It's great to see so many of you enjoyed the book over the summer as much as we did.
The webchat with author Hannah Rothschild and book discussion evening is looming! Please do join us on Monday evening between 8.30 and 9.30pm when you'll have chance to discuss the books with other bookclubbers and also put your questions to Hannah. We thought it would be useful and interesting to post up a few questions for discussion which have been supplied to us from Bloomsbury, Hannah's publisher. Feel free to ask whatever you like but we thought this may be helpful food for thought:
How familiar were you with the art world before reading this novel? Did your perception of the business change as you read it?
- I grew up in that world- my first holiday jobs and internships were for a museum and an art dealer. It seemed to have everything- intrigue, beauty and a dash of skullduggery. My thoughts about it have not changed much- i still find it alluring and mysterious.
The voice of The Improbability of Love shifts between sections. How does the oscillation between the removed third-person narrative and the ‘voice’ of the painting contribute to the story’s progress? What does the painting’s voice reveal to readers? How would you characterise ‘him’?
- This is a complicated question with a complicated answer. I invented a talking picture for several reasons. I always wanted a picture to talk and not just hang around looking interesting. so in some ways its narrative is a fullfillment of a fantasy. I also wanted an unobjective observer. I wanted a comic voice but one that had insight and knowledge. I think 'he' is a desperately snobbish, cranky, hilarious old man who has fogotten how to speak his native tongue and rabbits on in franglais.
Art represents different things to different characters in the novel. Discuss the tension between loving art for its own sake and loving art for its monetary value. What does the sudden public interest in ‘The Improbability of Love’ show us about the relationship between desire and value?
-One of the most important themes of the book is value- how do we value a work of art- is it for love, for money, for its history, for its snob appeal, for what it represents or a combination of these things and more. I think you can love art for its own sake but also be interested in other aspects.
How would you describe Annie’s personality at the beginning of The Improbability of Love? How does it shift over the course of the novel?
-Annie starts the book as a rather downtrodden woman, abandoned by her lover, caught in a difficult relationship with her mother who finds the strength from somewhere to pursue a dream. She buys the painting by mistake, on a whim and although she knows nothing about art, proving its authenticity restores her faith in herself.
Deception and secrecy are found throughout the plotlines of The Improbability of Love. Which characters use deception to get ahead? Which people demonstrate the most authentic versions of themselves to the world? Which secrets are most surprising?
- This question requires an essay of an answer! And i dont want to give too much away to anyone who hasnt read it. Let's just say that the art world is often built on smoke and mirrors and that many who work there have got used to this kind of thing.
Viewing a painting is a highly subjective experience, informed both by emotion and intellect. What initially attracts Annie to ‘The Improbability of Love’? How does her perception of the painting change over the course of the novel?
- Annie sees the picture through her lover's eyes- she buys it for him as it reminds her of their first meeting. He stands her up and she's left with a picture she doesnt like and cost her her last few pounds. As you can imagine, she doesnt like the picture much at that point. She tries to offload it quickly but fails. Then as she gets to know it better, she starts to fall in love with it. in many ways, Annie is the only person in the book who really loves the work of art for what it is.
The dinner party scenes within the novel describe a world of unfettered lavishness. How do these scenes contrast with Annie’s day-to-day life? Discuss the concepts of ‘consumption’ and ‘excess’ as depicted throughout The Improbability of Love.
- A lot of the Art World is built on conspicuous consumption and it was great fun to write those scenes particularly as Annie is poor and unable to afford any fripperies. One theme about the art world is how pictures have become a commodity and for many (but not all by any means) pictures represent cash. I wanted to contrast those who really love works of art for their own sake and those who are caught up in the business of art.
How would you characterise Annie’s relationship with her mother? What information about their shared history helped shape your understanding of Annie’s views on love?
- Anne and her mother have a co-dependent relationship exacerbated by Evie's alcoholism. Evie is addicted to the drink and Annie, since a young age, has been addicted to getting her mother to stop drinking. Clearly this important relationship has had an effect on Annie's view of love
Although it deals with serious subject matter at its heart, The Improbability of Love is a comic novel. Discuss how Hannah Rothschild achieves her comic effects. Are there other satirical writers you would compare her to?