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The Modigliani Scandal
A Priceless Artwork
When art historian Dee Sleign hears of a lost painting by Amadeo Modigliani, one of the greatest artists ever to have lived, she becomes determined to reclaim it so it can be viewed by the world.
A Desperate Race
However, there are others who also want to claim it for their own corrupt motives: Dee's uncle Charles Lampeth, for whom art is a commodity to be traded; Julian Black, the broke owner of an art gallery; and Peter Usher, a struggling artist who spies an opportunity to get revenge against those in the art world who have unfairly wronged him.
A Deadly Victory
So begins an epic chase around Europe, from the streets of London to the Italian countryside, in an effort to claim one of the great lost artworks of the twentieth century - a dangerous hunt that could have deadly consequences for all involved.
When art historian Dee Sleign hears of a lost painting by Amadeo Modigliani, one of the greatest artists ever to have lived, she becomes determined to reclaim it so it can be viewed by the world.
A Desperate Race
However, there are others who also want to claim it for their own corrupt motives: Dee's uncle Charles Lampeth, for whom art is a commodity to be traded; Julian Black, the broke owner of an art gallery; and Peter Usher, a struggling artist who spies an opportunity to get revenge against those in the art world who have unfairly wronged him.
A Deadly Victory
So begins an epic chase around Europe, from the streets of London to the Italian countryside, in an effort to claim one of the great lost artworks of the twentieth century - a dangerous hunt that could have deadly consequences for all involved.
279 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
2087 people are currently reading
5513 people want to read
About the author
Ken Follett
598 books59.3k followersKen Follett is one of the world’s most successful authors. Over 170 million copies of the 36 books he has written have been sold in over 80 countries and in 33 languages.
Born on June 5th, 1949 in Cardiff, Wales, the son of a tax inspector, Ken was educated at state schools and went on to graduate from University College, London, with an Honours degree in Philosophy – later to be made a Fellow of the College in 1995.
He started his career as a reporter, first with his hometown newspaper the South Wales Echo and then with the London Evening News. Subsequently, he worked for a small London publishing house, Everest Books, eventually becoming Deputy Managing Director.
Ken’s first major success came with the publication of Eye of the Needle in 1978. A World War II thriller set in England, this book earned him the 1979 Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America. It remains one of Ken’s most popular books.
In 1989, Ken’s epic novel about the building of a medieval cathedral, The Pillars of the Earth, was published. It reached number one on best-seller lists everywhere and was turned into a major television series produced by Ridley Scott, which aired in 2010. World Without End, the sequel to The Pillars of the Earth, proved equally popular when it was published in 2007.
Ken’s new book, The Evening and the Morning, will be published in September 2020. It is a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth and is set around the year 1,000, when Kingsbridge was an Anglo-Saxon settlement threatened by Viking invaders.
Ken has been active in numerous literacy charities and was president of Dyslexia Action for ten years. He was chair of the National Year of Reading, a joint initiative between government and businesses. He is also active in many Stevenage charities and is President of the Stevenage Community Trust and Patron of Home-Start Hertfordshire.
Ken, who loves music almost as much as he loves books, is an enthusiastic bass guitar player. He lives in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, with his wife Barbara, the former Labour Member of Parliament for Stevenage. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren and two Labradors.
Born on June 5th, 1949 in Cardiff, Wales, the son of a tax inspector, Ken was educated at state schools and went on to graduate from University College, London, with an Honours degree in Philosophy – later to be made a Fellow of the College in 1995.
He started his career as a reporter, first with his hometown newspaper the South Wales Echo and then with the London Evening News. Subsequently, he worked for a small London publishing house, Everest Books, eventually becoming Deputy Managing Director.
Ken’s first major success came with the publication of Eye of the Needle in 1978. A World War II thriller set in England, this book earned him the 1979 Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America. It remains one of Ken’s most popular books.
In 1989, Ken’s epic novel about the building of a medieval cathedral, The Pillars of the Earth, was published. It reached number one on best-seller lists everywhere and was turned into a major television series produced by Ridley Scott, which aired in 2010. World Without End, the sequel to The Pillars of the Earth, proved equally popular when it was published in 2007.
