams's best yet and with two more companion novels to come, I can only see the stories becoming wilder and larger and just, well, more Melbourne-er.
Using a true event as the backdrop, Williams has created young, impulsive, conflicted characters through four very distinct and interesting point of views, from Rafi, the studious year 12 student, to Penny, the 22 year old ex of Luke (the Artist) and mother of his child, and lastly Guy, opposite in achievements to Rafi, nonchalant and self-appointed hacky sack champion. They're all wonderfully crafted to tell this tale of art, love and loss in 1980s Melbourne. The characters were linked together in the narrative masterfully, proving that Gabrielle Williams is going from strength to strength in her storytelling.
This is a fast read for an older teen crowd, verging on new adult but not quite there. This is truly Williams's best yet and with two more companion novels to come, I can only see the stories becoming wilder and larger and just, well, more Melbourne-er.
July 6, 2017
A seemingly cute but dark little story, whose characters' perspectives are all connected by one thing that really happened: Picasso's The Weeping Woman being stolen from the National Gallery of Victoria here in Melbourne in August of 1986. I've been to the NGV a couple of times so I thought that was pretty cool, reading about something that happened in a place that I've been to and is only a train ride away, although it happened 30 years ago.
The writing style was in third-person past tense, which gave it a distant and removed feeling. I would have loved to have read it in the characters' voices, but oh well.
Ironically, Picasso's painting being stolen wasn't even the highlight of this book—I actually couldn't care less about that storyline. I think it was mainly because it was mostly told from Luke's perspective, and I hated him and thought he was irrelevant. Whenever it was his POV, all I wanted was to get back to reading from either Guy's or Rafi's perspective. Their romance was the only thing I cared about in this book.
Overall, I thought this was a pretty cool concept for a YA novel—taking something that happened in real life and revolving your characters around that, but not making it the be-all, end-all of the book.
The writing style was in third-person past tense, which gave it a distant and removed feeling. I would have loved to have read it in the characters' voices, but oh well.
Ironically, Picasso's painting being stolen wasn't even the highlight of this book—I actually couldn't care less about that storyline. I think it was mainly because it was mostly told from Luke's perspective, and I hated him and thought he was irrelevant. Whenever it was his POV, all I wanted was to get back to reading from either Guy's or Rafi's perspective. Their romance was the only thing I cared about in this book.
Overall, I thought this was a pretty cool concept for a YA novel—taking something that happened in real life and revolving your characters around that, but not making it the be-all, end-all of the book.
July 2, 2015
It did not take me all this time to read this book. I read about 20%, and put it down because of life's busyness, and then found other things to pick up and really just neglected it.
I always knew I would love it.
This book is very clever, and does that thing where the four narrative points slowly converge until there is an 'ah ha' moment for readers. Whether this resonates or not, will depend how they connect with these flawed characters making some bad decisions.
But the secondary characters are all important and developed as well. In fact, my favourite characters are Moritz and Dipper, whose character arcs are just as significant as the protagonists.
Look, it's complicated, it's messy but it's quite awesome, really.
I always knew I would love it.
This book is very clever, and does that thing where the four narrative points slowly converge until there is an 'ah ha' moment for readers. Whether this resonates or not, will depend how they connect with these flawed characters making some bad decisions.
But the secondary characters are all important and developed as well. In fact, my favourite characters are Moritz and Dipper, whose character arcs are just as significant as the protagonists.
Look, it's complicated, it's messy but it's quite awesome, really.
May 19, 2016
3 1/2 stars
I loved Beatle Meets Destiny, but The Guy, The Girl, The Artist and His Ex didn't resonate the same way with me.
More of a farce than a really humorous book, I felt that the story was walking a fine line between young adult and new adult - and kept sliding off.
There are some really tense OMG moments, and the romance between the teens is well-handled. But the adults gave me the pip, and I felt they intruded on the 'real' story. Scheming, immoral and unsympathetic for the most part.
The plot was tricky, with many threads to be collected together at the end, and perhaps this contributed to the lack of cohesion.
My advice is to not take my word for it - read it yourself and see what you think.
I loved Beatle Meets Destiny, but The Guy, The Girl, The Artist and His Ex didn't resonate the same way with me.
More of a farce than a really humorous book, I felt that the story was walking a fine line between young adult and new adult - and kept sliding off.
There are some really tense OMG moments, and the romance between the teens is well-handled. But the adults gave me the pip, and I felt they intruded on the 'real' story. Scheming, immoral and unsympathetic for the most part.
The plot was tricky, with many threads to be collected together at the end, and perhaps this contributed to the lack of cohesion.
My advice is to not take my word for it - read it yourself and see what you think.
August 6, 2016
I really enjoyed this quirky little novel about a real art theft that I'd never heard of! Told with alternating chapters, from the points of view of the four characters mentioned in the title, it had me turning pages to see how the different story lines would converge. Great heart and humour abound.
