I wanted to enjoy this one, but ultimately, it was just not a pleasant experience, as it's filled with unpleasant characters and a hefty dose of chronic emotional abuse. Ray was once a successful artist, but now he's living in fear of being overshadowed by the up-and-coming Lucia, his second wife who is a talented artist in her own right. Wanting to be restored to his feelings of importance, he urges his family to gather for his own exhibit, including his daughters and stepson. From there, it's safe to say that things go from bad to worse.

The book's description does say "toxic family politics" and so I suppose it's only fair to say that it did progress as advertised. I just didn't realize how irritating it would be to be constantly immersed in the shallow and petty character of Ray, and the cowering nature of the family that orbits around him.

This novel is supposed to be funny but I think it's more satirical than anything else. I could not enjoy it, however, because this is the story about a horrible bully and his cowed family. Ray Hanrahan is (or was) a famous artist. His wife, Lucia, is actually far more brilliant and talented but is afraid of what that recognition could mean for her family. She is also having an affair w/ the local MP. His daughter, Leah, will stand by his side no matter what, and he actually treats her more like his wife and personal assistant. Patrick, his stepson, is so riddle w/ anxiety he can't think straight and his daughter, Jess, would rather live in Scotland, far away from the tyrannical man. Anyway, they all come back together for Ray's "exhibit" and all hell breaks loose.
I spent the better part of this novel just wishing SOMEONE, ANYONE would stand up to this horrible character. The story was adequate but I couldn't enjoy it because I was feeling too bowled over by the treatment of the Hanrahan family by this monster. And no one stands up to him all the way through! In the end, they all just end up running away than facing this idiot.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio e-arc.*

This book was sadly not for me. There is overall just a massive amount of emotional abuse taking place in several different character relationships — Ray and everyone, Martin and Jess, Priya and Lucia. It’s overwhelming and I found it extremely off-putting.

The narration is world-class, however, and I would certainly have DNFed early if not for Juliet Stevenson. I think the author’s prose is excellent, but I found her characters lacking.

Although the writing was strong, i labored through this read/listen as i was unable to truly connect with the characters. I was not draw into the story. I did appreciate the satirical tone of the story and the narration.

This specific book wasn’t for me, but the narration was the key reason i pushed through.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen and rate this ALC

Pace: 3/5 ★
Characters: 5/5 ★
Genre: 5/5★
Plot: 5/5★
Readability: 4/5★
Content Warnings: unplanned pregnancy (see end of post for potential trigger warnings), infidelity, emotional abuse
Narrator: The narrator has a voice that’s easy to listen to, and she is great at capturing the nuances of the different characters in her voice acting choices.

An eccentric and narcissistic artist who hasn’t had a show in decades gathers his family and friends together for a weekend to unveil his newest show. Ray’s more successful artist wife Lucia, exploited and abused stepson Patrick, worshipful elder daughter Leah, and independent prodigal daughter Jess bring to his “big weekend” their own anxieties, doubts, and secrets. The Hanrahan family is dysfunctional, to say the least.

This book doesn’t fit into any genre in particular (see my “Unrelated” note near the end for more information), but there are elements of dark humor, family drama, romance, and even coming-of-age in the story. The art exhibition acts as a catalyst for the inevitable implosion of the family rotating around it and the artist, Ray. We see, with shifting points of view, each of the characters’ thoughts and feelings, and the slow unraveling of the family from the grip of Ray. Ray, to reiterate, is a narcissist. He’s also emotionally abusive, a point I feel is necessary to make for readers who may be caught off guard by the blatancy of his cruelty. He is the simplest character of them all, who shows all of his cards when viewed from the varying perspectives in the book, but still manages to be an enigma to his family.

