The swan thieves by elizabeth kostova biblioholics blog. I wanted to give swan thieves book 5 stars but im afraid i can only give it 3 in good faith. These letters are interspersed throughout the book, giving us a glimpse of parisian life at the end of the 19th century and the burgeoning impressionist movement. Jan 11, 2010 the narrator of the swan thieves is andrew marlow, a middleaged psychiatrist who becomes personally entangled in the case of a new patient at the private residential center where he works. Elizabeth kostova made a dramatic debut in 2005 with her megabestselling the historian. You see, the swan thieves like her previous book, the historian is one of those novels that is so gripping that i want to stand on street. In this novel the swan thieves, my attention was held throughout the reading of the story in the audiobook edition. The swan thieves by elizabeth kostova book club discussion. Kostovas new novel, the swan thieves, keeps the gothic motif going with its themes of art, madness and obsession. Its one of those books you cant decide whether it was a decent one or a mediocre one. Here is what she writes about the obsessive artist robert oliver, the main figure in her second novel, the swan thieves. The swan thieves shows the same meticulous historical research and scenesetting description that elevated the historian from a vampire tale to a work of.
Elizabeth kostovas weighty vampire saga the historian became the biggest selling hardback novel in us history when it was published in 2005. The swan thieves shows the same meticulous historical research and scenesetting description that elevated the historian from a vampire tale to a work of art. Though she explores love, travels through time and place, and provides a satisfying mystery, these similarities to the historian do not conceal the reality that the swan thieves is quite a different novel. In this 564page tome lies a pretty good 300page book. The swan thieves is a story of obsession, historys losses, and the power of art to preserve human hope. Her new novel, the swan thieves, is a tale of love, obsession and art that, like the historian, goes backward and forward in time to unravel a mystery. What are the major landscapes of the book, and what effect do they have on the characters. Kostova follows up her blockbuster debut about the undead the historian, 2005 with a romance about a contemporary painters obsession with an undiscovered 19thcentury impressionist. Kostovas masterful new novel travels from american cities to the coast of normandy, from the late 19th century to the late 20th, from young love to last love. I thoroughly enjoyed this book even more than its predecessor the historian high praise indeed. Elizabeth kostovas new artworld novel and cartoonist r.
The story essentially opens with robert attempting to slash the leda, a painting at the national gallery in washington d. Elizabeth kostova has a great level of skill, detail and depth to her writing. The swan thieves11 read online free elizabeth kostova. The narration switches between his psychiatrist andrew marlow and. The swan thieves by elizabeth kostova is a fitting sophomore effort following up on her huge hit the historian. Five years later, shes returned with the swan thieves. In her second novel, the swan thieves, kostova starts with less promising material.
Reading guide for the swan thieves by elizabeth kostova. Instead, he gave us a tour, the lingering tour of the collector who loves his paintings and introduces them as if they are people. After he attempts to slash the painting leda at the national gallery in washington, d. Beatrice is a french artist whose correspondence with her. Jan 12, 2010 the swan thieves by elizabeth kostova. Henri, of course, thinks that his painting is the last onethe one called the swan thieves. Legions of fans of the first book have been waiting impatiently, or perhaps even obsessively, for this novel. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the swan thieves by elizabeth kostova.
I am unsure if reading the book would have been the same experience and if it would have held my attention in the same way the audiobook version did. There were also some little pieces that might have been by seuratpointillist work anywayand a host of paintings from between the wars. The swan thieves 2010, a historical novel by american writer. When not writing, mary sings 80s hairband songs to her three muggle children, and ogles her husband who looks strikingly like wolverine. Its another historical thriller of sorts which swaps the eastern europe of vlad the impaler for 19thcentury paris and the birth of impressionism. Elizabeth kostovas the swan thieves posted by trisha, managing editor on november 17, 2009 one of the first big releases of january 2010 is elizabeth kostovas followup to her hit debut, the historian, a literary vampire story that topped bestseller lists in the summer of 2005. The narrator of the swan thieves is andrew marlow, a middleaged psychiatrist who becomes personally entangled in the case of a new patient at the private residential center where he works. Landscapes play an important role in the swan thieves, both in life and on canvas. Elizabeth kostovas second novel will delight some readers and disappoint others.
Katharine webers fifth novel, true confections, will be published by shaye areheart books in january. When renowned painter robert oliver attacks a canvas in the national gallery of art and becomes his patient, marlow finds that order destroyed. In the swan thieves, however, it is a mans life that is defined by the women he has known, loved and affectedfor better or worse. In the swan thieves, author elizabeth kostova wallows in too much artistic obsession and passion. The swan thieves62 read online free elizabeth kostova.
This book took me what seemed like forever to finish. The swan thieves is a story of obsession, historys losses, and the power of art to preserve hope. The old painter described in the book before the first chapter is alfred sisley. Superficially, the book belongs to that genre of contemporary fiction that spins out back stories for famous paintings, usually about how the artist was secretly in love with his model. The swan thieves opens when a renowned artist attacks a painting of leda and the. The swan thieves page 8594 we got to our feet at once, but caillet did not take us directly to beatrice s work. A novel about art and obsession, from the author of the historian. The swan thieves succeeds both in its echoes of the historian and as it maps new territory for this canny and successful writer. The swan thieves by elizabeth kostova the best thing by far about elizabeth kostovas second novel is its basic story.
It has a number of wonderful features but also a number of flaws. But that would explain the titleit is her last swanand the fact that i have never been able to find anything about a painting with a later date. Jan 23, 2010 the swan thieves by elizabeth kostova. The swan theives is a story of obsession, historys losses. At the end of the book we finally meet a couple of semiinteresting characterstwo fossilized art dealers who knew beatrices daughter.
Psychiatrist andrew marlow, devoted to his profession and the painting hobby he loves, has a solitary but ordered life. Ive been looking forward to the swan thieves for months and months and months, ever since i heard that elizabeth kostova had a new book coming out. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Mary weber is the bestselling harpercollins author of six books, including the storm siren trilogy, the evaporation of sofi snow series, and this years highlyacclaimed to best the boys.
Robert oliver is a gifted and very troubled artist. The story is complex and gradually draws the reader inside the world of painter robert oliver, mostly as perceived by the three women in his life, his exwife and girlfriend as well as beatrice le clerval herself. The swan thieves is a 2010 novel by american author elizabeth kostova. At the end of the book we finally meet a couple of semiinteresting characterstwo fossilized art dealers who knew beatrice s daughter. The patient is robert oliver, a 42yearold artist of burgeoning reputation who gets arrested for trying to slash a painting at the national gallery. One of the female characters in elizabeth kostovas most recent novel, the swan thieves, mentions that, it seems to her, a womans history is often defined by the men in her life. Kostovas masterful new novel travels from american cities to the coast of normandy. The swan thieves page 8594 we got to our feet at once, but caillet did not take us directly to beatrices work. The swan thieves by elizabeth kostova librarything.
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