What do you think?
Rate this book
Naked Ambition
‘You’re a politician, a public figure. What on earth were you thinking?’
Up-and-coming junior minister Gregory Buchanan has had a portrait painted of himself by the acclaimed artist Sophie White — a painting she intends to enter in this year’s Archibald Prize. Until then, Gregory has hung it in pride of place on his dining-room wall. It’s a life-sized standing portrait, practically photographic in nature. And it’s a nude.
His wife will be home soon and he thinks the painting will be a pleasant surprise. Even more surprising will be an unexpected accumulation of guests: his sardonic mother, his fundamentalist mother-in-law, his lycra-clad cycling-enthusiast sister, and the state premier, Louisa Wetherly — a senior minister has just resigned in scandalous circumstances, and she needs Gregory to step into the spotlight ahead of the coming election.
It’s going to be a wild afternoon, and an even wilder campaign — to do something about Gregory’s naked ambition.
Up-and-coming junior minister Gregory Buchanan has had a portrait painted of himself by the acclaimed artist Sophie White — a painting she intends to enter in this year’s Archibald Prize. Until then, Gregory has hung it in pride of place on his dining-room wall. It’s a life-sized standing portrait, practically photographic in nature. And it’s a nude.
His wife will be home soon and he thinks the painting will be a pleasant surprise. Even more surprising will be an unexpected accumulation of guests: his sardonic mother, his fundamentalist mother-in-law, his lycra-clad cycling-enthusiast sister, and the state premier, Louisa Wetherly — a senior minister has just resigned in scandalous circumstances, and she needs Gregory to step into the spotlight ahead of the coming election.
It’s going to be a wild afternoon, and an even wilder campaign — to do something about Gregory’s naked ambition.
240 pages, Paperback
Published May 2, 2023
10 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Robert Gott
33 books59 followersRobert Gott was born in the small Queensland town of Maryborough in 1957, and lives in Melbourne. He has published many books for children, and is also the creator of the newspaper cartoon The Adventures of Naked Man. He is also the author of the William Power trilogy of crime-caper novels set in 1940s Australia: Good Murder, A Thing of Blood, and Amongst the Dead.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
June 7, 2023
I couldn’t not give this 4★
It was annoying, but so very well written, with most adjectives chosen to match the snobbish, upper class vibe. I couldn’t be bothered with the dictionary.
Witty and wacky and frustrating.
This book was pretty funny. To be honest, my humour doesn’t match, but I believe the author was extremely smart all the way along. I rate this four stars for the cleverness but fully admit it drove me a little crazy. There is something in a book if this is the outcome, it has worked to some level.
An up-and-coming politician, (a very unlikable one), decides it is a good idea to pose naked in a full-size fashion for the Archibald. He wants to win, the artist wants it to win, but his wife who just happens to be PR expert and his mother-in-law, a dreadful woman both DO NOT want this to happen.
This turns farcical when the painting goes missing, every single nutty character reveal their thoughts and feelings, which along the way show how odd they all are.
The worst character leading the fray is the mother-in-law, a religious zealot, a nut, a crazy woman, is mean and truly awful. I don’t know why her family don’t disown her!
She uses this unfortunate situation to bribe the premier (and the son in law she despises) to introduce a petition pertaining to religion in primary schools. She hates gay people, queue lesbian sister, who calls in her police friend on her day off to help them with the missing artwork.
I believe, I firmly believe, that the electorate, my elecorate, will see that a politician with courage is a politician who'll tell them the truth. This portrait puts me beyond the suspicion of spin. This emperor knows he has no clothes. I want people to trust me, and I am unashamedly naked before them. The artist had the ability to capture smugness, not strength. It was so cringeworthy!
We see a glimpse of head scratching with the artwork progressing through the stages and discussion about the merit of such an awful painting.
I am not sure who the target audience for this is, it really wasn’t me, but it was clever, well written and biting.
With thanks to @Betterreadingau for my copy to read and review.
It was annoying, but so very well written, with most adjectives chosen to match the snobbish, upper class vibe. I couldn’t be bothered with the dictionary.
Witty and wacky and frustrating.
This book was pretty funny. To be honest, my humour doesn’t match, but I believe the author was extremely smart all the way along. I rate this four stars for the cleverness but fully admit it drove me a little crazy. There is something in a book if this is the outcome, it has worked to some level.
An up-and-coming politician, (a very unlikable one), decides it is a good idea to pose naked in a full-size fashion for the Archibald. He wants to win, the artist wants it to win, but his wife who just happens to be PR expert and his mother-in-law, a dreadful woman both DO NOT want this to happen.
This turns farcical when the painting goes missing, every single nutty character reveal their thoughts and feelings, which along the way show how odd they all are.
