The Art Thief, by Michael Finkel, is the story of Stéphane Breitwieser and his real-life escapades across Western Europe committing art heists to fulfill a personal desire to surround himself with beauty.
This young man develops an improbable skill for stealing priceless pieces of art in what plays out like a movie but is actually the true story of one of the world's greatest modern thieves. However, it actually gets weirder. Not only has he stolen works of art for personal pleasure, but he takes them home to hang on the walls of a tiny room where he and his girlfriend live rent-free with his mother.
The book can be a little repetitive at times given that Breitwieser stole somewhere around 300 works of art and the heists all take place in small Western European museums.
It has elements of the Pierce Brosnan/Renee Russo movie The Thomas Crown Affair, but without all the glamour. However, I do think it is one of those rare books that might make a better movie, if for no other reason than to include the beauty of the art juxtaposed with the bizarre collection he accumulates in his little shared love nest above his mother's house.
It's a pretty short book, at just over 200 pages, and it's a nice departure from my usual focus on fiction. While the audiobook is well done, I might recommend the paperback to see the visuals of the extensive artwork referenced.
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