June 21, 2015
Well written and surprisingly unique concept. One of my favorite reads of 2015.
June 28, 2017
My Rating: 4 Stars
This book was really fun, really intriguing and a great read. It was light, but heavy; funny but sad and was such a great Aussie read. I definitely recommend this if you are wanting to read a bit more Aussie YA because this was really entertaining.
My Thoughts:
This book was one I picked up on a whim at the Sydney Writer's Festival this year and I am really glad I did. It was such a pleasant surprise to read it and be sucked into to the world that I know so world, and to read Australian characters in an Australian setting. We need more Oz YA!
This book follows the theft of Picasso's Weeping Woman and how four people's lives are intertwined around it. You have the Guy, who funnily enough is called Guy, who is struggling with school but in denial about it happening. You have the girl, Rafi, who is just trying to finish year 12 even though her mother is still distraught about her son's drowning years after the fact. You have the artist, Luke, who thinks stealing the Picasso is a great way to fight the world. And finally you have the Ex, Penny, who is still in love with Luke but trying to focus on her life and her beautiful baby Josh.
The characters in this book are so wonderful, real and Australian. I have met every single one of these characters before in this book. They're complicated, messy and such a great example of what real life is. Every so often you read a book that is so wonderfully poignant and moving and this book is one of those.
The main part of the book surrounds a party, a party which two main characters meet and where the other two main characters get pulled in. This party is the key part of the book, and you don't even realise how it pulls everything together until it does.
There are so many cool elements in this book. You have the Australian Cultural Terrorists and art history coming into the story, you have the South American legend of La Llorona playing a huge role of the story and you have the themes of family, friends and loyalty also being covered. All of this is done so seamlessly, you just keep reading wanting to know more. There was a whole lot of tension through the book as well and I couldn't put it down in parts because I just needed to know what was happening.
This book resonated deep within me and the ending was absolutely wonderful. It wasn't all tied up in a neat bow, all the questions weren't answered but it was a good ending that left you smiling. Sometimes endings like this are overrated, but this one ended the book on a great note. I will definitely be checking out more of Gabrielle Williams work!
Recommended for: If you love reading Aussie fiction, like contemporaries and enjoy relatable yet intriguing books, then you will love this one!
Quotes (Spoiler Free):
"Maybe that was why people called it 'madly in love' - because it required a degree of madness, of actually insanity, to remain in love with someone when all the evidence pointed to the fact that he was an arsehole and that you were better off without him."
"But the way I see it, you've got two ways of handling stuff in life - the shitty stuff, I'm talking about. One: you handle it, you deal with it, and you move on, changed but somehow better for it. You can't know how it's made you better, but you have to believe it has, because otherwise you've gone through all that pain for nothing."
"Guy was pretty sure he was going to be an amnesiac for a very long time."
"Because when you'd had a shit night, an elbow to the face was exactly how you wanted to top it off."
This book was really fun, really intriguing and a great read. It was light, but heavy; funny but sad and was such a great Aussie read. I definitely recommend this if you are wanting to read a bit more Aussie YA because this was really entertaining.
My Thoughts:
This book was one I picked up on a whim at the Sydney Writer's Festival this year and I am really glad I did. It was such a pleasant surprise to read it and be sucked into to the world that I know so world, and to read Australian characters in an Australian setting. We need more Oz YA!
This book follows the theft of Picasso's Weeping Woman and how four people's lives are intertwined around it. You have the Guy, who funnily enough is called Guy, who is struggling with school but in denial about it happening. You have the girl, Rafi, who is just trying to finish year 12 even though her mother is still distraught about her son's drowning years after the fact. You have the artist, Luke, who thinks stealing the Picasso is a great way to fight the world. And finally you have the Ex, Penny, who is still in love with Luke but trying to focus on her life and her beautiful baby Josh.
The characters in this book are so wonderful, real and Australian. I have met every single one of these characters before in this book. They're complicated, messy and such a great example of what real life is. Every so often you read a book that is so wonderfully poignant and moving and this book is one of those.
The main part of the book surrounds a party, a party which two main characters meet and where the other two main characters get pulled in. This party is the key part of the book, and you don't even realise how it pulls everything together until it does.
There are so many cool elements in this book. You have the Australian Cultural Terrorists and art history coming into the story, you have the South American legend of La Llorona playing a huge role of the story and you have the themes of family, friends and loyalty also being covered. All of this is done so seamlessly, you just keep reading wanting to know more. There was a whole lot of tension through the book as well and I couldn't put it down in parts because I just needed to know what was happening.
This book resonated deep within me and the ending was absolutely wonderful. It wasn't all tied up in a neat bow, all the questions weren't answered but it was a good ending that left you smiling. Sometimes endings like this are overrated, but this one ended the book on a great note. I will definitely be checking out more of Gabrielle Williams work!
Recommended for: If you love reading Aussie fiction, like contemporaries and enjoy relatable yet intriguing books, then you will love this one!