The worst character leading the fray is the mother-in-law, a religious zealot, a nut, a crazy woman, is mean and truly awful. I don’t know why her family don’t disown her!
She uses this unfortunate situation to bribe the premier (and the son in law she despises) to introduce a petition pertaining to religion in primary schools. She hates gay people, queue lesbian sister, who calls in her police friend on her day off to help them with the missing artwork.
I believe, I firmly believe, that the electorate, my elecorate, will see that a politician with courage is a politician who'll tell them the truth. This portrait puts me beyond the suspicion of spin. This emperor knows he has no clothes. I want people to trust me, and I am unashamedly naked before them. The artist had the ability to capture smugness, not strength. It was so cringeworthy!
We see a glimpse of head scratching with the artwork progressing through the stages and discussion about the merit of such an awful painting.
I am not sure who the target audience for this is, it really wasn’t me, but it was clever, well written and biting.
With thanks to @Betterreadingau for my copy to read and review.
May 28, 2023
Naked Ambition had me howling with laughter. I’m particularly partial to Australian political satire, so I can’t promise everyone will find it as funny as I do – but it’s surely worth a try. With lines like “Australians don’t like their politicians with their clothes on, taking them off isn’t going to win you any votes,” (page 14), and “The scrotum is not a vote winner” (page 22), how could you not find the funny?
My full review of Naked Ambition is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
My full review of Naked Ambition is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
May 7, 2023
Gott is at his hilarious best!
Naked Ambition is laugh out loud hilarious. I can imagine the novel as a stage play with its outrageously funny characters storming in and delivering their cracking dialogue, all trying to best each other. And of course, at the centre is a huge naked portrait of a politician and the wildly different reactions to it. I kept thinking that is Robert Gott’s famous Adventures of Naked Man come to life. Gott at his witty brilliant best.
Naked Ambition is laugh out loud hilarious. I can imagine the novel as a stage play with its outrageously funny characters storming in and delivering their cracking dialogue, all trying to best each other. And of course, at the centre is a huge naked portrait of a politician and the wildly different reactions to it. I kept thinking that is Robert Gott’s famous Adventures of Naked Man come to life. Gott at his witty brilliant best.
May 9, 2023
If you’ve ever wondered what a crime novel written by Noel Coward might be like, Naked Ambition could provide some clues. Review at Newtown Review of Books
April 13, 2023
Clever, engaging, at times laugh out loud…
April 6, 2023
What can I say? It really is “Naked Ambition”! This book has everything including an off-beat Agatha Christie vibe. An MP decides to have a nude portrait painted to be entered into the Archibald Prize. From there, within minutes of him showing (shocking) his wife the whole nine yards, we meet all the personalities. Gregory (the MP), his newly pregnant wife Phoebe, his mum, sister and Phoebe’s mother. The whole book centres around these five, along with some throw-ins and, before we know it, all of a sudden it turns into a “who dun it”! I just loved this book! I found it to be witty, and at times laugh out loud. The characters were perfect! Satire, sarcasm, religion, politics, sexuality, crime - you name it, this story has it. As proof that I loved this book - I read it in one sitting. I just couldn’t put it down. Would I have bought this book off the shelf? To be honest, probably not. Will I buy another book by Robert Gott? Bring it on!!!
April 12, 2023
Naked Ambition by Robert Gott was an extremely entertaining farce about the ego of a politician. With an election coming up, Gregory Buchanan decides to have his portrait painted for the Archibald Prize. When he unveils it to his family, they are not pleased due to the fact it is a nude painting. As he is a naive individual, he is unwilling to see that the artist has depicted him in an unglamorous way. When it disappears, he involves the police in its recovery.
The book covers the themes of political life, sexuality, religious fanaticism, family tensions and police investigations. Its humour is laugh-out-loud. Although totally absurb, the tale keeps you enthralled until the end. His mother-in-law, Joyce, is a wonderful sendup of Christian fanatics. Very few books live up to their laugh-out-loud claim but this definitely does. Totally enjoyed every minute of it.
Thanks to Better Reading and Scribe for my copy.
The book covers the themes of political life, sexuality, religious fanaticism, family tensions and police investigations. Its humour is laugh-out-loud. Although totally absurb, the tale keeps you enthralled until the end. His mother-in-law, Joyce, is a wonderful sendup of Christian fanatics. Very few books live up to their laugh-out-loud claim but this definitely does. Totally enjoyed every minute of it.
Thanks to Better Reading and Scribe for my copy.
May 25, 2023
If you're in the mood for some daft, light-hearted fun, Robert Gott's Naked Ambition may be just what you need to lift your spirits during this rather grim phase in our nation's psyche.
