The Modigliani Scandal by Ken Follett is a novel set in the art world, revolving around art forgeries, auction houses, and the hunt for an undiscovered masterpiece by Modigliani. The story features a mix of characters, each with their own motivations and agendas, all intertwined in a plot filled with deception, intrigue, and unexpected twists. The writing style is described as being raw and not fully developed, with some readers finding it dated and lacking in depth compared to Follett's later works.

Characters:

The characters lack depth and are considered unlikable, leading to a disconnect with readers due to their overwhelming presence.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is a mix of simplicity with raw elements, trying to balance serious themes with a caper tone.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot features a caper story centered around art forgery, with various characters interacting in a complex narrative about painting thefts.

Setting:

The setting revolves around the art world, capturing the essence of both London and Italian locales related to art forgery.

Pacing:

The pacing varies significantly, starting off slow and confusing before improving towards the end but remaining uneven throughout.

THE BAKER SCRATCHED HIS black mustache with a floury finger, turning the hair gray and unintentionally making himself look ten years older. Around him the shelves and counters were full of long loaves...

Notes:

Ken Follett aimed to write a deep novel about the human condition but readers found it to be a fast-paced caper.

Many readers felt overwhelmed by the large number of characters in the story.

The book is set in the art world, focusing on art forgeries and the quest for an undiscovered Modigliani painting.

The narrative features a twist at the end that some readers found satisfying after struggling through earlier chapters.

Follett's commentary on the art world was seen as heavy-handed and dated by some reviewers.

Some found the characters shallow and unlikable, making it hard to connect with them.

The book was considered lightweight and not representative of Follett's later, more mature writing style.

Listeners appreciated the audiobook's narration by Michael York but criticized some of his character accents.

Despite its flaws, some readers enjoyed the quirky nature of the tale a lot like an early work of Modigliani before he found his style.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings for this book include themes of drug use, sexual content, and possible insights into mental health issues in characters.

From The Publisher:

A high-speed, high-stakes thriller from Ken Follett, the grand master of international action and suspense.

A fabulous "lost masterpiece" becomes the ultimate prize-for an art historian whose ambition consumes everyone around her, an angry young painter with a plan for revenge on the art establishment, and a desperate gallery owner who may have double-crossed his own life away. Behind the elegance and glamour of the art world, anything goes-theft, forgery, betrayal, and maybe even murder. . . .

Reader Stats (5):

Read It (1)
Want To Read (3)
Not Interested (1)

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The Modigliani Scandal?

About the Author:

Ken Follett is one of the world's best-loved authors, selling more than 160 million copies of his thirty books. Follett's first bestseller was Eye of the Needle, a spy story set in the Second World War.

In 1989 The Pillars of the Earth was published, and has since become the author's most successful novel. It reached number one on bestseller lists around the world and was an Oprah's Book Club pick.

Its sequels, World Without End and A Column of Fire, proved equally popular, and the Kingsbridge series has sold 38 million copies worldwide.

Follett lives in Hertfordshire, England, with his wife Barbara. Between them they have five children, six grandchildren, and three Labradors.

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The Modigliani Scandal

Ken Follett