There's no crime in copying a painting - obviously, as this is how I make the money I dutifully report to the IRS every April - the criminal part doesn't come until a copy is put up for sale as the original. Ergo, the seller, not the painter, is the crook.
A few years ago Claire Roth had been blacklisted by the art world. Once an up-and-coming artist with the very real opportunity of having her own show, she's now living in her tiny studio and making ends meet by selling copies of famous works for Reproductions.com.
One day she receives a visit from Aiden Markel, renowned art dealer and owner of the famous Markel G gallery. The two hadn't spoken in years - not since her plummet from grace. Markel offers her the chance of a lifetime: paint a copy of one of Degas' works that had been stolen in the 1990 heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Have her copy authenticated and not only will she receive a nice wad of cash, but Markel will also give her the show she's been dreaming of.
I'll be the first to admit I know virtually nothing about the art world - I can rattle off names like Michelangelo, Monet, The Scream, but when it comes down to it, I'm clueless. This book takes the very real theft (in 1990, over ten works of art were stolen and to this day, the pieces haven't been recovered and even with the $5 million reward, no one has stepped forward with any information) and uses it as the backbone of the story.
Claire had always been a Degas fan and when she was little her mother would take her to the museum and she would spent hours in front of After the Bath, staring at it, drawing it, marveling over it. Obviously she hadn't seen it since 1990 when it was stolen, so when Markel mails it to her door, she's more than a little shocked. Naturally she battles with herself over what to do. Markel assures her that after they sell her copy he'll give the original back to the museum where it belong. In the end, and multiple reassurances that she's doing nothing illegal, Claire agrees.
"We can only talk about the bad forgeries, the once that have been detected. The good onces are still hanging on museum walls."
Interspersed with the main story are two side-plots. One is Isabella Gardner's, told only through letters to her niece. I'm a big fan of historical fiction, so this story I really enjoyed. Isabella tells about her introduction to Degas, which eventually turn into lunches with Degas, trips to Degas' house, visits to the racetrack with Degas, and ultimately Degas' request that she pose for a painting. Not just any painting, but one in his Bath series.
The other story is one I also really enjoyed and would have loved to have seen a little more of: Claire's backstory and What Really Happened. When Claire was in grad school she was involved in a relationship with one of her professors. He left his wife for her and, for a while at least, they were happy. Every so often, however, Isaac would go into terrible bouts of depression. Unfortunately, one of these episodes happened to coincide with a deadline and he had neither the motivation or the inspiration to paint. Claire stepped it and painted 4D. Neither of them expected it to receive the attention it did. Isaac's career skyrocketed - there were trips to the Today show, shows in galleries, MoMA was even interested in 4D becoming part of their permanent collection. Everyone wanted to know more about Isaac Cullion.
At first Claire was thrilled for Isaac. After he broke up with her and returned to his wife, however, she decided the truth needed to be known. She was 4D's painter, not Isaac. Her accusation rocked the art world and split it in two, leaving only a tiny handful of people who believed Claire. It only gets worse when Claire discovers Isaac took his own life.
The main bulk of The Art Forger is equally fascinating! Claire eventually discovers the 'original' she had been copying from is itself a copy. Things swiftly move from bad to worse once the painting is sold - and discovered during an airport security check. The police and FBI step in and the trail leads back to Markel and Claire.
The only way to free themselves is to find out just what happened to Degas' original and time is quickly running out.
A writer friend once told me that when she walks into a library anywhere in the world, the smell makes her feel instantly at home.
Guys, seriously, The Art Forger is phenomenal. What's even more mind-blowing is that the author is not an artist! WHAT. Shapiro wasn't messing around when it came to her research.
Despite The Art Forger being a novel, this book isn't an action-packed, edge-of-your-seat nail biter. Even still, I devoured this book in just two sittings; it's that good.(less)
Sigh. I was SO ready to love this book. I'm a huge fan of both biographies and history and, while I'm not very familiar with medieval France/Joan of Arc, I was very eager to read it and learn more.
