514:
244:
199:
223:
209:
75:
The novel is centred around Morrow, a self-styled art expert. He is asked by a businessman called Morden to authenticate a number of paintings which are old and supposedly valuable. Morrow becomes romantically involved with a woman he simply calls A. who appears to have stepped out of his
129:
Another character in the story is an elderly relative of Morrow’s called Aunt Corky. There is a vivid and humorous description of this lady, not unlike the style of
Charles Dickens. For reasons which are not clear, Morrow takes her away from the residential care home where she lives and
106:
Morrow is the central character and narrator of the story, which is set in
Ireland. He makes several references to his troubled past: that he has been in prison, that “life means life”, that he “knew a man who killed a woman”, and that he has changed his name. The suggestion is
114:
In this story he falls in with a shady businessman called Morden. Morrow is apparently some sort of art expert. Morden has a secret stash of paintings which he says are old masters, and asks Morrow to check whether they are genuine. The police have been watching Morden, led by
178:
121:
series). Morrow worries that if the paintings are genuine he could go to jail for dealing with them. The police bring in their own art expert, who declares that the paintings are all fakes; Morden then claims that he simply had copies made for his own use.
125:
The second main theme of the book is Morrow’s infatuation with a younger woman who he simply calls A. - “my alpha, my omega”. They have a torrid affair. A. is the dominant partner in the relationship, and is an exhibitionist and a masochist.
22:
136:
A. leaves Morrow a note asking him to write, but leaves no address. Morrow now talks at length of his grief and feelings of loss. The book has been described as "the ultimate break-up novel".
133:
Shortly after the arrival of the police, Morden and A. suddenly disappear. It is revealed that A. is Morden’s sister, and another unsavoury character The Da is their father.
565:
297:
558:
140:
It is finally revealed that one of the eight paintings was in fact genuine, and the other seven fakes were done to disguise the real one.
535:
158:
594:
599:
589:
551:
76:
canvasses. The police become involved and Morden and A. abruptly disappear. Morrow is left grief stricken.
290:
584:
378:
467:
370:
354:
68:
39:
283:
91:
34:
346:
183:
62:
539:
491:
204:
28:
475:
163:
53:
338:
322:
249:
525:
513:
228:
95:
394:
117:
402:
386:
330:
578:
410:
307:
57:
483:
87:
21:
79:
The story is punctuated by several appraisals of paintings by fictitious artists.
521:
448:
429:
83:
72:. These three form the "Frames" trilogy, linked by the theme of paintings.
275:
264:
Kilroy, Claire (10 June 2023). "Rereading Athena by John
Banville".
20:
279:
130:
brings her to his inadequate flat, where she eventually dies.
159:"Books of the Times; Art and Murder in a Hall of Mirrors"
115:
Chief
Inspector Hackett (who also appears in Banville’s
529:
538:. Further suggestions might be found on the article's
82:
Reviewers compared it favourably with the writing of
459:
440:
421:
314:
107:that he is Freddie Montgomery, the villain of
559:
291:
179:"`Athena': Colorful portrait of the low life"
8:
566:
552:
298:
284:
276:
224:"Cryptic, gripping, multifaceted `Athena'"
60:, the third in a series that started with
536:See guidelines for writing about novels
149:
7:
510:
508:
200:"John Banville: Ireland's Wordsmith"
528:. You can help Knowledge (XXG) by
266:The Times (London) Saturday Review
198:Arana, Marie (19 September 1999).
14:
157:Bernstein, Richard (9 May 1995).
512:
243:Busch, Frederick (2 July 1995).
1:
16:1995 novel by John Banville
616:
595:Secker & Warburg books
507:
56:novel by the Irish author
600:1990s crime novel stubs
590:Novels by John Banville
44:
520:This article about a
245:"The Word Made Flesh"
35:George Frederic Watts
24:
347:The Book of Evidence
184:The Washington Times
109:The Book of Evidence
63:The Book of Evidence
29:Secker & Warburg
205:The Washington Post
66:and continued with
524:of the 1990s is a
476:The Last September
164:The New York Times
45:
585:1995 Irish novels
547:
546:
502:
501:
339:The Newton Letter
323:Doctor Copernicus
250:Los Angeles Times
212:on June 16, 2013.
