Description
Discover a powerful narrative in this stunning novel, perfect for lovers of contemporary fiction. The Painter's Friend is an urgent page-turner that delves into the life of Terry Godden, a painter at a pivotal moment in his life. After a life-altering crisis, he retreats to a seemingly desolate island, seeking solace and inspiration. As the community struggles against the encroaching threat of gentrification, Terry realizes that the island’s hidden beauty is mirrored in the resilient souls of its residents. This beautifully written story addresses the profound impact of art and community, exploring critical themes such as class struggle, displacement, and the vital role of art in social protest. With its intimate prose and vivid imagery, Howard Cunnell creates an unforgettable exploration of what it means to be an artist in today's world. This compelling novel is a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary literature that challenges the status quo. This B-format paperback edition is brand new, published in 2022 by Pan Macmillan UK, offering 288 pages of riveting storytelling. Note: Shipping for this item is free, please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9781529030945
Format: B-format paperback
Year: 2022
Publisher: Pan Macmillan UK
Pages: 288
Description:
â€One of the books of the year. Cunnell’s style is matchless: intimate, dark, sincere, wry and exquisitely beautiful’ – Irish Times
â€A cracking, urgent page-turner of a novel’ – Observer
The painter Terry Godden was on the brink of his first success. After a violent crisis, he finds himself outcast.
In his fifties, and with little money, he retreats to a small island. Arriving in the winter, the island at first seems a desolate and forgotten place. As the seasons turn, Terry begins to see the island’s beauty, and discovers that he is only one of many people who have sought refuge here. These independent outsiders, all with their own considerable struggles, have made a precarious home.
The island is owned by the business man and art collector Alex Kaplan. His decision to enforce a rent increase as he seeks to improve his property looks set to destroy this community that cannot afford to lose the little they have left. As an artist, Terry believes making the invisible struggles of the island visible to the world will help – but will his interference save anybody other than himself?
The Painter’s Friend shows the human cost of gentrification for those dispossessed. The novel also explores the role of art in protest, and asks who gets to be an artist and what they owe in return. Written with visual lyricism and driven clarity, Howard Cunnell’s incendiary story about class and resistance builds to an unforgettable climax. It is an urgent novel for our unjust times.
â€I loved it. Cunnell’s writing has an unforgettable visual and moral clarity’ – Melissa Harrison, author of All Among t
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9781529030945
Format: B-format paperback
Year: 2022
Publisher: Pan Macmillan UK
Pages: 288
Description:
â€One of the books of the year. Cunnell’s style is matchless: intimate, dark, sincere, wry and exquisitely beautiful’ – Irish Times
â€A cracking, urgent page-turner of a novel’ – Observer
The painter Terry Godden was on the brink of his first success. After a violent crisis, he finds himself outcast.
In his fifties, and with little money, he retreats to a small island. Arriving in the winter, the island at first seems a desolate and forgotten place. As the seasons turn, Terry begins to see the island’s beauty, and discovers that he is only one of many people who have sought refuge here. These independent outsiders, all with their own considerable struggles, have made a precarious home.
The island is owned by the business man and art collector Alex Kaplan. His decision to enforce a rent increase as he seeks to improve his property looks set to destroy this community that cannot afford to lose the little they have left. As an artist, Terry believes making the invisible struggles of the island visible to the world will help – but will his interference save anybody other than himself?
The Painter’s Friend shows the human cost of gentrification for those dispossessed. The novel also explores the role of art in protest, and asks who gets to be an artist and what they owe in return. Written with visual lyricism and driven clarity, Howard Cunnell’s incendiary story about class and resistance builds to an unforgettable climax. It is an urgent novel for our unjust times.
â€I loved it. Cunnell’s writing has an unforgettable visual and moral clarity’ – Melissa Harrison, author of All Among t