Hi Bookworms. How are you? I’m sorry I’ve not been about to visit blogs in a while as I was down for the count last week with the knee replacement surgery, but this week should be better and I can see what you all are up to and reading. Man surgery can put you off your game! The first couple days after were quite rough, but now I find with post-op Day 6 the pain has lessened and I’m getting more into a groove of a recovery plan. Come spring, I should be back to some of my regular activities.
In book news, we need to talk about the Booker Prize. Wow congrats to British-Hungarian author David Szalay for winning the prize last week for his novel Flesh. (In Canada they like to point out that Szalay was born in Montreal, lol.) I have not read his novel yet, but I know fellow bookie Carmen liked it and thought it was one to watch. And indeed it cleaned up.
Publishers Weekly says it’s about a “taciturn Hungarian man who serially attempts to build a new life after his traumatic adolescence.” Apparently the judges were taken with it because as chief judge Roddy Doyle said: “We had never read anything quite like it … a novel that uses white space on the page so well … as if the author is inviting the reader … to observe — almost to create — the character with him.” Hmm, food for thought if you decide to get a library copy, which I should be doing soon.
And stay tuned this week when Canada’s Giller Prize will be announced on Monday and the National Book Awards on Wednesday. It’ll be an interesting week. And now I’ll leave you with a review of what I finished lately.
The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel / Knopf / 240 pages / 2023
This is quite an eye-popping true crime account about a 20+ year-old misfit French man (Stephane Breitwieser) who in broad daylight stole more than 200 works of art from museums across Europe between 1995 and 2001, turning his mother’s attic into a trove of treasure.
His girlfriend Anne-Catherine Kleinklaus was his accomplice along the way. Apparently unlike other art thieves he stole not to enrich himself monetarily through ransoms or the black market but to surround himself with beauty. Hmm, I think the author tries to analyze this angle — as if it gives the thief more depth or gravitas? It’s definitely something unusual in light of other art thieves.
Thanks to Tina at Turn the Page for reading this one with me as part of a buddy read. It is an usual story that vividly recounts how this odd couple were able to pull off this crazy illegal undertaking. The guy, a self-made art freak, seemed pretty pathological … a narcissist who compulsively couldn’t control his urges to take significant artworks, particularly from the Renaissance period. He was out of control and he and his girlfriend were hitting museums at a pace unseen like before. They would visit a museum and sort of obscond with precious works under their clothes. Whether Anne-Catherine was bullied and under his thumb is up for discussion in the book … as well as whether the guy’s mother knew what her son was up to in her attic as well.
The book pretty fascinatingly details their long illegal raid across Europe and also reveals how poor (generally speaking) museum security is and how lenient the prison sentences are for art thieves globally. I had no idea about the ins and outs of much of this, which were a bit shocking. By the end of the book, I think Tina and I were both disgusted and done with all three culprits: the man, his girlfriend, and his mother. They had little to no shred of moral fiber to them nor responsibility. And what happens to the art is tragic. I will let you find out more about it. The book is fast and pretty short.
I’ve read the author’s other book The Stranger in the Woods from 2017, which is also about a freaky guy loner and thief. He seems to have that narrative down cold, so not sure what book will come next. I rarely read true crime books but once in a blue moon I will. Remember the Golden State Killer book from 2018 — I think that was my last one. The Art Thief is a book that counts for my nonfiction challenge.
That’s all for now. I was also planning to leave a review of Bruce Holsinger’s novel Culpability, which I finished recently on audio, but I think I will wait till next week as it’s getting late and I need a breather, lol.
Cheers All. Happy reading.
Having surgery is absolutely as you say — debilitating and hard to get over. Good luck with your recovery.
Thanks Mae. I am trying to get back on track post-surgery but it’s tough at first. I need to be patient with the recovery. Hope all is well there.
I am so glad to hear your recovery is going well! I hope it continues to go smoothly.
I just got myself a copy of the Art Theif after reading a review on someone else’s blog. Then you post about it, and last night a friend said it was good. So, now I’ve brought it up on my list and will try to read it this month for Nonfiction November.
Hi Helen, thanks I will keep plugging on with the recovery.
And The Art Thief is a pretty quick read — the pages fall by the wayside as you can’t believe how these two are able to get away with what they steal. It enraged me as it went on. See what you think. Grrr.
Have a great week.
Good to see your post this evening, Susan! I hope you are beginning to feel less pain as each day passes. I’m sure recovering from surgery is a long and exhausting road. My poor hubby has had Bell’s Palsy for almost two weeks now, and he’s pretty wiped out, taking an nap every afternoon, which is so not him! When do you start PT?
After reading both reviews by you and Tina, I’m thinking The Art Thief could make for a great book club selection. I like that it’s not too long, either.
