About the book
From the Booker Prize–winning author of The Sea comes a \"beautiful, heartbreaking\" novel (The Washington Post) about a painter and the intricacies of artistic creation, theft, and the ways in which we learn to possess one another, and to hold on to ourselves.
Oliver Otway Orme—a man equally self-aggrandizing and self-deprecating—is a painter of some renown, and a petty thief who has never been caught ... until now. Unfortunately, the purloined possession in question is the wife of the man who was, perhaps, his best friend. Fearing the consequences, Olly has fled—not only from his mistress, his home, and his wife, but from the very impulse to paint, and from his own demons. He sequesters himself in the house where he was born, and thus, he sets about trying to uncover the answer to how and why things have turned out as they did. A witty and trenchant novel, The Blue Guitar shows Man Booker Prize-winning author John Banville at the peak of his powers.
Editions of The Blue Guitar
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780804173612
- AltFormat
- ISBN 9780385354264
- EBook
- ISBN 9780385354271
Read an Excerpt
From the Booker Prize–winning author of The Sea comes a \"beautiful, heartbreaking\" novel (The Washington Post) about a painter and the intricacies of artistic creation, theft, and the ways in which we learn to possess one another, and to hold on to ourselves.
Oliver Otway Orme—a man equally self-aggrandizing and self-deprecating—is a painter of some renown, and a petty thief who has never been caught ... until now. Unfortunately, the purloined possession in question is the wife of the man who was, perhaps, his best friend. Fearing the consequences, Olly has fled—not only from his mistress, his home, and his wife, but from the very impulse to paint, and from his own demons. He sequesters himself in the house where he was born, and thus, he sets about trying to uncover the answer to how and why things have turned out as they did. A witty and trenchant novel, The Blue Guitar shows Man Booker Prize-winning author John Banville at the peak of his powers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Blue Guitar about?
From the Booker Prize–winning author of The Sea comes a \"beautiful, heartbreaking\" novel (The Washington Post) about a painter and the intricacies of artistic creation, theft, and the ways in which we learn to possess one another, and to hold on to ourselves.
Oliver Otway Orme—a man equally self-aggrandizing and self-deprecating—is a painter of some renown, and a petty thief who has never been caught ... until now. Unfortunately, the purloined possession in question is the wife of the man who was, perhaps, his best friend. Fearing the consequences, Olly has fled—not only from his mistress, his home, and his wife, but from the very impulse to paint, and from his own demons. He sequesters himself in the house where he was born, and thus, he sets about trying to uncover the answer to how and why things have turned out as they did. A witty and trenchant novel, The Blue Guitar shows Man Booker Prize-winning author John Banville at the peak of his powers.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The Blue Guitar?
Fiction > Fiction: literary and general non-genre
Where can I read a sample of The Blue Guitar?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780804173612
Is The Blue Guitar part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Vintage International
Who is/are the Author/s of the book The Blue Guitar?
John Banville
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
The Blue Guitar is available as paperback(ISBN 9780804173612) and altformat(ISBN 9780385354264) and ebook(ISBN 9780385354271)
Where can I buy The Blue Guitar online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy The Blue Guitar from below
Where can I buy The Blue Guitar?