The Art Thief by Noah Charney
January 6, 2008 by Jackie
The Art Thief is one of the wittiest books I’ve read in a long time. Not only the snappy dialogue, but the sharp observations are all done with cleverness and unique phrasing. People don’t simply eat, they “harpoon the meat” off of their plates. If only the author had shown that same creativity in choosing names for his characters; there’s a Gabriel and a Grayson. And all the women are stylish and have names that begin with ‘D’. It’s hard to keep them all straight.
A rash of art thefts in London, Paris and Rome sets in motion interconnected investigations that provides the basis for the plot and introduces us to a number of engaging characters. My favorites were the plump investigator, Bizot and his tall friend, Lesgourges, who ponder cases while indulging in food and silliness. I got the giggles each time they appeared. A Scotland Yard detective Harry is described as a basset hound, with matching wife, Irma. Then there’s Professor Barrow, who provides truly enlightening lectures on art complete with snarky remarks about his students. It’s all very entertaining.
By the end, after all of the confusing double-crossing, the denoument doesn’t even matter, as this is definitely a case of style over substance. Approached as a sleek dessert, say, a crème brulee, it works. But don’t expect anything meaty, save for the descriptions of dinners in fancy French restaurants.
Atria Books 2007 291 pp. ISBN-13-978-1-4165-5030-3
Sounds like ideal January reading!
:))
A
xxx
Sounds great. Particularly liked “and his matching wife, Irma”.
“Approached as a sleek dessert, say, a crème brulee, it works.”
Lol! Love it. Great review, Jackie. Harpooning meat off plates? Mmmm…. Sounds like a fun read.
Sorry, that last comment sounds a bit sarky. Was supposed to be ‘Sounds like a fun read!’ on a separate line. Aaargh. Sunday night posting. Really like your reviews, Jackie. Fun and to the point! Good stuff.
Style over substance? Perfect if you’re not in the mood for anything too heavy. And food features prominently? Better and better!
I am shocked. The writing is really bad. A chapter that is a speech that the author must have given somewhere! Metaphors that stopped me in mid sentence because they were so contrived! Where are the editors!!! I am looking for a reason to keep reading this book.