A pretty generic whodunnit-type thriller with paintings as the object of the crime. Lots of info about the intersection of art, crime, and law enforcement, and well written, but lacking any real revelation or statement. I'm torn between wanting to read it again to get all the plot points straight, and wishing I'd never bothered. ( )

Month of November 2022 - The Thief Books

“The Art Thief: A Novel” by Noah Charney (2007) 290 pages.

Setting: Rome, Paris and London

2.5 stars rounded up - I would consider this a historical novel because a lot of the art, and the places, he mentions is real. Also, the author, who is well educated in the arts and is the founding director of the Association for Research into Crimes Against Art (ARCA), lets you in on the behind scenes in novel form of how they keep track of the most famous artworks throughout time (provenance), how they are stored and, especially, how art theft, which is an art in itself, is conducted and may be solved…sometimes. And, I also feel, he is making in fun of the ridiculousness of how pretentious millionaires value art and how easily they can be fooled into paying millions for reproductions.

Unfortunately, it’s just not that interesting of a subject to me. Plus, there’s a lot of Italian names, words and even sentences that you have to brush over. You will still understand what’s going on, but it’s just annoying. I don’t speak Italian.

ROME: Father Amoroso is awakened a couple of times each night by the small Baroque church’s alarm, at about 3:30 am, only to find the alarm has faltered…he believed.

But, on the second morning after having his coffee, and dealing with the faulty alarm again, he later headed to the alter to pray and reflect, only to discover that the Caravaggio alterpiece was missing.

PARIS: The Suprematist White on White 1918 painting by Kasimir Malevich [a real painting, in real life, held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York] turns up missing just hours after being purchased for 6.3 million British pounds. The painting was to be revealed at an exhibition: What Is Not There: The Beauty and Eloquence of Minimalism.

Link to the real White on White painting:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_on_White

Personal opinion…It is hard to believe this is considered ”art”.

These two thefts merge into each other in the end.

The different kinds of art critics:
- Those who study history and understand and can read into all the symbolisms the artist presents. They have a true appreciation for art.
- Those who know the value of art and steal for exchange of money or drugs, a large racket among drug lords.
- Those who know what they like and will steal art just for the glory of possessing such a find…but it is forever hidden, never to be seen again.
- Then, there is me…I have never seen a million dollar artwork that I even liked. I like what I like, and that could be a $2.00 piece I found at a garage sale or a $150 framed print I ordered online, or a piece of artwork created by my grandchild. If my eyes hit it and I fall instantly in love, then that’s the art for me. No deep thought process involved. Ha!

So, what is artwork actually worth? Whatever price you’ll pay. It could be one dollar or it could be a million dollars. That’s its value! ( )

Roma. En la pequeña iglesia barroca de Santa Giuliana, un magnífico retablo de Caravaggio desaparece sin dejar rastro. París. En la cámara acorazada del sótano de la Sociedad Malevich, Genevieve Delacloche se estremece al descubrir la desaparición del mayor tesoro de la sociedad, Blanco sobre blanco, del pintor ruso Kasimir Malevich. Londres. La nueva adquisición de la National Gallery ha sido robada. Componiendo las piezas de este rompecabezas se encuentran los inspectores Jean-Paul Bizot, de la policía parisina, y Harry Wickenden, de la Metropolitan Police británica. Lo que parecía una serie de robos sin conexión forma parte de un plan monumental. Manipulaciones, pistas falsas y acertijos conducen hasta una fabulosa conspiración.

Noah Charney has the credentials to write this tale and he uses them. His extensive knowledge of the art world and of art theft is expressed in every chapter.

Three thefts: a Caravaggio and two Malevich paintings (Malevich is Charney's creation). One from a church, another from the Malevich Society, the third from a museum just hours after its purchase. The thieves are intelligent, using methods that reveal the weaknesses of the organizations' security systems. The thefts mystify the investigators. Why these? Why now?

Malevich painted a series of "white on white" paintings. Just what you expect: white, all white. Of course the brush strokes differ.

The Russian painter apparently painted these as a protest against icons. No icons here, no representations of anything. They were initially hung in the place where paintings of Jesus and Mary normally hung in a home. The investigators therefore suggested that the thefts might be not by an art lover (who would hire the thieves) but by a religious group, opposed to Malevich's position.

We meet these investigators, art experts, and museum heads. Each has a unique personality and specialty. The thefts are an intellectual puzzle they bite into as thoroughly as they bite into the special meals that form a rather great part of the narrative. Will they discover the complexity and intertwining of the thefts? Will they find the perp(s)?

I found it highly entertaining from a humorous point of view as well as a tome on art, art lovers, and thieves, a sendup of the art world by someone who clearly loves it.

More, the reader is the best I've heard. Simon Vance takes on the different voices of the many different international characters and made me believe. He's highly skilled and made the book even more for me than it might have been. ( )

In the first half or so of this novel, I was sure it would be a 4-star rating… but by the end, nope. The premise for this novel was great but Charney fell all over his feet trying to make the story mysterious. In fact, the writing became way too convoluted to enjoy and by the end, it was certainly a case of ‘clear as mud’.

While I didn’t mind some anecdotal digressions, the author tended to ramble right in the middle of a suspenseful passage. Such side-stories take a reader out of the storyline and makes the action too choppy. Ultimately, the dénouement was prolonged to the point where the plot was completely obscured. It’s very unsatisfying to read about forgeries and art heists that are never revealed in a clear narrative. Which begs the question, where was the editor? ( )