Gruber, Michael. The Forgery of Venus.
6 word synopsis: Who painted newly discovered Velázquez' Venus?
An ARC from Lauren, this unusual book is gripping and takes the reader on so many twists and turns that it is almost impossible to describe the plot. Chaz Wilmot, a talented artist, has difficulty selling his best work, not because people aren't willing to buy, but for some tangled personal reasons relating to a difficult relationship with his father. He makes his living in commercial art, just getting by, rather than putting his best work in galleries.
Several events converge at once, and Chaz finds himself in Europe, confronted with the possibility of a huge windfall if he is willing to forge a Velázquez. Before leaving the U.S., Chaz had participated in a drug study during which he had hallucinations of "being" Velázquez, and the combination of the residual effects of the study and the possibility of earning enough money to provide treatment for his sick son help persuade Chaz to try.
I'm not sure how to classify this one - mystery, alternate history, time travel, a study of madness, psychological thriller... a little bit of everything thrown in here. Doesn't matter, I suppose; I found it fascinating, well-written, informative, and highly entertaining.
(It took me a day or so after finishing the book to write this review, and I'm only just now getting it posted because of computer difficulties. I thought maybe I could come up with a more concise version of the plot, but no such luck. The plot is complicated and fascinating.)
Fiction. Psychological thriller? 2008. 318 pages.
It does sound fascinating. I too often have difficulty describing a book that is hard to define. It's also difficult for me sometimes to describe my feelings about a book when I've really enjoyed it. Not sure why.
ReplyDeleteI've heard mixed things about this book, but I'm glad you liked it. I received a copy through Library Thing, so I really need to get to it.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly the friend to recommend this to. Mary loves anything to do with art history. I'll let you know what she thinks.
ReplyDeleteHave you read other titles by Michael Gruber? I liked his earlier book: "Tropic Night" - but there were some mixed reviews about his later books, so I was apprehensive about this one. Wondering how it will compare to his earlier works.
ReplyDeleteLisa - I often find this inability to communicate exactly what I want to say about certain books. Some books are fairly easy to review, but others are really difficult.
ReplyDeleteDanielle - I can understand that there would be mixed reactions to this one, but I really enjoyed it and wanted to find out exactly what was going on.
Ann - The art portions were especially fascinating to me! I'm glad you brought that up because the descriptions of paintings were so good!
Orpheus - No, I've not read anything else by Gruber, but I intend to. Danielle mentioned the mixed reviews, too, and I can certainly understand that this book would not appeal to everyone!
I really enjoyed this too. I've read, I think, all his other adult fiction, and have really liked all his books. I'd heard mixed things about this one, so was relieved to enjoy it as much as I did.
ReplyDeleteErin- I had no idea what to expect from this one since I'd never read anything by Gruber before, but I was pleasantly surprised. In spite of the seriousness of the narrative, Gruber was often very funny, and I found myself smiling a lot at certain of Chaz' comments and observations. I really need to look for some of his earlier works.
ReplyDeleteI have this one waiting for me! I think it'll be a fun read and am glad to hear you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteIliana - I know this book won't appeal to everyone, but I couldn't put it down!
ReplyDeleteI just took this book out of the library today and can't wait to get started on it. Art crime plots are becoming a favorite of mine. Hope the time travel isn't a big part of the plot. I'm not into time travel.
ReplyDeleteViolette - I love art crime plots, too! This is a strange book, though, not your typical art crime mystery at all. I really like it, but realize that it won't appeal to everyone. Will be checking to see what you think.
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