Sign in with Facebook
Painting by Numbers
by
Tom Gillespie (Goodreads Author)
Day after day, Jacob Boyce – faltering academic and failing husband – visits a 17th century allegorical painting which hangs in a Glasgow art gallery. By using a series of measurements and calculations, he attempts to create a mathematical theory that will decipher the code locked into its canvas.
As more of the painting’s hidden secrets are revealed, and he meets a mysteri...more
As more of the painting’s hidden secrets are revealed, and he meets a mysteri...more
ebook, 245 pages
Published
September 6th 2012
by Crooked Cat Publishing
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
49)
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Tom Gillespie's novel is a page turner if ever I've read a page turner. He pulled me in and kept me intrigued throughout, soaking up every word from start to finish. Gillespie's prose is clean, smooth, easy to read, and his knowledge of Baroque art impresses as does the way in which he's created a fictional understudy/rival to Diego Velazquez. I found myself wondering where protagonist Jacob Boyce's mental and physical searches would take him - the mental a search for truth behind an allegorical...more
This was an intriguing novel. Times were when I wanted to skip to the end to find out what was going to finally happen regarding the tortuous mystery of the painting that seems to be the crux of the story- and yet, is it? Since I never skip to the end of a novel, I didn't and was left wondering page, yet a full revelation of the story didn’t seem to transpire. Many aspects remain hypothetical; though I’m pretty sure a subsequent reading will provide me with a different outcome. Different interpr...more
How to describe Painting by Numbers, the debut novel by Scottish author Tom Gillespie? It has elements of a thriller, aspects of suspense, it’s psychologically intriguing, but, in truth, it defies classification.
Jacob Boyce, the central character, is a university professor obsessed by an obscure Spanish painting in a Glasgow art gallery. He is convinced he can decipher clues within the picture and cannot bear to spend a moment away from it. This leads to conflict within his marriage and the loss...more
A painting which comes alive at the rising of the sun!
Lovers of literature and art will warm to the rich prose as the story follows Jacob, “running through the oil thick darkness of night.”
Later, he explains seismic earth movements to the elusive Jude, and “the booth swelled and the silence pushed between them…”
Descriptions ooze with pungent odours and vivid colour.
Touches of humour lighten the dialogue in places, serving as a foil for the weirdness of the scenes. Something strange is happenin...more
Lovers of literature and art will warm to the rich prose as the story follows Jacob, “running through the oil thick darkness of night.”
Later, he explains seismic earth movements to the elusive Jude, and “the booth swelled and the silence pushed between them…”
Descriptions ooze with pungent odours and vivid colour.
Touches of humour lighten the dialogue in places, serving as a foil for the weirdness of the scenes. Something strange is happenin...more
When I started this book I thought it was a thriller. The pace is unbelievably fast and the plot complicated. It wasn't until I was a good way through, that I realised that the novel is actually a travel book about a journey through obsession into madness; more accurate than any Rough Guide and scarier than the London Dungeon.
Being grabbed by the arm and dragged along on the main character's trip (and at times it felt like a very bad acid trip indeed) was, to carry on the artistic metaphor, lik...more
Being grabbed by the arm and dragged along on the main character's trip (and at times it felt like a very bad acid trip indeed) was, to carry on the artistic metaphor, lik...more
Before anything else I have to comment upon the power behind Gillespie’s writing style. He writes beautifully and every moment throughout the novel is captured in exactly the right way, for me anyway. Unlike many other thrillers, the pace of the novel isn’t overly rushed and the author takes time to create a fascinating, obsession-driven world for his protagonist to occupy. As we follow Jacob from Glasgow to Barcelona to Madrid, the surreal edge to the novel becomes more and more overwhelming. T...more
An excellent thriller that keeps you guessing all the way, 'Painting By Numbers' is a real page-turner, with very believable characters and realistic settings. That said, some of the episodes verge on the surreal as the narrative takes the reader on a trip through landscapes ambiguously real and dream-like, becoming an exploration of 'inner-space'.
Unlike Dan Brown's novels, with which this has been compared, 'Painting By Numbers' never insults the intelligence of its readers and the characters a...more
Unlike Dan Brown's novels, with which this has been compared, 'Painting By Numbers' never insults the intelligence of its readers and the characters a...more
In the words of the lovable Forrest Gump, I didn't know what I was going to get...only this wasn't with a box of chocolates, but with each turn of the page! Moving paintings, disappearing wives, and a Welsh-speaking Spanish bus driver are just part of what make up this extraordinary and gripping novel.