This brings me to a point I think should be made more often. Characters do not have to be likable to be good characters, and you may find yourself disliking most of the characters in this book. That’s not a bad thing, though, because they are incredibly intriguing and drive the plot along beautifully, making a perhaps predictable climax worthwhile. The characters in this book feel so very human, and most readers could probably insert themselves into at least one as they read. They’re compelling, with all of their flaws and baggage, and in the end you find sympathy for almost every one (except, of course, Ray).

So, how does it all add up?
The pace of this book was, unfortunately, a bit slow. The time elapsed in the story is only a few days, but it feels like much longer due to constant shifts in perspectives and flashbacks that sometimes feel misplaced, and other times feel unnecessarily drawn out—ie. three flashbacks across multiple chapters that could have been condensed to one with no sacrifice of the plot. The characters, as mentioned above, are mostly unlikable—in a wonderful way. They’re interesting, complex, kind of horrible in some cases. It really drove the plot along. The genre is true to form, as far as I can tell (I’m new to General Fiction). The plot was incredibly entertaining—a bit predictable, but honestly it just adds to chaos and fallout of the climax and falling action. It’s like watching a slow trainwreck, while a dozen other small trainwrecks are happening around it. I mean that in the best way. Finally, the readability is good, but the pace definitely takes away from it. The characters’ alternating perspectives are great, but at the same time, watching the same scenes from multiple points of view doesn’t do justice here and gets boring. It’s a book that can be easily put down and picked up later, and sometimes feels necessary to do so.

Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me to listen to the audiobook version of The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson, expertly narrated by Juliet Stevenson. It was a fun novel to listen to--incredibly well-written--with a tornado of a plot spinning around one of the most dysfunctional fictional families I've encountered in awhile. I can honestly say that, from the king narcissist, Ray Hanrahan, who is a caricature of self-involvement, dependence, and flat-out awfulness, down to the non-existent caterer, none of the characters were especially likeable. Caricatures of fictional characters is probably a good way to describe them - just over the top. All of the male characters are varying degrees of ineffectual or self-involved in some way, and the female characters are primarily, caretakers and apologizers. It was difficult to truly "like" anyone in the book--they came across as cartoonish--but that does not mean it wasn't an entertaining story. Though the characters were not very relatable - even the easiest to abide, Jess, was too indecisive and insecure - Mendelson's writing is superb!! I haven't heard, read, or experienced such sharp, hilarious, and downright clever figurative writing in a long time. I found the writing, imagery, and humor throughout to be utterly enjoyable and enviously covetable! Brava for this writer's craft. Come for the story, table your expectations for character likeability, and STAY for the brilliance of the writing. Truly. I am looking forward to reading more from Charlotte Mendelson (this was my first).

I initially became aware of The Exhibitionist when it was on the 2022 Women's Prize longlist, but I sort of forgot about it. When I was scanning Netgalley for books, the cover caught my eye and I recalled wanting to read this at one point, so I requested it.

This book....I'm just not to sure where to start. There were a few little bits and pieces that I liked, but overall I found it really messy. The pace is all over the place. The perspective shifts rapidly. The characters are so detestable and frustrating that it's hard to want to continue reading.

Ray, the character around whom the book revolves, is a narcissistic, self-obsessed, abusive douche canoe of a human. Not only does he cheat on his first wife while she's suffering from breast cancer, but he makes horrible comments about her scarring from her mastectomy. He seems to revel in slicing through everyone around him in order to make himself feel more important.

This could've made for an interesting read if there were any strong characters, but all of the other characters in this book are passive to the point of absurdity and spend the majority of the book obsessing over how this horrible excuse for a human will treat them if they don't capitulate to his every whim. By the end of the book I was begging for someone to even rebel just slightly, but we're never really given that satisfaction. The climax of the family relationship is lackluster because there are so many hints dropped before we get there that we already know what's going to happen.

I could almost believe that this was meant as satire of the art world and overly pretentious self-proclaimed artists, except I get the feeling that this is a bit more earnest. It seemed that there was a genuine desire to explore narcissism and the family dynamic. I just wish it hadn't devolved into cliches and stereotypes.

