Wednesday Book Notes

"Boston, MA -- In the early morning hours of March 18, 1990, two men dressed as police officers bound and gagged two guards at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and stole thirteen works of art worth today over $500 million."

The stage is set.  

Using the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum art heist as the inspiration and backdrop

 for her novel,  The Art Forger, B.A. Shapiro takes her reader into the underbelly of the

art world where all things are not as they seem.

"Markel clears his throat, takes another sip.  'Claire, I've just been given the opportunity of a lifetime.  A chance to do good, real good for lots of people.  And I hope you'll feel the same way about the one I'm about to give you.'  He pauses.  'Although I suppose yours is really more like making a deal with the devil?'

'...And are you the devil?' "

Claire Roth is no stranger to copying.  She has studied the art of masterpiece forgery, is an expert on Degas, and semployed with Reproductions.com, a company whose sole business is built on selling copies of masterpieces.  This would not be the first time she has found herself in the role
of the forger.

With the promise of a one-woman show at a prominent gallery, Claire accepts the job.   As she studies the brushstrokes of Degas's After the Bath, she begins to suspect it is a forgery, sending her in search of the painting's history and its forger.  

Ms. Shapiro delivers a multi-layered tale of greed and deception, while taking us through the backdoor into the world of collecting and curating.  I'm not for sure I will ever stand in front of one the great works without wondering...

Did I enjoy this book?

I will be honest, I picked up "The Art Forger" several times and placed it back on the shelf.   I'm not certain why I actually came home with it.   I almost set it down several times.  I read Ulrich Boser's The Gardner Heist a few years ago, and became confused as I began reading the description of the stolen Degas.   After a little research I had my "aha" moment.  While the details of the robbery are accurate, the painting that is the subject is a fabrication of Ms. Shapiro's imagination.  Once I let go of the "fictitious" Degas (this being, after all, a work of fiction) I found myself drawn into the story and unable to put it down.

Yes, this was another good summer read.
And,
                                                              yes I do recommend it.

If you are interested in the Isabelle Stewart Gardner Museum heist, check out

.

And enjoy your summer reading!

I have a few weeks left before my thoughts return to the classroom;

I'm still collecting titles...