The Art Thief, Michael Frinkel
copyright 2023
part-read in March 2024
fantasy
rated 3/10: so bad it's embarrassing
To be fair, the writing is not bad. It's easy to read. It's the subject and style which are embarrassing.
There was a real art thief, this claims to be his story.
The thief is a snob, a psychopath and a criminal. He had an obnoxious family but so what. He was (is) a criminal.
The author glorifies the crimes. He claims that the thief was horrified at the thought of stolen paintings being damaged... In reality the thief destroyed -- or caused to be destroyed -- dozens of irreplaceable "Old Masters".
The book attempts to impress the reader with knowledge of art -- and of a syndrome which the thief may have. Knowledge straight from Wikipedia.
I read 20% with the only pleasure being the clear indications that the thief would be caught.
So I checked Wikipedia. Which lead to the article on the author: Frinkel
He writes fiction which he claims is true.
He was sacked as a journalist for "lying in print". I imagine that this book is also a thin smear of fact overlaid with fiction... lies.
The author's style is, up himself. The thief is similarly dislikeable. He is not an antihero, just a criminal.
The book is embarrassing. There is no pleasure. I stop reading.
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
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