Product Description

Fresh from a spell in prison, artist Jimson has not been totally reformed. Avoiding those he owes money to, threatening his sitters with immortality for a mere 100 guineas and restraining his zest for life only by dedicating himself to his art, Jimson leads a life free of conventional values.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1177340 in Books
• Published on: 1992-07-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Customer Reviews

A great re-read
I first read this book years ago, and at the time decided it was one of the best books I had ever read. A recent re-read confirms this, and I'm disappointed it didn't make the top 100 books in a recent "Great Reads" list I saw - it should have! This is a terrific tale of an artist at work, and is unusual in that Gulley Jimson goes into great detail about the creative process that inspires him. His descriptions of London are wonderful, and his story is funny, sad, and never dull - it races along, and the unpredictable twists and turns are always entertaining. Highly recommended.

One of the best novels of the century
Joyce Cary's novel is well known amongst academics as one of the finest novels ever written about the creative instinct. To the public at large, however, it is relatively unknown. Originally written as part of a trilogy which looked at events from the point of view of three different characters, The Horse's Mouth, a comic novel, is the most successful. The protagonist, Gulley Jimson, is an artist, and nothing else matters to him but the pursuit of his art. He will lie, cheat, steal - anything to get his hands on some canvas, or a wall, and some paint. Carey's prose is beautifully poetic, with painterly descriptions of london, interspersed with quotations from the artist's beloved Blake. Reading this novel really gives you a sense of what it might be like to inhabit the mind of a genius, or indeed anyone who is possessed by an all-encompassing obsession. That said, this is a comic novel, and there are laughs throughout the book. The laughter is often tragic, and the jokes are often profound. I really cannot recommend this book highly enough.

A difficult read
I found the dense and whimsical style convoluted and over blown. I couldn't settle to him,and found myself skimming. Over-done is my conclusion