Customer Reviews

Giotto's Hand (Art History Mystery)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

In general, Giotto's Hand is not the best in this series. But I urge the previous reviewer not to give up on this author. The other books in this series (I've read every one but the Bernini Bust because I can't find it!). Death and Restoration is GREAT and so are the others. D and R is a later installment; Pears is getting better with these characters as he goes on. So, try another and you won't be disappointed. This one is just not his best. Other good ones include the Titian Committee and the Last Judgment.

Not only is this book an outstandingly enjoyable read on its own, but also, in Giotto's Hand, Jonathan Argyll and his fiance Flavia meet up with a character who is pivotal to other books of this charming series.

The struggling young art dealer Jonathan and Flavia the art cop live, of course, in Rome, the art capitol of the world. Pears not only gives the reader a beautiful feel for life in this culturally rich and layered city, but also gives a delightful study in contrasts when Jonathan is propelled by circumstances back into a small English village. As the story moves from one country to the other, the characters remain firmly and convincingly immured in the world of art dealers and art thieves - often one and the same.

Unlike so many mysteries, this is not one with an open and shut conclusion. Morality must get gently re-defined as the circumstances of real life impact the black and white facts of the crime. Although this is a relatively simple tale, and doesn't pretend to the complexity of Pears' "An Instance of the Fingerpost", this is a subtle, heart-warming and sophisticated mystery.

I was originally interested in this novel because I am an avid mystery reader with an interest in art history. In addition, the author has been compared to both Kate Ross and Umberto Eco, two novelists I enjoy. Unfortunately, while the book was easy to read, I did not find it compelling nor was I intrigued by the suspense. The character development was somewhat shallow. In sum, I found this to be a mediocre read.

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.

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 to be a good setting for this mystery. The various characters in the book were interesting and well drawn but the main characters were only very quickly fleshed out (perhaps the series should be read in order to understand the main characters better).

It took no more than 4-5 hours to read and the ending was good and not entirely forseeable.

While other mysteries have stayed with me longer, I did enjoy the time spent reading this book.

This is the second Pears book I have read, and I thought it was excellent, but not as good as "The Last Judgement." It certainly references artists and art history more that the latter, but it is not as thrilling. The references to the politics of a small country town in England are funny and entirely believable. The two main characters, Flavia and Jonathan, are entertaining as always, but they are not as well developed as they were in "The Last Judgement."

Having read other books by Pears I found this one a bit trite. His characters need more filling out but I like his sotry line and the incorporation of great art with mystery/crime plots.

I found "Giotto's Hand" a nice unchallenging, relaxing read, in the course of which I learned a surprising amount about the world of art dealing (although, as other reviewers have pointed out, not so much about art itself). It does present a welcome alternative to the high-tension, ultra-violent world of so many modern thrillers and police procedurals. Instead, we are introduced to the Dilbert-like office politics of Rome's Art Theft Squad, where Dottore Corrado Argan, a ruthless and resourceful career bureaucrat, is making a spirited bid to take over from the team's long-standing, highly respected, and very effective boss General Taddeo Bottando. (There is something charmingly Italian about the idea of a general being put in charge of investigating art thefts...)

By way of Rome, Florence, and London the case leads to the wilds of East Anglia - and a strangely coincidental murder (or was it murder?) It is typical of Iain Pears' laid-back style that most of the investigation is carried out very informally by failed art dealer Jonathan Argyll, whose standing consists solely of being the boy friend of Flavia di Stefano, one of Bottando's trusted officers. Gradually the story comes together, plunging us into a mass of deceptions, frauds, and other crimes - many of them hoary with age. But can anything be proved? And should the surviving perpetrators (if any) really be brought to justice? Most important of all, how can the whole smelly Gorgonzola best be employed to confound Dottore Argan? Read on and find out...

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