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The Suicide of Claire Bishop: A Novel Audiobook
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Greenwich Village, 1959. Claire Bishop sits for a portrait—a gift from her husband—only to discover that what the artist has actually depicted is Claire’s suicide. Haunted by the painting, Claire is forced to redefine herself within a failing marriage and a family history of madness. Shifting ahead to 2004, we meet West, a young schizophrenic obsessed with a painting he encounters in a gallery: a mysterious image of a woman’s suicide. Convinced it was painted by his ex-girlfriend, West constructs an elaborate delusion involving time-travel, Hasidism, art theft, and the terrifying power of representation. When the two characters finally meet, delusions are shattered and lives are forever changed.
The Suicide of Claire Bishop is a dazzling debut, evocative of Michael Cunningham’s The Hours and Virginia Woolf’s classic Mrs. Dalloway, as well as Donna Tartt’s bestseller The Goldfinch. With high stakes that reach across American history, Carmiel Banasky effortlessly juggles balls of madness, art theft, and time itself, holding the listener in a thrall of language and personal consequences. Daring, sexy, and emotional, The Suicide of Claire Bishop heralds Banasky as an important new talent.
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“Banasky’s memorable, intricate, and inventive debut novel uses vulnerable characters to probe themes of time, identity, perception, and love…With its dancing time frames, recurring motifs, glimpses of history, and shifting realities, all united by striking prose, the novel is both an intellectual tour de force and a moving reflection on the ways we try to save ourselves and others.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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“Daring, precise, and linguistically acrobatic, this novel brings a history of America alive, from the war protests in the sixties to turn-of-the-twenty-first-century art theft. A fearless portrayal of madness and its consequences…This is a new writer to savor, reminiscent of Nicole Krauss, Michael Chabon, and Andy Sean Greer.”
— Colum McCann, National Book Award–winning author -
“Debut novelist Banasky offers a brilliantly, sleekly told puzzle piece that snares readers to the end.”
— Library Journal (starred review) -
“A careful reader is rewarded by Banasky’s skillful character development, innovative points-of-view technique, and fresh language.”
— Booklist -
“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 -
“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 -
“A complex exploration of tricky memories…Banasky writes beautifully and with great empathy.”
— Kirkus Reviews
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About Carmiel Banasky
Carmiel Banasky is a writer and teacher from Portland, Oregon. Her work has appeared in such publications as Glimmer Train, American Short Fiction, Slice, and Guernica. Banasky earned her MFA from Hunter College, where she taught undergraduate creative writing. She is the recipient of awards and fellowships from Bread Loaf, Ucross, Ragdale, Artist Trust, and other foundations.
About the Narrators
Carol Monda is an Earphones Award–winning narrator and accomplished voice-over artist. She is also an award-winning actor known for her work in Out of Season, After You Left, and The Gentlemen.
Will Damron has won several Earphones Awards and been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He has had acting roles off-Broadway and on stage and screen throughout the country.