Quotes (Spoiler Free):
"Maybe that was why people called it 'madly in love' - because it required a degree of madness, of actually insanity, to remain in love with someone when all the evidence pointed to the fact that he was an arsehole and that you were better off without him."
"But the way I see it, you've got two ways of handling stuff in life - the shitty stuff, I'm talking about. One: you handle it, you deal with it, and you move on, changed but somehow better for it. You can't know how it's made you better, but you have to believe it has, because otherwise you've gone through all that pain for nothing."
"Guy was pretty sure he was going to be an amnesiac for a very long time."
"Because when you'd had a shit night, an elbow to the face was exactly how you wanted to top it off."
November 29, 2018
Slow to begin but gained momentum about halfway through.
I loved the concept of the lives intertwining together, and the 4 different POVs.
However I would have appreciated more of the story on Guy, even though it can be argued that, albeit necessary, he’s obviously not part of the main plot of the heist.
I also commend the author with her research into all the factual information inserted in the novel to create an intriguing, light-hearted story.
Yet, there are still too many unanswered questions at the end! What’s gonna happen to Estelle? How is Luke handling Dipper’s good moral sense to return the painting? Rafi and Guy’s relationship??
I loved the concept of the lives intertwining together, and the 4 different POVs.
However I would have appreciated more of the story on Guy, even though it can be argued that, albeit necessary, he’s obviously not part of the main plot of the heist.
I also commend the author with her research into all the factual information inserted in the novel to create an intriguing, light-hearted story.
Yet, there are still too many unanswered questions at the end! What’s gonna happen to Estelle? How is Luke handling Dipper’s good moral sense to return the painting? Rafi and Guy’s relationship??
January 23, 2018
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
This book fully took me by surprise, and for that I'm so so glad I picked this up.
I'd definitely recommend going into the book not knowing anything about it, bcs hell yea it was a refereshing read consisted of flawed characters, slice of life and some artsy love.
This book fully took me by surprise, and for that I'm so so glad I picked this up.
I'd definitely recommend going into the book not knowing anything about it, bcs hell yea it was a refereshing read consisted of flawed characters, slice of life and some artsy love.
May 25, 2017
Holy crap. So good. Two different chapters made me cry out of suspense alone.
December 9, 2023
A short and ok book! Told the story of a art heist in the 90s! It was fun and interesting
April 8, 2015
I can’t remember what I was expecting when I started this, but it certainly wasn’t this: a thoughtful, poignant look at love, life, and art that is sure to touch the hearts of its readers.
The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex is, unsurprisingly, the story of four people whose lives become entangled in unexpected ways. It’s also the story of the theft of Picasso’s Weeping Woman from the National Library in Melbourne. Or rather, a story of what might have happened in 1986 when the painting disappeared and was mysteriously returned two weeks later.
The Guy: hackey-sack champion, forger of grades and thrower of massive parties while his parents aren’t home. Guy Lethlean is the first character we meet and he immediately makes an impression as he explains how he got into the situation he’s in while jogging through the vividly described streets of Melbourne.
The Girl: responsible, smart, studious. Rafi Sartori had to grow up fast after the tragic death of her younger brother, and has never stepped a toe of out line. Now in Year 12, she lives in one of the apartments above her uncle’s bistro and sometimes babysits for her neighbour. Rafi was the most relatable character for me – she reminds me of myself when I was high school. She’s had a really hard life and harbours a secret.
The Artist: successful painter, maker of schemes, betrayer of those around him. Luke’s has made a name for himself in Australia’s art scene and people clamour to buy his works and see them on display. He has a great smile and could charm an Eskimo into buying ice. Luke was hard to like because he used everyone around him and then dropped them when they stopped being useful, but I admire how suave he is.
His Ex: fashionable, broken, kind-hearted. Penny is Luke’s ex-girlfriend and the mother of his son. She hopes Luke’s not really her ex though and dreams of them getting back together one day. She also lives next door to Rafi and her mother. Penny’s story is heart-breaking, but her determination to be a great mother to her son was great to witness. I also liked her easy relationship with Rafi because both of them need positive female interactions in their lives. Interestingly, Luke is made redeemable only through Penny’s eyes: it’s only because of her that we can see that he has glimmers of good in him.
The mastery in this story is the way these four lives are intertwined. Their lives brush, sometimes collide, break away only to turn around and touch again. It’s a struggle, in and of itself, to write four distinct characters, but to tell the same set of events from different angles and make sure the individual stories don’t blur is quite a skill.
Gabrielle Williams brings Melbourne in the 1980s to life admirably in this book. I thought the descriptions were gorgeous and gritty, just like the city, and it’s obvious that Williams loves Melbourne. I especially liked the touch of including letters to the editor from everyday people commenting on the famous theft, which provide a great snapshot into the events unfolding.
