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| The Forger's Spell: A True Story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the Greatest Art Hoax of the Twentieth Century | 
 enlarge | Author: Edward Dolnick
Publisher: Harper
Category: Book
List Price: $26.95
Buy New: $14.94
You Save: $12.01 (45%)
New (41) Used (11) from $14.94
Avg. Customer Rating:  19 reviews
Sales Rank: 10242
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 368
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.5
ISBN: 0060825413
Dewey Decimal Number: 759.9492
EAN: 9780060825416
ASIN: 0060825413
Publication Date: July 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new item. Over 3.5 million customers served. Order now. Selling online since 1995. Order with confidence. Code: B20081113221647T
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| Customer Reviews:
 Spell? August 15, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Interesting, but many parts are boring. Seems to repeat the same things over and over again.
Put it On Your Paperback List for Summer 09 August 1, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Dolnick has a good story with a lot of hooks: big money, Vermeer, Nazi intrigue, etc. And, I think he delivers with an interesting core story and a lot of good side notes on Nazi personalities, art forgery and art history -- especially of the Dutch school in the 17th cent.
But, where his more frenetic style payed dividends in "The Rescue Artist," I think it takes something away from this subject. The book is composed of dozens of very short chapters and bounces around -- sometimes without real solid continuity.
Which is why I recommend the paperback. If you're looking for something to read in short bursts on the train or at the beach, this book is very manageable, tells a good story and brings you out of the Evanovich-level mass market fiction zone.
 Riveting August 5, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
Fascinating book. I love the way this author tells the story. He's so smart and witty, with a terrific love of language. It is a pleasure to be in his company as he guides us through the worlds of forgers, art and World War II Holland.
A couple of things stand out. The story is set against the backdrop of Hitler, Goering and occupied Holland, and the time and place come to life vividly through telling details, e.g., "the Dutch had choked down 'roof rabbit' --dog or cat --" and "Germany snatched a hundred thousand bicycles from their Dutch owners in order to reuse the metal." Rarely has history been so compelling to me.
Secondly, the psychological underpinnings are astutely explored. We come to see how this forger was able to cast his spell on Goering and the art world. Dolnick describes a phenomenon known as the Uncanny Valley, where an imitation so closely resembles a real thing that we instinctively recoil. Far better and more believable, the forger discovers, to create a work that resembles a great piece, but differs from it. I loved this book and didn't want it to end.
A professional "fine" artist review July 15, 2008
1 out of 6 found this review helpful
As a professional "fine" artist for more than half a century I learned so much about the philosophy of forging and the forgers' mind - plus the technology of forging antique paintings. But this book isn't just for artists - it's for anyone who enjoys looking at any kind of art. It should not be missed!
I WAS TRANSFIXED... July 30, 2008
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
I love this book.
It was very hard to set it aside and tend the the daily issues of work and family.
The juxtaposition of the exquisite beauty and light of Vermeer and the grotesque darkness of Nazi evil really worked for me. I liked the relatively short chapters that focused on an element or detail that related to the grander theme.
For eclectic, curious readers like me, this terrific volume is truly spellbinding.
There's a great movie here in just the story of Goering (Gerard Depardieu) and Meegeren (John Hurt) -- the Nazi and the forger.
Especially fascinating is the author's riffs on perception of authenticity or fakery by learned scholars and the intuitive awareness of inferior art and fraud by the untrained eye of the ordinary observer.
Highly recommended.
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