鈥淭he Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession鈥� by Michael Finkel (Alfred A. Knopf)
What is it about stories of transgression that keep us wanting more of them? Tales of heists, con artists and even murders permeate all corners of society, from Dostoevsky to 鈥淭iger King.鈥�
It is this insatiable thirst for accounts of crime 鈥� and if based on real events, all the better 鈥� that journalist Michael Finkel exploits in 鈥淭he Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime and a Dangerous Obsession.鈥�
It recounts the astonishing saga of St茅phane Breitwieser, the notorious art thief who stole hundreds of pieces of art between 1994 and 2001, mostly from museums throughout Europe 鈥� a collection which was estimated to be worth around $2 billion.
The level of detail Finkel is able to provide, thanks to extensive reporting and hours of interviews with Breitwieser himself, is uncomfortably gripping, as if the reader is watching these events unfold and working as an accomplice to the French robber鈥檚 crimes.
鈥淭he Art Thief鈥� is the kind of book that is worth finishing if its subject matter gets one鈥檚 attention in the first place, given that the story only gets more scandalous and appalling as it progresses.
Given how much and how often he stole, it is inevitable that recounting so many details of these heists would dull one鈥檚 senses to each otherwise astonishing feat. Though it can sometimes feel like Finkel is belaboring his point, perhaps that is the author鈥檚 intention, a way of underscoring the extent of both Breitwieser鈥檚 skill and addiction.
Although the definition of a page-turner, this book will also likely force the reader to consider why details of this kind are so exhilarating to us in the first place.
Krysta Fauria, The Associated Press