This isn’t just a book about an art theft in Melbourne. It’s about four very different lives who come together at a pivotal moment and are changed forever. The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex is a gorgeous book. You should read it!
The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex is, unsurprisingly, the story of four people whose lives become entangled in unexpected ways. It’s also the story of the theft of Picasso’s Weeping Woman from the National Library in Melbourne. Or rather, a story of what might have happened in 1986 when the painting disappeared and was mysteriously returned two weeks later.
The Guy: hackey-sack champion, forger of grades and thrower of massive parties while his parents aren’t home. Guy Lethlean is the first character we meet and he immediately makes an impression as he explains how he got into the situation he’s in while jogging through the vividly described streets of Melbourne.
The Girl: responsible, smart, studious. Rafi Sartori had to grow up fast after the tragic death of her younger brother, and has never stepped a toe of out line. Now in Year 12, she lives in one of the apartments above her uncle’s bistro and sometimes babysits for her neighbour. Rafi was the most relatable character for me – she reminds me of myself when I was high school. She’s had a really hard life and harbours a secret.
The Artist: successful painter, maker of schemes, betrayer of those around him. Luke’s has made a name for himself in Australia’s art scene and people clamour to buy his works and see them on display. He has a great smile and could charm an Eskimo into buying ice. Luke was hard to like because he used everyone around him and then dropped them when they stopped being useful, but I admire how suave he is.
His Ex: fashionable, broken, kind-hearted. Penny is Luke’s ex-girlfriend and the mother of his son. She hopes Luke’s not really her ex though and dreams of them getting back together one day. She also lives next door to Rafi and her mother. Penny’s story is heart-breaking, but her determination to be a great mother to her son was great to witness. I also liked her easy relationship with Rafi because both of them need positive female interactions in their lives. Interestingly, Luke is made redeemable only through Penny’s eyes: it’s only because of her that we can see that he has glimmers of good in him.
The mastery in this story is the way these four lives are intertwined. Their lives brush, sometimes collide, break away only to turn around and touch again. It’s a struggle, in and of itself, to write four distinct characters, but to tell the same set of events from different angles and make sure the individual stories don’t blur is quite a skill.
Gabrielle Williams brings Melbourne in the 1980s to life admirably in this book. I thought the descriptions were gorgeous and gritty, just like the city, and it’s obvious that Williams loves Melbourne. I especially liked the touch of including letters to the editor from everyday people commenting on the famous theft, which provide a great snapshot into the events unfolding.
This isn’t just a book about an art theft in Melbourne. It’s about four very different lives who come together at a pivotal moment and are changed forever. The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex is a gorgeous book. You should read it!
May 22, 2016
An infamous arts heist in 80s Melbourne... ancient curses, cool girls, bad boys, and a tangled web of poor decisions with disastrous consequences. There's a lot to love about the latest YA from Gabrielle Williams, and so far it has been long-listed for the Gold Inky Award and is an honour book for the CBCA Book of the Year for older readers.
As the title implies, the story focuses on four central characters - Guy, a year 12 student facing impending doom as he fakes his school reports and hope to miraculously improve before his parents find out, "Rafi" Rafaela who cares for her grieving mother whilst trying to study for her final exams, Luke an young painter who woos the ladies by inviting them to his studio to pose for him, and Penny, Luke's ex and mother of his eight-month old child, Joshie. At the centre of all of this is Picasso's "Weeping Woman" portrait, which was stolen from the NGV in Melbourne in the 80s, and became one of the Arts industry's biggest mysteries of its time.
I really liked Williams' premise - take a famous homegrown event, and place her characters square in the middle of it. The 80s references were noticeable, but not forced, which I appreciated, as I did the the references to Melbourne's inner-urban landscape. The set-up of the story is engaging, putting all the pieces in place, with interweaved themes of young responsibility, deception, good old-fashioned curses, and (unfortunately) men being bastards. Raft's character is particularly likeable, as the earnest schoolgirl, trying to do everything right, but also handle the usual boy issues. And the relationship between Rafi and Penny is believable, as the older (but still young) woman next door who takes on a big sister role in the absence of Rafi's mother for guidance.
And then there's the middle act, "The Party" - where, basically everything goes wrong. As a reader, this was where I was truly drawn into what becomes a gripping page-turner. I was really loving this book. I won't spoil the ending, but all the connections are revealed, everybody realises that they've massively screwed up, and have to live with the consequences.
And yet, this is far from the perfect book. I wanted to know so much more. Ultimately, Guy felt more like an incidental plot device than a real character, and the "irresistible force of true love" implied on the cover is Rafi being on the rebound and hooking up with a guy that she hardly knows, and doesn't see again until the end of the book. At the same time, there was no real closure to the relationship between Penny and Rafi - which was disappointing given that this was one of the most important relationships in the story. I could go on, but I don't want to, because I really really wanted to love this book, and at 256 pages, there was still plenty more room to flesh things out a bit to leave the reader a little more satisfied.
