Jackdaw (novel): Difference between revisions

''Jackdaw'' is a [[metafiction]] account, written by a fictional version of the author himself, who receives a commission to write a book inspired by the work of the Irish painter [[Francis Bacon (artist)|Francis Bacon]]. During the execution of this unexpectedly challenging commission, Thompson, who is attempting to enter the mind of the artist by suppressing his own personality, first develops a sexual fixation with [[Henrietta Moraes]], one of Bacon's models, has a number of alarming encounters with the ghost of Bacon's nanny; seeks release in a variety of dangerous sexual pursuitsexperimentation, and experiences what may be a mental breakdown. While he attempts to keep up a pretence of normality for the sake of his family, a bizarre alien flesh-sculpture appears in Thompson's attic study, reflecting both his own deteriorating state of mind and his possession by Bacon's influence.