Giotto's Hand: Amazon.ca: Iain Pears: Books

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Review

Praise for 'Giotto's Hand': 'An elegant and amusing book, perfect for those who love a clever puzzle' Mail on Sunday 'Iain Pears has a superior line in this kind of tale! A divertingly complex, often comic, story in which the art motif is ingeniously central to the solution' Guardian "Giotto's Hand' provides a wry and illuminating portrait of the often devious world of fine art' Val McDermid Praise for 'The Portrait': 'A wonderful, grimly entertaining novel.' Sunday Telegraph 'A revenge fantasy to relish.' Independent on Sunday 'Genuinely creepy.' The Times 'An exquisite miniature that explores the roles of artist and critic with wit and gore.' Evening Standard 'This is an atmospheric tour de force of historical writing, as it is of narrative skill.' Independent 'Taut, disturbing!full of interesting observations about the late nineteenth -- and early twentieth-century art world!mesmerising.' Spectator

Book Description

Witty and clever art history-mystery featuring Jonathan Argyll, from the author of the bestselling masterpiece 'An Instance of the Fingerpost'. General Bottando of Rome's Art Theft Squad is in trouble: his theory that a single master criminal, dubbed 'Giotto', is behind a string of major art thefts has aroused the scorn of his arch enemy and rival, the bureaucrat Corrado Argan. He needs a result, and the confession of a dying woman may just provide the vital clue. In pursuit of the elusive Giotto, Bottando's colleague, Flavia di Stefano, sets off hotfoot for Florence, and English art dealer Jonathan Argyll is dispatched to London and then on to rural Norfolk -- only to discover a body and a mystery which could lead to the greatest art find of his career!

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
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Average Customer Review

3.1 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)

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1.0 out of 5 stars huge let down, Jan 19 2002

By A Customer

I had read an excerpt of Pears' "An Instance of the Fingerpost" a while back. It intrigued me enough that I wanted to read the book. While I have still not read that book, when I saw this one for a dollar at my local Half Price books, I decided I would give Pears a try. I found this book to be severely lacking in character development and found the plot to be thin. I now understand why they had the book priced at a dollar. The book tries to cover too much, which is evident in the subplot of the book involving the conflict between the aging detective and the scrappy new detective. This sub plot is tedious and detracts from the main mystery of the book. Overall the story line is weak, there is too much detracting from the main plot, and the character development leaves much desired. I do still want to read "Instance", but it will be a while before I pick up any other Pears book again. Don't waste your time and energy on this book.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Art History in an easy-to-swallow size, Dec 19 2001

By

JRob (IL USA) - See all my reviews

Yes, I am a Pears fan, strating with "An Instance Of The Fingerpost". I really like these art history mysteries of his. They always have some quirky characters, interesting settings, and very little bloodshed. So I get my armchair travel nicely wrapped in a whodoneit. But I especially like to learn something along the way. Each of these show me something of an art world I will never live in - so I get a double-dip of tourism. This story, set in both Italy and England also throws in a little of Miss Marple's small village life as well. An easy read, not too long - I strongly recommend it.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Clever Cozy, Nov 12 2001

By

sweetmolly (RICHMOND, VA USA) - See all my reviews

I approached this book with a certain amount of resolve, as my only other outing with Iain Pears was "Instance of the Fingerpost" which while fascinating, was quite complex. "Giotto's Hand" was instead, a very nice diversion. Mr. Pears proves he cannot be pigeonholed into one writing category.

Jonathan & Flavia are a delightful twosome headquartered in Rome, but over half the action takes place in a small village in England. The author is obviously well grounded in the style and flavor of both places. His descriptions of the wiles of Italian bureaucracy are priceless. He has a fine ear for dialogue (see following) and wittiness in comparison between the English vs. Italian spirit:

Flavia: "Why would anyone sneer at someone being charming?
Jonathan: "Because this is England, my dear, and that's what we do here."
F: "Why? I like people to be charming."
J.: "But you're Italian. In this country charm means you're superficial, have a tendency to flattery, are probably a bumptious social climber and, moreover, the term carries very distinct implications that you like women."
F: "What's wrong with that?"
J: "A ladies' man," Argyll said darkly. "Few things can be worse. It suggests a propensity to slobber over people's hands and pay compliments like some continental. You can do that sort of thing with dogs, but not with the opposite sex."

It is rare that a mystery makes me laugh aloud and even rarer that I want to, but Mr. Pears succeeds on all counts. My only problem with the book was most of the characters had a fastidious disinclination to become involved in the plot. I kept thinking I must get them back on track some way or another. Also, Mr. Argyll was so full of moral considerations, I feared for Flavia's financial well-being. What Jonathan would or would not do with ill gotten gains ratcheted up the suspense for me considerably.

This is a fine, clever and cunning read. Recommended as a mood lifter.

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Pears' best, but still good
This is the second Pears book I have read, and I thought it was excellent, but not as good as "The Last Judgement. Read more

Published on Jan 8 2001

3.0 out of 5 stars Good read on a cool winter's day
This is the first book in the Art Mysteries series that I have read. I enjoyed the characters of Jonathan Argyll and his fiancee Flavia and found the English countryside setting... Read more