But in spite of these criticisms, there's still plenty to enjoy about this book. Gabrielle writes endearingly flawed characters well (which I particularly loved in Beatle Meets Destiny) and this book did leave me a little homesick for Melbourne, even if the 80s are merely a childhood memory for me.
As the title implies, the story focuses on four central characters - Guy, a year 12 student facing impending doom as he fakes his school reports and hope to miraculously improve before his parents find out, "Rafi" Rafaela who cares for her grieving mother whilst trying to study for her final exams, Luke an young painter who woos the ladies by inviting them to his studio to pose for him, and Penny, Luke's ex and mother of his eight-month old child, Joshie. At the centre of all of this is Picasso's "Weeping Woman" portrait, which was stolen from the NGV in Melbourne in the 80s, and became one of the Arts industry's biggest mysteries of its time.
I really liked Williams' premise - take a famous homegrown event, and place her characters square in the middle of it. The 80s references were noticeable, but not forced, which I appreciated, as I did the the references to Melbourne's inner-urban landscape. The set-up of the story is engaging, putting all the pieces in place, with interweaved themes of young responsibility, deception, good old-fashioned curses, and (unfortunately) men being bastards. Raft's character is particularly likeable, as the earnest schoolgirl, trying to do everything right, but also handle the usual boy issues. And the relationship between Rafi and Penny is believable, as the older (but still young) woman next door who takes on a big sister role in the absence of Rafi's mother for guidance.
And then there's the middle act, "The Party" - where, basically everything goes wrong. As a reader, this was where I was truly drawn into what becomes a gripping page-turner. I was really loving this book. I won't spoil the ending, but all the connections are revealed, everybody realises that they've massively screwed up, and have to live with the consequences.
And yet, this is far from the perfect book. I wanted to know so much more. Ultimately, Guy felt more like an incidental plot device than a real character, and the "irresistible force of true love" implied on the cover is Rafi being on the rebound and hooking up with a guy that she hardly knows, and doesn't see again until the end of the book. At the same time, there was no real closure to the relationship between Penny and Rafi - which was disappointing given that this was one of the most important relationships in the story. I could go on, but I don't want to, because I really really wanted to love this book, and at 256 pages, there was still plenty more room to flesh things out a bit to leave the reader a little more satisfied.
But in spite of these criticisms, there's still plenty to enjoy about this book. Gabrielle writes endearingly flawed characters well (which I particularly loved in Beatle Meets Destiny) and this book did leave me a little homesick for Melbourne, even if the 80s are merely a childhood memory for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2018
The Guy, the Girl, the Artist & his Ex combines the stories of four young people and the theft of Picasso's Weeping Woman from the National Gallery of Victoria in 1986. Gabrielle Williams weaves her story around the historical facts of the theft and eventual anonymous return of the Weeping Woman. The historical facts are few because the perpetrator(s) are still unknown.
Luke, the Artist, and his friend Dipper steal Picasso's famous Weeping Woman from the National Gallery. Luke's Ex, Penny lives next door to Rafi, the Girl who babysits Penny's son Joshie. All interconnected, except Guy who's just really good at getting in trouble. Despite all the strife he finds/causes he doesn't have any connection to the others, until his parents go away, his friends throw the party of the decade, and he elbows Rafi in the face.
I loved this collision of art history, 1980s music, fact and fiction. A melting pot of unfortunate coincidences and wrong decisions. Dipper allows his friends to pressure him into stealing the painting. Guy lets his friends pressure him into throwing a party when he knows his parents will hit the roof if they find out. But they won't, right?
Rafi follows her crush to the party when she has other obligations, she just wants a break from her grief stricken mother. Penny falls in love with a womanizing bastard and can't extricate herself.
And what a spectacular waste of time Luke is, talent really doesn't make up for a total lack of compassion.
After reading The Guy, the Girl, the Artist & his Ex I looked up what's known about the 1986 theft - not much. People in the art world have strong suspicions as to the culprits, but there's never been concrete evidence. Gabrielle Williams is not the only writer intrigued by the theft (this link includes a comic showing the events, every art story should be drawn).
I hope the truth is as farcical as the rollicking ride that is The Guy, the Girl, the Artist & his Ex. As part of her research Gabrielle Williams
This review is from my blog http://ofceilingwax.wordpress.com/201...
Luke, the Artist, and his friend Dipper steal Picasso's famous Weeping Woman from the National Gallery. Luke's Ex, Penny lives next door to Rafi, the Girl who babysits Penny's son Joshie. All interconnected, except Guy who's just really good at getting in trouble. Despite all the strife he finds/causes he doesn't have any connection to the others, until his parents go away, his friends throw the party of the decade, and he elbows Rafi in the face.
I loved this collision of art history, 1980s music, fact and fiction. A melting pot of unfortunate coincidences and wrong decisions. Dipper allows his friends to pressure him into stealing the painting. Guy lets his friends pressure him into throwing a party when he knows his parents will hit the roof if they find out. But they won't, right?