Briefly, the plot is this. A state politician called Gregory takes it into his head to commission his portrait from an ambitious artist intent on winning the Archibald Prize. The larger-than-lifesize portrait, when it is revealed to his startled family, shows him not in the obligatory suit with a tie in the party colours, and not in hail-fellow-well-met casual gear, but naked. Full frontal. Completely naked.
Even before the state premier Louisa Whitely makes a surprise visit to advise him that he's been elevated to the ministry because of some inopportune scandal about to derail the election campaign — there are objections to the mere existence of this portrait. His wife Phoebe, a PR agent, warns against the (pardon the pun) exposure of the portrait; and Joyce, his MIL, a Bible-bashing fundamentalist, thinks it's an abomination. His own mother Margaret amuses herself by sardonically baiting the religious fanatic, and his sister Sally (the only one who knows anything about the cutting-edge reputation of the artist) isn't impressed by depictions of the naked male because she's gay. (Yes, the comedy does rely on stereotypes. The clodhopper copper is another one, completely unfair to the detective who lives next door to me, she's as sharp as a razor.)
The repartee between this lot is full of witty one-liners, which ramp up when the painting is stolen. Who by? Hardly anybody knows about its existence. What's to stop photos of it going viral if it's got into the wrong hands? And how can the artist be placated when the work she's created to win a valuable prize goes missing?
Amid the chuckles, we might ponder some of the questions raised by this comic novel.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2023/05/25/n...
Briefly, the plot is this. A state politician called Gregory takes it into his head to commission his portrait from an ambitious artist intent on winning the Archibald Prize. The larger-than-lifesize portrait, when it is revealed to his startled family, shows him not in the obligatory suit with a tie in the party colours, and not in hail-fellow-well-met casual gear, but naked. Full frontal. Completely naked.
Even before the state premier Louisa Whitely makes a surprise visit to advise him that he's been elevated to the ministry because of some inopportune scandal about to derail the election campaign — there are objections to the mere existence of this portrait. His wife Phoebe, a PR agent, warns against the (pardon the pun) exposure of the portrait; and Joyce, his MIL, a Bible-bashing fundamentalist, thinks it's an abomination. His own mother Margaret amuses herself by sardonically baiting the religious fanatic, and his sister Sally (the only one who knows anything about the cutting-edge reputation of the artist) isn't impressed by depictions of the naked male because she's gay. (Yes, the comedy does rely on stereotypes. The clodhopper copper is another one, completely unfair to the detective who lives next door to me, she's as sharp as a razor.)
The repartee between this lot is full of witty one-liners, which ramp up when the painting is stolen. Who by? Hardly anybody knows about its existence. What's to stop photos of it going viral if it's got into the wrong hands? And how can the artist be placated when the work she's created to win a valuable prize goes missing?
Amid the chuckles, we might ponder some of the questions raised by this comic novel.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2023/05/25/n...
May 26, 2023
Robert Gott is a prolific Australian author who I have not read before and his latest novel Naked Ambition is not a book that I would normally gravitate to but something piqued my interest so I requested a copy for review. And I’m glad I did as it was a quick, fun read!
Naked Ambition is an awkwardly funny political tale of an ambitious young politician who has commissioned a life size portrait of himself by a well known artist. This artist now wants to enter the portrait into the Archibald Prize but there is just one small issue. The portrait is a nude. But Gregory Buchanan thinks it is a masterpiece and that the merits of the art will outweigh any PR issues. His wife Phoebe doesn’t agree and with an election coming up and his government starting to slide in the polls she thinks entering the portrait will be a very bad idea.
And as his mother, sister and mother-in-law all converge of the house to hear some other news from Gregory and Phoebe they all become embroiled in the saga. Throw in a robbery, two separate acts of blackmail and a visit from the current premier giving Gregory a promotion and you have one cracking story.
Look this isn’t highbrow literature but it was well written and very funny. The characters are written as caricatures and the descriptions of the political world were hilarious as Gott pokes fun at upper class political circles.
The whole thing is less than 250 pages and reads almost like a play. Almost all the action occurs in the living areas of Gregory and Phoebe’s house and the characters are played as hyper-real. For instance Gregory’s lesbian sister Sally rocks up in lycra having come straight from her bike ride and there’s moments where she clack clack clacks across the floor in her studded riding shoes. I actually think it would be great to see on stage!
A good choice for those who love a bit of political intrigue and can laugh at the media spin.
Thank you to @scribepub for my #gifted copy.
Naked Ambition is an awkwardly funny political tale of an ambitious young politician who has commissioned a life size portrait of himself by a well known artist. This artist now wants to enter the portrait into the Archibald Prize but there is just one small issue. The portrait is a nude. But Gregory Buchanan thinks it is a masterpiece and that the merits of the art will outweigh any PR issues. His wife Phoebe doesn’t agree and with an election coming up and his government starting to slide in the polls she thinks entering the portrait will be a very bad idea.
