The Suicide Of Claire Bishop

(Hardback)

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In 1959 Claire Bishop sits for a portrait, only to discover that what the artist has actually depicted is her suicide. Haunted by the painting, Claire starts to question whether it is a premonition. In 2004, a schizophrenic young man is obsessed with a painting he encounters in a gallery: a mysterious image of a woman's suicide. Convinced the painting is a message to him, he becomes submerged in an elaborate delusion. When the two characters finally meet in the present, the young man's delusion is shattered, only to be replaced by a reality even more strange.

Reviews

"Daring, precise, and linguistically acrobatic, this novel brings a history of America alive, from the war protests in the sixties to turn-of-the21st-century art theft. A fearless portrayal of madness and its consequences, Carmiel Banaksy's debut novel tracks the life of a suicidal housewife and her unlikely, schizophrenic counterpart. This is a new writer to savor, reminiscent of Nicole Krauss, Michael Chabon and Andy Sean Greer." --Colum McCann, National Book Award-winning author of Let the Great World Spin "Vivid, strange and always compelling, The Suicide of Claire Bishop weaves together art, politics and the specter of madness in an unforgettable New York story. Carmiel Banasky, a writer like no other, is a talent to watch." --Claire Messud, author of The Emperor's Children and The Woman Upstairs "A magnificent, astute debut that portends greatness, The Suicide of Claire Bishop whisks us through one of the most epic eras of American history. While her heroic scope rivals that of of The Goldfinch and her boldly lush storytelling nods to Let the Great World Spin, Carmiel Banasky's pages unfurl with an intense artistry all their own. A fantastically captivating and beautifully rendered book!" --Claire Vaye Watkins, author of Battleborn and Gold Fame Citrus "A memorable, intricate, and inventive debut...both an intellectual tour de force and a moving reflection on the ways we try to save ourselves and others." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Banasky writes beautifully and with great empathy." --Kirkus Reviews "The Suicide of Claire Bishop--a story of obsession and art, haunted and complex--is amazing, and Banasky's descriptive skills are extraordinary. Not to be missed." -- Andrew Sean Greer, author of The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells "This thriller of a debut novel by Carmiel Banasky throws any tired stereotype about women's fiction right out the window...Intellectually provocative and elegantly rhapsodic, The Suicide of Claire Bishop celebrates the arrival of an uncommonly ambitious and inventive writer." --Ploughshares

Author Bio

Carmiel Banasky is a writer and teacher from Portland, OR. Her work has appeared in Glimmer Train, American Short Fiction, Slice, Guernica, PEN America, The Rumpus, and NPR, among other places. She earned her M.F.A. from Hunter College, where she taught Undergraduate Creative Writing. She is the recipient of awards and fellowships from Bread Loaf, Ucross, Ragdale, Artist Trust, I-Park, and others foundations.