The Art Forger
by B.A. Shapiro
The Evening and Afternoon adult book clubs enjoyed an August potluck supper on Tuesday evening.
A variety of colorful summer salads including tomato and mozzarella
slices garnished with fresh basil, taco salad, and a cowboy bean salad
extravaganza was served buffet-style along with finger sandwiches,
meatballs, baked chicken, corn chowder, fruit salad, and assorted chips
with salsa. A sparkling lime sherbet punch added pizzazz to the menu.
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After the main course, club members adjourned to the library’s reading
room for a book discussion accompanied by dessert. The dessert table was
awash in chocolate treats; whoopee pies, chocolate pudding cake,
frosted marble cake, and a banana cream pie with mile high meringue.
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Book
club members engaged in a lively discussion about the motives of the
art thieves and forgers. Several spoke passionately about what they
thought was the fate of the paintings stolen from the Isabella Stewart
Gardner Museum in Boston. All of their scenarios were plausible. Harder
to define were the motives of the thieves and the ultimate owner of the
treasures. Was it greed or narcissism? What is the value of a stolen
painting, if it isn’t shared with others who can appreciate beauty? Has
the statute of limitations expired and who is the true owner now?
Is
there a statute of limitations on recovering stolen property? “Time is
often the enemy of crime investigators; the trail quickly gets cold. But
time has changed the Gardner case in one way that could increase the
chances of the paintings' being recovered: The statute of limitations
has passed for prosecution of the theft itself. And the US attorney in
Boston now says he will not prosecute anyone who has the paintings and offers to return them.
Readers
questioned whether there were other undetected forged paintings
displayed in museums as the plot in Shapiro’s book. Although the book is
fiction, the art techniques discussed are authentic. This feature added
to the enjoyment of the story which some said satisfied their
preference for “true” historical fiction. Many members have been to the
Gardner museum both before and after the theft and spoke highly of the
building and the collection. Others said that they are now inspired to
visit based on the comments of the group. If your name is Isabella, you
can register for lifetime free admission at the museum. If your name
isn't Isabella, you can still receive free admission on your birthday.
Also, since Isabella Stewart Gardner was a big Red Sox fan, you can wear
your Red Sox gear and receive a $2 discount off of admission, too!
The Art Forger
was a very successful book selection and it sparked a terrific
discussion about the many layers of deception that result in art forgery
and theft. The Boston setting was a plus for readers and enhanced the
story’s credibility. The author took a real event and crafted a complex
and exciting story with an unexpected twist at the end.