"Just a few people" [Famous last words]
Rafi follows her crush to the party when she has other obligations, she just wants a break from her grief stricken mother. Penny falls in love with a womanizing bastard and can't extricate herself.
"Being with him some of the time was better, had been better, than not being with him at all."
And what a spectacular waste of time Luke is, talent really doesn't make up for a total lack of compassion.
After reading The Guy, the Girl, the Artist & his Ex I looked up what's known about the 1986 theft - not much. People in the art world have strong suspicions as to the culprits, but there's never been concrete evidence. Gabrielle Williams is not the only writer intrigued by the theft (this link includes a comic showing the events, every art story should be drawn).
I hope the truth is as farcical as the rollicking ride that is The Guy, the Girl, the Artist & his Ex. As part of her research Gabrielle Williams
interviewed a number of people - some of who may or may not have been the actual Australian Cultural Terrorists.
This review is from my blog http://ofceilingwax.wordpress.com/201...
August 16, 2015
Thank you to Allen & Unwin for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Find this review and more on my blog The Rest Is Still Unwritten!
The Guy, The Girl, The Artist and His Ex is a story that sees the lives of four very different individuals intertwine and explores different aspects of human nature in this latest novel by Gabrielle Williams.
I want to be honest here; despite my lower rating, The Guy, The Girl, The Artist and His Ex wasn’t in any way a bad book….it’s just not my exact kind of read. Yet in saying that, I have made a pact with myself to read more Australian fiction by Australian authors this year so I don’t regret reading this.
Set in Melbourne, Australia in the 1980’s, The Guy, The Girl, The Artist and His Ex is told through the eyes of four different people. Seventeen year old Guy, a teenage boy who is just looking to finish school without disappointing his parents, seventeen year old Rafi, a Spanish teenager who struggles to take care of her mother, mentally affected by the loss of her young son years before and struggling with reality, Luke a promising and rebellious artist who has been involved with one of the art thefts of the decade and Penny, Luke’s ex-girlfriend and mother of his child who is attempting to move on with her life.
Unbeknown to the foursome, all their lives are about to intersect over the course of one disastrous night that will change them all forever, where hard choices are made and lives are on the line.
The Guy, The Girl, The Artist and His Ex is a solid fiction novel. While it didn’t blow me away I can certainly see what author Gabrielle Williams was going for with this story and for the most part I found it entertaining….I simply found myself not as invested as I would have liked. And yet, I think William’s did a fantastic job weaving the characters’ lives together the way she did in such a simple, natural way. All four voices were different and unique and the everyday feel of the novel went well with the idea that Picasso’s Weeping Woman painting has been stolen by one of the main characters and people he knows.
Personally I wasn’t impressed by Luke and his attitude towards everything in general, not to mention how he treated his ex and his son, but I genuinely liked Guy, Rafi and Penny. They were easy enough to follow and I was hoping for the best possible outcomes for their stories.
Easily written and woven together beautifully, The Guy, The Girl, The Artist and His Ex is a readable novel, that whilst it didn’t blow me away would be a sure hit with a lot of Aussie fiction lovers and most readers in general. Try it—you may just find you love it!
Find this review and more on my blog The Rest Is Still Unwritten!
The Guy, The Girl, The Artist and His Ex is a story that sees the lives of four very different individuals intertwine and explores different aspects of human nature in this latest novel by Gabrielle Williams.
I want to be honest here; despite my lower rating, The Guy, The Girl, The Artist and His Ex wasn’t in any way a bad book….it’s just not my exact kind of read. Yet in saying that, I have made a pact with myself to read more Australian fiction by Australian authors this year so I don’t regret reading this.
Set in Melbourne, Australia in the 1980’s, The Guy, The Girl, The Artist and His Ex is told through the eyes of four different people. Seventeen year old Guy, a teenage boy who is just looking to finish school without disappointing his parents, seventeen year old Rafi, a Spanish teenager who struggles to take care of her mother, mentally affected by the loss of her young son years before and struggling with reality, Luke a promising and rebellious artist who has been involved with one of the art thefts of the decade and Penny, Luke’s ex-girlfriend and mother of his child who is attempting to move on with her life.
Unbeknown to the foursome, all their lives are about to intersect over the course of one disastrous night that will change them all forever, where hard choices are made and lives are on the line.
The Guy, The Girl, The Artist and His Ex is a solid fiction novel. While it didn’t blow me away I can certainly see what author Gabrielle Williams was going for with this story and for the most part I found it entertaining….I simply found myself not as invested as I would have liked. And yet, I think William’s did a fantastic job weaving the characters’ lives together the way she did in such a simple, natural way. All four voices were different and unique and the everyday feel of the novel went well with the idea that Picasso’s Weeping Woman painting has been stolen by one of the main characters and people he knows.