I just read a good article about Sarah Jessica Parker’s role as judge for the Booker Prize. Have you read it? I can’t imagine having to read 150+ books in a single year. I know some readers read even more than that, but I’m good for about half!
Take care of yourself, my friend!
Hi Lesley, thanks for your words on the recovery. I’m so sorry to hear of Rod’s Bell’s Palsy …. how did that come about? Is there anything he can do to reverse it? Our dog Stella lost a nerve in her face many years ago …. through an inner ear infection … she was put on antibiotics but didn’t get it back. They said it was a bit like Bell’s Palsy. I hope Rod is not in pain. And that he will recover.
The Art Thief is a quick nonfiction read … but it did make me angry by the end. See what you think.
Yeah I saw something about the SJP article of reading 150 books. I don’t like rushing when reading books so that would not be for me! I think around 65 per year is fine, lol. You are similar I think … around that amount. It’s perfect.
Have a great week.
You know, Bell’s Palsy is a virus and I guess it’s dormant much like chicken pox and shingles. He was prescribed an antiviral (Acyclovir) and a steriod for about a week. He didn’t have any pain until he went off the meds. Now his ear hurts, which is in line with that nerve. Hoping to get some new meds for that since this could take several more weeks to run its course.
Yep, I read around 60 books a year. Seems just right without feeling like it’s a chore/contest. If I read more during the day, my numbers would definitely go up, but I only read at night (and listen to an audio on my walks or drives into town).
Take care!
Good to know about the Bell’s Palsy. What a strange thing but I hope it can run its course soon. It must be very aggravating for him. Fingers crossed you can find the right meds to help.
I agree 60 something books per year seems right for me. It seems you’ve read a lot this year. Another good year of reading. Cheers.
I hope your recovery goes smoothly and quickly.
Thanks Dorothy. It’s a long road but at least the hard part is over! The surgery is definitely the worst part. Now I just need to make progress with the recovery. Enjoy your week.
Good luck with your recovery! I hope the discomfort doesn’t interfere with light reading or television.
Thanks Constance. Yeah so far with my early recovery days … I’ve been able to read quite a bit and watch too much TV, lol. Did you see the ATP Finals from Turin? I was hooked on watching the tennis for a while.
Enjoy your week.
So good to hear that you are feeling a bit better after your surgery. I have both books on my TBR list. Thanks for sharing. And wishing you a continued recovery.
Thanks Hena. It’s a long road of recovery ahead … but I need to stay focused a bit and also patient. None of which are my strong suits, ha. We will see.
Wishing you happy days in P.R. Enjoy your trip.
Susan, glad your surgery was successful and that you are beginning to feel a bit better. Hope your rehab goes well too and you can get back to your fun things over time. Wanted to say that I read The Art Thief a few weeks ago and liked it OK enough. I’m not much of a non-fiction or true crime reader, but it was for my mystery book group. We did have a very interesting discussion of it. Some liked it. Some did not. The guy was definitely a talented thief, but also more than a bit odd. Hope you have a good rest of the week!
Hi Kay, thanks I’m on the mend. I appreciate your words of recovery.
Interesting to hear you read The Art Thief. Yeah it seems it would make a good discussion read and is a bit eye-popping. But man I was pretty angered by it by the end of the book. Geez these people! I wanted to throw it against the wall, lol. The guy seemed to have a mental illness not being able to stop. A bit of a freak.
Hope all is well there. Have a great week.
Glad the surgery is behind you and you are doing much better. I hope you make a full recovery soon. Thanks for the shout out. Out of the 7 books I’ve read for the Booker thus far, Flesh was my favorite; it’s quite a story…and that ending! I have to get to The Art Thief; suddenly it’s become pretty popular. 🙂 Have a relaxing rest of the week. Hope you enjoy whatever you read next!
Hi Carmen, thanks it’s good to have the surgery part over — that’s the toughest! And yeah I could tell that Flesh for you was better than the others. And I remember Zadie Smith saying good things about Flesh, so I should’ve gotten to that one sooner. But I’ve been on a library hold list forever. I will get to it.
The Art Thief is a quick read … and I couldn’t believe how this guy got away with it all … but it sort of ticked me off by the end. What goons!
I need to finish a long book for PW then I’ll be in the clear for the rest of Dec. Do you know what will be your first read of 2026? Cheers. Happy reading.
My first read of the year will probably be Katabasis, or some other long book from this year, because I have a long list of books I wanted to get to that I won’t have enough time for on what’s left of November or December. I still have to finish three books from the Booker list, so there’s that too. 😮
That’s a good pick. And I see from GR you’re into the Majumdar climate change novel. Is it any good? I must get to it as her first novel was pretty impressive.
Good luck with all you have on the pile!
Fantastic view from your window. That’s lovely scenery to look out upon.