And as his mother, sister and mother-in-law all converge of the house to hear some other news from Gregory and Phoebe they all become embroiled in the saga. Throw in a robbery, two separate acts of blackmail and a visit from the current premier giving Gregory a promotion and you have one cracking story.
Look this isn’t highbrow literature but it was well written and very funny. The characters are written as caricatures and the descriptions of the political world were hilarious as Gott pokes fun at upper class political circles.
The whole thing is less than 250 pages and reads almost like a play. Almost all the action occurs in the living areas of Gregory and Phoebe’s house and the characters are played as hyper-real. For instance Gregory’s lesbian sister Sally rocks up in lycra having come straight from her bike ride and there’s moments where she clack clack clacks across the floor in her studded riding shoes. I actually think it would be great to see on stage!
A good choice for those who love a bit of political intrigue and can laugh at the media spin.
Thank you to @scribepub for my #gifted copy.
Read
April 10, 2023Naked Ambition by Robert Gott
It has been a long time since I have read a book in one day but this one I did.
It involves one politician Gregory who,is aiming for leader of the party and has a portrait painted in the nude. The artist Sophie wants an Archibald Prize winning painting and so this was painted with that in mind. Unfortunately the way it was painted one’s eye is drawn to the into the unmentioned part of the body,as he was totally nude.
His wife Phoebe, Mother Margaret, Mother in law Joyce and State Premier Louise are horrified. Joyce the mother in law is a very fundamentalist Christian with bizarre ideas.
What a story it is funny, serious, sad, adventurous and a political intrigue all at the same time.
The one thing that annoyed me in the book was the use of words that I had no idea of meaning. Now I read widely , play word games and scrabble so have a good idea of words and their meaning but I felt the author was showing off with words he used when a simple word would just as easily do. Ordure, venal geroritophilia, vituperation etc . Now this is a book people will love ,but for some think these words will leave them wondering how does that fit in with this situation what does it mean.
I give this book 5 stars though for a great read,laugh and insight into political shenanigans.
It has been a long time since I have read a book in one day but this one I did.
It involves one politician Gregory who,is aiming for leader of the party and has a portrait painted in the nude. The artist Sophie wants an Archibald Prize winning painting and so this was painted with that in mind. Unfortunately the way it was painted one’s eye is drawn to the into the unmentioned part of the body,as he was totally nude.
His wife Phoebe, Mother Margaret, Mother in law Joyce and State Premier Louise are horrified. Joyce the mother in law is a very fundamentalist Christian with bizarre ideas.
What a story it is funny, serious, sad, adventurous and a political intrigue all at the same time.
The one thing that annoyed me in the book was the use of words that I had no idea of meaning. Now I read widely , play word games and scrabble so have a good idea of words and their meaning but I felt the author was showing off with words he used when a simple word would just as easily do. Ordure, venal geroritophilia, vituperation etc . Now this is a book people will love ,but for some think these words will leave them wondering how does that fit in with this situation what does it mean.
I give this book 5 stars though for a great read,laugh and insight into political shenanigans.
April 23, 2023
This book was delightful! So many laugh out loud moments, some great one liners and a very fun, unique story! I loved it!
A politician decides to have a portrait painted by a well known artist. Not just any portrait, a nude! A life size nude!!
The artist insists that since it’s her best work it must be entered into the Archibald Prize. (The Archibald Prize is an Australian portrait art prize for painting, generally seen as the most prestigious)
As each family member comes over and sees the painting it gets funnier and funnier!
A wonderful, witty, fun read!
Thank you to the wonderful team @scribepub for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
A politician decides to have a portrait painted by a well known artist. Not just any portrait, a nude! A life size nude!!
The artist insists that since it’s her best work it must be entered into the Archibald Prize. (The Archibald Prize is an Australian portrait art prize for painting, generally seen as the most prestigious)
As each family member comes over and sees the painting it gets funnier and funnier!
A wonderful, witty, fun read!
Thank you to the wonderful team @scribepub for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 13, 2023
Naked Ambition is one of the funniest books I have read in a long time...Phoebe, the astute and intelligent wife of the hapless and not very bright politician Geoffrey, had has his portrait painted, in the nude. What happens next veers between farce and a scathing comment on art, social mores, and the Archibald Prize.
Her wry and wicked observations, such as her opinion of the over life size portrait -"I think it's a mistake to have your face and genitals in the same portrait, because like it or not, people will be more interested in your penis than your face. They can see your face anytime." is only one of a series of hilarious observations, not only of Gregory, but the family and the party politicians who will rely on him to lead them out of a scandal.