Personally I wasn’t impressed by Luke and his attitude towards everything in general, not to mention how he treated his ex and his son, but I genuinely liked Guy, Rafi and Penny. They were easy enough to follow and I was hoping for the best possible outcomes for their stories.
Easily written and woven together beautifully, The Guy, The Girl, The Artist and His Ex is a readable novel, that whilst it didn’t blow me away would be a sure hit with a lot of Aussie fiction lovers and most readers in general. Try it—you may just find you love it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
June 11, 2015I really had no idea what to expect going into The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex. But sometimes going into a book with absolutely no expectations is the best way to start reading. It didn’t take me long to get completely hooked on this, or finish reading it for that matter. Definitely a new favourite for me and right up there with the best Aussie YA I’ve read.
The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex takes the space between the theft of Picasso’s Weeping Woman and its return and cleverly imagines a story which may fill the gaps. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I had no idea this was based on a real event (perhaps it’s because I’m from the ‘cultural backwater’ of Queensland? I’m kidding. It’s probably just because I was only born in the mid-90s). Whatever the reason for my ignorance, I loved the fact Williams based the novel on this little snippet of Australian history and the way she used it to connect the lives of each of the characters.
Like all my favourite contemporaries, The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex wouldn’t be the same without a bunch of wonderful characters. I loved them all! Well, except for Luke who was a bit of an arse. Actually, he was a lot of an arse. But Rafi, Guy and Penny were all so relatable and instantly loveable. I think about 20 pages in I was already completely invested in them and their unfolding story. It’s been far too long since a book dragged me in and made me keep reading in quite the same way.
The pacing of The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex couldn’t have been more perfect. The chapters were relatively short and flowed together so well. The story unfold really quickly, but it didn’t feel lacking in depth because of that. Williams is masterful in the way she write so minimally, yet with so much feeling. Like any good book should, The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex just stuck in my mind until I finished it, and even then the characters kept swirling around in my mind. Luckily, Williams is writing a sequel which I have no doubt will be just as fabulous.
The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex is without a doubt a new favourite for me. It’s the perfect example of everything I love about contemporary novels; heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure with a nice big slice of humour and a dash of quirkiness thrown in. Instantly absorbing, wonderfully written and packed with emotion, contemporary fans simply cannot not miss The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex.
This review and many more can be found at The Unfinished Bookshelf.
Thank you to Allen & Unwin for providing a copy of the book for review.
The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex takes the space between the theft of Picasso’s Weeping Woman and its return and cleverly imagines a story which may fill the gaps. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I had no idea this was based on a real event (perhaps it’s because I’m from the ‘cultural backwater’ of Queensland? I’m kidding. It’s probably just because I was only born in the mid-90s). Whatever the reason for my ignorance, I loved the fact Williams based the novel on this little snippet of Australian history and the way she used it to connect the lives of each of the characters.
Like all my favourite contemporaries, The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex wouldn’t be the same without a bunch of wonderful characters. I loved them all! Well, except for Luke who was a bit of an arse. Actually, he was a lot of an arse. But Rafi, Guy and Penny were all so relatable and instantly loveable. I think about 20 pages in I was already completely invested in them and their unfolding story. It’s been far too long since a book dragged me in and made me keep reading in quite the same way.
The pacing of The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex couldn’t have been more perfect. The chapters were relatively short and flowed together so well. The story unfold really quickly, but it didn’t feel lacking in depth because of that. Williams is masterful in the way she write so minimally, yet with so much feeling. Like any good book should, The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex just stuck in my mind until I finished it, and even then the characters kept swirling around in my mind. Luckily, Williams is writing a sequel which I have no doubt will be just as fabulous.
The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex is without a doubt a new favourite for me. It’s the perfect example of everything I love about contemporary novels; heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure with a nice big slice of humour and a dash of quirkiness thrown in. Instantly absorbing, wonderfully written and packed with emotion, contemporary fans simply cannot not miss The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex.
This review and many more can be found at The Unfinished Bookshelf.
Thank you to Allen & Unwin for providing a copy of the book for review.
February 1, 2017
Il fatto su cui è costruito parte il libro è realmente accaduto e mi riferisco al furto di una delle prime versioni della "Donna che piange" di Picasso da parte de "Australian Cultural Terrorists" nel 1986 (su Wikipedia c'è una pagina dedicata - Theft of the Weeping Woman - nel caso in cui vorrete approfondire);
I primi capitoli, anzi forse metà di essi, presentano tutti i personaggi, con i quali non ho avuto nessun tipo di empatia, anzi alcuni li ho trovati insopportabili.
- Guy, un ragazzo che non sa che cosa fare nella vita e modifica le proprie pagelle prima di mostrarle ai proprio genitori. Sarà lui che organizzerà il party, dove incontrerà il seguente personaggio e che segnerà la svolta drammatica nel romanzo.
