Family Drama Around Artist’s Comeback

The Exhibitionist centers around the Hanrahan family, particularly focusing on Ray Hanrahan, a once-celebrated artist now desperately seeking a comeback. The plot unfolds over a weekend as Ray prepares for a new art exhibition, his first in many years, which he hopes will reestablish his reputation. This event brings the entire family together, revealing long-buried tensions and conflicts. The narrative explores the dynamics between Ray, his wife Lucia, an artist in her own right who has long suppressed her own ambitions, and their children, each struggling under the weight of their father’s domineering presence.

The Exhibitionist is a compelling read for those interested in family dramas and character-driven narratives. Its strengths lie in its vivid characterizations and Mendelson's biting prose. The novel's exploration of artistic ambition and familial sacrifice offers a thought-provoking, albeit sometimes uncomfortable, reading experience. While the ending may leave some desiring more closure, the journey Mendelson takes us on is both entertaining and insightful.

I really enjoyed this one. Thank you, NetGalley for sharing this with me. I'll definitely be looking forward to reading more.

While I understand the author's intent in exploring toxic masculinity, I found myself echoing the sentiments of those who felt the narrative veered more towards glorification rather than critique. The protagonist's journey felt like a prolonged immersion into the detrimental effects of his behavior on those around him, leaving me somewhat disheartened. The pacing was sluggish, though punctuated by sporadic moments of emotional depth and character empowerment that briefly lifted the narrative. Despite this, the overall tone seemed to perpetuate a cycle of male ego inflation rather than meaningful introspection.

2 stars.

Novel of the year? To who, a bunch of psychopaths? Yikes. "The Exhibitionist" by Charlotte Mendelson is full of egotistical, snobby, vile, meek, terrible characters with no redeemable qualities. Toxic masculinity, cheating, abuse of power, privilege, jealous, narcissism, rage, and cruelty meet within the character of Ray Hanrahan, one of the worst fictional people I have ever read. Though Mendelson writes him so viscerally, I can't say that I loved the experience of reading about him. He reminded me of Donald Trump. His poor wife Lucia is battling cancer when he admits to cheating
on her. I could literally imagine a story coming out that Trump did the same thing. This book is a domestic drama that is slow to start and boring to unfold. It supposedly only takes place over a couple of days, but you'd never know it because it takes so long to get anywhere substantial. There's not a massive payoff here, so it feels a little pointless. Well, the cruelty is the point, I guess. I did enjoy Juliet Stevenson's narration, however. Her character portrayals were really excellent!

Thank you to NetGalley, Charlotte Mendelson, and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Upon reading The Exhibitionist, I found it to be unengaging and sluggish. This was not for me, but there will be people to enjoy it.

"The Exhibitionist" by Charlotte Menelson offers a bold exploration of identity and desire. Menelson's writing is daring, delving into unconventional themes that push boundaries. However, the narrative may feel disjointed at times, making it challenging for readers to fully connect with the characters and storyline. While the provocative nature of the novel may resonate with some, it could be divisive for others. "The Exhibitionist" earns a three-star rating, acknowledging its daring approach but recognizing the potential barriers to widespread reader engagement.

Okay the main character in this book was vile and I didn't like him. He was terrible to his wife and I had a hard time reading this book.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In "The Exhibitionist," Charlotte Mendelson presents a compelling exploration of the intricate dynamics within the Hanrahan family. As famous artist Ray Hanrahan prepares for a long-awaited exhibition, the novel delves into the lives of his family members, each grappling with their own desires, secrets, and choices.

The story revolves around Ray, his wife Lucia, and their three children: Leah, Patrick, and Jess. As the weekend of the exhibition approaches, tensions rise, and long-buried secrets threaten to surface. Mendelson skillfully weaves together the narratives of these characters, delving into themes of art, sacrifice, family bonds, and personal freedom.

One of the novel's strengths lies in its richly developed characters. Each member of the Hanrahan family is depicted with depth and complexity, making them feel authentic and relatable. Mendelson expertly navigates their inner struggles, bringing to light the complexities of human relationships and the impact of personal choices on both individuals and families.

However, despite the novel's strengths, I found it challenging to connect with the characters. This lack of connection could be a personal preference rather than a flaw in the book itself.

Despite this potential disconnect, "The Exhibitionist" remains a thought-provoking and well-crafted exploration of family dynamics, art, and personal identity. Mendelson's skillful storytelling and insightful exploration of complex themes make this novel a worthwhile read for those interested in introspective family dramas with a focus on artistic expression and personal growth.

I'm here to echo the statements of those who view this as less of a spotlight on toxic masculinity and more of a glorification of it somehow. I feel like I could see what the author was trying to do, but it ended up just leaving the reader wallowing in the life of a man who negatively impacts everyone around him. It was slow paced, for sure. There were moments that were emotional and moving. There were moments that I felt I was cheering inside for the choices of certain characters. But overall, it was just a constant puffing of the male ego.

