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W hen I was a little girl, I wanted to be an artist. Unfortunately, it became clear early on that this was not where my talents lay. So I moved on to other things: the Beatles, the Flintstones, and reading every novel I could get my hands on. Whatsit, an extraterrestrial being who could bend time and space to her whim. This, she assured me, was doable, but instead I became a sociologist.
Do you think this is true? How does Shapiro develop this theme throughout the novel? However, there are also portions narrated by Paulien that take place before the main storyline, and portions narrated by an older Vivienne that take place after the main storyline.
How did this structure affect your reading experience? Sign up for the Newsletter: Subscribe. Toklas and Thornton Wilder; readers will be swept away by this thoroughly rewarding novel. Paulien Mertens, a young woman from a distinguished family, finds herself alone and penniless in Paris Although innocent of any duplicity, she must rebuild her life by reinventing herself with a new name Vivienne Gregsby.
She meets a wealthy art collector named Edwin Bradley from America who needs an interpreter to help him on hi Paulien Mertens, a young woman from a distinguished family, finds herself alone and penniless in Paris She meets a wealthy art collector named Edwin Bradley from America who needs an interpreter to help him on his art buying trip. Her indifferent treatment of her benefactor Edwin, who is secretly in love with her, is very cold and callous.
She only shows real emotion when she's with Henri Matisse or gazing at the artwork around her. Although I thought this book was okay, I would recommend it to my fellow book lovers so they can form their own opinions about it. It is well written with constant twists and turns and introductions of fictional characters interacting with real life artists and art collectors like Henri Matisse, Gertrude Stein, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.
It is a very entertaining read. Jul 24, Laura Rash rated it it was ok. A Ponzi scheme leads a woman to start a new life with a new identity in the art world. Just not my cup of tea tho I enjoyed her last book. This was a Goodreads win. Jan 05, Wendy Walker rated it it was amazing. BA Shapiro always delivers a spellbinding story, with art, history and heart stopping suspense.
Having had the privilege hearing her speak, I can tell you that what goes into these plots is an extraordinary practice of notes and charts and meticulous planning. The result is a truly wonderful read!
May 19, Jennifer S. Alderson rated it it was amazing Shelves: art-history , historical-fiction. Henri Matisse 'La Joie de Vivre' is probably my favorite piece of art, so discovering this gorgeous work is central to The Collector's Apprentice was a real treat! As an art history buff, I knew a lot about the Barnes Foundation and his incredible collection. The book slowly draws you in but I found myself speed reading to the end because I coul Henri Matisse 'La Joie de Vivre' is probably my favorite piece of art, so discovering this gorgeous work is central to The Collector's Apprentice was a real treat!
The book slowly draws you in but I found myself speed reading to the end because I couldn't wait to see what happened next. It did take me a while to understand George's role - he is quite an insufferable character - and it was only in the final chapters that it became clear why he was part of this story.
I don't want to give away too much, but can say the end is quite clever! This is the story about a fascinating era, the birth of incredible modern art collections, important artists, and strong-willed collectors. Fans of art history and historical fiction will really enjoy this one.
Aug 11, Linda Quinn rated it it was amazing. This is another gem from Shapiro. A young woman is preyed upon and tricked by an older con man, leading to the ruin of her family and her banishment from them. The rest of the story moves forward from her banishment and into the past to show how she got there.
Full of passion, betrayal and a satisfying denouement this one will keep you hooked. Jun 23, Rljulie rated it liked it. But I appreciate the mystery just the same—it kept me turning pages. Someday, someone is going to write a really good bio of Dr.
Barnes, art collector, including the scandals, sex, outrages, art world gossip, and naughty parts, and THAT is going to be a terrific five-star read. View all 3 comments.
Jun 02, Lynn rated it really liked it. I think this book should be subtitled "Who's the Real Con Artist? He changes his identity and does it all over again. And again. Meantime, the daughter of the family has also reinvented herself and has a great job with an American billionaire art collector. Names change, locations change, almost too quickly to be recognized I think this book should be subtitled "Who's the Real Con Artist?
Names change, locations change, almost too quickly to be recognized, and then the billionaire is dead [murdered?? A clever whodunit that will keep you guessing as you love to hate the con man all the way through. Jul 18, Julie Klein rated it really liked it. In The Collector's Apprentice, B. Shapiro takes readers back in time to the art world of the s where we meet Matisse, Gertrude Stein and other visionaries of the day.
It's a wonderful historical novel for anyone interested in art and art history, in particular. The story is well written, fairly fast paced, and exciting. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Shapiro's earlier work, The Art Forger. Dec 16, Cyndi rated it really liked it Shelves: netgalley.
Shapiro is an excellent writer, a master of historical fiction. I loved how she integrated historical figures into the plot. I found the storyline to be intriguing and suspenseful and the ending completely satisfying. Many thanks to Netgalley, Algonquin Books, and B. Shapiro for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review.
All opinions are my own. Aug 12, Melissa rated it liked it Shelves: reads , adult-fiction. Not bad. I liked the parts with Matisse best. I loved that this book was set in Paris during the s, and that the main character, Vivienne, got to interact with Gertrude Stein and Henri Matisse. The discussions about art were great fun! The relationship between Vivienne and George played out like The War of the Roses, with the two alternating between love and hate and trying to constantly best each other.
