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An Equal Stillness
AN EQUAL STILLNESS is a novel posing as a biography of a painter, Jennet Mallow. Born in 1924, Jennet grows up in Yorkshire. In the drab post-war years she forges an early career as a painter, both inspired and constrained by her marriage to another artist, David Feaver. The competing claims of marriage and family on the one hand, and art on the other, provide one of the principal themes of this novel. After a vivid period in southern Spain, Jennet and David return to England. In the 1960s Jennet's career blossoms, and she becomes a sought-after painter, despite personal complications and indeed tragedies. With her children grown up, and David Feaver dead of alcoholism, she retires to her beloved Yorkshire for her final, yet brilliantly productive, years.Francesca Kay is a wordsmith, and her depictions of landscape and paintings, as well as feelings, are often exhilarating. She has imagined a life in the round.
229 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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About the author
Francesca Kay
9 books31 followersFrancesca Kay’s first novel, An Equal Stillness, won the Orange Award for New Writers in 2009. She lives in Oxford with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
April 8, 2010
Absolutely superb...lyrical and utterly compelling. This is a book to treasure. A truly remarkable debut.
February 10, 2018
4.5 stars really
A book unlike any I have ever read. At points sublime in its description of art and soul-searing accuracy of moments in life. I related to much, in a deep, visceral way, as if she was writing of my life, rather than a fictional biography of a fictional artist.
The vista of a woman’s life, the struggle between self fulfilment & the needs of others & of one’s expected, presumed, unquestioned place in the world... all displayed with unerring accuracy.
The notes that jarred were the self-flagellation of the character when her behaviour merely matched that of the men... who blundered forth without question or reflection.
Much to enjoy, much to ponder, a delight for those fir whom colour & emotional nuance are essential.
A book unlike any I have ever read. At points sublime in its description of art and soul-searing accuracy of moments in life. I related to much, in a deep, visceral way, as if she was writing of my life, rather than a fictional biography of a fictional artist.
The vista of a woman’s life, the struggle between self fulfilment & the needs of others & of one’s expected, presumed, unquestioned place in the world... all displayed with unerring accuracy.
The notes that jarred were the self-flagellation of the character when her behaviour merely matched that of the men... who blundered forth without question or reflection.
Much to enjoy, much to ponder, a delight for those fir whom colour & emotional nuance are essential.
August 19, 2018
This novel is written as if it were a biography of the main character, Jennet Mallow, an acclaimed artist, following her recent death. It is written in a rather cool, detached manner, leaving the reader one step removed from the subject matter which is how, I suppose, you are meant to feel when reading a biography.
All through the novel, until almost at the end, we are not told who the biographer is, merely that they were very close to their subject, although it isn't difficult to work out who it is.
It is a novel rich in fine detail of the creative processes of the artist - examining her choice of subjects, styles, materials used and, finally, critical appraisal. I did find the descriptions of creating a work of art interesting, but a little difficult to visualise at times.
Throughout I had in mind someone like Barbara Hepworth for Jennet Mallow. There are several similarities, including a childhood in Yorkshire, working in St Ives, and a son who loved flying. Some of the names seem to be referencing her and her life too and it was interesting to see that confirmed in the author's notes at the back.
All through the novel, until almost at the end, we are not told who the biographer is, merely that they were very close to their subject, although it isn't difficult to work out who it is.
It is a novel rich in fine detail of the creative processes of the artist - examining her choice of subjects, styles, materials used and, finally, critical appraisal. I did find the descriptions of creating a work of art interesting, but a little difficult to visualise at times.
Throughout I had in mind someone like Barbara Hepworth for Jennet Mallow. There are several similarities, including a childhood in Yorkshire, working in St Ives, and a son who loved flying. Some of the names seem to be referencing her and her life too and it was interesting to see that confirmed in the author's notes at the back.
January 14, 2018
I finished this book this morning. It is one of the best I've read in a while. Kay's description of light, colour and place are beautiful. I rarely consider rereading a book. I may well reread this one.
December 23, 2017
The story of an artist in 20th century:
Written as a biography - but fiction - this is strangely compelling and I enjoyed it immensely. The main character is a fictional artist, struggling with also being a wife, mother and daughter. The story rings true and I was engaged by the characters.