Ken’s new book, The Evening and the Morning, will be published in September 2020. It is a prequel to The Pillars of the Earth and is set around the year 1,000, when Kingsbridge was an Anglo-Saxon settlement threatened by Viking invaders.
Ken has been active in numerous literacy charities and was president of Dyslexia Action for ten years. He was chair of the National Year of Reading, a joint initiative between government and businesses. He is also active in many Stevenage charities and is President of the Stevenage Community Trust and Patron of Home-Start Hertfordshire.
Ken, who loves music almost as much as he loves books, is an enthusiastic bass guitar player. He lives in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, with his wife Barbara, the former Labour Member of Parliament for Stevenage. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren and two Labradors.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 812 reviews
July 5, 2018
”One does not marry art. One ravishes it.”
---Edgar Degas
Dee Sleign is hanging out in small cafes, exploring fussy, tucked away museums, and doinking, like she invented sex, an older, richer boyfriend.
She is having the Paris experience.
She isn’t sure what she should do with the rest of her life, but she gets this idea of exploring the influence that drugs had on Impressionist art for a thesis. Dee is told about an old man who knew the Impressionist painters when they were still alive. He is living in near poverty, but he has masterpieces worth tens of thousands of dollars in the 1970s; in today’s money, those paintings would be worth millions.
There is something admirable about a guy who values the art even more than the money they are worth. (A point that is a theme for Ken Follett in this book.)
This man, poor in money but rich in culture, tells Dee about a Modigliani that was painted under the influence of drugs and taken back to Italy by a priest.
A lost Modigliani.
Dee is so excited about the prospect of finding a lost masterpiece that she needs to tell someone. But who? Who does she know who would understand how exciting this potential discovery is? Uncle Charles Lampeth, of course. The man for whom art is a commodity to be traded, sold, or stolen as if it were corn, wheat, or barley. She sends him a postcard and touches off a cavalcade of an Amazing Race version of who can find the painting first.
He wouldn’t do that to his niece would he? Whatever ethics he had been born with have long been extinguished from his brain as a guiding principle.
In the other part of the story Julian Black is smarting from a lack of funds. He is enraged by the lack of respect from his cuckolding, upper-class wife. He is also the owner of an art gallery on life support. Needless to say, Mr. Black is a very desperate man, indeed. When he learns about this lost Modigliani, he sees it as the last chance to get his life back on track.
Peter Usher is an up and coming artist who has been misled and cheated by art gallery owners, like Charles Lampeth. He also, unwittingly, has become mired in the Modigliani scandal, even as he puts in place a diabolical plan to get even with the corrupt players in the art gallery world.
Needless to say, we are heading for a cockup that will leave one “winner” and a string of resentful losers.
Ken Follett published this book in 1976 under the pseudonym Zachary Stone. On the surface, this novel is a fun romp across Europe, chasing a lost masterpiece by one of the greatest Italian artists, but in the murky waters beneath, Follett is making some much larger points about the people who make money out of culture, but don’t necessarily support it. There was one plot twist that ventures into the implausible that twisted me so hard I nearly broke my neck, but then I have seen enough improbabilities in real life to not be too critical of an author who maybe is getting too clever. If you like art and are looking for a quick, enjoyable read, this will fill your brush with paint.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
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September 7, 2024
Enjoyable read with a charming old-fashioned feel since it was written in the 1970s.
What I love about Follett is his talent for creating a myriad of characters and storylines and then bringing them together.
While this was a fun read, the ending was definitely rushed.
(Reviewed 7/31/12)
What I love about Follett is his talent for creating a myriad of characters and storylines and then bringing them together.
While this was a fun read, the ending was definitely rushed.
(Reviewed 7/31/12)
March 27, 2022
Prometido e Cumprido
A rapariga entrou na padaria e o padeiro apercebeu-se que não era nenhuma beleza.
Bonita, não!... Mas definitivamente apetecível!
A confiança e ousadia que dela emanavam comunicavam ao mundo que fazia apenas o que bem lhe apetecia...
Que começo promissor…
Mas será que cumpre?
Ora, é facto certo e sabido que quem faz o que bem lhe apetece, raramente faz o previsível!
Daí que este início possa constituir um excelente ponto de partida para uma trama criativa e,
de facto, foi assim que aconteceu!...