I did receive this as an Audiobook and I can say that the narrator did a good job. Her voice was pleasant and she conveyed the appropriate emotions at the appropriate times. I do think this is a sort of hard book to follow as audio though due to the rapid perspective shifts.

All in all, this book was not a win for me. It's possible that some of this went over my head, but I really can't imagine the type of reader who would truly enjoy this.

*Thank you to Netgalley, Charlotte Mendelson, and Pan Macmillan for the Audio-ARC. This in no way affects the objectivity of my review.

While I liked The Exhibitionist as an audio book, I feel like I would have stopped reading the physical book early on. I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters.

This is a case of wanted to love but didn't connect with the writing approach... it will work for many but I think this is intended to land as a dark comedy/satire and for some reason that's a genre/style that isn't for me. I do appreciate strong writing, a focus on family dysfunction and art, and interesting characters but the writing style for me worked more to keep me distant and disengaged from the characters, never feeling fully invested or interested in where their stories were going. The multiple POVs/many characters also made it hard for me to get into any one character/theme. The audiobook itself was really well narrated and stylistically strong, the author's style was well captured so the audiobook is great is this is the kind of book you will enjoy!

I really thought I wouldn’t enjoy this but I’m sad to report that I just didn’t. While I did enjoy the narration, the story itself left a lot to be desired for me. The thing is, it’s just boring. It’s pretty long, and it really didn’t need to be. When it came down to it, I’m not even sure I knew what this was about while I was listening because it seemed to be both everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

This definitely had potential but in the end it wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC of "The Exhibitionist" by Charlotte Mendelson. I was excited to listen to this highly reviewed book. There were a lot of characters-all interconnected around Ray, a highly unlikeable character. I was tempted to stop listening to this book several times but hoped the good parts were just around the corner. Sadly, for me, they were not. The ending was a bit confusing as well. It just missed themark for me.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I couldn't really get into this... It just felt like a non stop disagreement and everyone is bitter about something. I'm sure some people will really get into it, but it just wasn't for me. The narrator was ok though.

According to the publisher, “The Exhibitionist is the extraordinary fifth novel from Charlotte Mendelson, a dazzling exploration of art, sacrifice, toxic family politics, queer desire, and personal freedom.”

The cover is lovely, as is the talented narrator. The writing is good, but I couldn’t connect with a single character in this dysfunctional family. “Famous artist and notorious egoist Ray” irritated me to no end, as did his family, who tolerated his abuse.

The book is greatly anticipated and is already named The Times (UK) “Novel of the Year” and is listed as a “Best Book of the Year” by The Guardian, The Telegraph, and The Sunday Times (UK). So there is a strong chance this disconnect is my problem, not the book’s. However, similar reviews on GoodReads reassure me I am not alone.

Thanks, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for an Advanced Listening Copy of the audiobook.

2 stars

This book just made me upset. The MC is a woman who clings to a relationship with a narcissist even though he treats her & her children terribly. She never stands up for herself or her children, & only breaks free once she perceives there to be no chance to stay with her abuser. It was not a fun book to read.

[What I liked:]

•The only positive thing I can say is, good for Jess for standing up for herself & helping her brother in the end.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•I did not enjoy this book. It consists of Ray & Leah treating everyone terribly. Ray cheats on Lucia while she is having breast cancer treatment, sabotages her career, & treats her son from a previous relationship cruelly. Does Lucia leave him or stand up for herself, or try to protect her children? No! She cheats as well, ignores her children who need her advice, sides with Ray against her son & defends his abuse, etc. I feel bad for Lucia, but also her children deserved so much better & she could’ve left Ray if she wanted to (she provided the main income for the family).

•What’s even worse is, while Lucia finally decides to take a career opportunity she only does it because Ray already found out about the offer & will be mad at her no matter if she accepts it or not. I was really hoping to see her make the choice for herself, after having to read a whole book of her giving in to Ray.

