I love a novel with lots of family drama and The Exhibitionist was certainly filled with it. The story is told over the course of a long weekend as members of the terribly dysfunctional Hanrahan family gather to celebrate the patriarch's art exhibit.
I can't remember ever reading a book filled with so many totally unlikable or unsympathetic characters. The publisher's description references it as book of toxic family politics and it certainly fits that description. The patriarch, Ray, seems to have no redeeming qualities and his abusive behavior impacted all of his family members. They are all in need of serious therapy.
On a positive note, I did like the cover as well as the author's descriptions of London.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read The Exhibitionist in exchange for an honest review.

The decades of feminism, and its various waves, have skipped right over various of the Hanrahan women. There is Lucia, in her 50s, an artist on the cusp of greatness, married for a long time to the horrendous cartoon villain, Ray Hanrahan, himself an artist once of some renown, his glory days far behind him, the torturing patriarch and husband who makes life unmanageable for his wife, daughters, and stepson Patrick. Patrick, Lucia's son from an earlier relationship, is a mess. Leah, his younger daughter, is his stalwart defender who treats him almost like the lover she does not have, only Jess, his elder daughter, has managed to escape, settling in Scotland but with a man whom she does not love. Why Lucia has abnegated her every wish and desire, worries about good things happening in her art career, plans to turn down enormous honors, to please Ray who is not worthy of anything, much less love and loyalty, and why Leah has taken on the role of Ray's stalwart defender, there always at hand, remains unanswered. That main construct, never answered, is one I couldn't buy. A dysfunctional family to the nth degree, and though the falling-down house in London, and the various foibles of a certain type of British creative class are wonderfully sketched, so much is unexplained and left unresolved. A lot of viewpoints and I kept coming back to why - why have they not turned their backs on Ray and gotten on with their lives.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the arc.

I wanted to like this book. I enjoyed the synopsis and thought it would be for me. However the story never caught me and after 4 tries, it’s become a DNF for me.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, St. Martins Press from and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


Charlotte Mendelson knows how to put the fun(ny) in dysfunctional family. Satire at its finest. I laughed so hard at some points my abdomen hurt. A better workout than going to any gym! A great read for a book club of if you want something quick and funny.

I received this eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

3.5

The prose is immersive and at times disorienting as we are thrown into the stream of consciousness of each character. But my goodness, Ray, the father and husband that they all revolve around is awful. He is a self centered toddler and why anyone puts up with him I am unclear on: “It’s like playing Jenga: any threat to his self-esteem, a tiny wobble and the whole thing comes crashing onto your knuckles.” I spent the first third of the book trying to understand why intelligent, capable women living in 21st century London do in fact revolve their lives around him.

But as the existence of secrets–everyone has them–and their slow revelation, I became horrified at the incoming disasters. This is a very specific commentary on a very specific class of people. It was horrifying and funny all at the same time.

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.