The Exhibitionist
Author Charlotte Mendelson
Published July 4, 2023

Thank you, @stmartinspress and @netgalley, for the e- arc of this novel!

Witty and funny, The Exhibitionist, takes place over one weekend as readers learn about the artist couple, Lucia and Ray. We learn their likes, dislikes, inner most desires and feelings, their loves, hates, wants, and needs - all in a comical and interesting way of their experiences and the way that they relate and act toward each other.

The Hanrahan family are getting together for their father's art exhibition - the first one in decades. And as the family and three siblings gather, their true selves begin to unfold - all in very expected and yet unexpected ways. And what of Ray's tender and steadfast wife, Lucia? Lucia is battling with a few decisions and desires of her own. How will this all unfold?

A story of family bonds - both loving and toxic, art, and freedom, The Exhibitionist will be sure to make readers laugh and grow to love the wildly unique Hanrahan family!

I really wanted to like this book. I tried starting it on three different occasions, and I felt as I started to read it, it was just not for me. The writing was great, but the story just did not get my attention.

Definitely a different kind of family drama or soap opera, whichever you prefer. The cover drew me in but didn't meet the promise of it's excellence. While I found the story line interesting, the "events" seem to vary in pace to the point I'd set the book aside for awhile. I really think this book would be better as a soap opera, so you could watch in episodes. While I didn't LOVE the book, I'm recommending it to my reading circle for their opinions.

The Exhibitionist has stayed with me like few novels do anymore. I found myself thinking about the characters throughout the day and monopolizing dinner party conversations describing these awful and damaged people. I was asked why I would read a novel that was upsetting me? What was I hoping to get from it? Both seemed to be valid questions but neither stopped me from racing home to finish the last fifty pages.

The Exhibitionist is an uncomfortable novel about the imbalance of power in a marriage and a family or less succinctly a famous artist marries his student and then gaslights her entire existence and that of their children to be in service to him. Her work is a threat to his waining talent and his oversized ego can't and won't handle the competition.

The novel is expertly written. Mendelson allows each character the space to defend their actions and choices in an almost confessional space while plotting their next move in what seems like a desperate hope for survival. Mendelson also plays wonderful with time jumping back and forth between past and present to keep the reader in as uneasy state and off balance mirroring the feelings of the characters.

So why do I read novels that upset me? Because life is upsetting at times. We learn empathy, awareness, and compassion through stories that aren't always pleasant. What do I hope to get from it? An open dialogue. Early on in the novel, Lucia, the main character, asks "Is this what it's like to be a man?" What a wonderful way to start a conversation!

This is snapshot of a family centered around an art showing of their father who has been in the art world for sometime. You learn they are individualistic and have complex, adversarial relationships to each other which all stem from the father’s demeanor. It focuses mainly on the mother and her career choices, health, motherly instincts and personal sexual fulfillment. I struggle with stories like this if I cannot like the characters. These characters were too off putting for me to gain empathy with and I felt the resolution/ending was lacking to make up for it. It’s beautifully written. I loved a lot of the descriptions and language choices but the subject matter was not for me.

This book would work for you if you like reading about a really dysfunctional family that doesn't get along with each other on any level. Ray is the head of the family, his long suffering wife Lucia has been offered a solo artist project in Venice (the family live in London England). Lucia knows that if she accepts the project, Ray would go ballistic, he has a very inflated view of himself as an artist that is above all. Though he isn't, he hasn't really done any art stuff for many years, when he decides that he's going to have a show of his works to bring attention to his work. It all takes place over a weekend, with Ray's daughter Leah assisting with setting up the show. Lucia meanwhile is involved in an affair, with a woman, a MP for her area, and she's distracted, constantly checking her phone in case she misses a call/text. Lucia has put her art career on hold for the most part, though she is a much better artist than Ray, anybody who says that will face his wrath. The prelude to the show includes Lucia being responsible to make dinner/snacks for the guests, and there are supposed to be many. This book was well written, but I strongly disliked Ray, and Lucia's behaviour around him was off putting (constantly telling him how good he was). Good writing, but overall I would recommend only if you like families that don't get along. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Mantle for the ARC.

Thanks to St Martins Press and Netgalley for this advanced copy.

I don't know if it was the rush to read this (I'm behind on all my reviews) or what, but this book was a number of funny and bizarre moments, surrounded by odd tid bits that didn't completely gel for me. The characters felt rushed and frenzied and I think I expected them to be more developed. The reveal part way through the book was ok, but I think the lead up could have been better to have it hit more. The ultimate ending, this family's unraveling, didn't feel so much like an unraveling as, I don't know, a meh event.

I wanted to like this book more but it felt chaotic in a way that I wasn't really interested in at this moment. Maybe fewer characters would have helped? Not sure.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book!

The book is billed as a comedy but I'm afraid I didn't find it funny. Ray is so dreadful and appalling in his treatment of everyone, I just ended up feeling sorry for his victims. And I found it very hard to believe that nobody was brave enough to stand up to him. Lucia is the emotional core of the novel and I rooted for her happiness as much as Ray's comeuppance. The story is cleverly constructed with cliffhangers at the end of chapters and the tension mounting as the exhibition draws near. Ray is too monstrous a character for me to fully recommend The Exhibitionist, but if raging egomaniacs are your thing, you'll find plenty to chew on in this Women's Prize longlisted effort. 3.2 stars

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the Advanced Readers Copy of The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson. When I read the synopsis of the latest novel by Mendelson, I was intrigued as it sounded absolutely fantastic. I was thrilled to be approved to read her story.