I loved the buddy read and I know I sent you some titles to consider upcoming but if you’d like to add Flesh in the mix that’s good as well. I’m just past the 3/4 mark on All the Broken Places by John Boyne. Apparently there was a first book which I think Les told me she didn’t care for so jumped to this one. Reading the synopsis for that – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas – I decided to skip it. Boyne is now on my radar for future reading.
So glad the surgery went well and I hope improvemnts are rapid for you. Chat soon!
Thanks Tina, I really enjoy the view from my office window. I can watch the clouds and the world go by. Lol. I often watch the birds at the feeder.
I look forward to your review of the Boyne book. I hope you like it. I know there was a bit of controversy with his novel The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. The Holocaust museums were not happy with it due to “dangerous inaccuracies and fallacies” when used in teaching young people about the Holocaust. So I have stayed away from that. It’s tricky to write about the Holocaust … in novels.
I continue on with recovery, sigh. Hope you have a good week.
Glad the surgery is over and done with and you are on the road to recovery. Best wishes as you move forward and regain strength and mobility.
I am halfway through The Art Thief–audio with my husband in the car doing errands, so it’s taking awhile. The profound selfishness of the thieves is astounding–as a frequent visitor to art museums, it angers me so much that this person felt his need for beauty justified his actions. What’s sort of weird is that I had absolutely no idea that European museums were being plundered like this.
Hi Jane, yes I didn’t know of this stolen art case before this book either. Where was I during that period? But like you the book made me very angry by the end. The three involved are so irresponsible. I would’ve put all three in jail longer.
just fyi — The print copy has photos of the stolen art works which brings home I think the enormity of what they did. And you can see how amazing the art is. They looted priceless works and most were lost forever. Grrrr. Ticks me off.
You’ll need to move on after this one! Ps. And thx so much for recovery wishes, one foot in front of the other.
Wishing you a good recovery. It sounds like progress.
I appreciate your review of The Art Thief. I think it’s not one that I’ll choose to read right now, but I’m glad to know that the story has been written.
Hi Joy, thanks I’m glad the surgery is over and each week will get a bit better now …. even if it’s a bit of a long process.
It’s fine to skip the Art Thief …. it’s a bit of a strange case. And hopefully museum security might be a bit better by now? (Even though the Louvre recently was ripped off from.) We can only hope. Enjoy your week.
I’m delighted to learn you are recovering well after your surgery, wishing you continued success with your rehab.
Thanks Shelleyrae. Very kind of you to say. My rehab will be a long one but hopefully it will get better. I’m figuring by 12 weeks I should be pretty ok. Knock on wood. I hope you have a great reading week.
I am glad to hear that you are having less pain from the surgery now and hope you get better day by day.
I was surprised to see that Flesh won the Booker Prize. I did not know much about it and when I read a description, it didn’t seem like I would want to read it. But maybe future reviews will change my mind. On the other hand, I just today bought a copy of the winner of the National Book Award for fiction, The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother). Which I had not even heard about before I read the announcement of the winner of the prize.
Not much else going on here. I did have a laser procedure done yesterday on one of my cataract lenses and will have to get the same procedure done for the other eye in December, but that is so minor it is hardly noticeable. I am currently reading Tell Me Everything by Strout, and before that I read El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott. Which I thought would be too tense for me but it wasn’t too bad. Set in Grosse Point, Michigan, in 2008, when the economy was in such bad shape.
Thanks Tracy, the recovery is gradual but hopefully forthcoming. Fingers crossed.
I don’t know too much about the novel Flesh either, but I think it has to do with an affair but perhaps more. It’s cool you bought a copy of the NBA winner. I don’t know too much about that novel either, other than it’s about a gay Beirut man and his mother. See what you think.
I hope the laser procedure helps. I look forward to your thoughts on the Strout novel and Megan Abbott’s book. I don’t think I’ve heard too much about that novel yet.
Cheers! & Happy reading.
I was shocked to see that Flesh won the Booker and now want to give it a try next year. You and Tina have me adding The Art Thief to my list, too. Glad the surgery and immediate post-op days are behind you and I hope your recovery/rehab continues on track!
Thanks JoAnn, I’m trying my best to focus on the knee recovery but it does get old and I wish it was over already, lol. The Art Thief is a quick read but did make me pretty angry by the end so I’m not sure how much I really liked it. 3 stars perhaps.
Flesh was a surprising winner. I’ve heard much about it — so I need to get to it soon. Hope you have a full house for Thanksgiving. Enjoy!
Happy to see you’re past some of the intense pain. I wish you a speedy recovery! The Art Thief sounds like an interesting but infuriating read. It’s amazing what people can get away with! The view from your window is a pretty one. So are the flowers!
Thanks Rachel, I’m glad the surgery part is behind me … which included the most pain. But now I’m moving ahead and the pain is less. Still much recovery to do, sigh.
The Art Thief is infuriating …. these people are crazy and so irresponsible. I had to pace myself at the end. Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!