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January Discussion: THE ART FORGER

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10:54 pm
January 31, 2013

Ariel

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We're so glad to be back after our long winter's nap! It was pretty clear right off the bat that we picked the perfect novel to kick things off in 2013. So far the response to B.A. Shapiro's THE ART FORGER has been amazing. Our team loved the novel. Our book bloggers loved the novel. And now we're eager to hear what YOU think.

A bit of great news before we start: the thoughtful and amazing Tamara Welch has come on board as our new Online Book Club Leader. She'll officially begin hosting these discussions next month but I'm sure you'll see her around the forum a lot today. We're pretty crazy about her and we know you will be too!

So, to kick us off, a bit of background, and a question (I'll add to these as the day goes on):

The background: I love art. I can't help it, really. My mother is an artist. (Ironically enough, some of her sculptures are hanging in a gallery alongside a Degas painting at this moment.) I was raised around sculptures and tin collage. There was actually a time in my life where I couldn't fall asleep without one of my mother's works-in-progress in my bedroom. They were papier mache sculptures and she would leave them in my window to dry. I'd wake at night and they seemed like sentinels there in the window, standing guard. So even though I can't paint or draw or sculpt myself, I see the world through an artist's lens. The urge to create makes sense to me. When I settled in to read THE ART FORGER I knew this was the book for us.

The first question: How much did you know about the world of art before you began reading THE ART FORGER? What surprised you as you read? What about Claire's creative process or worldview was intriguing to you?

That should get us started. I'll be back in a few minutes with a fresh cup of coffee to read your thoughts. And PLEASE, if you have a question or observation please throw it out there. I would love this conversation to grow organically from YOUR insights on the novel.

Ariel

7:22 am
February 1, 2013

cammih

Siloam Springs, AR

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I stayed up very late finishing this book but so glad I did! I really enjoyed it! – I really don't know much about art .. The most I know, I learned from "The Da Vinci Codes" :) Does that count? – I was surprised how much info she could get her hands on! Who knew about all the forgery processes?! Goes to show there are scams in everything, even Art. Everyone is out to make a buck. I love that she was known for forgeries though .. Guess I never thought about that. I am amazed at artist's perspectives .. I just wouldn't have the mental stability to be an artist .. :) I am too impatient and would tire of the process quickly.

8:24 am
February 1, 2013

Ariel

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Cammih: what I LOVED about this book is that I learned so much about the world of art and forgeries without ever feeling like the author dumped information on me. B.A. Shapiro is an artist in her own right because that is incredibly difficult to do. And, I might add, something that The DaVinci Code failed miserably at. He used narrative and dialogue to plop information on the head of the reader, whereas in THE ARE FORGER it sprang organically from the story.

8:35 am
February 1, 2013

Ariel

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Let's talk a bit about Claire Roth. She comes into this story with a long and troubled history with the art world. Her frustrated attempts to make a name for herself. Her affair with Isaac Cullion. The disaster that followed. And then Aiden Markel shows up with an irresistible offer: forge a stolen Degas portrait in return for a huge chunck of money and her own show at his gallery.

Based on what you knew of Clair at this point in the story, why is this offer so tempting to her? Why is it so dangerous?

8:51 am
February 1, 2013

Leigh Ann

Algonquin, IL

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I too loved this book and could not wait to get back to it when I had to put it down, and was sad when it was over. Not many books do that to me. I loved the writing style and how we felt we were right in there with the characters, how we felt we knew them by the end. I guess if I would of thought about it I would of known there were art forgers, in general big picture sort of way. I did NOT know there were so many layers, and that you can copy and still be legal, and where you draw the line between legal and illegal. ItIt seemed to me it was most tempting to Claire because it was a Degas. I felt like that was the draw for her. When she found out it was not the real thing, then that took care of some of her ethical concerns, because she went from forger to copier. The bitterness against ex-boyfriend weaved in there also, but I felt the Degas was the draw.

8:55 am
February 1, 2013

teresasreading

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I have to admit, I was fairly ignorant about the art world when I picked up THE ART FORGER so learning about it was interesting.