Written as a biography - but fiction - this is strangely compelling and I enjoyed it immensely. The main character is a fictional artist, struggling with also being a wife, mother and daughter. The story rings true and I was engaged by the characters.
November 21, 2017
Fictional autobiography of female 20th century artist by son. Nice descriptions of art and colour. Story unremarkable
February 2, 2018
Portrait of the Artist as 20th-century Woman
The way an artistic biography is taken up here, without chapters, and shaped by the conventional trappings of a novel, has the reader toying with whether adroit brush flicks or fine pen play have produced this remarkable portrait of an artist. Jenner Mallow's struggle, like Francesca Kay's, one imagines, is to find a space where 'a startle of green hummingbird's wings, a fleeting breath of mist, of woodsmoke, of salt water' can produce both the impressionistic effects art requires them to be as well as providing a permanent sense of home for an artist and a novelist 'lost for an anchor'. The dilemma is acute, as Jennet's fleeting periods of fulfilment are thwarted by a sense of paralysis and mortification in the lives of those she feels obliged to nurture, not least that of her husband. He, like Jennet's father, are both etiolated by the gruelling reminiscences of war in places like Spain where her husband, David Heaton, is nearly destroyed by 'its black edges, its blood reds, its stark colours, its Goyaghosts', but where, in Santiago, Jenner experiences an unleashing of astonishing artistic inspiration. Later, in the closing scenes of the novel, she finds a different kind of space at Ravens in the Yorkshire moors where 'long empty hours of silence filled with nothing, hours in which she might embalm herself in the fine stuff of dreams'. The book tries too hard to place itself in those fine, interstitial places between inspiration and execution and one often gets a sense of the whole novel coming to a standstill, neutralized by its own misty ruminations on Jennet's latest artistic period. It's best to prepare yourself for this, a tableau of delicately nuanced hues, bars and lines wherever you look; the vast canvases Jenner uses are also the narrative tableaux of this novel, but its main subject remains perpetually opaque, as if Jenner has her back to the reader, or is looking askance into a rarefied recess where the reader cannot go. The family scenes are the best: they're messy and uncomfortably grounded in scenes where you have to come down off the ladder and stop slopping around with paint. But the real horror of twentieth century life-in-death, is merely hinted at: where Jennet's father lived, fought and suffered, in the trenches of WW1, green hummingbirds never stood a chance.
The way an artistic biography is taken up here, without chapters, and shaped by the conventional trappings of a novel, has the reader toying with whether adroit brush flicks or fine pen play have produced this remarkable portrait of an artist. Jenner Mallow's struggle, like Francesca Kay's, one imagines, is to find a space where 'a startle of green hummingbird's wings, a fleeting breath of mist, of woodsmoke, of salt water' can produce both the impressionistic effects art requires them to be as well as providing a permanent sense of home for an artist and a novelist 'lost for an anchor'. The dilemma is acute, as Jennet's fleeting periods of fulfilment are thwarted by a sense of paralysis and mortification in the lives of those she feels obliged to nurture, not least that of her husband. He, like Jennet's father, are both etiolated by the gruelling reminiscences of war in places like Spain where her husband, David Heaton, is nearly destroyed by 'its black edges, its blood reds, its stark colours, its Goyaghosts', but where, in Santiago, Jenner experiences an unleashing of astonishing artistic inspiration. Later, in the closing scenes of the novel, she finds a different kind of space at Ravens in the Yorkshire moors where 'long empty hours of silence filled with nothing, hours in which she might embalm herself in the fine stuff of dreams'. The book tries too hard to place itself in those fine, interstitial places between inspiration and execution and one often gets a sense of the whole novel coming to a standstill, neutralized by its own misty ruminations on Jennet's latest artistic period. It's best to prepare yourself for this, a tableau of delicately nuanced hues, bars and lines wherever you look; the vast canvases Jenner uses are also the narrative tableaux of this novel, but its main subject remains perpetually opaque, as if Jenner has her back to the reader, or is looking askance into a rarefied recess where the reader cannot go. The family scenes are the best: they're messy and uncomfortably grounded in scenes where you have to come down off the ladder and stop slopping around with paint. But the real horror of twentieth century life-in-death, is merely hinted at: where Jennet's father lived, fought and suffered, in the trenches of WW1, green hummingbirds never stood a chance.