It gets more complicated and a little crazy by the end (slightly overdone perhaps?) but I loved it anyway. A great story to become a play, a la Noel Coward..
Her wry and wicked observations, such as her opinion of the over life size portrait -"I think it's a mistake to have your face and genitals in the same portrait, because like it or not, people will be more interested in your penis than your face. They can see your face anytime." is only one of a series of hilarious observations, not only of Gregory, but the family and the party politicians who will rely on him to lead them out of a scandal.
It gets more complicated and a little crazy by the end (slightly overdone perhaps?) but I loved it anyway. A great story to become a play, a la Noel Coward..
June 3, 2023
A romp of a book about a choice a politician has made and the responses from his family, and then his party, the electorate, and the ambition of an artist.
I had many moments of laughing out loud, moments of cringing thanks to one of the characters.
I think the book cleverly looked at family dynamics, interactions of in laws and truths and half truths of politics.
I highly recommend this book for all, the writing was great, and it kept me reaching for it at every chance I got.
I had many moments of laughing out loud, moments of cringing thanks to one of the characters.
I think the book cleverly looked at family dynamics, interactions of in laws and truths and half truths of politics.
I highly recommend this book for all, the writing was great, and it kept me reaching for it at every chance I got.
April 29, 2023
"In a split second, Jack made the decision that he wanted nothing more to do with this case. He'd definitely pass it on to someone else. He'd realised that he might be required to ask akward questions of members of the opposition. They were opposition now, but oppositions had a record of becoming governments, and he didn't want any of them remembering he'd once accused them of a crime by questioning them as if they were legitimate suspects"
February 21, 2024
Ludicrous ...or is it??? Would translate so well into a stage play!
April 13, 2023
Gregory Buchanan is an education minister in a state parliament of Australia and decides to have his portrait painted by renowned artist Sophie White who intends to enter it into the Archibald Prize. The problem is that it’s a larger than life nude! Gregory thinks it’s wonderful and hangs it in his dining room expecting his wife will be as pleased with it as he is. That afternoon, Gregory’s wife, sister, mother, mother-in-law and boss, the Premier, all gather together in the dining room with very different reactions to the painting.
Naked Ambition is a very clever and witty story which will have readers laughing out loud throughout the book. I could see this being a wonderful piece of theatre or even a film. Gott’s sparkling dialogue is a joy to read and the cast of characters are all very well drawn and contribute to make this comedy a rare indulgence in a world filled with frightening events. I thoroughly enjoyed it and devoured it all too quickly. If you’re looking for great laughs in an entertaining story, then this is for you.
Naked Ambition is a very clever and witty story which will have readers laughing out loud throughout the book. I could see this being a wonderful piece of theatre or even a film. Gott’s sparkling dialogue is a joy to read and the cast of characters are all very well drawn and contribute to make this comedy a rare indulgence in a world filled with frightening events. I thoroughly enjoyed it and devoured it all too quickly. If you’re looking for great laughs in an entertaining story, then this is for you.
June 27, 2023
Good clean fun. A great ensemble performance. When art and politics collide.
May 13, 2023
I struggled with this book at first I just couldn't get into it. However, I started to feel like this wrote almost like a play. So once I started picturing the scenes on a stage everything started to click for me and all the absurdity became humourous and enjoyable. Thanks Better Reading for the opportunity to review this book
March 20, 2024
“Naked Ambition” (NA) is by Australian author Robert Gott. Normally known as for his historical fictional crime series Gott has turned his eye towards the world of politics.
Don’t be fooled into thinking NA is a crime story - it’s not (though there is plenty of things going on which are on the face of it illegal). NA is, for want of a better term, a piece of political satire. It would fit snuggly within the realm of Anthony Jay and Jonathan Lynn’s “Yes, Minister” and “Yes, Prime Minister” television series (in fact as you read NA you can’t help but picture it more as a stage play or a television show).
While no where near the brilliance of Jay and Lynn’s work - but let’s face it nothing comes close to it - Gott has tapped into the wheeling and dealing of political back room shenanigans, the choices that are made by (and sometimes for) politicians, and that there is nothing honourable about the “Honourable Member for…” where winning is everything.
All done with an incredibly humorous tone.
The set up is simple - a junior minister in a government with a small majority heading into a election thinks it’s a clever and daring move to have a nude portrait of himself commissioned for entry into Australia’s leading art competition (the Archibald Prize). Little does he now that circumstances are about to overtake his choices and the ensuing chaos begins.
The character list is small, and some would say deliberately typecast (including politicians (obviously), someone who is gay, a fundamentalist religious creationist, bumbling police, and long suffering spouses) but all are needed for the story and each play their part well.
