The Art Forger

by B.A. Shapiro
May30-July4, 2016

It's been ages since I listened to an audiobook. I got myself burned out on them and needed a break. But there's something about long weekends, yard work and a great narrator in my ear that makes me happy. Luckily, I achieved two out of three with this one. But, I'm also a sucker for Degas, so it was all worth it.

Claire is a legitimate art forger, or more politically correct, a reproductionist. However, she's naive to the point of exasperation. I had many "of course" and "duh!" moments, but I did enjoy the true art history portions of the story. It's not an incredibly deep narrative, but kind of a fun one that is based around the real-life art heist in Boston in 1990.

My biggest issue was the narrator. The best word I can come up with to describe her style is "breathy." It demeaned the main character probably more than it was intended. I think it made Claire more of a pushover, more insipid, than she actually was. Good narration isn't always easy to find.

Still, a fun little lesson in art history with great descriptions of painting styles thrown in for good measure. Might be better to read than listen to.

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