A rapariga apetecível e ousada com que deparamos no começo, introduz-nos, tal como não seria de prever, numa viagem aos bastidores da arte.
Usualmente associada à criação do belo, os jogos e manipulações pouco escrupulosas que integram o mundo artístico, são frequentemente esquecidos e preteridos! Ken Follet, nesta narrativa intrincada, faz emergir esse submundo.
A arte é antes de mais um negócio, com todas as características que lhe são inerentes!...
Podemos, então, dar o prometido por cumprido 🌟🌟🌟🌟
A rapariga entrou na padaria e o padeiro apercebeu-se que não era nenhuma beleza.
Bonita, não!... Mas definitivamente apetecível!
A confiança e ousadia que dela emanavam comunicavam ao mundo que fazia apenas o que bem lhe apetecia...
Que começo promissor…
Mas será que cumpre?
Ora, é facto certo e sabido que quem faz o que bem lhe apetece, raramente faz o previsível!
Daí que este início possa constituir um excelente ponto de partida para uma trama criativa e,
de facto, foi assim que aconteceu!...
A rapariga apetecível e ousada com que deparamos no começo, introduz-nos, tal como não seria de prever, numa viagem aos bastidores da arte.
Usualmente associada à criação do belo, os jogos e manipulações pouco escrupulosas que integram o mundo artístico, são frequentemente esquecidos e preteridos! Ken Follet, nesta narrativa intrincada, faz emergir esse submundo.
A arte é antes de mais um negócio, com todas as características que lhe são inerentes!...
Podemos, então, dar o prometido por cumprido 🌟🌟🌟🌟
January 20, 2013
Hard to believe this is from the same author who gave us Pillars of the Earth.
What a load of rubbish.
Story doesn't make sense, characters are awful and overall a real struggle to get through.
I wanted to stop reading so many times, but because of his other work I remained hopeful he would bring it all together in the end. Unfortunately not.
If you want to start reading Ken Follet, do not start with this one.
I guess this book also shows that practice makes perfect, even for writers.
What a load of rubbish.
Story doesn't make sense, characters are awful and overall a real struggle to get through.
I wanted to stop reading so many times, but because of his other work I remained hopeful he would bring it all together in the end. Unfortunately not.
If you want to start reading Ken Follet, do not start with this one.
I guess this book also shows that practice makes perfect, even for writers.
June 7, 2024
Is it about art or is it about counterfeiting? It's about pointless.
October 2, 2024
Interesantă poveste, lumea artei este plină de persoane dispuse să plătească o avere pe tablouri semnate de pictori consacrați fără o verificare amănunțită. Atitudinea lor mercantilă se confruntă cu două situații neprevăzute. Deși ideea e interesantă multe situații sunt confuze, iar finalul a fost ambiguu.
January 15, 2025
Solid start to an epic career.
It was a quick read, and worth it for Follett fans. If half-stars were permitted on Goodreads, I would give it 3.5 stars.
It was a quick read, and worth it for Follett fans. If half-stars were permitted on Goodreads, I would give it 3.5 stars.
January 20, 2019
Pequeno livro, leitura rápida e com um final muito interessante.
December 25, 2020
If you are looking for an edge of the seat thriller, then this definitely isn’t the one that you want, but if you want an enjoyable read with some good twists, then “The Modigliani Scandal” is a decent book to go for.
March 22, 2020
The book narrates the entanglements that take place within London's art industry when a rumor concerning a new and uncatalogued Modigliani painting discovered in Italy spreads out.
Beginning with a short introduction of the relationship between contemporary artists and their use of narcotic and psychotropic drugs during the painting process, followed by a compelling plot around an art piece from one of Italy's most famous contemporary painters and its effect on the international art world. The book beyond being just a thrilling novel serves as well as a critique of art galleries and auction houses for their lack of interest on the traded paintings per sé but only, or mostly, on the financial benefits they carry, notwithstanding the actual pictorial quality of the work.
The several plots perfectly intertwined in this short story, jointly with the vast amount of characters with different perspectives and objectives, shaped altogether with the unique Follet intellectual spark, create a fast-paced and ambitious 256 pager that combines, and balances perfectly, art descriptions and transactions within a crime/"detectivesque" context, offering an interesting and enlightening quick read with a critical intake on the art business.