The thing I kept forgetting about Clair is that she is young. When taking that into consideration, the choices she was making made more sense. Really, what did she have to lose when Aiden approached her? Her career was already in shambles and it gave her the opportunity to make a bunch of money and her own show. It's not likely that she would have gotten an opportunity like that otherwise.

9:57 am
February 1, 2013

Ariel

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Leigh Ann: I also didn't know that you could legally copy a work of art. In writing and publishing the laws are SO different. And I have to wonder how that makes an artist feel, to see their work copied and sold elsewhere. (Granted, Degas isn't around to mope about it, but still, it does seem unfair.) Do you think the Degas paiting itself was a bit of forbidden fruit for Clair? Do you think Aiden knew that and used it to his advantage?

Teresa: such a good point about Claire being young! I think we do things in our youth that we would never consider doing a decade later. In some ways this works out well because it breeds visionaries and entreprenuers. But it can also wreak havoc on individual lives. Do you think Claire struggled deeply with the morality of her decision? Or was it easily justified and passed over? What would you have done in that situation?

10:04 am
February 1, 2013

Ariel

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Early in the story we learn that the Degas that Claire is forging is actually a forgery itself. Had Claire not been left handed she would have never discovered this. I think this helped legitimize the deal for Claire. She felt less guilty about copying a copy than she would have with the original. How did this shift in the story effect your idea of what was going to happen? Did you wonder if Aiden knew?

10:23 am
February 1, 2013

jennsbookshelves

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I knew very little about art going in to reading this novel, nor did I want to! That said, just a few pages in I was completely enamored! The author did an outstanding job of educating the reader without sounding like a professor! Also, as a fan of thrillers I was completely intrigued by the storyline. Overall, this novel impressed me greatly.

10:50 am
February 1, 2013

Kerry Ann

Fla

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Honestly, I was sucked in before I even started—the cover, the subject. I adore books about the art world. I have NO talent myself, but thick art tombs fill many of my bookshelves. I remember falling in love with Stone's The Agony and the Ecstasy (about Michelangelo) in high school (later standing in shock before and under his masterpieces). Now I eagerly await each new Daniel Silva thriller about an art restorer/spy.

Reading a novel about a woman in the art world was unique–there should be more of them. I knew little about the world of forging and found the details fascinating. Any book that not only captures me with story but teaches me something as well is a keeper.

I think Claire finding out about the forgery was necesarry to make her a more relatable character. Many readers may dislike a character who knowingly commits a criminal act, but her dealing with a forgery took that edge off her, though she was a sharp character. It was a turning point, as if we were allowed to say "whew, now we are allowed to like her."

11:34 am
February 1, 2013

ballyn

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I enjoyed this book more then I thought, due to my art ignorance. B.A. Shapiro did a great job of educating me a bit in an interesting way…definitely an art form. :) I was surprised how Clair forged along….she had a huge disappointment fresh out of school but she did not seem jaded just a little cautious. The draw for her was the gallery show. She felt like this was her chance to change the way she was perceived in the art world however she was taking the chance that, if discovered, she would again be seen as "the great pretender". A label that would stick forever, never being respected for her creative talent. That was the danger.

I really felt like was in the mist of a the eclectic….trendy…big city life of a struggling artist…and I was entertained for sure.

Such an intriguing event in itself…the Gardner Musuem heist. BA Shapiro spiced it up even more with her imaginative way of portraying it. The story prompted me to go to the musuem's site and I actually could get a feel for the rooms and the museum itself…..can't wait to see it in person. Hope I can keep in mind what truly happened verses this version, but it might be fun to think of the happenings as Barbara portrayed them. Great Great book! Thank you for suggesting this month.

11:50 am
February 1, 2013

Leigh Ann

Algonquin, IL

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Good idea to look up the museum, I did not do that, but I did look up Degas and his After the Bath picture, I felt like I needed to have that in my brain to continue the story. I It helped me to be able to "see" it. I do believe Aiden knew her weakness and played it all along. I was disappointed, but not surprised to see at the end that he was not the man she thought he was.