There are no hidden depths to NA. I don’t believe that Gott is trying to make a statement about politics in general, or religious fanaticism, or about how prestigious art competitions are judged, but rather he taps into these themes to explore how a potentially farcical situation (which would never likely occur in the Australian political spectrum) could play out.
It’s a light bit of fluff that I finished in a single day. Amusing and entertaining but nothing earth shattering either.
NA gets 3 nude tributes to Italian painter Bronzino out of 5.
Don’t be fooled into thinking NA is a crime story - it’s not (though there is plenty of things going on which are on the face of it illegal). NA is, for want of a better term, a piece of political satire. It would fit snuggly within the realm of Anthony Jay and Jonathan Lynn’s “Yes, Minister” and “Yes, Prime Minister” television series (in fact as you read NA you can’t help but picture it more as a stage play or a television show).
While no where near the brilliance of Jay and Lynn’s work - but let’s face it nothing comes close to it - Gott has tapped into the wheeling and dealing of political back room shenanigans, the choices that are made by (and sometimes for) politicians, and that there is nothing honourable about the “Honourable Member for…” where winning is everything.
All done with an incredibly humorous tone.
The set up is simple - a junior minister in a government with a small majority heading into a election thinks it’s a clever and daring move to have a nude portrait of himself commissioned for entry into Australia’s leading art competition (the Archibald Prize). Little does he now that circumstances are about to overtake his choices and the ensuing chaos begins.
The character list is small, and some would say deliberately typecast (including politicians (obviously), someone who is gay, a fundamentalist religious creationist, bumbling police, and long suffering spouses) but all are needed for the story and each play their part well.
There are no hidden depths to NA. I don’t believe that Gott is trying to make a statement about politics in general, or religious fanaticism, or about how prestigious art competitions are judged, but rather he taps into these themes to explore how a potentially farcical situation (which would never likely occur in the Australian political spectrum) could play out.
It’s a light bit of fluff that I finished in a single day. Amusing and entertaining but nothing earth shattering either.
NA gets 3 nude tributes to Italian painter Bronzino out of 5.
August 22, 2023
This is a light-hearted, humorous look at family relationships and the world of politics.
Young MP Gregory Buchanan has been elevated to the Minister for Education and is facing an election when he shows his wife a painting he recently commissioned of himself. His excitement is soon overshadowed by his wife’s disapproval and dismay. She is in PR and realizes that the portrait of him fully nude will do him no favours. His mother-in-law, a Christian zealot is horrified and his mother is not keen. Throw in the female premier’s disapproval and you have quite a situation particularly after the painting is stolen.
I enjoyed the characters particularly the gin and tonic toting mother and the Christian die hard mother-in-law. The dynamics between these two made for some laugh out loud moments. In fact, I imagined this book as a play with sharp-witted repartee between the main players being the hapless Gregory, his wife and the two mothers together with his sister and the premier. Being the only male character, Gregory is constantly on the back foot and when the artist who is also female threatens him, we have an interesting twist.
I found some of the dialogue repartee a little laboured and repetitive at times as the two major scenes were in the Buchanan’s house with the same characters. Apart from this it is a short read with enjoyable twists which likened it a little to an episode of Yes Minister. A fun read which many will enjoy.
Young MP Gregory Buchanan has been elevated to the Minister for Education and is facing an election when he shows his wife a painting he recently commissioned of himself. His excitement is soon overshadowed by his wife’s disapproval and dismay. She is in PR and realizes that the portrait of him fully nude will do him no favours. His mother-in-law, a Christian zealot is horrified and his mother is not keen. Throw in the female premier’s disapproval and you have quite a situation particularly after the painting is stolen.
I enjoyed the characters particularly the gin and tonic toting mother and the Christian die hard mother-in-law. The dynamics between these two made for some laugh out loud moments. In fact, I imagined this book as a play with sharp-witted repartee between the main players being the hapless Gregory, his wife and the two mothers together with his sister and the premier. Being the only male character, Gregory is constantly on the back foot and when the artist who is also female threatens him, we have an interesting twist.
I found some of the dialogue repartee a little laboured and repetitive at times as the two major scenes were in the Buchanan’s house with the same characters. Apart from this it is a short read with enjoyable twists which likened it a little to an episode of Yes Minister. A fun read which many will enjoy.
May 2, 2023
Junior minister Gregory Buchanan has had his portrait painted and its artist intends to enter it into the Archibald Prize. Except it's a life size painting of Gregory...naked. Not very fitting for an up and coming politician who has his sights on the top job.
We are introduced to a wide cast of characters. His wife Sophie who works in PR and doesn't think it's a great move to enter the painting, his sarcastic mother and bike-riding sister as well as his overzealous religious mother-in-law and even the state premier who doesn't want any more scandals ahead of the election.