Beginning with a short introduction of the relationship between contemporary artists and their use of narcotic and psychotropic drugs during the painting process, followed by a compelling plot around an art piece from one of Italy's most famous contemporary painters and its effect on the international art world. The book beyond being just a thrilling novel serves as well as a critique of art galleries and auction houses for their lack of interest on the traded paintings per sé but only, or mostly, on the financial benefits they carry, notwithstanding the actual pictorial quality of the work.
The several plots perfectly intertwined in this short story, jointly with the vast amount of characters with different perspectives and objectives, shaped altogether with the unique Follet intellectual spark, create a fast-paced and ambitious 256 pager that combines, and balances perfectly, art descriptions and transactions within a crime/"detectivesque" context, offering an interesting and enlightening quick read with a critical intake on the art business.
April 30, 2018
As I said I read this book many years ago and it was worth reading it again.
In The Modigliani Scandal, Dee Sleign searches for a lost Modigliani painting, which was painted while the artist was under the influence of hashish. She wants to study it for her doctoral thesis on the relationship between drugs and art. But even others want it: Dee's uncle, Charles Lampeth, wants it for his well-established art gallery in London and Julian Black wants it to bring prestige to the new gallery he is starting. I liked this story, the plot is well built and there are a lot of twists and turns to the story that makes you want to keep on reading to find out what will happen next.
It is an irresistible page-turner that I recommend.
In The Modigliani Scandal, Dee Sleign searches for a lost Modigliani painting, which was painted while the artist was under the influence of hashish. She wants to study it for her doctoral thesis on the relationship between drugs and art. But even others want it: Dee's uncle, Charles Lampeth, wants it for his well-established art gallery in London and Julian Black wants it to bring prestige to the new gallery he is starting. I liked this story, the plot is well built and there are a lot of twists and turns to the story that makes you want to keep on reading to find out what will happen next.
It is an irresistible page-turner that I recommend.
August 10, 2020
Si lees el prólogo (del mismo autor) te preparas para lo que llega, que no es ni espionaje ni trilogías históricas.
El Escándalo Modigliani es una novela Coral, donde los personajes parecen no tener nada en común de inicio, pero sorprenden por su implicación en la trama. No hay subtramas de apoyo, todo es lineal y fluye a buen ritmo hacia un destino que comparten todos los protagonistas. Como explica el propio Follet en el prólogo, se trata de mostrar cómo las personas alcanzan unas metas u otras (positivas o negativas) en función de un cóctel de azar, valores, esfuerzo, talento…
La recomiendo, es corta, está bien narrada, tiene una historia interesante. Me hubiera gustado algo más extenso y elaborado, pero no se puede pedir todo.
El Escándalo Modigliani es una novela Coral, donde los personajes parecen no tener nada en común de inicio, pero sorprenden por su implicación en la trama. No hay subtramas de apoyo, todo es lineal y fluye a buen ritmo hacia un destino que comparten todos los protagonistas. Como explica el propio Follet en el prólogo, se trata de mostrar cómo las personas alcanzan unas metas u otras (positivas o negativas) en función de un cóctel de azar, valores, esfuerzo, talento…
La recomiendo, es corta, está bien narrada, tiene una historia interesante. Me hubiera gustado algo más extenso y elaborado, pero no se puede pedir todo.
August 31, 2013
Ken Follett, in his preface to The Modigliani Scandal says something along the lines of: “I set out to write a deep and meaningful novel about the human condition, but everyone who read it thought it was a fast-moving caper story.” That might well be the reason why I put the book down at page 83 with no desire to ever pick it up again. The characters are written as real people, with real emotions and real problems (which makes the caper plot feel serious when it should be frothy), but they’re bounced around by the mechanics of the plot (which makes them feel like pawns rather than people and reduces your investment in their happiness. The two halves of the story never come close to gelling.
Jeffrey Archer, whose own early novel--Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less--is a minor masterpiece of this kind of plotting, would have pulled off this story by subordinating the social commentary to the caper. Less genre-centric writers would have ditched the caper plot and made the story a (less complicated) trip through the grinding unfairness of the art world. Follett tries to do both, and The Modigliani Scandal crashes, unsatisfyingly, to the ground somewhere between the two stools.