The narration was warm and real, and I did enjoy the voice acting and inflection. It was easy to distinguish from the tone what the characters were feeling and thinking. The pacing was nice.

"The Exhibitionist" but Charlotte Mendelson is a wonderful piece of contemporary fiction. It tells the story of the Hanrahan family, who present like a less powerful and more artsy Roy family from the show "Succession." Roy, the patriarch," is showing work for the first time in ages at the same time his wife Lucia's career is perched for takeoff. Then add in the kids — Leah, Patrick, and Jess — and you've got a solid dysfunctional family. The story is a little slow, but the characters are so well drawn that it'll keep you turning the pages.

I loved this book it kept me up late listening because I simply couldn’t put it down . I look forward to seeing more from the author

I tried this one over and over again but I could just not get into it. The storyline didn't keep me captivated and I was just bored a lot...

I think what I found most interesting about the book was Mendelson’s approach to exposing and unpicking Ray’s ego, which is so deeply embedded in his artistic persona that it can be hard to separate where the self ends and Ray’s art begins. It speaks volumes about how far we sometimes have to go in order to achieve true self-realization, and it’s a journey that I feel really privileged to have been taken on.
The Exhibitionist is an incredibly powerful novel and one that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a thought-provoking read. Charlotte Mendelson has created something truly special here - deep, meaningful themes coupled with beautiful writing make this one of the best books I’ve read all year. Highly recommended!
The Exhibitionist is the perfect example of how powerful literature can be when it comes to unpicking gender dynamics and exploring themes such as identity, power, and ambition. Mendelson's writing style is sublime, painting an incredibly vivid picture.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I wasn’t as bothered by the unlikable central character as other reviewers seem to be, though it’s definitely something that stays top of mind as you read.

I liked this better structurally than I did for its content, which is a little on the dull side and not especially funny for the most part despite the novel being billed as a comedy.

Still, it’s sharp at times and an interesting character study as long as you don’t mind if you’re not all that fond of said characters. The dynamics between them are interesting, particularly in terms of how shocking loyal loved ones often are to someone who really, really doesn’t deserve it.

Interesting, and works well as an audiobook if you read in that format.

slow book. completyly over taken by toxic masculinity and if mansplaining could be written by a woman, this book would be it.

You might enjoy reading this. I found it slow. This novel begins so ridiculously that I thought it must be a double-irony of some kind. The Exhibitionist felt long and while there was a build up of tension, the ending felt anticlimactic with too much left unsaid between the family members — 2.5 stars

Toxic masculinity was oozing out of this book. Everyone was trying to please a mediocre man who did not deserve the praise he was receiving, One was doing this because he was her father and she craved his approval. One did because he was her husband and peace at home was more important than anything. I'm sorry but he was nothing much.

You could his jealous and ambitious face when wife finally decided to live her own life and bring out her own art which was much better than his. He was angry and felt undervalued because for men like him, if it wasn't them, it could not be anyone else.

There are enough men like him around me, so I don't need them in my reading either. It might be an interesting read for others, but a pass from me

The concept of this novel is fantastic. I love a dysfunctional family.

But I struggled so hard t get into this one. The dad, Ray, is a narcissist and abusive. Everyone has secrets.

The way the author writes is excellent, but the story itself just wasn't engaging to me.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC!

The Exhibitionist was a very interesting study in human emotion and frailty. The protagonist has the utmost patience with her artist husband, and only gets the utmost in possessiveness, cruelty, jealousy, and spite. A little painful to get through at times.

*3.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"She didn't have to make herself smaller."

The Exhibitionist by award winning author Charlotte Mendelson is not an easy read, though some have called it comedic, and quite honestly, I found it very triggering having lived with a misogynistic narcissist but I also think that for someone "stuck" in this type of relationship it might help them realize, like the above quote states, that in a healthy relationship you don't make yourself smaller so the other person feels better about themselves.

The 46 year old sculptor Lucia married the older famed painter Ray Hanrahan when he was her mentor and she was a starry eyed apprentice. Instead of encouraging her talent he kept it tamed with three children, housekeeping and making sure he was the center of everything for all of them. Their needs, their wants and, even their love, was not a consideration if it didn't benefit him.

What made this story really hit home for me was the talent of the varied performances by best actress winner Juliet Stevenson (currently on Marvel's Secret Invasion TV series). I have no idea how she went from the obnoxious Ray to the tortured Lucia so effortlessly that I thought this was narrated with a full cast.

There are few redeeming characters or moments. Ray cheats on Lucia while she battles cancer, but there are reveals like Lucia's secret affair with Priya. The best though is Ray being pompous about his upcoming art exhibition after years of silence from the art world not knowing that Lucia has an exhibition all her own that might make his smaller and her the actual Exhibitionist.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from MacMillan Audio via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.