A witty and humourous novel that took me on an adventure out of my usual genre.
I'm not a fan of no chapters but that's just a personal preference. While this book wasn't really for me and even I who reads a lot felt I needed a dictionary I enjoyed the laugh-out-laugh moments and I think there will be an audience who will love ‘the wit of Oscar Wilde and the political acumen of Yes Minister’ a bit more than I did.
Thank you to @scribepub for the gifted ARC.
We are introduced to a wide cast of characters. His wife Sophie who works in PR and doesn't think it's a great move to enter the painting, his sarcastic mother and bike-riding sister as well as his overzealous religious mother-in-law and even the state premier who doesn't want any more scandals ahead of the election.
A witty and humourous novel that took me on an adventure out of my usual genre.
I'm not a fan of no chapters but that's just a personal preference. While this book wasn't really for me and even I who reads a lot felt I needed a dictionary I enjoyed the laugh-out-laugh moments and I think there will be an audience who will love ‘the wit of Oscar Wilde and the political acumen of Yes Minister’ a bit more than I did.
Thank you to @scribepub for the gifted ARC.
September 24, 2023
A state politician on the way up. His pregnant wife, her mother, an intolerant, judgemental religious nutter, the politician’s wise cracking mother and his Lycra clad, bicycle riding lesbian sister. Then there’s the state premier thrown in as well.
What happens when our rising politician comes home with a very large portrait of himself painted by an artist considered a rising star. They want to enter it in the Archibald prize competition. Oh there’s one small detail omitted , it’s a nude portrait, very nude that is painted in such a way the the face is not what catches the eye.
And there’s also an election looming, and the result is far from clear.
It’s a recipe for arguments, , Machiavellian dirty tricks and blackmail.
Robert Gott at his brilliant humorous best.
The plot reads a little like a stage play. I really hope someone actually does adapt it for the theatre.
It’s great fun.
What happens when our rising politician comes home with a very large portrait of himself painted by an artist considered a rising star. They want to enter it in the Archibald prize competition. Oh there’s one small detail omitted , it’s a nude portrait, very nude that is painted in such a way the the face is not what catches the eye.
And there’s also an election looming, and the result is far from clear.
It’s a recipe for arguments, , Machiavellian dirty tricks and blackmail.
Robert Gott at his brilliant humorous best.
The plot reads a little like a stage play. I really hope someone actually does adapt it for the theatre.
It’s great fun.
June 8, 2023
This is a very funny book for people who like political satire, farce and comedy.
I'm not sure if Naked Ambition is a departure from Robert Gott's usual crime fiction, or a return to his other metier, dick jokes (he authored the long-running melbourne comic Naked Man). The novel is an ensemble-cast comedy centring on a politician who has made the regrettable decision to be painted naked for the Archibald Prize.
Eschewing the most obvious dick jokes (there is not s single reference to the honorable member,) Gott manages to avoid the undergraduate and obvious throughout, instead using the hubris, vanity and self-absorbtion of the main characters, and the absurdity of their situation, for laughs.
I found this laugh out loud funny in places and think it would make a great stage play one day. Recommend if you need a giggle.
I'm not sure if Naked Ambition is a departure from Robert Gott's usual crime fiction, or a return to his other metier, dick jokes (he authored the long-running melbourne comic Naked Man). The novel is an ensemble-cast comedy centring on a politician who has made the regrettable decision to be painted naked for the Archibald Prize.
Eschewing the most obvious dick jokes (there is not s single reference to the honorable member,) Gott manages to avoid the undergraduate and obvious throughout, instead using the hubris, vanity and self-absorbtion of the main characters, and the absurdity of their situation, for laughs.
I found this laugh out loud funny in places and think it would make a great stage play one day. Recommend if you need a giggle.
July 30, 2023
The nude portrait of Gregory Buchanan (state government junior minister), commissioned by himself, becomes much more than he anticipates. Its delivery, unfortunately coinciding with an invitation to immediate family to announce Phoebe’s pregnancy, means reactions are immediate and unfiltered. Comments which are expected (but hilarious) come from his pragmatic mother Margaret, his astute PR professional wife Phoebe, his lycra-clad eco-aware sister Sally, his fundamentalist religion wielding mother-in-law Joyce, and the state Premier Louise.
The temporary theft of the painting, the determination of the artist to enter it for the Archibald Prize, the elevation of Gregory to the Education portfolio, the unflinching extremism of Margaret, and an imminent election, all conspire to produce a witty, laugh-out-loud comedy of errors.
The temporary theft of the painting, the determination of the artist to enter it for the Archibald Prize, the elevation of Gregory to the Education portfolio, the unflinching extremism of Margaret, and an imminent election, all conspire to produce a witty, laugh-out-loud comedy of errors.
