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The Vivisector

By Patrick White
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Vivisector by Patrick White delves into the tumultuous life of Hurtle Duffield, a gifted painter driven by his insatiable passion for art. As he navigates relationships and societal expectations, the novel explores themes of obsession, creativity, and the sacrifices one makes in pursuit of artistic genius. It's a profound exploration of the intersections between art and life.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this compelling novel if you're drawn to complex character studies and intricate depictions of the creative process. It offers a deep dive into the life of an ambitious artist, exploring themes of obsession, ambition, and the human condition with rich, vivid prose.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

From the Australian Nobel Laureate.

This Patrick White masterpiece, now in a Vintage Classics edition.

The Vivisector follows Hurtle Duffield, a painter incapable of loving anything except what he paints. The men and women who court him during his long life are, above all, the victims of his art. He is the vivisector, dissecting their weaknesses with cruel precisionโ€”his sister's deformity, a grocer's moonlight indiscretion, and the passionate illusions of his mistress, Hero Pavloussi.

It is only when Hurtle meets an egocentric adolescent, whom he sees as his spiritual child, that he experiences a deeper, more treacherous emotion. This tour de force of sexual and psychological menace sheds brutally honest light on the creative experience.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Vivisector by Patrick White delves into the complex world of a talented artist, exploring themes of sacrifice and obsession. Reviews often highlight White's intricate character development and philosophical depth, though some readers find the narrative's density challenging. The novel is praised for its exploration of the human condition and the sacrifices artists make for their craft.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780143791010

Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 19 March 2018

Country: Australia

Imprint: Penguin Random House Australia

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 42.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 195.0mm

Weight: 409g

Pages: 608

Collections

Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Patrick White Penguin Books

About the Author

Patrick White was born in England in 1912 and taken to Australia, where his father owned a sheep farm, when he was six months old. He was educated in England at Cheltenham college and King's College, Cambridge. He settled in London, where he wrote several unpublished novels, then served in the RAF during the war. He returned to Australia after the war. He became the most considerable figure in modern Australian literature, awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1973. The great poet of Australian landscape, he turned its vast empty spaces into great mythic landscapes of the soul. His position as a man of letters was controversial, provoked by his acerbic, unpredictable public statements and his belief that it is eccentric individuals who offer the only hope of salvation. He died in September 1990.

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