Jeffrey Archer, whose own early novel--Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less--is a minor masterpiece of this kind of plotting, would have pulled off this story by subordinating the social commentary to the caper. Less genre-centric writers would have ditched the caper plot and made the story a (less complicated) trip through the grinding unfairness of the art world. Follett tries to do both, and The Modigliani Scandal crashes, unsatisfyingly, to the ground somewhere between the two stools.
March 14, 2017
Not good. The book seems to lack a protagonist, antagonist, and central plot. The pacing is too rushed and the characters to undeveloped to be engaging and empathetic respectively. The plot was all in pieces, going from establishment straight to resolution while skipping the rising action and climax entirely. Both of which were essentially nonexistent. No suspense, no thrills, no twists, no witty dialogue, descriptive narrative or even any compelling imagery. The book was entirely lacking in every aspect of a great novel. Not at all enjoyable. The only good that came from reading this was adding a tally onto my annual reading challenge. Wouldn't recommend.
August 10, 2021
"Το σκάνδαλο Μοντιλιάνι", εκδόσεις Bell.
Δεύτερο βιβλίο του Κεν Φόλετ που διαβάζω φέτος -αλλά και γενικά-, μετά το άκρως απολαυστικό "Το μάτι της βελόνας" που διάβασα στις αρχές Ιουνίου. Όσον αφορά το "Το σκάνδαλο Μοντιλιάνι", μπορώ να πω ότι και αυτό με τη σειρά του με ψυχαγώγησε και με κράτησε από την αρχή μέχρι το τέλος, έστω και αν είναι ένα αρκετά ανάλαφρο μυθιστόρημα χωρίς κάποια αγωνία ή ιδιαίτερη ένταση, αλλά απλώς με στοιχεία εγκλήματος. Ουσιαστικά μπορώ να κατανοήσω τις αντιφατικές κριτικές για το βιβλίο, αλλά και την αρκετά μέτρια βαθμολογία του στο Goodreads, μιας και δεν είναι από τα βιβλία που σε κρατάνε στην τσίτα και η πλοκή είναι σχετικά ανάλαφρη και οι χαρακτήρες χωρίς κάποιο βάθος, όμως προσωπικά το ευχαριστήθηκα σε μεγάλο βαθμό, σίγουρα πέρασα καλά όσο κράτησε η ανάγνωσή του, από τη στιγμή κιόλας που μου άρεσαν πολύ τα διάφορα σκηνικά, καθώς και η όλη ατμόσφαιρα της ιστορίας. Η γραφή είναι καλή, άκρως ευκολοδιάβαστη και ξεκούραστη, με χιουμοριστική διάθεση εδώ και εκεί, αν μη τι άλλο βοηθάει και αυτή στη γρήγορη ανάγνωση του βιβλίου. Λόγω των διαφόρων μέτριων κριτικών κρατούσα σχετικά μικρό καλάθι (έστω και αν πρόκειται για βιβλίο ενός τόσο καλού συγγραφέα), τελικά όμως αποδείχτηκε ένα αρκετά ψυχαγωγικό και ικανοποιητικό ανάγνωσμα.
Δεύτερο βιβλίο του Κεν Φόλετ που διαβάζω φέτος -αλλά και γενικά-, μετά το άκρως απολαυστικό "Το μάτι της βελόνας" που διάβασα στις αρχές Ιουνίου. Όσον αφορά το "Το σκάνδαλο Μοντιλιάνι", μπορώ να πω ότι και αυτό με τη σειρά του με ψυχαγώγησε και με κράτησε από την αρχή μέχρι το τέλος, έστω και αν είναι ένα αρκετά ανάλαφρο μυθιστόρημα χωρίς κάποια αγωνία ή ιδιαίτερη ένταση, αλλά απλώς με στοιχεία εγκλήματος. Ουσιαστικά μπορώ να κατανοήσω τις αντιφατικές κριτικές για το βιβλίο, αλλά και την αρκετά μέτρια βαθμολογία του στο Goodreads, μιας και δεν είναι από τα βιβλία που σε κρατάνε στην τσίτα και η πλοκή είναι σχετικά ανάλαφρη και οι χαρακτήρες χωρίς κάποιο βάθος, όμως προσωπικά το ευχαριστήθηκα σε μεγάλο βαθμό, σίγουρα πέρασα καλά όσο κράτησε η ανάγνωσή του, από τη στιγμή κιόλας που μου άρεσαν πολύ τα διάφορα σκηνικά, καθώς και η όλη ατμόσφαιρα της ιστορίας. Η γραφή είναι καλή, άκρως ευκολοδιάβαστη και ξεκούραστη, με χιουμοριστική διάθεση εδώ και εκεί, αν μη τι άλλο βοηθάει και αυτή στη γρήγορη ανάγνωση του βιβλίου. Λόγω των διαφόρων μέτριων κριτικών κρατούσα σχετικά μικρό καλάθι (έστω και αν πρόκειται για βιβλίο ενός τόσο καλού συγγραφέα), τελικά όμως αποδείχτηκε ένα αρκετά ψυχαγωγικό και ικανοποιητικό ανάγνωσμα.