- Rafi, una ragazza trasferitasi in Australia dalla Bolivia con la madre, dopo la morte del fratellino. Questo lutto ha segnato profondamente sua madre, la quale è ossessionata dalla Llorona, personaggio della legenda diffusa in tutto il Sud America. Causa dell'evento drammatico.
- Luke e Penny, l'artista e l'ex. Il primo si preoccupava solo della sua carriera artistica o comunque di quel mondo, tradiva Penny, la sua devota ragazza ed è indifferente al proprio figlioletto. Penny, nonostante fosse stata trattata nei peggiori modi da Luke, usa il loro piccolo come pretesto per rivederlo, perché secondo lei in fondo Luke ci teneva a loro. Infatti si è visto e.e
- gli altri personaggi sono gli zii di Rafi, Morris e Real, e Dipper, la guardia di sicurezza del museo.
Gli Australian Cultural terrorist, cioè Real, Dipper e Luke, aiutati dalla madre di Rafi, indotta in modo subdolo a farlo, rubano la Donna che piange e viene nascosto a casa di Penny, facendolo passare per un falso. Una sera Penny chiede a Rafi di guardare suo figlio per un paio di ore. Durante la serata, Rafi riceve la chiamata da una sua amica e la invita a partecipare al party dell'anno. Rafi era restia a lasciare sua madre con il bambino, ma si lascia convincere e va. Qui incontra Guy, organizzatore del party, tra loro nasce qualcosa. Rafi, sapendo di dover rientrare prima di Penny e di non poter lasciare troppe ore la madre sola con il bambino, si fa accompagnare a casa da Guy. Arrivata a casa, sia la madre che il bambino erano spariti; iniziano per lei grossi guai e profondi rimorsi. Guy tornando a casa nota una carrozzina che cade nel fiume: era il bambino di Penny! Seppur con difficoltà, Guy salva il bambino. Fine della storia: la madre di Rafi ha spinto il bambino nel fiume, ciò è stato scaturito dalla visione del quadro di Picasso a casa di Penny, che ricorda molto la Llorona, e quindi viene arrestata; mentre i ladri sono stati spinti a riconsegnare il quadro.
Non mi è piaciuto più di tanto, l'ho trovato confuso.. boh. Non mi ha convinto.
I primi capitoli, anzi forse metà di essi, presentano tutti i personaggi, con i quali non ho avuto nessun tipo di empatia, anzi alcuni li ho trovati insopportabili.
- Guy, un ragazzo che non sa che cosa fare nella vita e modifica le proprie pagelle prima di mostrarle ai proprio genitori. Sarà lui che organizzerà il party, dove incontrerà il seguente personaggio e che segnerà la svolta drammatica nel romanzo.
- Rafi, una ragazza trasferitasi in Australia dalla Bolivia con la madre, dopo la morte del fratellino. Questo lutto ha segnato profondamente sua madre, la quale è ossessionata dalla Llorona, personaggio della legenda diffusa in tutto il Sud America. Causa dell'evento drammatico.
- Luke e Penny, l'artista e l'ex. Il primo si preoccupava solo della sua carriera artistica o comunque di quel mondo, tradiva Penny, la sua devota ragazza ed è indifferente al proprio figlioletto. Penny, nonostante fosse stata trattata nei peggiori modi da Luke, usa il loro piccolo come pretesto per rivederlo, perché secondo lei in fondo Luke ci teneva a loro. Infatti si è visto e.e
- gli altri personaggi sono gli zii di Rafi, Morris e Real, e Dipper, la guardia di sicurezza del museo.
Gli Australian Cultural terrorist, cioè Real, Dipper e Luke, aiutati dalla madre di Rafi, indotta in modo subdolo a farlo, rubano la Donna che piange e viene nascosto a casa di Penny, facendolo passare per un falso. Una sera Penny chiede a Rafi di guardare suo figlio per un paio di ore. Durante la serata, Rafi riceve la chiamata da una sua amica e la invita a partecipare al party dell'anno. Rafi era restia a lasciare sua madre con il bambino, ma si lascia convincere e va. Qui incontra Guy, organizzatore del party, tra loro nasce qualcosa. Rafi, sapendo di dover rientrare prima di Penny e di non poter lasciare troppe ore la madre sola con il bambino, si fa accompagnare a casa da Guy. Arrivata a casa, sia la madre che il bambino erano spariti; iniziano per lei grossi guai e profondi rimorsi. Guy tornando a casa nota una carrozzina che cade nel fiume: era il bambino di Penny! Seppur con difficoltà, Guy salva il bambino. Fine della storia: la madre di Rafi ha spinto il bambino nel fiume, ciò è stato scaturito dalla visione del quadro di Picasso a casa di Penny, che ricorda molto la Llorona, e quindi viene arrestata; mentre i ladri sono stati spinti a riconsegnare il quadro.
Non mi è piaciuto più di tanto, l'ho trovato confuso.. boh. Non mi ha convinto.
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