September 14, 2009
I really liked this book. I love the characters, especially Jennet Mellow, who is so well drawn and alive. Her dilemmas mirror those of women everywhere. She is continually torn between her own needs/desires and her role as a wife and a mother. In addition, she is torn between her love fore her husband and her desire for other men. The discussion of the live of women is furthered by an exploration of the lives of the women who surround her, such as her mother and sister. Moreover, the novel traces her career as an artist. On top of this, we are given an interesting discussion of the art of biography.
January 27, 2015
I'm old enough to remember a time when professional women struggled against impossible odds to balance career and family life. Add a husband who is worried that his wife is more talented as an artist than he is and the odds get even longer.
This is a good novel. It does pale at times, especially because of the detailed knowledge of art contained within, often hopelessly beyond my understanding, but rescued by its emotional intensity.
This is a good novel. It does pale at times, especially because of the detailed knowledge of art contained within, often hopelessly beyond my understanding, but rescued by its emotional intensity.
June 21, 2018
Odd approach - a biography of an imaginary artist including imaginary paintings written by an imaginary son! But it worked and at times I was considering 5 stars but got a bit turgid in 2nd half. Shame but still a really good novel
September 25, 2020
What really struck me about this story was the moments in which the narrative focused on pieces on art and described them in such a way I really had a sense of them. It's hard to describe a painting, to put into words all that you see and feel when looking at a painting but it is so well done
December 16, 2018
I should have loved this but it's virtually all tell and very little show which left me detached from the main character. Isn't that something an editor should point out?
May 25, 2020
I'm in the habit of reading something from the non-fiction shelves during the day, and a novel at night, and so when memory stirred as I was reading Stella Bowen's autobiography Drawn from Life, I hunted out Francesca Kay's An Equal Stillness from the TBR. This novel explores the same dilemma in fiction that featured in real life in the Sensational Snippet that I posted from Bowen's book. As the bookcover blurb says: Artist, lover, wife, mother: can one woman be them all? To be more specific, how do women reconcile being a loving, supportive spouse with the need to advance their own careers, especially if they have a special gift?
An Equal Stillness is a novel but it reads like an intimate biography, charting an artist's professional and personal life from a close perspective. It's clear-eyed and not blind to the subject's faults, but it's gentle and not quite detached. It's not until the very end of the book that the reason for this is revealed, though some readers may guess it beforehand. What they may also not guess is that this is not a fictionalised retelling of a real artist's life... Jennet Mallow is an entirely fictional creation and using the form of a biography is the author's way of making the story convincing.
Jennet was born in England's north, in the fictional village of Litton Kirkdale in the upper valley of the River Aire, to a mother disappointed by life. Lorna wanted to escape her parents, and—this is not quite as cynical as it sounds—she married, fully expecting the man to die on the battlefields of WW1. Her father had died when she was 13, and her brother had died at Ypres. The people she loved had died, and she expected that Richard would die too. But he didn't, and he didn't want to stay in the army despite his family's traditions. He retreats to a quiet, humble life as a cleric, with a wife frustrated by his lack of ambition and their dull domestic life.
Somehow, from this blighted family, Jennet becomes an artist of renown. As a child she made art in a hidden space behind her bed, and untaught, she wins a scholarship to an art school in London in 1945. Thriving in the cultural milieu she marries another artist, David Heaton, older than her and already becoming successful. But before long she gives birth to a son called Ben, and her art takes second place to domestic life. When they go to Spain because they are fed up with dreary postwar England, she—pregnant again—is content with her role:
An Equal Stillness is a novel but it reads like an intimate biography, charting an artist's professional and personal life from a close perspective. It's clear-eyed and not blind to the subject's faults, but it's gentle and not quite detached. It's not until the very end of the book that the reason for this is revealed, though some readers may guess it beforehand. What they may also not guess is that this is not a fictionalised retelling of a real artist's life... Jennet Mallow is an entirely fictional creation and using the form of a biography is the author's way of making the story convincing.