August 23, 2024
Ken follett es un escritor por excelencia, he leído muchos de sus libros, pero debo admitir que mis favoritos son las novelas históricas como los pilares de la tierra o la caída de los gigantes. Tiene un estilo de escritura muy humano, es la mejor forma de describirlo, los personajes actúan como una persona normal, no son heroicos o leales de forma incuestionable, son simple humanos, con necesidades y dramas de un humano. El escándalo de modigliani es un libro rápido y de pocos personajes, fácil de entender y divertido en algunas partes, las críticas sutiles y las no tan sutiles ayudan al lector a generar su propio criterio. Para quienes no han leído ken follett, este libro puede ser un buen comienzo. Lo recomiendo al 100%.
February 8, 2021
Just 3 stars for this book. I must say though that it raises some important issues regarding arts and artists. How a contemporary artist might die poor and hungry and some time after their death they become famous and some dealers make fortunes.
How a work of art could be counterfeit and genuinely no person coud really say it was indeed made by an artist. They could say if it's an original or not, but it could not be paint by the envisaged artist.
I really enjoyed these points of view. And it looks to ne this book is, in some ways, a cry for awareness of real problems in the artistic environment.
How a work of art could be counterfeit and genuinely no person coud really say it was indeed made by an artist. They could say if it's an original or not, but it could not be paint by the envisaged artist.
I really enjoyed these points of view. And it looks to ne this book is, in some ways, a cry for awareness of real problems in the artistic environment.
October 23, 2017
Primo libro che leggo di Follett e primo romanzo che lui ha scritto. Questo romanzo lo presi, tantissimi anni fa, perchè volevo leggere qualcosa di Follett e dato che non volevo imbattermi ne "I pilastri della terra", che è la sua opera più rappresentativa, perchè le 1000 e passa pagine mi respingevano, allora ho optato per questo con argomentazione di arte e nello specifico delle opere di Modigliani.
La lettura parte molto bene, scrittura scorrevolissima e piacevole da leggere, di certo, come in tanti la definiscono, pare una lettura da sotto l'ombrellone.
Arrivato oltre la metà però inizia a salire la noia, perchè di arte se ne parla poco e di più si parla di soldi, soldi e soldi...
Questa scena? Ahahahahahah!
"Prese il primo quadro da una catasta e l'accostò alla fiamma della candela. Uno strato di polvere sul vetro nascondeva completamente il dipinto. Aveva bisogno d'uno straccio.
Dee si guardò intorno, in cerca di qualcosa che potesse servire, ma naturalmente non c'era nulla. E lei non aveva neppure un fazzoletto. Sospirò, sollevò l'abito e si sfilò le mutandine. Si sarebbe arrangiata con quelle. Adesso avrebbe dovuto stare attenta a non passare al di sopra del prete, sulla scala a chiocciola. Rise tra sè e incomincio a rimuovere la polvere."
Le commedie sexy all'italiana insegnano :-P
La lettura parte molto bene, scrittura scorrevolissima e piacevole da leggere, di certo, come in tanti la definiscono, pare una lettura da sotto l'ombrellone.
Arrivato oltre la metà però inizia a salire la noia, perchè di arte se ne parla poco e di più si parla di soldi, soldi e soldi...
Questa scena? Ahahahahahah!
"Prese il primo quadro da una catasta e l'accostò alla fiamma della candela. Uno strato di polvere sul vetro nascondeva completamente il dipinto. Aveva bisogno d'uno straccio.
