 | |
| Author | Morris West |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Publisher | Hutchinson |
Publication date | 1988 |
| Publication place | Australia |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 330 pp. |
| ISBN | 0091736579 |
| Preceded by | Cassidy |
| Followed by | Lazarus |
Masterclass (1988) is a novel by Australian writer Morris West. It was originally published by Hutchinson in England in 1988. [1]
American art historian Maxwell Mather is a kept man, working as an archivist and resident lover of an Italian noblewoman. She develops Motor Neurone Disease, and, as she slowly dies, he finishes up his work on the archive. After her death he learns from her will that he can have his choice of items in the archive just as he discovers some lost Raphaels.
Stephen Prickett in The Canberra Times observed: "Morris West knows how to tell a good story well. He also knows how to do something more: he knows how to unfold character in a way that will keep us in suspense and yet, in retrospect, feel right. Masterclass is a novel that operates at two interconnected levels. At one level it is, as the dust jacket breathlessly informs us, a story of intrigue and double-dealing in the shadowy and manipulative world of the world art market where art is an inflation-proof currency and the big institutions play for stakes that run into hundreds of millions. At another level it is an exploration of a theme that has haunted novelists ever since Tolstoy; do people ever really change? Are our characters capable of genuine development or do we simply discover more about how they are pre-programmed? Is destiny in some odd way simply an expression of what we already are?" [2]
In her literary study of West and his work, Maryanne Confoy noted: "As a citizen of Australia, West was concerned to offer his ideas about the epidemic of financial and political corruption that was spreading throughout the world. Books such as Harlequin, Masterclass, and The Ringmaster enabled West to present fictionally issues that institutions and individuals face within their daily reality." [3]
After its original publication in 1988 in England by publishers Hutchinson [4] the novel was later published as follows:
and many other paperback editions. [1]
The novel was translated into Swedish, Spanish, German, and French in 1989; Greek, Portuguese in 1990; Japanese and Italian in 1992; Danish and Norwegian in 1993; and Polish in 1994. [1]
Morris Langlo West was an Australian novelist and playwright, best known for his novels The Devil's Advocate (1959), The Shoes of the Fisherman (1963) and The Clowns of God (1981). His books were published in 27 languages and sold more than 60 million copies worldwide. Each new book he wrote after he became an established writer sold more than one million copies.
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Harlequin (1974) is a novel by Australian writer Morris West. It was originally published by Collins in England in 1974.
The Navigator (1976) is a novel by Australian writer Morris West. It was originally published by Collins in England in 1976.
Proteus (1979) is a novel by Australian writer Morris West. It was originally published by Collins in England in 1979.
The Clowns of God (1981) is a novel by Australian writer Morris West. It was originally published by Hodder and Stoughton in England in 1981.
The World is Made of Glass (1983) is a novel by Australian writer Morris West. It was originally published by Hodder and Stoughton in England in 1983.
Cassidy (1986) is a novel by Australian writer Morris West. It was originally published by Hodder and Stoughton in England in 1986.
Lazarus (1990) is a novel by Australian writer Morris West. It was originally published by Heinemann in England in 1990.
The Ringmaster (1991) is a novel by Australian writer Morris West. It was originally published by Heinemann in England in 1991.
The Lovers (1993) is a novel by Australian writer Morris West. It was originally published by Heinemann in England in 1993.
Vanishing Point (1996) is a novel by Australian writer Morris West. It was originally published by HarperCollins in England in 1993.
Eminence (1998) is a novel by Australian writer Morris West. It was originally published by HarperCollins in Australia in 1998.
The Last Confession (2000) is a novel by Australian writer Morris West. It was originally published by HarperCollins in Australia in 2000.