The Artists Portrait, Julie Keys
The Artists Portrait, Julie Keys
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The Artist's Portrait

Author: Julie Keys

Narrator: Julie Nihill

Unabridged: 7 hr 36 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/26/2019

Categories: Fiction


Synopsis

SHORTLISTED FOR THE MUD LITERARY PRIZE 2020

'An intriguing read with compelling descriptions of early 20th-century Sydney in all its squalor, debauchery and fascinating historical detail.' Who Weekly

'a brisk, original tale written with verve' Mud Literary Prize judging committee

A story about art, murder, and making your place in history.

Whatever it was that drew me to Muriel, it wasn't her charm.

In 1992, morning sickness drives Jane to pre-dawn walks of her neighbourhood where she meets an unfriendly woman who sprays her with a hose as she passes by. When they do talk: Muriel Kemp eyes my pregnant belly and tells me if I really want to succeed, I'd get rid of the baby.

Driven to find out more about her curmudgeonly neighbour, Jane Cooper begins to investigate the life of Muriel, who claims to be a famous artist from Sydney's bohemian 1920s. Contemporary critics argue that legend, rather than ability, has secured her position in history. They also claim that the real Muriel Kemp died in 1936.

Murderer, narcissist, sexual deviant or artistic genius and a woman before her time: Who really is Muriel Kemp?

About Julie Keys

Julie Keys lives in the Illawarra region on the NSW south coast. Her short stories have been published across a range of Australian journals. Julie has worked as a tutor, a registered nurse, a youth worker and as a clinical trials coordinator. She is now studying a PhD in creative arts at the University of Wollongong and writing full-time. Her debut novel, The Artist's Portrait, was shortlisted for The Richell Prize for Emerging Writers in 2017.


Reviews

*www.onewomansbbr.wordpress.com *www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr **2.5 stars** The Artist's Portrait by Julie Keys. (2019). In 1992, morning sickness means Jane takes pre-dawn walks which leads her to meet an unfriendly woman who sprays her with a hose. That woman claims to be Muriel, an infamous artist f......more

*[URL not allowed] 4.5 stars Murder, identity, mystery and the art world all combine in The Artist’s Portrait, the debut novel from Australian author Julie Keys. The Artist’s Portrait was shortlisted for the 2017 Richell Prize and following this accolade, it was published by Hachet......more

What a fabulous page turner! Loved the immediacy of the opening, the gorgeous richness of setting she brings both to the inner city 1920s and the Wollongong coast in the 1990s. Keys never wastes a word and her descriptions are evocative and authentic. Who can't see the 'flesh like dripping?' I savou......more

Goodreads review by Tundra

This has a lot of great ideas and an intriguing plot with some great descriptions of place. As a debut novel it is an impressive story. The difficulty for me was the execution of time shifts and too many unreliable narrators which made it difficult to follow. The uncovering of layers of mystery beca......more

What an incredible debut by Richell Prize shortlister Julie Keys. The Artist’s Portrait has everything I love in a novel - art, history, an intriguing mystery, characters who are beautifully flawed and realistically painted (see what I did there?) and lastly, writing that is raw, poignant, real and a......more


Quotes

'this novel is intriguing, evocative and had me catching my breath'

A compelling new voice in Australian fiction. A story that deserves to be told. I couldn't put it down.