Dee si guardò intorno, in cerca di qualcosa che potesse servire, ma naturalmente non c'era nulla. E lei non aveva neppure un fazzoletto. Sospirò, sollevò l'abito e si sfilò le mutandine. Si sarebbe arrangiata con quelle. Adesso avrebbe dovuto stare attenta a non passare al di sopra del prete, sulla scala a chiocciola. Rise tra sè e incomincio a rimuovere la polvere."
Le commedie sexy all'italiana insegnano :-P
April 18, 2020
I am unused to picking up a Ken Follett book that you can't use as a weight for a work out. His other books like The Pillars of the Earth are looong. This is not. This is a frothy caper that is fun to pass the time. I have no idea why it was picked to be a book club read though.
April 27, 2014
Um 3,5 para este livro de Ken Follett. Uma viagem pelos meandros das galerias de arte e dos seus subterfúgios.
Uma leitura leve, até no número de páginas (220), mas agradável.
Uma leitura leve, até no número de páginas (220), mas agradável.
January 5, 2023
Cute story but somewhat dated. It has the kind of surprise ending that we are very well familiar was from countless books and movies.
June 5, 2010
This book was loaned to me by a Follett-loving friend. I just checked Amazon to refresh my memory of the basic plot and I can see that the reviewers there didn't love this book. Writing a review six years after the fact is a dicey proposition so I won't go out of my way to praise or bash it but I will say that I enjoy Follett's writing because it allows me to use my brain while I read. His books are guaranteed to get my wheels turning and don't I feel clever when I can follow erudite references or complex plots, along with story-lines that occasionally challenge my perceptions.
August 17, 2011
Just finished this book. Not as suspenseful as other Follett books, but still interesting. Some great twists that I didn't expect. The especially nice one involved Julian and his wife Sara - if you read it you'll know what I'm talking about. I only wish that the characters of Julian and Samantha Winacre could have been fully resolved, as I was left wondering what happened to them eventually. A nice little twist on who concocted the whole plot we're reading about.
November 30, 2020
Una historia con bastantes personajes ( a veces costaba un poco seguirlos) pero muy entretenida, con actrices, galeristas de arte, pintores, estafadores, una buena extensión de profesiones. La persecución de un Modigliani es la base de esta historia que acaba con un final inesperado y con unos buenos enredos.
May 14, 2021
A quick-read. Not my typical crime fiction kind of book. Art forgery--no murder. Interesting how Follett manages to weave several character teams into the final twists at the end. I didn't identify with any of the characters--maybe the world of fine art isn't for me! If you are interested in the art scene, a European setting and minimal violence this book might be for you.
August 15, 2020
2-2.5????
No tengo idea si creo que fue un buen libro o una perdida de tiempo.
No tengo idea si creo que fue un buen libro o una perdida de tiempo.
July 7, 2025
Well, if this is Ken Follett's worst book as some reviewers have said...then I'm very excited for the rest of his bibliography.
This is a thriller about art, and it tries to tackle some deep themes about the art community as well. Unfortunately, Follet's story is a little all over the place and is uneven, so it doesn't hit as hard as he wanted. Its still a very fun, short thriller, but nowhere near the quality of other thrillers I've read.
Regarding the story, there ends up being a race to see who will find a long lost Modigliani Painting. Various people need it for various reasons. There's also a plotline about this down-on-his-luck painter and his family who decide to defraud the art community with fake paintings. There's also the plotline about an actress who is frustrated with her life and decides to change some things.
Each plotline could have been really good. But because the book tried to cover all of them in such a short order, none of them have weight or excellence that they could have had. If the book had either been significantly longer or if Follett had decided to cut 1 or 2 of the plotlines, it would have worked much better. Or better yet, maybe make it a trilogy with each plotline being the focus of one book.
The book does try to make a point about the value of art, and how the art community only seems to truly value artwork by dead artists, and thus it becomes nearly impossible for living artists to make a living unless they are doing extremely commercial work. Its a facinating theme that really made me think about what possible solution there could be. This theme was really strong, it just didn't have enough time to develop.