Jacob Boyce, an Earth scientist and university professor, is fixated by a 17th-century painting in his local art gallery, much to the exasperation of his wife and his university employer. By carefu...more
Jacob Boyce, an Earth scientist and university professor, is fixated by a 17th-century painting in his local art gallery, much to the exasperation of his wife and his university employer. By carefu...more
Painting by numbers is part thriller, part mystery and has a surreal quality to it. It explores issues of grief, loss and obsession, and how such emotions can consume and lead to self-destruction. I very much enjoyed how the tension and surrealism are built into the story. I also admired the powerful portrait of a relationship in crises. At times, the details of the mystery dominate to the detriment of some of the characters' motivations and this led to sections which didn't always hold my atten...more
This was an excellent read. Being in the mind of Jacob, the main character, was quite an experience. I was never quite sure if his POV was reliable or not (and I'm not going to spoil it for you to tell you if it was), but that made for a delightful ride. There were a few mysteries driving the narrative that made me have to keep reading to see where it was all going and what the answers were. My only complaint is that at times the story was a bit slow for me. Luckily those mysteries kept pushing...more
I had the pleasure of reading this book as a beta reader a while ago. It’s a tale about the character Jacob who is consumed by his obsession with a particular painting, and the need to fathom what he feels are the enigmas and codes buried within its canvas.
This novel gives you intrigue, coupled with mystery and a touch of the surreal, not to mention a surprise ending. As you read you find yourself becoming totally absorbed in Jacob’s story as it captures you within its page turning momentum. It...more
This novel gives you intrigue, coupled with mystery and a touch of the surreal, not to mention a surprise ending. As you read you find yourself becoming totally absorbed in Jacob’s story as it captures you within its page turning momentum. It...more
Painting by Numbers is another book that had me reading late into the night on several occasions because I wanted to know what was going on. The characters are interesting and the intrigue builds with every interaction.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had pace, interesting information and intrigue. It was beautifully written and I was grateful for the ending to what was a powerful story of grief, passion and obsession.
This was a story that caught my attention right from the start and held it till the end. Jacob is a fascinating and well-drawn character and I felt deeply involved with his story as he tried to unravel the mystery of the painting and began a chase across Europe.
The pacing in this book was skilfully managed and Gillespie really captures the reader's excitement as the action cranks up a notch. I must say that the ending was suspenseful - I really didn't see it coming at all. The sudden change was...more
The pacing in this book was skilfully managed and Gillespie really captures the reader's excitement as the action cranks up a notch. I must say that the ending was suspenseful - I really didn't see it coming at all. The sudden change was...more
When I first started this novel, I enjoyed the style and was intrigued by the mysterious painting the protagonist was obsessed by...I was reading steadily and happily plodding along. Then it really took off and I couldn't put it down. It's quite a rollercoaster, with ups and downs, twists and turns and unexpected outcomes. Really enjoyed this...if you've enjoyed Dan Brown (as I have) then this book is for you.
Check out my review below:
Debra's Book Cafe
Debs :-)
Debra's Book Cafe
Debs :-)
This novel has a fascinating central character, Jacob. He is very interesting to read and "get to know".
The story is very well crafted and paced just right to keep you turning the pages right through.
This is a stunning literary debut and I am keen to read more by this author.
The story is very well crafted and paced just right to keep you turning the pages right through.
This is a stunning literary debut and I am keen to read more by this author.
It has taken me ages to write this! I was in total shock at the end of the book... I wasn't sure whether I liked it or not.
It was such a shock ending!
But I did like it. I loved it.
It's a great read... but brace yourself...
It was such a shock ending!
But I did like it. I loved it.
It's a great read... but brace yourself...
A good debut novel which I enjoyed reading, I must admit I was eager to find out what happened at the end. The book is well written and captures your interest from the start.
May 16, 2013
Desolation Culture
marked it as to-read
May 14, 2013
Richie R
marked it as to-read
May 14, 2013
Brendon
marked it as to-read
May 10, 2013
Elizabeth Ducie
marked it as to-read
Apr 28, 2013
Christina
marked it as to-read
Mar 27, 2013
Erika Sissons
marked it as to-read
Mar 26, 2013
A.C. Fullwood
marked it as to-read
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Author Interview - Tom Gillespie | 1 | 6 | Oct 23, 2012 12:56am |
Tom Gillespie grew up in a small town just outside Glasgow. After completing a Masters in English at Glasgow University, he spent the next ten years pursuing a musical career as a singer/songwriter, playing, recording and touring the UK and Europe with his band. He now lives in Bath with his wife, daughter and hyper-neurotic cat, where he works at the University as an academic English lecturer.
More about Tom Gillespie...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
