I started reading The Ecliptic after a bout of bad books, desperate not to waste another sunny lunch break limping my way through a dull read. I turned to @caseforbooks best of 2015 video, and picked out something promising that I’d missed the first time round. I ended up devouring Wood’s book in two sittings, starved of beautiful stories and caught up in the mystery and loveliness of the writing.

We meet our protagonist Knell in the most intriguing setting; a secluded, exclusive artists residence on a Turkish island. It’s a haven for exceptionally talented individuals who have lost something; their muse, their passion, and in some cases their minds. The disillusioned and the unproductive retreat to Portmantle to escape distractions and get their work back on track. It’s the last ditch attempt to cure writers’ (or painters’ or musicians’) block.

As other artists arrive, rekindle their talent, complete their projects and leave, Knell and the rest of a core band of long time residents struggle on with their work. There’s a sense that these semi-permanent residents are hiding from the lives they abandoned when they came to Portmantle. Wood’s writing teases out an unease bubbling below the surface of the story. As a reader you are unable to shake the sense that something is not quite right, and doesn’t get any less unsettling as we learn more about what drove Knell to the island.

A lunch time reading spot this pretty deserves a good book

In the second part of the book, we become privy to the life before abstract painter Knell joined Portmantle; the life she is clearly so keen to hide and forget. We find out she’s actually called Elspeth, a name she hates and was pleased to lose when she entered the retreat. I loved the way her huge talent and refusal to play nicely with the ‘suits’ and hangers-on allow her to transcend the prejudices of the art world she finds herself swept up in, and reclaim power. During a heated debate with a pig-headed critic about her recent show, Knell tells him “I happen to like men with strong opinions. I find them interesting to talk to.”

The not quite right gets even not quite righter, and the book explodes in a dizzying twist that left me reeling through the final chapters. It’s a stunning, heartbreaking exploration of the wavering line between genius and madness, and a warning against succumbing to the trappings of fame.