A Right Royal Face-Off

‘A glorious comedy of painting and pretension’ Ryan O’Neill It is 1777, and England’s second-greatest portrait artist, Thomas Gainsborough, has a thriving practice a stone’s throw from London’s royal palaces. Meanwhile, the press talks up his rivalry with Sir Joshua Reynolds, the pedantic theoretician who is the top dog of British portraiture. Gainsborough loathes pandering to grand sitters, but he changes his tune when he is commissioned to paint King George III and his large family. In their final, most bitter competition, who will be chosen as court painter, Tom or Sir Joshua? Two and a half centuries later, a badly damaged painting turns up on a downmarket TV antiques show being filmed in Suffolk. Could the monstrosity really be, as its eccentric owner claims, a Gainsborough? If so, who is the sitter? And why does he have donkey’s ears? Mixing ancient and modern as he did in his acclaimed debut The Hopkins Conundrum , Simon Edge takes aim at fakery and pretension in this highly original celebration of one of our greatest artists

About the Author :
From the author of The End of the World is Flat The Terg wars are over. Now meet the Yerfs 'Brilliant! Perfectly captures both the absurdity and horror of this madness'. Gareth Roberts. When Tara Farrier returns to the UK after a long spell as an aid worker in war-torn Yemen, she’s hoping for a well-deserved rest. But a cultural battleground has emerged while she’s been away, and she’s unprepared for the sensitivities of her new colleagues at an international thinktank. A throwaway reference to volcanic activity millions of years ago gets her into hot water and she discovers she belongs to the group reviled by fashionable activists as ‘Young Earth Rejecting Fascists’, or ‘Yerfs’. Faster than she can say ‘Tyrannosaurus Rex’, she is at the centre of a gruelling legal drama. In the keenly awaited follow-up to his acclaimed The End of the World is Flat, Simon Edge stabs once again at modern crank beliefs and herd behaviour with stiletto-sharp satire.

Review :
‘One part mystery, one part history, one part satire, and wholly entertaining. A hilarious portrait of the artist as a frustrated man, Simon Edge’s novel is a glorious comedy of painting and pretension’   ‘I loved this book, a laugh-out-loud contemporary satire skewering today’s tired reality TV formats married with a tale of vicious rivalry in the world of 18th century royal portraiture. Simon Edge manages to pin asses ears onto the lot of them, to great comic effect’ ‘I enjoyed this beguiling book very much. The interwoven strands between 1780s and the 2010s are beautifully managed and brilliantly resolved’   ‘It is so good to have a new novel which brings to life so well the age of Thomas Gainsborough and the wonderful story of the rivalry of the two great painters of the day’   ‘A real gem of a read’   ‘The way in which the eighteenth century is rendered in this novel is witty, observant and joyously gossipy. The characterisations are sharp and Simon Edge has the painter’s eye for detail. It is paced beautifully and nothing is wasted’   ‘The more of Simon Edge you read, the more you realise that every element of his stories is hand-selected and glued to the bigger picture – it’s whimsical, farce-like… scrapbooky, in the best possible way’   ‘The rivalry between Thomas Gainsborough and Sir Joshua Reynolds is at the heart of this larky novel’ ‘It hooked me straight in from the beginning. It’s brilliant. I think you’ll enjoy this if you’re looking for a summer read’   ‘A tremendously enjoyable dual-timeline story centred on a painting by Thomas Gainsborough. Energetic and lively, it’s a book you can’t put down. Absolutely to recommend. A masterpiece!’   ‘With sheer comedy and a lot of ambition, this short novel combines excellent writing, seemingly effortless historical research and a great understanding of people to create a really enjoyable read’ ‘Edge’s Gainsborough is a likeable rogue, an ambitious painter locked in a professional tussle with Joshua Reynolds, and a father who worries about his grownup daughters….All the characters, from George III to Kaz Kareem, ‘a midway evictee from one of the last seasons of Big Brother’, are superbly realised. There are elements which remind me strongly of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia….It’s an excellent novel’   ‘If you thought the art world was stuffy and dull, think again! The perfect antidote to the miserable, crazy world we currently live in... A blast to read and quite touching at times, it’s a book that has a little bit of everything from history to mystery to satire. I highly recommend it’   ‘The real and fictional characters sit comfortably together and are brought to life in this comical, entertaining and cleverly told story’   ‘A deft and exuberant satire that is pointed whilst avoiding cruelty’   ‘A richly entertaining account of Gainsborough's life and his rivalry with Sir Joshua Reynolds. This beautiful novel is written with a light touch and sharp, quirky style, reminiscent of Henry Fielding’ ‘It paints a picture that the reader can see from up close as well as from afar. Kind of like Gainsborough’s paintings themselves. I enjoyed every moment’   ‘Funny, interesting, a real page turner – this is a book that you didn’t know you needed on your reading list, but you do!’   ‘Just when you think there are no more original plot-lines for a book, along comes this one. It’s the book you didn’t know you wanted to read…but trust me, you’ll love it’   ‘Art, rivalry and daytime TV – what could be better? Thank you for a funny, witty look at the art world’   ‘There are elements of comedy and drama alike in each tale, and the pace is kept up throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery at the heart of the modern timeline. I’d highly recommend this one’   ‘Edge writes with charm and a cheeky sense of humour. It’s historical fiction infused with the critical and disillusioned voice of the present’   ‘Well written, funny and very enjoyable – a hard book to put down. Five stars from me’