The Painter
Libby Hathorn

Hodder, 2001

$16.95 198p pbk ISBN: 0-7336-0912-0

The Painter tells the tale of Bernard, a young and ambitious painter trying to make sense of a world full of complications.  His life has been one of failure.  He failed to be the girl that his mother wished for, is failing to be the man that his father wants him to be, and fails to paint in the restricted way that his art teacher requires of him. But out of all this failure comes the painter, Vincent van Gogh, who sees the world in much the same way as Bernard, and could perhaps be the inspiration that he needs.

I would say that the story line and general idea of the book are for teenage readers, but the style in which the book is written, and perhaps even a few of the thoughts that are expressed, are more suited to adults. 

At times, the way the story is worded, and even the punctuation, are very confusing, and I had to read bits several times before they made sense.  However, the book presents some interesting ideas; the use of language to describe feelings and emotions is excellent and at the end, the story is both satisfying and touching. This book is not the type of book that immediately grabs the reader and makes them want to know what comes next and at times I found it even got a little boring. However, the book can still be said to be a reasonable read, to read aloud, or just by ones self.

Caitlin, aged 14, Canberra