‘The Exhibitionist’ by Charlotte Mendelson    (2022) – 294 pages

Ray and Lucia Barnes are married and are both artists in London. Ray had early success in his artistic career; now he is 65 and he hasn’t had a personal show, an exhibition, in decades, but he is having an exhibition in the weekend that is portrayed in ‘The Exhibitionist’. Lucia’s own artistic career has slowly been building. Any success she has that Ray finds out about enrages him, and Lucia tries to hide her achievements from him.

Lucia is a classic case of self-abnegation. Faced with Ray’s contempt, Lucia belittles herself constantly. Only recently has she had a little sunshine in her life as she has started an affair with Priya, a female member of Parliament. Ray Barnes is a monster. His brother David says that Ray “was always looking for someone to ruin”. He also has a doctor who provides him with illegal drugs. All three of their children have suffered from Ray’s cruel behavior. The oldest, Leah, has never left their home and spends her time defending Ray’s cruelties. The middle son, Patrick, has suffered so much abuse from Ray that he hates himself and cannot pursue his career desires. The youngest Jess is the only one who has escaped from Ray’s clutches by going to college and moving to Edinburgh. However she is still well aware of the damage Ray has done to her.

Some of the reviews of ‘The Exhibitionist’ have called the novel “bleakly comic”. I certainly agree with the “bleak” characterization, but I totally failed to see the humor in this dysfunctional family. The prose in this novel is exceptionally appropriate, but the terrible circumstances make everyone in this family overwrought in their speech and thoughts. In each section that is devoted to Patrick, the reader constantly worries that he is about to do himself in.

Will Ray’s exhibition be successful? Will Lucia be able to pursue and continue her affair with Priya despite Ray’s disapproval? Will Lucia accept the arts foundation’s offer of an apartment in Venice for a couple of months to pursue her artistic vision? It would mean leaving Ray for that time. Will Patrick take the cooking job that he’s been eyeing?These are a few of the central questions of this novel.

Despite the novel being well-written, I found it to be an overwrought, slow, and somewhat painful read.

Grade :   B+