This book was a slog. I felt it was very montonal and the only reason I pushed through it was to see if it got any better. The characters were rather dull and I was really underwhelmed. I had really high hopes but this one just didn't hot any marks for me.

This book about a hugely dis functional family just didn’t resonate with me. The family was unforgivingly whiny way beyond their circumstances. Yes, it was satire. But to me it just wasn’t funny.

The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson

This is a quirky story about a highly dysfunctional family led by feared patriarch Ray. The artist has the family preparing for a showing of his artwork, which no one has seen. Everyone trembles at Ray’s demands of perfection, especially his subjugated wife, Lucia, a talented artist in her own right.

Doting daughter Leah answers her father’s every beck and call, while the others manage to carry on in spite of him. The many characters gather for the weekend to support Ray, with a head spinning amount of activity going on in the story. Half finished, interrupted thoughts and sentences make for very disjointed conversations; purposeful, by the author, I imaging, to add to the chaos.

I thank #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for this ARC, which I hesitate to recommend, but give three stars because I know there is an audience for this book somewhere.

THE EXHIBITIONIST by Charlotte Mendelson is a story of extreme family dysfunction set against the backdrop of the competitive art world. Set in North London over a long weekend in 2010, it is a snapshot of the Hanrahan family as their complicated relationships unravel spectacularly. The patriarch, Ray, was once a somewhat famous artist, but he hasn’t produced anything recently. His wife, Lucia, is a talented artist in her own right, but she has given up every chance of success to avoid upsetting her outrageously egotistical and narcissistic husband, who views every accomplishment by Lucia as a betrayal. In a desperate attempt to revive his career, Ray plans an elaborate exhibition and daughter, Leah, his right-hand woman and staunch supporter, invites all their family, friends and art dignitaries. What could go wrong? Bring together Ray’s emotionally fragile stepson, Patrick, his exiled daughter, Leah, her boyfriend, Martyn and a cast of other secondary characters and you have the makings of a dramatic fallout. I found it hard to get into this book, mostly because of the despicable character of Ray. He was such a horrible, abusive bully and I couldn’t fathom how not one of his family ever stood up to him. I normally enjoy a dysfunctional family drama, but this one missed the mark for me. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

Lucia is married to Ray and has been for many years they have three children Lucia and Ray or both Artist she is giving up a lot of things including a career for her husband and has spent a lot of time Faning his ego and trying to convince him he is right to look down on her and he deserves all the praise and her none. Despite her dad‘s abuse and the glut their daughter cannot help but to be on team dead and think her mom could do nothing right. Eventually however love and success will come to Lucia and it is well deserved and she could’ve had one without the other. There were many times in this book I thought “what the hell are you doing Lucia?“ as mothers we give a lot of for our children and a little to our husbands but she went above and beyond I thoroughly enjoyed this book and if you love literary fiction at its best then you will adore this book just as much. This book totally puts across the message that we teach people how to treat us so if someone is abusive or negative in the beginning nip that in the bud… Quickly! You have to respect yourself before you can expect others to respect you. What a great book! A definite five star read! Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review. I want to thank net galley and the publisher for my ARC copy.

The Exhibitionist
By Charlotte Mendelson
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Pub Date: 7.4.23

I usually love stories with dysfunctional families, and I don’t even mind unlikeable characters if they are interesting and well-developed. But this story was jumping all over and I was having a hard time putting things together - but maybe I wasn’t catching onto the dark humor.

Ray, the family patriarch is manipulative and narcissistic. His wife, Lucia is having a secret affair with a woman politician. Still, Lucia’s rising success as an artist infuriates Ray, as he was once an artist himself.

Their adult children, one at home, one readying to flee and one having escaped make for messy conflicts that had promise but it just didn’t fall into place.

As I said, in theory, the premise is something I should have enjoyed, but I just couldn’t find my bearings within the narrative.


Thank you to @stmartinspress for a gifted ebook and @macmillan.audio for a complimentary audiobook.

The world revolves around Ray Hanrahan. Or at least that’s what his family believes. He is a genius, he is an artist, he is proud. He is a narcissistic asshole. This is the story of family dynamics over the course of a single, monumental weekend as the group prepares for Ray’s first art exhibition in decades. Tensions are high, tempers are short and the family trauma will be on display for all to see if they can’t all keep it together.

This book is not really about Ray Hanrahan, but how his family revolves around him. He is a narcissist and once, semi-famous artist that is staging a comeback. But the narrative is formed through the eyes of the rest of the family: Lucia, the wife; Patrick, the step-son; Leah, the oldest of Ray’s children; and Jess, the youngest daughter. Everyone has their own perspective on the family dynamic and the tension and conflict that come from this make for a compelling narrative.

That said, the writing style takes some getting used to. The reader is always in the rapid thoughts of one family member or another and is often left to piece together context clues to get the full picture of what people are talking about. Often people complain that dialogue is written in an unnatural way and observe “people don’t speak that way,” well, this is written like you are walking into a party of people who have all known each other for decades and you are trying to catch on to their group vernacular.

This is an interesting book and it kept me glued to the page once I figured out how to read it, but I don’t know who exactly I would recommend this book to. Do you like stressful stories about toxic family dynamics? Do you like a book that feels almost, but not quite postmodern in its style? Do you like a book that purposefully makes you anxious and angry? If you answer yes to any of these questions, I guess try The Exhibitionist.

Rarely have I developed such strong hatred for a character in a book but Ray Hanrahan certainly took the prize. His narcissism and total disregard for his family especially was so over the top. The story covers an exhibit where he will be sharing his art. Each of his family members attending have their own issues and insecurities that add to the tension created. Usually I find tension to be a positive influence on a story but in this case I thought it detracted from the story. I was unable to form a connection with any of the characters and felt that the exaggeration in each of their stories served as distractions as well. Several times I was tempted to give up on this read but decided it had to have redeeming qualities so I did finish.
The core of the premise, especially the long term effects a narcissist can cause in others, is such a powerful storyline that I wish Mendelson would have focused on this making each character, except Ray of course, more relatable, in the process showing Ray as the monster he was. Then the reader would be left with a true message.
Many thanks to Charlotte Mendelson, Mantle Pan Macmillan, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this soon to be published read.

The Exhibitionist could be ''furiously funny'' and a well written clever book but for me I tapped out at 25%. I don't dnf books lightly especially ones provided in lieu of an honest review but this one just didn't work for me. I struggled with even picking it up and getting more than 5 pages read at a time. The heavy prose writing style was too meandering and chaotic for my liking. I found it a bit hard to follow or connect to the story. I didn't find anything funny, although I do believe this is more satire than laugh out loud kind of humor. Characters were flat and unlikable, with all that said.. lots of folks enjoy the novel and I'm sure it was long listed for women's prize for fiction 2022 for a reason. It's just not my thing.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read and review honestly an advanced digital copy.

The Exhibitionist is a story of a dysfunctional family. The main character, Lucia, has given up her entire career and dreams for her husband. Her children have taken sides, and every single person suffers.

I was extremely close to giving up on this novel. Had I not been a reader who does not DNF books mostly, I persevered and completed this book. Since I am a mental health professional, I can see the trauma everywhere in this book. But it gave me a huge headache, and this book, with all its descriptions and extremely prose heavy narrations, is way too long. It could have been way shorter, and I feel that the author has put all the elements of a dysfunctional family to make this book interesting. Sadly, all it did for me was give me a headache. I hate Ray with everything that I have, so the author did an amazing job of creating this character for sure.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this book.

CW: Narcissism, emotional abuse, cancer, parental alienation

This book may come out on the 4th of July but it sure didn’t set off any fireworks for me. The characters were unlikable to the point of annoying me every time I picked up the book. I finally quit picking it up. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC. I am sorry that I have nothing nice to say.

I really wanted to enjoy this book but I found it horribly insufferable. The characters alone made me want to stop reading this book and throw it somewhere no one could find it. I was really disappointed in the entire endeavor. I always want a book to bring out strong emotions in me. This one did that. Just the wrong ones.

A fallen artist who has turned his wife and children into people who should appease and applause him, instead of critiquing him so he can improve and be the artist he once was. In the course of a week and through the weekend we get everyone's point of view in this tale of needing to stop a toxic father and his potential threat on the next generation. He expects more from one daughter in particular and that's not fair to any of them
Especially to mom, who is not only the better parent but the better artist too. We read and turn the page hoping this is the chapter where she puts Ray in his place.
This is not a feel good family novel. It is a look at the inner working of a family with each person saying, "Hey! All eyes on me."

I’m disappointed by this one. It sounded so interesting based on the description but it was just really bland and felt like nothing happened? I don’t know. I wanted more.

The Hanrahan family is setting up for an exhibition for Ray Hanrahan’s art. Hoping this will help his reputation and his family. His wife Lucia is also an artist but is always second fiddle to Ray and pushed more into the role of wife and mother. Lucia though has secrets of her own and decides she doesn’t want to sit back anymore.

This book was slow for me. It centers around this family and their dynamics, and a really despicable husband. Like I couldn’t stand him. I get egotistical men, but Ray takes the cake. I didn’t care for the characters and the plot dragged.

Sadly this story wasn’t for me. The only saving grace for me was the wide range of volume some characters had. That made it seem more real.

'Aren't all marriages unhappy quite often?' Prepare for a descent into madness. The Hanrahans are probably THE most dysfunctional family you'll ever meet. Ray is an artist who is planning a new exhibition of his latest work. He is also a narcissist and a bully--the world revolves around him and his 'sensitive' feelings. Lucia, his wife, also an artist, is firmly under his thumb. Her work must always take a backseat to his. Heaven forbid she should outshine him. Their three adult children are so messed up. One daughter, Leah, is completely tied to her father, managing his work and helping protect his feelings from the world. Can she ever have a life of her own? The other daughter, Jess, escaped to Scotland and teaches there. She dreads coming home for dad's exhibition--especially since her boyfriend Martyn is totally enamored with her father and would love to have them move in with the family. Their half-brother, Patrick, has had his confidence so battered by his stepfather all his life that he seems shattered. The house they live in, an old Victorian, is falling apart and cluttered with all the things Ray hoards.

This character-driven story unfolds over one horrible weekend. The family, friends and other artists gather for the exhibition but nothing goes as planned. They are in for quite a shock. Will it be enough to shake up this family?

These are NOT likable people but I guess that's not really required to tell an interesting story. I did care about what would become of one or two of them so I kept on reading. Painful story though!

I received an arc of this novel from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are own.

The Exhibitionist was a very slow read for me, I went back to it several times, but DNF. The whole family is so dysfunctional and their lives revolve around the father, Ray, who is narcissistic. I don’t enjoy dark humor and didn’t enjoy what I read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Release date is July 4.

Long-listed in 2022 for the Women’s Prize for fiction, this book is now making its way to the US. We follow different members of the Hanrahan family as they attempt to keep the narcissist father, Ray, happy.

This was dark, as you are able to see how Ray has ruined every member of his family’s life and their outlook on love, family, and success. His attempts to keep everyone at home with him and nowhere near his level of “success” have worked to break down each and every one of them. His wife, Lucia, is also an artist like him and has spent her life turning down opportunities so as not to make Ray mad.

It all comes to a head the night of an art exhibition that Ray is putting on for himself. It was delightfully wacky to read all of these characters points of view, although you do want to shake them all for continuing to pander to Ray’s requests and moods.

Not everything is tied up in a little bow by the end, which I think served the story well. This was fun and silly, but also serious and sad. I liked it quite a bit.

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 St. Martin's Press for this e-arc.*

Ray is absolutely insufferable, which is definitely largely the point, but so much so that it made this book hard to enjoy reading. The concept was great. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.