MARIE CLAIRE BEST BOOKS OF 2023

'Funny, clever and unexpectedly profound - I couldn't put it down' Helena Attlee

'It is remarkable how much information she can convey about Kitty's life . . . solely using wall labels' Independent

Prized, collected, critiqued. One Woman Show revolves around the life of Kitty Whitaker as she is defined by her potential for display and moved from collection to collection through multiple marriages. Christine Coulson, who has written hundreds of exhibition wall labels for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, precisely distils each stage of Kitty's sprawling life into that distinct format, every brief snapshot in time a wry reflection on womanhood, ownership, value and power.

Described with wit, poignancy and humour over the course of the twentieth century, Kitty emerges as an eccentric heroine who disrupts her privileged, porcelain life with both major force and minor transgressions. As human foibles propel each delicately crafted text, Coulson playfully asks: who really gets to tell our stories?

'Heartbreaking and funny . . . truly masterful and patient and insane, in the best way' Leanne Shapton

'Wry, humorous, poignant' Spectator

About the Author
Christine Coulson spent twenty-five years writing for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her final project was to write wall labels for the museum's new British Galleries. During that time, she dreamt of using the Met's strict label format to describe people as intricate works of art. Her first experiment with this idea described an imaginary woman called Kitty, who became the unlikely protagonist of One Woman Show.

Reviews
Funny, clever and unexpectedly profound - I couldn't put it down -- Helena Attlee * author of The Land Where Lemons Grow *
Arch and wholly original, this is a pocket rocket of a novel. The economy with which Coulson manages to capture a life with equal amounts of both vigour and heartbreak is a stunning achievement. An irrepressible and timeless reflection on art, self and female objectification. -- Wiz Wharton
A wonderfully clever concept, and a book that lends itself to being read in a single sitting, during which you'll feel the corners of your lips curl upwards again and again . . . Coulson's wry, often humorous, occasionally poignant commentary are moments of transgression and longing that show there's more to our neoclassical heroine than her fine finish -- Chloe Ashby * The Spectator *
Brilliant. Christine Coulson's tragicomedy of manners is an immense delight. Condensed into its witty format is the story of a life, a life like some I have known and others about which I have read. Coulson captures her character's gentle decline with the precision of Edith Wharton and evokes the eras she traverses with such clarity, even wisdom, describing a woman's changing (or unchanging) role in the world with an acuity that left this reader astonished time and again. -- Andrew Solomon * author of Far From the Tree *
Short, clever . . . it is remarkable how much information she can convey about Kitty's life . . . solely using wall labels -- Ann Levin * Independent *
Heartbreaking and funny . . . Coulson's language is perfection . . . I love the pages of voices, like voices in the galleries, and so many moments made me laugh. Truly masterful and patient and insane, in the best way -- Leanne Shapton * author of Swimming Studies *
A delight! This novel's formal audacity is an impressive feat of imagination. One Woman Show is a moving story of privilege, womanhood, and the sweep of the twentieth century told through a single American life. I loved this book -- Rumaan Alam * author of Leave the World Behind *
Wildly original...[A] tiny but powerful novel... It's sometimes snarky, sometimes sad, with enough poignant moments to make me wish it could go on and on. ... You can sit down and read it in less time than it takes to drive to the art museum, but you'll be thinking about it for far longer. If you appreciate truly original structure and storytelling, put this modern masterwork on your reading list. * NPR *
Strange, biting, tender, and heartbreaking in turns. AND all at once . . . I read it in one fell swoop. It is brilliant -- Maira Kalman * author of Women Holding Things *
A funny and clever take on the interchangeability of women and works of arts as possessions -- Philip Hook * author of Breakfast at Sotheby's *
Beautiful, beautiful book . . . the cover is absolutely gorgeous, it would make a delicious Christmas gift * Art Juice Podcast *
Coulson tells us Kitty Whitaker's story stylishly and succinctly through label-length entries * Harper's Bazaar *
Compulsive and spry -- Hephzibah Anderson * the Observer *
Coulson's formally inventive, witty novel uses gallery captions to capture Kitty's journey through the 20th century. At once terse and expansive, this is a literary experiment that intrigues -- Francesca Peacock * the Mail on Sunday *
A highly original and imaginative work that captivates and intrigues . . . so brief that it can be read straight through in an hour, but that is not to say it is slight . . . Coulson's unusual command of language rewards multiple readings * The Irish Times *
the writing is clever, witty and deftly - and at times poignantly-executed, and that more than earns One Woman Show its coveted red dot (aka sales sticker) from us' * Marie Claire Best Books of 2023 *
Unconventional... non-narrative paragraphs somehow add up to create mounting tension, with wry social commentary, feminist barbs and psychological insight bursting through the lacquered surface * The Lady *



Book Information
ISBN 9780241659908
Author Christine Coulson
Format Hardback
Page Count 208
Imprint Particular Books
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 498g
Dimensions(mm) 222mm * 144mm * 24mm