607:
568:
561:
554:
516:
509:
300:
293:
286:
277:
270:
269:
261:
255:
254:
240:
234:
233:
229:The Boston Globe
220:
214:
213:
208:. Archived from
195:
189:
188:
175:
169:
168:
154:
96:Vladimir Nabokov
615:
614:
610:
609:
608:
606:
605:
604:
575:
574:
573:
572:
505:
503:
498:
455:
436:
417:
371:The Untouchable
310:
304:
274:
273:
263:
262:
258:
242:
241:
237:
222:
221:
217:
197:
196:
192:
177:
176:
172:
156:
155:
151:
146:
104:
32:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
613:
611:
603:
602:
597:
592:
587:
577:
576:
571:
570:
563:
556:
548:
545:
544:
517:
500:
499:
497:
496:
488:
480:
472:
463:
461:
457:
456:
454:
453:
444:
442:
438:
437:
435:
434:
425:
423:
419:
418:
416:
415:
407:
403:The Infinities
399:
391:
383:
375:
367:
359:
351:
343:
335:
327:
318:
316:
312:
311:
305:
303:
302:
295:
288:
280:
272:
271:
256:
235:
232:. 23 May 1995.
215:
190:
187:. 28 May 1995.
170:
148:
147:
145:
142:
103:
100:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
612:
601:
598:
596:
593:
591:
588:
586:
583:
582:
580:
569:
564:
562:
557:
555:
550:
549:
543:
541:
537:
533:
531:
527:
523:
518:
515:
511:
506:
494:
493:
489:
486:
485:
481:
478:
477:
473:
470:
469:
465:
464:
462:
458:
451:
450:
446:
445:
443:
439:
432:
431:
427:
426:
424:
422:Short stories
420:
413:
412:
411:Ancient Light
408:
405:
404:
400:
397:
396:
392:
389:
388:
384:
381:
380:
376:
373:
372:
368:
365:
364:
360:
357:
356:
352:
349:
348:
344:
341:
340:
336:
333:
332:
328:
325:
324:
320:
319:
317:
313:
309:
308:John Banville
301:
296:
294:
289:
287:
282:
281:
278:
267:
260:
257:
252:
251:
246:
239:
236:
231:
230:
225:
219:
216:
211:
207:
206:
201:
194:
191:
186:
185:
180:
174:
171:
166:
165:
160:
153:
150:
143:
141:
138:
134:
131:
127:
123:
120:
119:
112:
110:
101:
99:
97:
93:
89:
85:
80:
77:
73:
71:
70:
65:
64:
59:
58:John Banville
55:
51:
50:
42:
41:
36:
33:Cover artist
30:
25:First edition
23:
19:
534:
530:expanding it
519:
504:
490:
484:Albert Nobbs
482:
474:
466:
460:Screenwriter
447:
428:
409:
401:
393:
385:
377:
369:
362:
361:
353:
345:
337:
329:
321:
265:
259:
248:
238:
227:
218:
210:the original
203:
193:
182:
173:
162:
152:
139:
135:
132:
128:
124:
116:
113:
108:
105:
102:Plot summary
88:William Gass
81:
78:
74:
67:
61:
48:
47:
46:
40:The Minotaur
38:
18:
522:crime novel
468:Reflections
449:Todtnauberg
430:Long Lankin
92:John Hawkes
84:John Fowles
579:Categories
144:References
540:talk page
306:Works by
492:The Sea
395:The Sea
379:Eclipse
27:(publ.
495:(2013)
487:(2011)
479:(1999)
471:(1984)
452:(2006)
433:(1970)
414:(2012)
406:(2009)
398:(2005)
390:(2002)
387:Shroud
382:(2000)
374:(1997)
366:(1995)
363:Athena
358:(1993)
355:Ghosts
350:(1989)
342:(1982)
334:(1981)
331:Kepler
326:(1976)
315:Novels
118:Quirke
69:Ghosts
49:Athena
43:, 1885
441:Plays
268:: 17.
52:is a
526:stub
94:and
54:1995
581::
247:.
226:.
202:.
181:.
161:.
111:.
98:.
90:,
86:,
37:,
567:e
560:t
553:v
542:.
532:.
299:e
292:t
285:v
253:.
167:.
31:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