Jennet was born in England's north, in the fictional village of Litton Kirkdale in the upper valley of the River Aire, to a mother disappointed by life. Lorna wanted to escape her parents, and—this is not quite as cynical as it sounds—she married, fully expecting the man to die on the battlefields of WW1. Her father had died when she was 13, and her brother had died at Ypres. The people she loved had died, and she expected that Richard would die too. But he didn't, and he didn't want to stay in the army despite his family's traditions. He retreats to a quiet, humble life as a cleric, with a wife frustrated by his lack of ambition and their dull domestic life.
Somehow, from this blighted family, Jennet becomes an artist of renown. As a child she made art in a hidden space behind her bed, and untaught, she wins a scholarship to an art school in London in 1945. Thriving in the cultural milieu she marries another artist, David Heaton, older than her and already becoming successful. But before long she gives birth to a son called Ben, and her art takes second place to domestic life. When they go to Spain because they are fed up with dreary postwar England, she—pregnant again—is content with her role:
Those first few months in Santiago stayed in her mind as a time of happiness, and they mark the start of her most fecund periods as an artist.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2020/05/25/a...
February 9, 2018
3.5 stars, but I always round it up. It's a couple of weeks since I finished reading An Equal Stillness and I've read another book since, but I'll do my best to draw on a dippy memory (middle age for women must be prime time for the repeated chant, 'now what did I come in here for?') General impressions are probably best anyway and I still have clear impressions of the book. So here goes.
A very well constructed novel that spans decades of time in a range of carefully selected scenes. From relatively scant details, we nevertheless gain a comprehensive overview of the protagonist, her husband, her kids and her parents. Set in London, Spain, Yorkshire, Devon and other places, the sense of place is always very strong.
It's a novel about an artist married to an artist who has a large circle of artistic friends. It's a story of familial love, romantic love, lust, art, longing, pain, weakness, strength and betrayal. It's essentially the life story of Jennet Mallow and her struggle to emerge as an artist whilst balancing the responsibilities of home and family and living in the shadow of her self-absorbed husband. The prose is compelling and outstanding; the descriptions of light and colour absolutely exquisite. Kay is a skilful and subtle handler of words; the writing itself is wonderfully artistic and insightful.
The subtlety kept me at a distance somewhat, which is my one criticism. Personally I like nothing more than to be drawn in emotionally and wrung dry. I wasn't. Taking in the story felt more like admiring a beautiful portrait. So much to admire, but I was standing watching from a way off somehow. I wanted to be devastated by the end. Nothing finer than wading through a packet of Kleenex. Instead, I found myself saying, Oh, is that it? Well worthwhile nonetheless. A prize-winning novel, not surprisingly.
A very well constructed novel that spans decades of time in a range of carefully selected scenes. From relatively scant details, we nevertheless gain a comprehensive overview of the protagonist, her husband, her kids and her parents. Set in London, Spain, Yorkshire, Devon and other places, the sense of place is always very strong.
It's a novel about an artist married to an artist who has a large circle of artistic friends. It's a story of familial love, romantic love, lust, art, longing, pain, weakness, strength and betrayal. It's essentially the life story of Jennet Mallow and her struggle to emerge as an artist whilst balancing the responsibilities of home and family and living in the shadow of her self-absorbed husband. The prose is compelling and outstanding; the descriptions of light and colour absolutely exquisite. Kay is a skilful and subtle handler of words; the writing itself is wonderfully artistic and insightful.
The subtlety kept me at a distance somewhat, which is my one criticism. Personally I like nothing more than to be drawn in emotionally and wrung dry. I wasn't. Taking in the story felt more like admiring a beautiful portrait. So much to admire, but I was standing watching from a way off somehow. I wanted to be devastated by the end. Nothing finer than wading through a packet of Kleenex. Instead, I found myself saying, Oh, is that it? Well worthwhile nonetheless. A prize-winning novel, not surprisingly.