The characters were somewhat flat and overly callous - they definitely could have been fleshed out more. I guessed what the ending wou I loved that this book was set in Paris during the s, and that the main character, Vivienne, got to interact with Gertrude Stein and Henri Matisse.
I guessed what the ending would be about halfway through the book, but it was still fun to read to get to that point. I give this one 3.
May 07, Alexw rated it it was ok. While I thoroughly enjoyed the dialogue with Gertrude Stein and Henri Matisse, I could only give the book 2 stars because of the glaring hole in the story about the driver of the truck that caused the accident. This driver was never even questioned by her defense attorney in the trial which would have made Agatha Christy cringe and was such an oversight by the author which ruined the whole book for me.
Dec 04, Julie rated it liked it. Not quite as good as her other two but Loved the art topic. Feb 17, Liz Quirky Cat rated it really liked it Shelves: reads. Like her other novels, this one focuses mostly on the art world. Unlike the other novels, this one is mostly about art collectors as opposed to artists. It blends fact and fiction seamlessly, so much so that I felt compelled to look up a moment or two in order to figure out how much of it was based on a true story.
Though it still does include a veritable ton of commentary on art and the artists creating it. It also is based more in history, and thus plays around a little bit with some real-life people who were involved in the art world at that time.
In that sense that makes the novel a historical fiction piece, as much as anything else. It had so many elements that I loved in The Art Forger and The Muralist, all while being an entity entirely of its own making.
I respect that the novel was so different from its brethren, and have to give Shapiro credit for experimenting a little bit here. There was a lot going on in this novel. It made for a breathtaking read. And all the while Shapiro manages to squeeze in dozens of art history facts. I loved those moments in particular, for obvious reasons. The novel is certainly more of a thriller than the others before it, and it focuses a bit more on the drama. At least, it felt that way. There was a lot of human nature getting in the way of the art in this novel, but in a very real sense that is what humanity has always been best at, so it makes sense.
I imagine others might enjoy those parts regardless, so take that with a grain of salt. The characters were interesting, as was the plot itself. Shapiro did a brilliant job of painting layer upon layer of deception and intent in this novel. All of their characters introduced had their own ambitions and goals, as well as their own way of achieving them. All of this going at once helped keep the pace moving forward steadily. Will it go back to the more artistic roots, or will it be a thriller?
Will it be something else completely? Or will it be a blend of a few different elements again? Nov 24, Beverly Diehl rated it it was amazing Shelves: action-thriller-suspense , historical-fiction , coming-of-age , big-city , murder , rock-n-roll-music-show-biz.
Having recently been to Paris, and spent a fair amount of time in the art museums and cafes, admiring the paintings, I was immediately captured by the scenes in Paris. Paulien Mertens, who reinvented herself as Vivienne Gregsby, is on trial for murder. Using time cuts to draw the picture of how she came to be in such a situation and wondering, perhaps, if she actually DID the deed , we see a spoiled, pampered, and naive Belgian girl who becomes a woman, after she is alternatively sedu 4.
Using time cuts to draw the picture of how she came to be in such a situation and wondering, perhaps, if she actually DID the deed , we see a spoiled, pampered, and naive Belgian girl who becomes a woman, after she is alternatively seduced, cast out, abused, befriended, and courted.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this work from Algonquin Books. The suspense kept building, the to very end, with several surprises along the way. Vivienne's relationship with Edwin Bradley goes from timid assistant to complete colleague and romantic interest. Along with an entanglement with famed artist Henri Matisse. If you love art, and the idea of "visiting" the artistic salons of Gertrude Stein, you'll probably enjoy this book, based loosely on an interweaving of historical and fictional characters.
Aug 10, Jennifer rated it really liked it Shelves: historical-fiction. I liked this book a lot. Love Shapiro and her representations of art. Sometimes I wish there were photographs to show the paintings she describes. I loved Vivienne and her courage to start a new life and be her own woman, learning a new trade and having an important job. Regardless of which decade or even century we found ourselves in, one constant has pretty much always remained true: people love money, and some will do anything for their coveted fortune.
The nature of financial crimes and their execution has shifted towards the digital realm in recent years, but I feel there is something to be said for the days of old when it was an entirely physical and mental endeavour… namely, it was much more entertaining. Shapiro takes us back to those days with a story revolving around a nineteen-year-old girl caught in the midst of a giant scandal. The story begins in the summer of , as the young Paulien Mertens finds herself hiding in Paris under an assumed name after her fiance stole millions from her family, leaving the poor girl to take the blame.
Trying to lead a new life for herself, she finds work as a model in various art galleries, until she makes the acquaintance of a wealthy American art collector, Edwin Bradley.
As her life seems to be settling down for the better, her fiance, George Everard comes back out of nowhere. Shapiro does a fair amount of world-building and character introductions in the first half of the book, giving us a slow-paced tour of both s Paris and Philadelphia.
There is no question in my mind the author did all the necessary research considering the minute details she recreates those time periods with. She includes enough interesting tidbits of historical information here and there to save these excursions from becoming stale, and I found on the whole she accomplished her goal of building a realistic world for the story to take place in.
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