Winner of the 2017 Stella Prize. A mesmerising literary novel about a lost man in search of connection - a meditation on love, art and commitment, set against the backdrop of one of the greatest art events in modern history, Marina Abramovic's The Artist is Present.
'This is a weirdly beautiful book.' David Walsh founder and curator, MONA
'Life beats down and crushes the soul, and art reminds you that you have one.' Stella Adler
'Art will wake you up. Art will break your heart. There will be glorious days. If you want eternity you must be fearless.' From The Museum of Modern Love
She watched as the final hours of The Artist is Present passed by, sitter after sitter in a gaze with the woman across the table. Jane felt she had witnessed a thing of inexplicable beauty among humans who had been drawn to this art and had found the reflection of a great mystery. What are we? How should we live?
If this was a dream, then he wanted to know when it would end. Maybe it would end if he went to see Lydia. But it was the one thing he was not allowed to do.
Arky Levin is a film composer in New York separated from his wife, who has asked him to keep one devastating promise. One day he finds his way to The Atrium at MOMA and sees Marina Abramovic in The Artist is Present. The performance continues for seventy-five days and, as it unfolds, so does Arky. As he watches and meets other people drawn to the exhibit, he slowly starts to understand what might be missing in his life and what he must do.
This dazzlingly original novel asks beguiling questions about the nature of art, life and love and finds a way to answer them.
Author bio:
Heather Rose is the author of seven novels including her latest novel The Museum of Modern Love.
The Museum of Modern Love is the 2017 winner of the Stella Prize for the best book (fiction or non-fiction) written by an Australian woman. It won the 2017 Christina Stead Prize in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards and the Margaret Scott Prize and the People's Choice in the Tasmanian Premier's Prizes. It was also shortlisted for the Australian Literary Society medal and the Queensland Premier's Prizes. It is longlisted for the 2018 International Dublin Literary Award.
Heather's other novels for adults are: The River Wife (2009), The Butterfly Man (2005) and White Heart (1999). For children Heather writes with Danielle Wood under the pen-name Angelica Banks. Their novels are: Finding Serendipity (2013), A Week Without Tuesday (2015) and Blueberry Pancakes Forever (2016).
Heather lives by the sea in Tasmania. Her idea of a perfect day is one that involves writing, swimming, painting and laughing.
Reading Groups
It's a great time to be in a reading group! Discover new titles and books you might not normally pick up and buy, or re-examine books you already know and love. You can make your reading experience richer and more rewarding by being a member of a reading group and meeting others who are interested in sharing their reading experience. ... find out more
For the latest Reading Group Notes, news and competitions subscribe here