This book really comes together in the last two chapters. My goodness, does Follett really include some exciting twists and turns here. I would compare this to the way Agatha Christie completely changes the story in the last 2 chapters of some of her books. The last two chapters really did heavy lifting on making the book work out well.
I was incredibly frustrated by the way that pretty much every male character had explicit sexual thoughts about the female characters in the book. To the point that if I was in a man's POV I was pretty much expecting him to think something explicit. Follett, not every thought is explicit and not every thought needs to be included in the book. Ugh.
Yet, despite that, I still really enjoyed the experience of the book. This had the makings of a top tier Follett book, but because it tries to do too much in too little time, it just ends up being a good book. Still, I had a blast reading this (it's really a quick read), and cannot wait to read more Follett down the line. 7.5 out of 10!
This is a thriller about art, and it tries to tackle some deep themes about the art community as well. Unfortunately, Follet's story is a little all over the place and is uneven, so it doesn't hit as hard as he wanted. Its still a very fun, short thriller, but nowhere near the quality of other thrillers I've read.
Regarding the story, there ends up being a race to see who will find a long lost Modigliani Painting. Various people need it for various reasons. There's also a plotline about this down-on-his-luck painter and his family who decide to defraud the art community with fake paintings. There's also the plotline about an actress who is frustrated with her life and decides to change some things.
Each plotline could have been really good. But because the book tried to cover all of them in such a short order, none of them have weight or excellence that they could have had. If the book had either been significantly longer or if Follett had decided to cut 1 or 2 of the plotlines, it would have worked much better. Or better yet, maybe make it a trilogy with each plotline being the focus of one book.
The book does try to make a point about the value of art, and how the art community only seems to truly value artwork by dead artists, and thus it becomes nearly impossible for living artists to make a living unless they are doing extremely commercial work. Its a facinating theme that really made me think about what possible solution there could be. This theme was really strong, it just didn't have enough time to develop.
This book really comes together in the last two chapters. My goodness, does Follett really include some exciting twists and turns here. I would compare this to the way Agatha Christie completely changes the story in the last 2 chapters of some of her books. The last two chapters really did heavy lifting on making the book work out well.
I was incredibly frustrated by the way that pretty much every male character had explicit sexual thoughts about the female characters in the book. To the point that if I was in a man's POV I was pretty much expecting him to think something explicit. Follett, not every thought is explicit and not every thought needs to be included in the book. Ugh.
Yet, despite that, I still really enjoyed the experience of the book. This had the makings of a top tier Follett book, but because it tries to do too much in too little time, it just ends up being a good book. Still, I had a blast reading this (it's really a quick read), and cannot wait to read more Follett down the line. 7.5 out of 10!
March 5, 2022
Ik zeg het niet graag, maar dit was de slechtste Ken Follett die ik tot nu toe heb gelezen (en dat zijn er wel wat). Het is dan ook geschreven nog voor hij doorbrak met zijn eerste bestseller, Eye of the Needle (die is wel heel goed trouwens). Jammer Ken, maar ik vergeef het je wel. Practice makes perfect, indeed.
February 18, 2015
Confesso que estava à espera de um escândalo mais intenso... Mas como também já tive oportunidade de ler, esta foi uma das primeiras obras do autor, o que pode justificar esta minha impressão.
Ainda assim, mais uma vez se comprova que escrever uma história em torno do mercado de arte é sinónimo de sucesso... Sobretudo para todos aqueles que, como eu (e não dominando o assunto), se interessam sobre História de Arte!
No essencial, gostei do estilo de Ken Follett e fiquei com vontade de explorar mais obras da sua autoria, como é o caso da tão aclamada trilogia "O Século".
Ainda assim, mais uma vez se comprova que escrever uma história em torno do mercado de arte é sinónimo de sucesso... Sobretudo para todos aqueles que, como eu (e não dominando o assunto), se interessam sobre História de Arte!
No essencial, gostei do estilo de Ken Follett e fiquei com vontade de explorar mais obras da sua autoria, como é o caso da tão aclamada trilogia "O Século".
February 25, 2016
É um livro diferente, mais virado para o mundo de artes, pintores e galeristas. Não sou um entusiastico deste tema, daí ter ficado aborrecido com algumas descrições... Mas lê-se bem, tem um pouco de aventura e de diversão, ao estilo de Ken Follett que não nos desilude.
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