SPOILER If you finished the book: What was Paul up to?

[Ellen]

Was he specifically targeting Fred?

[sublimosa]

(view spoiler)[
I may have missed some things (many things!) but I didn't get that impression. He merely saw Fred for what he was someone who only had his self interest at heart. Paul was no saint himself, having more or less forged art in his past with Stella's mother and apparently not being able to tolerate his former wife's literary success since he was unable to succeed in the same fashion. I more got he impression that Fred took advantage of Paul's discovery of all the disguised donations. Or perhaps it was Paul who discovered Fred's discovery. I give this a 3/5. It was all over the place and it eneded in a way that was somewhat less than satisfactory. I did like the ending, just didn't feel like it should've ended there or quite so smugly. Freds are never that easily thwarted, nor is that part of ourselves that cling to Freds.
(hide spoiler)]

[Catherine]

I re-read the ending several times because I'm not sure I understood it. I think it was Fred who discovered Paul's discovery. But I wonder if in fact something else was going on, in keeping with the book's themes. Stella's mother was friends with Paul, and he helped her create forgeries to sell. Could it work also the other way? That he forged copies of the museum items, and then sold the originals to private individuals who kept quiet? Or is the point that he took the artifacts and artfully put them within various scenes in the rooms? It's not clear to me but as others have indicated, maybe I'm not smart enough for this book.