11:51 am
February 1, 2013

ballyn

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I agree with Kerry Ann…I was relieved and wanted it to be a copy. I wanted to be okay with liking Clair and I wanted her to be safe if Aiden was pulling a fast one. I do think this was somewhat of a releif for Claire also but I also think it peaked her interest as to just where the original was and why was it slightly off from Degas true form. I questioned Aiden the whole time……I definitely wondered what he was up too!

12:07 pm
February 1, 2013

Ariel

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Jenn: I agree. She could have easily written like a professor, imparting her knowledge. But she didn't. We lived the story alongside Claire and that was the magic for me.

Kerry Ann: Loved your point about the painting needing to be a forgery to help us root for Claire. Especially since she doesn't qualify as an anti-hero. Now that I think about it, it's fascinating how we NEED our main characters to be moral. Why is that, do you think?

Ballyn: So great to see you here! I did look up After the Bath but it never occurred to me to find the museum online. I wish I had! But I am a sucker for novels that combine a contemporary and historical narrative. I thought the Isabella Gardner thread added so much to the story and the journal entries entertwined perfectly with each of Claire's revelations.

12:16 pm
February 1, 2013

ballyn

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Ariel: The Museum on line is a great website….you can see the layout and the artwork and the uniqueness of the museum itself…it enhanced the visualization for me.

12:26 pm
February 1, 2013

Ariel

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OK, let's spend a little time on the historic thread woven throughout the novel. We get a look at Isabella Gardner through letters written to her beloved niece. Isabella is eccentric, independent, enamored with art, and somewhat reckless (albeit hidden behind the veil of propriety). These letters are introduced to us as seperate from the main story (i.e. we, the reader, are reading them and not one of the characters) and the story behind her art collection, and the Degas in particular, slowly comes to life.

In the mean time, Claire is doing her own research on Isabella and the Gardner family. We see how the museum has hijacked Isabella's legacy and how frustrated her family is with this. As the story progresses these two narratives slowly merge.

What did you think of Isabella as a character? Is she someone you would want to know? Did this narrative thread give you a greater understanding of the story? Did you begin to guess the twists or how the story would end?

12:59 pm
February 1, 2013

travelingwitht

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Post edited 1:05 pm – February 1, 2013 by travelingwitht

A bit of great news before we start: the thoughtful and amazing Tamara Welch has come on board as our new Online Book Club Leader. She'll officially begin hosting these discussions next month but I'm sure you'll see her around the forum a lot today. We're pretty crazy about her and we know you will be too!

So, to kick us off, a bit of background, and a question (I'll add to these as the day goes on):

The background: I love art. I can't help it, really. My mother is an artist. (Ironically enough, some of her sculptures are hanging in a gallery alongside a Degas painting at this moment.) I was raised around sculptures and tin collage. There was actually a time in my life where I couldn't fall asleep without one of my mother's works-in-progress in my bedroom. They were papier mache sculptures and she would leave them in my window to dry. I'd wake at night and they seemed like sentinels there in the window, standing guard. So even though I can't paint or draw or sculpt myself, I see the world through an artist's lens. The urge to create makes sense to me. When I settled in to read THE ART FORGER I knew this was the book for us.

The first question: How much did you know about the world of art before you began reading THE ART FORGER? What surprised you as you read? What about Claire's creative process or worldview was intriguing to you?

Ariel

1:12 pm
February 1, 2013

travelingwitht

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Loved the art forger! Thought it was great!

1:18 pm
February 1, 2013

Leigh Ann

Algonquin, IL

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I loved Isabella as a person, qwirky but fun!! I thought the letters added a lot to the story, yet did not give too much away.I kept expecting Claire to find the journal when she was doing all the research that would have all the letters in it. I was a little surprised she never found/saw them. But, it did not distract from the story that she didn't. Just went a different way than I expected.

1:18 pm
February 1, 2013

travelingwitht

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Please disregard my earlier post- I promise to try to not be such a newbie next month! Claire so many mistakes; but she was young & in love. I loved that she figured out the truth about the degas painting!