CW: sexism, racism, ableism, substance abuse, domestic violence, infidelity, cancer, narcissistic abuse

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

Like other reviewers, I found the pacing in this book a bit uneven, but I was nevertheless drawn in and held tight by this anguished family galloping toward its own implosion. Several of the characters, adult son Patrick, in particular, were so painfully drawn that my heart ached for them. Others, such as the wife Lucia, drove me crazy with their willingness to sacrifice themselves in an ill-fated attempt to keep the peace.

This is a novel about an upper-middle-class family of artists: narcissist husband Ray and his emotionally abused wife Lucia and their three adult children, plus the various lovers or spouses of the five main characters. The patriarch is a monster still worshipped by one daughter, who irrationally blames everything on the long-suffering mother. This seemed entirely believable to me, however painful this dynamic was to watch.

Lucia has tried to hide her light so that Ray's might shine brighter, but it turns out Ray has no light, just a lot of hot air. Somehow, though totally brow-beaten by Ray, Lucia manages to find some secret delight outside of the marriage, and this eventually provides her with the strength she needs to take flight. A good, solid family drama, well-narrated, for which I thank Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance listen.

Interesting dis functional family with a lot of behind the scenes story lines.
The selfishness of Ray is in stark opposition to the all caring wife but when things get too overwhelming
She has to her fate

I really couldn’t get into this. None of the characters were great but some were exhausting and unpleasant. You don’t have to like every character but Ray was so tiresome it was hard to listen to

I thought this book (from the description) was going to be about an art exhibition and the family reaction to it. But ,I found the wife's story more compelling and interesting. It was a story, that at one time and for women of a certain age is very common, giving up her hopes and dreams for a husband and children. and then realizing that there is more to life than just them and beginning a new life for herself. The ending leaves the reader kind of up in the air to decide the conclusion that he/she would like to imagine for Lucia--either way I think she will find a happy ending.

Artist and egoist Ray Hanrahan’s family is planning a gathering for an exhibition of his art, the first in decades. The book follows his wife and three kids as they prepare, physically and mentally, for the event. One of his children has stayed behind to take care of him, one has finally struck out on his own, and one has a decision to make. His wife is hiding secrets of her own, and their dysfunction won’t be the biggest issue of the exhibition.

This book to me was fine. I love Juliet Stevenson and will listen to anything she narrates. I think she actually made the book more enjoyable for me. I may not have finished it in print. All of the characters were well-developed, but I was only super interested in Lucia’s story, so kind of like my soap operas, I paid way more attention to her parts than the others. If you enjoy dysfunctional family books with humor and drama, ones that jump around constantly to different characters to keep the story moving, you’ll probably enjoy this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC! The Exhibitionist is one of the messiest of messy family dramas. Patriarch Ray Hanrahan is an artist of past renown and a piece of work in himself. He is at the least an egoist of the highest degree and very seemingly that now too oft used word, a narcissist. He has no qualms about cheating, mind manipulation, or abuse to get what he wants or feels like he deserves. Those impacted are Lucia, his wife and cancer survivor, who had to suffer the emotional impact of Ray's cheating while battling cancer and the aftermath, is a talented artist made to feel inferior and undeserving by Ray. Patrick, Ray's stepson who suffers from mental health issues is trying to start his life over while constantly berated and pushed down by Ray. Jess who fears motherhood and family life as her husband longs to start a family due to the abusive relationship she's seen from her parents, and Leah who mistakenly tries to protect Ray and his goals and ambitions and sees everyone else as selfish and failing to be supportive. All of these separate pieces come together as Ray prepares his exhibition. He believes this will kick-start his career and will stop at nothing to see it succeed, but the rest of the family is ready to start putting themselves first. Emotions run high as everything comes to a head. Emotional, engaging, and thoroughly frustrating, The Exhibitionist is skillfully narrated by multi-award-winning actor Juliet Stevenson.