July 25, 2023
Attention everybody in a reading slump: here's a short, hilarious, easily digestible satire of politics and the art world. I loved it.
Gregory Buchanan is an up and coming Minister in a state that isn't NSW, and he's just had a nude portrait painted which he plans to enter in the Archibald. Unfortunately, this isn't the bold move he thinks it is, and a small but cracking cast of characters assemble to watch the shenanigans unfold as a state election looms.
The wittty dialogue is laugh out loud funny, and while the plot is fairly predictable, it's not the point of this novel. It was exactly the antidote I needed after some heavier reads. Pick it up if you want something short, shrewd and sharp!
Thanks a million to @scribepub for sending me a review copy of this book!
Gregory Buchanan is an up and coming Minister in a state that isn't NSW, and he's just had a nude portrait painted which he plans to enter in the Archibald. Unfortunately, this isn't the bold move he thinks it is, and a small but cracking cast of characters assemble to watch the shenanigans unfold as a state election looms.
The wittty dialogue is laugh out loud funny, and while the plot is fairly predictable, it's not the point of this novel. It was exactly the antidote I needed after some heavier reads. Pick it up if you want something short, shrewd and sharp!
Thanks a million to @scribepub for sending me a review copy of this book!
October 9, 2023
If you’re looking for something quick and easy, this terrific political satire is full of outrageous, farcical characters who each deliver cracking dialogue that will have you chuckling throughout (if not laughing out loud). Much to the horror of his wife, mother and religious fundamentalist mother-in-law, politician Gregory Buchanan commissions a bold, in-your-face, full frontal nude portrait that is to be entered into the national Archibald Prize art competition. In the face of razor-sharp criticism from all players, Gregory remains stubbornly defiant, failing to recognise the move as political suicide, especially in the face of the upcoming knife-edge election. That is, until a spanner is thrown in the works.
October 11, 2023
I flew through this little wonder in a day! There were laugh-out-loud moments, sniggering moments, d'oh moments and astonished moments.
The characters are so strong and their individual personalities clash and collide with such force it is a joy to read. What is all the fuss about? Well, ambitious pollie Gregory Buchanan has had his portrait painted by an even more ambitious and cunning artist named Sophie White. Sophie is desperate to win The Archibald Prize, but her portrait is causing a huge fuss - because Gregoy is naked.
The chaos caused by this bold artwork rocks his family and the state premier. Of course, they are in the middle of an election campaign. How they all deal with this is what provides you with such a brilliant read.
The characters are so strong and their individual personalities clash and collide with such force it is a joy to read. What is all the fuss about? Well, ambitious pollie Gregory Buchanan has had his portrait painted by an even more ambitious and cunning artist named Sophie White. Sophie is desperate to win The Archibald Prize, but her portrait is causing a huge fuss - because Gregoy is naked.
The chaos caused by this bold artwork rocks his family and the state premier. Of course, they are in the middle of an election campaign. How they all deal with this is what provides you with such a brilliant read.
Read
September 23, 2024Read for book club. This is a well-written clever satire. Robert Gott takes a tilt at just about everything: sexuality, politics, the police, crime, media, the Archibald Prize, dysfunctional families, even taxi drivers. He saves the ultimate skewering for religion, however, with an insane frothing-at-the-mouth religious nutter taking central stage. This character was incredibly over-the-top, written, no doubt, so everyone will find her and the rubbish she spouts (and thinks) absolutely ludicrous. It wasn't so much this character that alienated me from the book, although she was undeniably grotesque. Rather, it was more the ongoing incessant dismissal of faith in God - and dismissal of those who do have faith - that did the trick. So, not for me.
January 20, 2025
A pollie commissions a nude portrait of himself and tries to convince his family of its merits and suitability to submit to the Archibald prize. Puns ensue. Flood gates open.
It’s an amusing enough story with satisfying plot twists and rather unlikeable characters. Funnily enough the least believable element for me was the language selected at times, in both narration and dialogue. Sure, “vituperation” and “turpitude“ might fit the context of the story but not the rollicking-good-time tone.
Three from me.
It’s an amusing enough story with satisfying plot twists and rather unlikeable characters. Funnily enough the least believable element for me was the language selected at times, in both narration and dialogue. Sure, “vituperation” and “turpitude“ might fit the context of the story but not the rollicking-good-time tone.
Three from me.
January 12, 2024
This is a must read. I howled with laughter constantly as I read this work. The plot itself is fairly mundane and predictable. An up and coming Victorian state politician has portrait of him painted in the nude with the condition that it be entered into the Archibald Prize. Things predictably go awry, particularly when the painting disappears. Warning - DO NOT read this on public transport, as other passengers will be wondering what is causing you to laugh so much.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews