![The Portrait](https://d3525k1ryd2155.cloudfront.net/f/983/222/9781573222983.PE.0.l.jpg)
The Portrait Hardcover - 2005
by Pears, Iain
- Used
- Hardcover
A perfectly rendered short novel of suspense about a painter driven to extremes.
An influential art critic in the early years of the twentieth century journeys from London to the rustic, remote island of Houat, off France's northwest coast, to sit for a portrait painted by an old friend, a gifted but tormented artist living in self-imposed exile. Over the course of the sitting, the painter recalls their years of friendship, the double-edged gift of the critic's patronage, the power he wielded over aspiring artists, and his apparent callousness in anointing the careers of some and devastating the lives of others. The balance of power between the two men shifts dramatically as the critic becomes a passive subject, while the painter struggles to capture the character of the man, as well as his image, on canvas.
Reminiscing with ease and familiarity one minute, with anger and menace the next, the painter eventually reveals why he has accepted the commission of this portrait, why he left London suddenly and mysteriously at the height of his success, and why now, with dark determination, he feels ready to return.
Set against the dramatic, untamed landscape of Brittany during one of the most explosive periods in art history, The Portrait is rich with atmosphere and suggestion, psychological complexity, and marvelous detail. It is a novel you will want to begin again immediately after turning the last chilling page, to read once more with a watchful eye and appreciate the hand of an ingenious storyteller at work.
Description
Standard delivery: 5 to 9 days
Details
- Title The Portrait
- Author Pears, Iain
- Binding Hardcover
- Edition First Edition
- Condition Used - Very Good
- Pages 211
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Riverhead Hardcover, New York
- Date 2005-04-21
- Bookseller's Inventory # Q16P-01318
- ISBN 9781573222983 / 1573222984
- Weight 0.68 lbs (0.31 kg)
- Dimensions 7.86 x 6.72 x 0.86 in (19.96 x 17.07 x 2.18 cm)
- Ages 18 to UP years
- Grade levels 13 - UP
- Library of Congress Catalog Number 2004051204
- Dewey Decimal Code FIC
About Wonder Book Maryland, United States
With 3 stores less than 1 hour outside the DC/Metropolitan area (1 in Gaithersburg, 1 in Frederick and 1 in Hagerstown, MD), we have the largest selection of books in the tri-state area. Wonder Book and Video has been in business since 1980 and online since 1997. We have over 1 Million books for sale on our website and another 1 Million books for sale in our 3 locations. We have a very active online inventory and as such, we can receive multiple orders for the same item. We fill those orders on a first come first serve basis, but will refund promptly any items that are out of stock. Since 1980 it has always been about the books. ALL kinds of books from 95 cent children\'s paperbacks to five figure rare and collectibles. A merging of the old and new is where we started, and it is where we are today. Our retail stores have always been places where a reader can rush in looking for a title needed for a term paper that is due the next day, or where bibliophiles can get lost \"in the stacks\" for as long as they wish. In 2002 USAToday recognized us as \"1 of 10 Great Old Bookstores\", and we have been featured in numerous other newspaper and TV stories including Washington Post and CSpan.
RETURNS are cheerfully accepted up to 30 days. We ship out within 1-2 business days and U.S. Standard Shipments usually arrive within 6-9 business days, Priority 3-6.