Unfortunately, The Exhibitionist wasn't the book for me. It started painfully slow, and I plodded along in hopes that the story would pick up pace and become more exciting. Regrettably, the slow pace continued for the entire novel before it abruptly ended. I desperately wanted to love this book, and I hate leaving a negative review. With that being said, I do feel like the book was well written and the relationships to be believable.

Two out of five stars is what I rated The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson. Please don't let my feelings stop you from reading it and judging the story for yourself as everyone has different preferences. Happy Reading!

Spend the week end with the dysfunctional Hanrahan family. Ray is on the brink of a comeback in the art world with his new exhibition. Everyone is gathering for the weekend event, but wherever the Hanrahan family is, drama ensues. Lucia is also an artist but has put her family first and kowtows to Ray who is an egotistical narcissist. When Lucia gets some good news from from her agent, she hides it not wanting to upset Ray on what is suppose to be “his” special weekend. Ray’s star is fading at the same time Lucia’s is rising. Family secrets abound and Lucia must finally make some choices if she’s ever going to follow her dreams. This book is listed as a comedy, but it is quite a sad story with some rather nasty characters. The Hanrahan’s certainly DO NOT put the fun in dysfunction! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Thank you for my advanced copy @Netgalley.

Not what I expected…
The writing style and usage of deictics was very hard to get into. The author introduced around 30 characters in a single paragraph, most of them with no current reason in the scene. Perhaps they appear later in the book and will actual have a role. I ultimately made it 25% of the way and dnf this book. I don’t ever do that. I am not sure if I can make myself eventually go back and finish this one or not.

The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson isn't going to appeal to every reader--after all dysfunctional families just are not that fun. I feel like I must be missing something as it is listed for some awards. Of course not every book is right for every reader. I Like a good family drama but found it hard to connect with this family.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest option. The Exhibtiionist is available now.

The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson was a miss for me. I was bored with reading it which shouldn't be the case when a book sucks you in. The men characters in this book were not likeable and if the author was trying to make a statement it was not perceived well. Here's hoping to better reads in the future from this author.

AHHHHHH!
I'm so thankful to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, Netgalley, and Charlotte Mendelson for granting me advanced audio, digital, and physical access to this sweet gem of book that held emotional weight that twisted into my with a sharp knife.

The summary for this novel had absolutely everything I usually love in a great generational saga but I barely made it past the first few pages. The writing was so difficult and clunky. I popped over to Goodreads to check the rating and saw it was only a 3.09 and that one of my fellow bookstagram buddies/reviewers who I usually am on par with for opinions only gave it a one star, so I decided not to continue with it.

DNF at 36%. I’m sorry, I just couldn’t get into this one! I listened to a little of the audiobook and accidentally skipped forward from about 12% to 45% and didn’t even notice for a while. I just couldn’t grasp all the characters and follow along. Ray was so unlikeable with no redeeming qualities, I had a hard time understanding why everyone catered to him. And I usually like books with some unlikeable characters! But this book just wasn’t for me.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

DNF @ 45%

This book is pitched as an "exploration of art, sacrifice, toxic family politics, queer desire, and personal freedom" but it really wasn't any of those things?

All of these characters felt extremely one-dimensional to me and I felt like I truly had no one to want the best for. Ray, who I know was supposed to be unlikeable, was just way too much of a bully for me and it was aggravating having to read about him. I am not necessarily a character driven reader over a plot driven reader, but what most books lack in one they make up for in the other. And it is safe to say that this one didn't deliver on either for me.

The beginning of the book was quite confusing and then when I wasn't confused and felt like I had a true grasp on the motivations of the characters and their purpose to the overall story that was being told, I was just bored.

Three stars for this book filled with more unlikeable characters than I’ve seen in a long time. I nearly quit at about 17% in, then things were getting interesting and I could usually tell whose mind I was in, and then it just got ridiculous again. I know that almost all families are dysfunctional to some degree, but this is just so bad. Artist Ray Hanrahan. Is horribly narcissistic, his wife does anything to keep the peace, his daughters are filled with insecurity and his step-son is an after-thought, at best.

I continued in the book, hoping the ending would bring at least his daughter Leah to some sort of realization of what her dedication to her father was doing to her, but I was disappointed.

This book is filled with chaos and is mentally exhausting.

The Exhibitionist was not for me. I basically wanted to see Ray fail at his art show, see his children disown him and his wife to find happiness elsewhere. The story moved too slowly to keep me engaged and there definitely wasn’t enough happening. Part of my problem was that I knew none of the references- be them art, literary, or facts about London. I was intrigued by the synopsis but the story did mitt deliver.

A washed-up artist who has ruled his family, a wife who put up with his behavior to the detriment of her art career, and their dysfunctional adult children reunite for a show of the artist's work. This book was painful to read as there is not one likable character. Would love to discuss it with someone who appreciated it as this is clearly a book you will either love or hate.