January 4, 2022
I started this knowing nothing about either the book or the author. Up to a point I liked it, but I took issue with a few aspects of the book. The first issue was with the framing device of having the main text be a biography of a fictional female artist riding the wave of feminism and economic expansion from the 1930's to the 60's. The text stood up well enough to not need the framing device around it. I did feel that at times that the ghost of Virginia Woolf rather haunted the text, but in a good way, particularly if Woolf had been an art critic getting to grips with the language if art criticism that changed from 1960 or so onward. The cry was less for 'a room of one's own' and more for 'an artist's studio of one's own', which through a certain deftness of circumstance Jennet got. I found Jennet a relatively easy character to believe in, up to her life in her mid thirties at least. Again poetic description lent her an autonomy that a life and language rooted in the quotidian could not have given her. She seemed to grow as an artist in line with the stages of post war economic boom and she became most famous/in demand when the post-war economy peaked.
Where the text/story became rather panglossian, if not utopian as well, was her response to coming into direct knowledge of her husbands adultery with another would-be artist, whilst she had an awareness of the stereotype of the philandering male artist in general and the liberal views on marriage all around her as loyalty was devalued/sexual opportunism increased. From then on the book became decreasingly believable. from the 1970's onward the feelings of the artist were rather shaded by her will to find ideas and to set to work, which was sort of believable, but this was the nearest the reader got to her frustrations.
There is a healthy measure of positive writing about the love of nature in this which made me warm to it more, even as Jennet Mallow became a less gritty, less believable, character. Only in her physical decline does Jennet Mallow recover her grit. Creativity in old age is not for the weak or feeble.
Where the text/story became rather panglossian, if not utopian as well, was her response to coming into direct knowledge of her husbands adultery with another would-be artist, whilst she had an awareness of the stereotype of the philandering male artist in general and the liberal views on marriage all around her as loyalty was devalued/sexual opportunism increased. From then on the book became decreasingly believable. from the 1970's onward the feelings of the artist were rather shaded by her will to find ideas and to set to work, which was sort of believable, but this was the nearest the reader got to her frustrations.
There is a healthy measure of positive writing about the love of nature in this which made me warm to it more, even as Jennet Mallow became a less gritty, less believable, character. Only in her physical decline does Jennet Mallow recover her grit. Creativity in old age is not for the weak or feeble.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2025
While very good in stretches, I'll never understand this fragmented, (small) jumps forward-backward in time. If theoretically a 'biography,' it makes little sense. What's worse, it's a recipe for TELLING and not showing ... like, the fact that David plays the piano is 'revealed' in the final ~50 pages or so - but showed up *nowhere* before then. Same with lots of similar things (e.g., how is Ben somehow her favorite child when she goes on and on about Vanessa? Where did Sarah and Vanessa grow close? etc.). Even a couple of sentences/paragraphs interspersed more chronologically would've made things much better (e.g., having David play piano at some random bar or event). As it stands, it feels like the author wrote different things at different times, merged them, and either forgot or glossed over things - which only furthers my despair at the dying art of editing. :-(
Also, while the writing was very good and poignant at times, there were a few points where things were overwritten or cliched. Not often, which is why there are 4 stars instead of 3. A very solid debut to be sure.
Also, while the writing was very good and poignant at times, there were a few points where things were overwritten or cliched. Not often, which is why there are 4 stars instead of 3. A very solid debut to be sure.
June 25, 2018
Very moving and thought provokinge
I liked Jennet Mallow, she is a talented, creative, courageous human being yet completely flawed - she grows up in a post WWII society that set certain societal challenges for women and perhaps it is that environment which makes her so selflessly supportive of her husband and adored children while fitting her own art around them. At the same time, she realises later, that she has selfishly neglected her immediate family - her mother and father, and a sister she never quite bonded with. I loved the story of her life as she battles her way through a rollercoaster of emotions and commitments, giving yet selfish, astute and intelligent yet able to be duped through the vulnerability of love - ironically her only brief period of true happiness turning out to be a sham. I think Jennet Mallow is right up there with Jane Eyre in fictional heriones.
I liked Jennet Mallow, she is a talented, creative, courageous human being yet completely flawed - she grows up in a post WWII society that set certain societal challenges for women and perhaps it is that environment which makes her so selflessly supportive of her husband and adored children while fitting her own art around them. At the same time, she realises later, that she has selfishly neglected her immediate family - her mother and father, and a sister she never quite bonded with. I loved the story of her life as she battles her way through a rollercoaster of emotions and commitments, giving yet selfish, astute and intelligent yet able to be duped through the vulnerability of love - ironically her only brief period of true happiness turning out to be a sham. I think Jennet Mallow is right up there with Jane Eyre in fictional heriones.
