A review by rowena_wiseman
Acute Misfortune: The Life and Death of Adam Cullen by Erik Jensen

5.0

After reading all the press over the weekend, and a friend chatting to me about this new Adam Cullen book ... I was really curious. So I borrowed the Gallery's copy where I work, thanks Black Inc for sending us this, put aside everything else I was reading and devoured Acute Misfortune in two days. It's compelling reading because Cullen was such an interesting character, he could not have painted a more complex portrait himself. He's a Peter Pan, a boy that never wanted to grow up, he's reckless, irresponsible, rude and believes in his own myth. Years of drug addiction and alcoholism have crippled his body and screwed his mind. Add into the mix an Archibald Prize win and politicians, Gallery Directors and everyone else who excuse his behaviour because he is an 'artist', and he's a walking time bomb.

But the really interesting story, for me, was Jensen's. An up and coming journalist who was invited to live with Adam on the pretense of writing his biography. Jensen writes in a non judgemental way, he presents the facts and lets the readers make up their own mind. And what I loved about this book, in particular, was that it's written by someone who really knew the subject and it's a recent history, it doesn't come across as if it's been peppered with assumption, hearsay or vague recollections - as so many biographies do.

Jensen deserves a medal for surviving living with Cullen and for writing this sympathetic yet powerful book.