Unfortunately, I was extremely misled by the title. The Secret History of Joan of Arc? Nope. More like, The Secret History of Every King, Queen, and Duke in Medieval Europe. In the introduction, the author mentions that Yolande of Aragon, Joan's biggest supporter, was born decades before Joan, so I wasn't expecting Joan to show up on the first page. I knew there would be some history prior to her birth, but I wasn't expecting it to take up the first half of the book. It wasn't until page 99 that Joan finally makes an appearance, and even then it's only sporadically; the story jumps right back to what various kings were up to.
The biggest strike against this book - and what ultimately led to its DNF status - interestingly enough wasn't the lack of the title figure. Instead, it was the writing. The author clearly spent her time researching. Unfortunately, her writing wound up being very dry; she had gone into painstaking detail recording every movement and action of the characters.
That's not to say the book wasn't interesting. There were parts I tore through and I'm pleased to say I learned quite a bit!
Sadly, despite my high hopes, The Maid and the Queen just wasn't for me.(less)
I who had never been haunted, who had been skeptical of visitations, suddenly accepted all possibilities. Or as a priest would say, in that moment, I allowed the devil into my life. But the priest would be wrong. I did more than allow him in. I gave the devil a warm hearth and a hospitable place to rest for as long as he wanted one. I gave him access to my very soul.
Prior to receiving Seduction, I was unaware it was the fifth book in a series. While I was able to follow along with little difficulty, I feel I would have understood much more had I read the other books first. Also, from the summary I had expected a book along the lines of Katherine Howe's The House of Velvet and Glass (read my 5-star review here!). THoVaG deals with seances and reconnecting with loved ones who drowned during Titanic's sinking. It was one of my top picks of 2012 and Sedeuction sounded as though it was going to have a similar feel. Also: Victor Hugo!
Unfortunately I got another City of Dark Magic (read my 3-star review here) - strange obsession with noses and smells included!
Jac L’Etoile comes from a line of French perfumers. She also comes from a family with a firm belief in reincarnation - and that certain smells could evoke memories of past lives. After discovering her mother's corpse when she was fourteen, Jac was sent to a very New Age-y school where she met a boy named Theo. Over time the two came to be close until the night of Jac's accident. When she came to, she had no memories of the event and no explanation as to why Theo was sent away.
Seventeen years later she's reunited with Theo after receiving a letter about the discovering of a possible Druid site. Again the better judgment of those around her, Jac accepts Theo's invitation and heads for the UK where she will not only put her mythological studies to use, but finally find some answers.
150 years earlier, Victor Hugo walked along the beaches in exile. After the devastating loss of his daughter, he partakes in a seance - hoping to communicate with his daughter - and falls into obsession. He's received messages from a number of spirits, but one night a mysterious Shadow of the Sepulcher comes through and his offer to restore Victor's daughter is too tempting to ignore.
Seduction. Where to begin? I think this is a case of each individual part being great, but the combined whole is lackluster. The main components of this novel: reincarnation, Druids, Victor Hugo, seances, these are completely suited to my interests. This should be a good I can't put down. Sadly, it just didn't work for me and I struggled to finish. More than once I was tempted to set it down once and for all, but I kept going, hoping there would be that AH-HA! moment when everything would come together and suck me in.
I don't know if it's because I hadn't read the previous books in the series. Perhaps if I had I would have come to better understand and care about these characters and what they're doing. Instead I'm left with nearly 400 pages of so. much. telling. and confusing decisions. One thing the book had going for it was its dual narrative. I love me some dual narration. Late in the novel a third storyline was introduced - this one taking place millennia ago and focused on a Druid priest and his family. Interesting, yes, but it came far too late in the book to have much of an impression.
It was no surprise Jac's hallucinations were actually past life memories, but when it was revealed they weren't her memories, I had to roll my eyes. The novel had been steadily declining and that scene was where I had had enough. It was a struggle to continue, but continue I did and when I finally finished it was as though a weight had been lifted. The strange love-square-that-went-nowhere frustrated me as well.
In the end, Seduction didn't turn out to be the novel I had hoped. It appears I'm in the minority though, as it's been receiving quite a bit of praise. I had been curious about this series for a while and even had the books on my To Read list. Sadly, I'll be removing them and won't be reading anymore of this series.(less)
Leah (The Pretty Good Gatsby)
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france
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