What readers think of The Art Forger, plus links to write your own review.

I was attracted to the subject matter because I have enjoyed other novels about art and art history before. This was a fascinating story about the science and ethics of art forgery, of fame and infamy, and the perils and joys of love. Shapiro's writing is very good, and I felt very involved with her characters. Tho it may stretch credibility to think that Claire could do what she did, it fit well in the context of the story. It is fiction after all! I read the book quickly, and the last 100 pages without stopping. Even though I had many other things to do, I needed to see how it ended! Book clubs would find much to discuss here - art history, art thefts, and ethics.

One of the main reasons one reads is to learn and in "The Art Forger" one learns about the world of painters, dealers, curators, forgers, and copiers. Author, B.A. Shapiro, adds a clever twist with an intrigue involving Claire Roth, the Gardner Museum in Boston founded by Isabella Stewart Gardner and her contacts with Edgar Degas. After reading "Dancing for Degas" by Kathryn Wagner, this novel gave more insight to the life and times of Degas. Highly recommended.

The Art Forger is a very good mystery filled with fascinating facts about the art industry. It revolves around reproductions, art forgery and a missing masterpiece. The fictional story is based on a real event - the largest art heist ever in which 13 works of art from such masters as Rembrandt, Vermeer and Degas were stolen from the Gardner Museum in Boston. I loved the main character, Claire. She is a talented but struggling artist, who a few years earlier, was shunned by the art world thru no fault of her own. She has exceptional artistic abilities and also expertise in the art of reproduction. I felt her frustration as she struggles to get the recognition she deserves. The development of the additional characters was well done - the obsessive collectors, devious painters and art dealers. I appreciate the author’s extensive study in the world of masterpieces.

The Art Forger is a delightful novel of intrigue that involves questions of forgery, the still unsolved March 1990 heist from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, a blackballed artist whom nobody believed had been the actual painter of a purported masterpiece by her lover, an improbable artistic triumph, and the imagined relationship between Gardner and Edgar Degas. The theme of the story seams to question whether experts and art lovers see what they want to see and authentic works of suspect origin to protect the name of a venerable institution or from a more base perception to protect a valuable asset.

I found the novel particularly fascinating given the recent exposes in Vanity Fair and the New York papers regarding the questioned provenance of several paintings sold by a well known esteemed gallery that has since shuttered its doors. This story resonates because we all know that even the most well regarded experts have been fooled. It makes one wonder how many museums unknowingly display wrongly attributed works.

While the novel starts off a bit slow, within a few chapters it picks up and reeled me in like a prize fish. This is a great story and I can see this ultimately made into a successful film.

This book is less a mystery, even though it is about the Gardiner museum heist, and more a journey through the art world. Buying, selling, reproducing, copying and acquiring, all of which are portrayed in this novel. A;though everything in the book is not historically accurate, as the author herself agrees, it is well researched as far as painters and techniques are concerned. Actually three different threads combine to feature each different part of the story. Liked meeting Degas, if only in this book as well as Gardner, Henry James and other notables. Art lovers will find much to like in this well written book and immerse themselves in the love and alternately greed that true art collectors display in their pursuit of famous art works. My favorite part was actually the character of Claire, she was so flawed but wanting to do right, yet always talking herself into things for various reasons, like many of us do.. Didn't like either of the two men she loved, neither of them had any admirable qualities that I could see. Will look forward to seeing what this new author writes next.

Shapiro's knowledge of the art world, and Degas in particular, is apparent. Her description of the impressionist's technique and style are thoroughly researched. This attention to detail never bogs down the plot, on the contrary, Shapiro ties it in to her plot expertly. The jumps from times present to past and back again kept me interested. I would definitely recommend this book.

This debut novel set in current day Boston was a fun interesting read.
The main character – Claire Roth – is a talented artist who because of a scandal early in her career has turned to copying masterpieces for a living. She is asked by a prominent gallery owner to copy a Degas painting for one of his clients. The subject sounds dry but in fact the story is a fast-paced and convoluted mystery and Shapiro is a good writer. We learn much about the Boston art world, the 1990 Gardner Museum art heist, and history about Isabella Stewart Gardner and her museum. The "mystery" behind this work of art moves the story along quickly and the involvement of the Boston Police and the FBI puts it in the quasi-thriller category.

I wasn't quite sure if I was going to enjoy THE ART FORGER but I was intrigued by the subject matter as a former resident of Boston around the time of the Gardner heist. Imagine my surprise when I found myself pulled into the story. Ms. Shapiro has crafted a story that provides an amazing glimpse into the history of art forgery as well as the history of Isabella Stewart Gardner. The characters are realistic and neither lovable nor despicable (for the most part). I empathized with Claire Roth throughout the story and couldn't wait to find out what would happen next.
The combination of Claire's history of forgery, her present circumstances with reproduction and forgery, and the inclusion of specifics on forgery throughout history made for an extremely enjoyable read. By the time I finished reading THE ART FORGER, I was tempted to find local classes on art history and forgery just to learn more. This isn't a quick read but is definitely a memorable and enjoyable read. I strongly recommend THE ART FORGER.