The Year of the Horse

The Year of the Horse is written as a letter to a friend; a letter of farewell. It is also traces the year Mahon spent making a bronze sculpture. In essence the book is 'a year in an artist's life'. Mahon's story fascinates: he's an artist who takes on a commission from a large corporate as a challenge. The challenges inherent are immense - many unforeseen and unrehearsed. The corporate is Speight's and Mahon is to make a life-sized bronze of the Southern Man. The subsequent conflicts are laid bare - compromise, stress, pressure of time, the power of money - are echoed throughout as the author battles with his own internal conflicts about artistic integrity. The sheer physical immensity of the project is overwhelming; we are taken through each stage of development with determination. The reader feels the weight, smells the fumes, coughs the dust. We go from the Mill, to the foundry, to the old railway workshops. We also become cronies with the few helpers along the way - Sam engenders an easy intimacy and respect from those he seeks help - and manages to convey their irreverence and camaraderie with heartfelt affection. He's keenly observant and takes a certain pleasure in the quirkiness of human nature. His many friends call in, trips to the river and mountains feature, he flies his small plane for pleasure and we soar with the sense of freedom, the exhilaration. The big concerns are discussed and mulled over; Art, philosophy, Art. It's also a story about the joy of discovery and finding a way to live one's life. Mahon is a virtuoso writer - his writing sings with a beautiful sense of rhythm. He creates a rich sense of drama; intent on living every moment. The humour is masterful, quiet, subtle.