July 20, 2022
My first book since I last read any. Vividly told, beautifully written, relatable. I could relate to Jenneth character as I myself am a woman and passionate about art. Jenneth fell in love with another man apart from her husband but decided to stay faithful in her marriage. This shows that marriage is not only a relationship but an uncompromised commitment between two individuals that cannot be broken through paper or just because we don't feel the love any more. An intense story and I could feel the emotional baggage even after days of reading it. What I love most about this book is the way the writer writes as if I could vividly develop the scene and character in my mind. I'd give a full mark if there's a plot twist to keep me engaged but only a few that I don't expect to happen. This is a book about how women go through everyday life by being what they needed to be throughout their life. Good read indeed.
August 30, 2022
I found this book very difficult to get into, but once I was into its rhythm I found it quite absorbing. Despite it being called a fictional biography I don’t agree, the narrator tells of too many conversations that nobody other than the two people talking were aware of and couldn’t have have told about. I think it is more of a celebration of the life of a great artist.
The descriptions of the paintings are fantastic, very easy to visualise, clearly showing the writer has a great knowledge of art. The bohemian life style of a group of artists is well portrayed, but you also see the behind the scene difficulties of Jennet, who has to juggle marriage to a difficult and temperamental husband, looking after her young children and her home, lack of money, and still trying to carve out time for her painting, which is as important to her as life itself. It shows up the art world as very male orientated -it is probably a little better today!
A most enjoyable story.
The descriptions of the paintings are fantastic, very easy to visualise, clearly showing the writer has a great knowledge of art. The bohemian life style of a group of artists is well portrayed, but you also see the behind the scene difficulties of Jennet, who has to juggle marriage to a difficult and temperamental husband, looking after her young children and her home, lack of money, and still trying to carve out time for her painting, which is as important to her as life itself. It shows up the art world as very male orientated -it is probably a little better today!
A most enjoyable story.
January 6, 2023
Really enjoyed this, an unusual premise - written as the biography of a 20th century woman artist although it is a complete work of fiction with some reference / inspiration from the life of Barbara Hepworth. Unusual in that while telling the story of her life, and her streggles as a woman to find the time and energy to pursue her art while fulfilling the expected roles of a mother, wife and daughter to aging parents plus surviving economically, it also explores the development of her art and a chronology of her works and their construction. The story builds from her relationships with her parents (distant father, unfulfilled mother); her husband - another artist with self conviction of his "greatness" - they marry young at insistance of parents when she falls pregnant; the other men (collectors, critics, lovers) and her children. Much human interest with the added bonus of art theory and critique.
April 22, 2025
I don’t know how this book was not on my radar. I am so fortunate to have come across it in my on line search for “novels about art and artists”. Which, after reading it, seems like a ridiculous way for a great book to casually get into my hands.
Not everyone likes the same types of books. But for me, this book was so good I could not put it down or stop listening to it. The writing is gorgeous and the attention to detail is magnificent. It is hard to believe this book is a biography written about an imaginary artist and her imagined life and imaginary paintings.
I don’t know who else might be this interested in reading about a woman living in 1950’s-60’s England and her lifelong struggle to make art. There is a lot of importance in the minutia of this story. I totally loved it and will definitely reread this someday. Highly recommended.
Not everyone likes the same types of books. But for me, this book was so good I could not put it down or stop listening to it. The writing is gorgeous and the attention to detail is magnificent. It is hard to believe this book is a biography written about an imaginary artist and her imagined life and imaginary paintings.
I don’t know who else might be this interested in reading about a woman living in 1950’s-60’s England and her lifelong struggle to make art. There is a lot of importance in the minutia of this story. I totally loved it and will definitely reread this someday. Highly recommended.
