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Set in a Paris darkened by World War II, Sara Houghteling’s sweeping and sensuous debut novel tells the story of a son’s quest to recover his family’s lost masterpieces, looted by the Nazis during the occupation.
Born to an art dealer and his pianist wife, Max Berenzon is forbidden from entering the family business for reasons he cannot understand. He reluctantly attends medical school, reserving his true passion for his father’s beautiful and brilliant gallery assistant, Rose Clément. W... (show more)
Born to an art dealer and his pianist wife, Max Berenzon is forbidden from entering the family business for reasons he cannot understand. He reluctantly attends medical school, reserving his true passion for his father’s beautiful and brilliant gallery assistant, Rose Clément. When Paris falls to the Nazis, the Berenzons survive in hiding. They return in 1944 to find that their priceless collection has vanished: gone are the Matisses, the Picassos, and a singular Manet of mysterious importance. Madly driven to recover his father’s paintings, Max navigates a torn city of corrupt art dealers, black marketers, Résistants, and collaborators. His quest will reveal the tragic disappearance of his closest friend, the heroism of his lost love, and the truth behind a devastating family secret.
Written with tense drama and a historian’s eye for detail, Houghteling’s novel draws on the real-life stories of France’s preeminent art-dealing familes and the forgotten biography of the only French woman to work as a double agent inside the Nazis’ looted art stronghold. Pictures at an Exhibition conjures the vanished collections, the lives of the artists and their dealers, the exquisite romance, and the shattering loss of a singular era. It is a work of astonishing ambition and beauty from an immensely gifted new novelist.
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The subject matter is certainly compelling -- the mysteries of what happened to all of the artwork that was systematically looted from France by the Nazis, and the ongoing struggle to return it all to its rightful owners -- but execution was flawed. There were pieces missing from the story, and the great "mystery" surrounding one particular painting was not all that mysterious, or, frankly, interesting. I wish the book had been about Rose, and told from her point of view, instead ... (show more)
The subject matter is certainly compelling -- the mysteries of what happened to all of the artwork that was systematically looted from France by the Nazis, and the ongoing struggle to return it all to its rightful owners -- but execution was flawed. There were pieces missing from the story, and the great "mystery" surrounding one particular painting was not all that mysterious, or, frankly, interesting. I wish the book had been about Rose, and told from her point of view, instead of Max, who I found insufferably whiny. I pushed through the end of the book just to finish it, not because of any drive to find out what happened next. Disappointing. (show less)
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Sara Houghteling's debut novel is about Max Berezon, a son seeking his art dealer father's stolen masterpieces, looted by the Nazis during WWII. It's a remarkably detailed and thoroughly researched novel, beautifully blending fact with fiction that really captures the setting perfectly immersing you in the time period. Many of the characters are based on real life people, including the character Rose Clement, who single-handedly saved many art treasures from destruction. The scenes in the ar... (show more)
Sara Houghteling's debut novel is about Max Berezon, a son seeking his art dealer father's stolen masterpieces, looted by the Nazis during WWII. It's a remarkably detailed and thoroughly researched novel, beautifully blending fact with fiction that really captures the setting perfectly immersing you in the time period. Many of the characters are based on real life people, including the character Rose Clement, who single-handedly saved many art treasures from destruction. The scenes in the art world -- the galleries, auctions, deals -- are fascinating and any art lover will appreciate Houghteling's recreation of them. The prose is airy and lush and combined with Houghteling's distinctive voice keeps the pages turning. (show less)
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