The Edge Of Pleasure: A Literary Novel of Artistic Genius and Fatal Obsession in London

by Philippa Stockley

Gilver Memmer is running short of time. He is an enormously gifted painter, staggeringly good-looking, and profoundly self-involved, a cross between every woman's dream and every woman's worst nightmare. Great though his creative gifts may be, they cannot save him from dissolution. No longer the London art scene's wunderkind, he is getting by on the fumes of his former luck and sliding inexorably-though with a certain self-destructive elegance-toward oblivion. Into Gilver's life come two one who wants to push him into the grave he has been digging for himself and another who just might save him from it.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction

325 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Philippa Stockley is a novelist, author, award-winning journalist, reviewer, painter and designer. She took a scholarship to Oxford (English) then to the Courtauld Institute of Art, London, studying art-historical clothing history, with an 18th century speciality. Following her debut novel, The Edge of Pleasure, her previous novel, Murderous Liaisons, first published as A Factory of Cunning, is an epistolary sequel to Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Her new novel Black Lily, a fast, suspense-filled 17th century story set in London, full of murky characters and pungent settings. Due out with Pimpernel Press on September 6: http://www.pimpernelpress.com/ Stockley lives in London and is completing an interiors book on old London houses for 2019

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kept this book out from the library forever, but only because my spouse wanted to read it too. As artists ourselves, we were sucked in by the storyline — a painter makes it big then crashes & burns — and the fact that it is set in London.

None of the characters is particularly likable, except perhaps Alice, who develops a huge crush on the egocentric painter Gilver Memmer.

Although the characters are developed unevenly, there are enough surprises and the plot keeps moving. But like Kate Christensen’s The Great Man, I wanted deeper insights or insider witticisms about the contemporary art world. Instead, it was just a generic backdrop — the character may as well have been a famous musician or banker, really. Even the descriptions of the paintings themselves, wherein Stockley attempts to intertwine her themes of desire & violence, were unconvincing to me. The reliance on biblical characters as subject matter for Gilver’s paintings seemed like silly metaphors to me, and ones I’ve read before.

Stockley has a tendency to repeat sentence structures to the point of monotony. She doesn’t let the dialog stand on its own. Conversations were rendered melodramatic, because after each line of dialog Stockley inserted explanations and psychobabble. At first, knowing the inner thoughts surrounding the characters conversations was revealing. But after a while, it became redundant and only served to interrupt the dialog.

As I write this, I realize it sounds like I hated this novel, but in fact I did not hate it! I rather enjoyed it. Stockley packs in self-destruction, a vindictive friend, lovers, ex-lovers, lifestyles of the rich & famous, redemption & romance. I kept reading because the narrative pull was strong enough, and I wanted to see how Gilver would or would not get himself out of the mess he was in.

[Marguerite Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure about this. On the one hand, it was a great premise, beautifully written and I zipped through it. On the other, I didn't really engage with any of the characters. It was a morality tale on one level, a tale of greed and over-indulgence and selfishness, but it felt quite dated for some reason. I think maybe I've changed in what I want out of my fiction recently, because a few years ago I am pretty certain I'd have rated this higher for its literary value. The problem is, my literary values are different, and when I don't engage with the characters, I am left feeling a bit at a loss, no matter how good the book is.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took a while to get into this, then thoroughly enjoyed this rake's tale.

[Adz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character Gilver Memmer, comes across as a bit of cad, a bounder, a libertine, egotistical an then some, a talented artist... the story in a nutshell, his world crumbles. Will he rise from the ashes a better man? Written in a way that I found I did want to know what happens to him.

[Sommer Ann McCullough · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always love a good British read, however this one left me wanting more from the plot. I'm not even sure I was satisfied with the ending.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

78

[Sue Corbett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite well written and some humour but just a love story really

[Stefanie Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

""

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't care for this book at all. The characters are wholly unlikeable.

[Valerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Smartly written but characters and their motivations did not ring true.