Torture the Artist [Paperback]

When the jaded, cancer-ridden founder of an exploitative media empire
develops a conscience in his old age, he founds a boarding school for
artistically gifted children. Based on the premise that true art springs
from sorrow, his pupils are subjected to as much suffering as is humanly
possible in an attempt to help them realise their full potential. To each
pupil is assigned a sadistic "protector" and to the most gifted student of
all, Vincent Spinetti, comes Harlan, an ex-musician who takes his job very
seriously indeed. Thanks to Harlan’s efforts to fill Vincent’s life with
catastrophe, Vincent’s genius comes to full fruition. The more pain Vincent
experiences, the greater his art and the deeper his friendship with Harlan
becomes. But Vincent doesn’t know what Harlan’s job really is.