Please put your comments for the art forger book club questions in the comments area below. The art forger is not just a book for people who inhabit the art world, though. Claires search for the truth about the paintings origins leads her into a labyrinth of deceit where secrets hidden since the late nineteenth century may be the only evidence that can now save her life. Join akron art museum library and education staff for an in depth discussion of the art forger, an absorbing literary thriller, at the next installment of reading under the roof cloud. Book club to discuss the art forger at boylston place. The art forger explores the darker side of human nature. Works that were stolen included masterpieces such as rembrandts storm on the sea of galilee, vermeers the concert and degas. Book club r2 the paris wife by paula mclain and the art forger by ba shapiro. Every character in the art forger faces a moral or ethical. This novels heroine gets entangled in the world of art forgery.
Combined with characters who are conflicted by circumstances, the story weaves a world of mystery, romance, ethical dilemmas, and art. What drives people to collect art or anything else, for that matter. The art forger loved this book a well written look inside the art world from the artist perspective. Recommended to book clubs by 1 of 1 members it is said that the greatest art forger in the world is the one who has never been caughtthe astonishing story of americas most accomplished art forger. Based on a real life, still unsolved art heist at the isabella stewart gardner museum in boston, the art forger manages to include more details about brush strokes and forgery techniques than i knew existed in a gripping story of artistic obsession. That nobody knows anything seems to be shapiros the safe room, 2002, etc. Theyre even good if youre not in a book club and just. Discussion guide the art forger akron art museums blog.
The art forger was inspired by the real art heist that happened at the isabella stewart gardner museum in boston. This book gives a book club lots of opportunities to discuss how the. I read the art forger for my book club, and i know we will have a great discussion about the issues it raises. It remains the largest unsolved art heist in history, and claire roth, a struggling young artist, is about to discover that theres more to this crime than meets the eye. Click here to visit our frequently asked questions about html5 video.
This entry was posted in books, entertaining and tagged art backdrop for tablescapes, book club, book club at your home, book club inspiration, book club lunch, book club lunch ideas, book club with art, book club. The technical aspect of art forgery was facinating and was probably the best part of the story for me. While i was researching book clubs and discussion questions, i came across some useful and interesting websites. Book club r2 the paris wife by paula mclain and the art. Did you enjoy the way the historical aspects were woven into the fictional account. The art forger by mad hatters see profile 011517 this book delves into the dark and mysterious world of art forgeries. I hope you enjoyed reading and discussing the art forger. Keep to a schedule, stick to your proposed theme, and prepare questions to help stimulate conversation. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising.
Shapiro will discuss the art forger at a book club event. Neighbor news book club to discuss the art forger at boylston place. Would recommend this book to anyone who loves art as. Join the mcc book club for discussion on the july read, the art forger by b. Shapiros razorsharp writing and rich plot twists make the art forger an absorbing literary thriller. Having gone from struggling thriller writer to blockbuster literary. Works that were stolen included masterpieces such as rembrandts storm on the sea of galilee, vermeers the concert and degas after the bath. Please join us in exploring how a forger, degas, and one of the worlds largest art thefts are interconnected in this fascinating tale. The forger s spell has raised provocative questions about the nature of art and the psychology of deception. Through september, the pennlive book club is discussing the art forger as a story as well as the history that inspired it.
What gives art its valuethe beauty of the work itself, or the fame of the person who painted it. Washington post book world this is the first book on art forgery that really gets to the bottom of the han van meegeren tale of chicanery and double dealing. Many of the people in the group go to the minnesota institute of art. In the beginning of the book, claire roth is persona non grata in the art world. You may recall reading in the papers back in 1990 that paintings worth over 500 million dollars were stolen from the isabella stewart gardner museum in boston in a stunning heist that still baffles investigators today. How did you like the art forger and why did you like or not like it. I found xe sands narration well paced, her pronunciation clear and tone easy on the ear. It remains the largest unsolved art heist in history, and claire roth, a struggling young artist, is about to discover that. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy.
I thought i would share them with you in case youre part of a book club and are looking for discussion ideas. Shapiro knows about degas, and she knows about art theft and forgery, and she also knows how to tell a. Shapiro, author of the art forger, on librarything. This study guide refers specifically to the following version of this book. The art forger is a novel highly suited to the audio format. Technical equipment for the art lovers book club is supported in part by a grant from the local cultural councils of attleboro, north attleborough and norton, local agencies which are supported by the mass cultural council, a state agency.
Her books have been selected as community reads in numerous cities and translated throughout the world. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. An unappreciated artist struggling for recognition, his intention was to hoodwink the art dealers and critics who refused to recognize his own artistic genius. How to do book club virtually during covid distancing. Shapiro will discuss the art forger at a book club. The museum of art and archaeologys art of the book club is currently reading the art forger by b. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Shapiro that i honestly wasnt sure that this novel. In the early morning hours of march 18, 1990, two men dressed as police officers bound and gagged two guards at the isabella stewart gardner museum in boston, massachusetts, an. Shapiros brisk narrative takes the reader through bostons art world, the logistics of forgery and the perils of attribution, shuttling between the present and three years earlier, when.
July book club selection claire roth, trying to resuscitate her career after being humiliated by a former art professor, accepts a nefarious offer from a gallery owner to copy as degas painting one that is eerily similar to a piece stolen from the isabella stewart gardner museum some 20 years earlier. If you have any suggestions for a may book club selection, id love to hear them in. Her books have been selected as community reads in. This is a book where almost every character faces a moral or an ethical dilemma. Shapiro is the bestselling author of the art forger, a literary thriller about the isabella stewart gardner museum heist that spans three centuries of forgers, art thieves, and. Shapiro is the new york times bestselling author of the muralist and the art forger, which won the new england book award for fiction and the boston authors society award for fiction, among other honors. All of the characters in the novel have a price, a line theyre willing to cross to further their own ambitions. Shapiros compelling novel, the art forger, all day long on our discussion forum. Shapiro in which painting reproductionist claire roth is hired to duplicate the degas painting after the bath, one of paintings stolen during the infamous gardner museum heist more than two decades before. For those of you who havent read the book yet, heres a quick synopsis. We had a lively discussion last night about it and about art in general.
To ask other readers questions about the art forger, please sign up. Having gone from struggling thriller writer to blockbuster literary novelist, shapiro shared her own adventure with pennlive. A cleverly plotted art world thrillerromance with a murky moral core. In boston, painter claire roth has spent three years dealing with the guilt and scandal of her. Almost twentyfive years after the infamous art heist at the isabella stewart gardner museumstill the largest unsolved art theft in historyone of the stolen degas pai. It includes plenty of mystery, secrets, and romanceall of which should appeal to readers of good quality fiction. Questions from the authors website to get your discussion started. Every character in the art forger faces a moral or.
First, the rules of your standard book club still apply. Since i am always looking for an opportunity to host a party, i offered to lead the discussion. Shapiros exhilarating bestselling novel the art forger as readers follow claire roth, a struggling young artist with her own. B a shapiros the art forger entertained me while broadening my appreciation for an exciting time in history and the people that shaped it. Art forger han van meegeren, whose techniques claire uses to create her own forgery, was a frustrated dutch painter. In may, when priya parker launched her book the art of gathering, i knew it would be the perfect read for my coworkers. I saw a couple in poland and quite a few in amsterdam.
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