July 19, 2018
A stunning book and such a pleasure to read. It is written as a biography of a 20th century artist, but in fact it is a work of fiction. Don’t read the book for the plot (it is the life of the artist and her family) but read it for the way the author creates the large cast of characters to full-bodied, heart-beating life, AND for the descriptive language. Kay’s landscape and place descriptions are vivid whether it’s London, Cornwall, Spain or Yorkshire. Her descriptions of paintings are masterly too. It’s difficult to believe that she doesn’t have the painting in front of her as she writes.
NB The book cover of a woman in skimpy white shorts standing on a beach does not do the book justice.
NB The book cover of a woman in skimpy white shorts standing on a beach does not do the book justice.
December 22, 2020
Just finished this but struggling to digest it, rather like a very rich meal. Undoubtedly beautifully written but I veered between loving it and feeling sensory overload. Personally, I struggled with the contrivance of the story being a fictional biography, even though the "author" within the novel acknowledges at the start that a lot of the subject's innermost thoughts can only been conjecture. It would have worked better for me simply as Francesca Kay's own imagination.
That aside, the writing is spectacular and the imagery rich and relentless. I feel I need to read it again to fully appreciate the language.
That aside, the writing is spectacular and the imagery rich and relentless. I feel I need to read it again to fully appreciate the language.
March 8, 2022
It is a stunning portrayal of a female artist that you rarely find in literature or popular media. However, it does tend to ramble a little with the language at times and is very English in its backdrop which makes some metaphors and references difficult to follow. However, at the end of it all, it is definitely worth a one time read. All characters from Jennet Mallow herself to her husband, her mother and friends are real. However, if you are expecting detailed character sketches, this is not the book for it. Read it like a painting.
February 20, 2023
Loved, loved, loved this darkly lyrical, thought provoking book. Exquisitely written, the portrait of the protagonist is so convincing I actually googled Jenette's name in order to find out more about her! The descriptions of the art works were so detailed - I could actually see their images clearly in my mind... I particularly enjoyed learning more about the creative process and how Jenette's style developed throughout a lifetime devoted to art. On another note, the descriptions of post war London gave a great insight in how people lived and worked during those rather spartan and impoverished times.
February 5, 2024
A thoroughly excellent and absorbing book. And her debut novel! A worthy winner of the Orange award for new writers.
The book reads like a biography but is of a fictional bohemian artist. The descriptions of her paintings are stunning (even more-so since they don’t exist), the ups and downs of her life written eloquently and with equal understanding, and the flawed characters of Jennet, David and all their friends so believable.
This was a serendipitous choice from a hotel bookshelf. I hope previous readers enjoyed it as much as I did.
The book reads like a biography but is of a fictional bohemian artist. The descriptions of her paintings are stunning (even more-so since they don’t exist), the ups and downs of her life written eloquently and with equal understanding, and the flawed characters of Jennet, David and all their friends so believable.
This was a serendipitous choice from a hotel bookshelf. I hope previous readers enjoyed it as much as I did.
March 17, 2021
I liked the storyline of this book but found the prose a bit heavy going. It’s difficult to write about visual art and how a painting is inspired. Francesca Kay does a reasonable job. However it’s the story of a woman’s battle for self expression when faced with still fulfilling the expected roles of wife, mother, housekeeper, nanny, cater etc which is the compelling part of this book. If you want to understand why there have been so few female Great Masters, read Jennet’s story.
October 7, 2021
The writing was sublime. This is essentially a retrospective of an artist’s life written by an unknown narrator (well they are revealed at the end). Most of the characters are really not very sympathetic, empathetic or loveable. Indeed the degree of selfishness revealed in almost everyone is staggering. But the writing mirrors the artistic endeavours. So much colour, texture and tone. Reading the book was like feasting on a fine banquet. Very satisfying..
February 9, 2018
Without doubt the finest book I have read in the past few months. Beautiful prose verging at times into poetry, wonderful descriptions of art plus a fantastic grasp of the battle between creativity and the demands of life. I will certainly be reading more of Francesca Kay now that I have found her.
April 15, 2018
My goodness, this has had me transfixed. The most beautifully imagined life, the most exquisite writing, with descriptions of the process of making art, of interacting with materials and of the paintings themselves, juxtaposed against the life and times of the artist. The most extraordinary book I've read in a while.
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