The Swan Thieves
-Elizabeth Kostova
For
those who are tired with the mediocrity of modern novels, The Swan Thieves will
be a heartening feast for the parched imagination. The central figure of this
novel is a gifted artist, Robert Oliver, who is arrested when he attacks a painting
in the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC called ‘Leda’. The story
revolves around this painting of a mortal woman ravished by Zeus in the form of
a swan, and its attacker. When psychiatrist and amateur painter, Andrew Marlow
accepts Robert as his patient, he is completely at a loss to figure out our
enigmatic painter, who refuses to utter more than a few weak sentences and
spends his time reading a stack of shabby letters over and over again and
painting obsessively a woman’s picture. His patients adamant aversion from
cordiality makes him delve into his personal life to find the mystery behind
Robert’s lack of communication, as well as to discover the identity of the
woman he so sincerely paints.
The
characters in this book are so charming and so intriguing that it is hard to
find a favourite. Kostova tactfully switches between the present and the past
entries of ancient letters and scenes from the 19th century. It’s
almost as if there are several stories woven into one, but each one of them as
enchanting as the before; fold after thrilling fold reveals something
intriguing and exotic. Kostova succeeds in a study of human failings and the
sanctity of art, from Oliver’s own painful journey to the women who have known
him as well as a 19th century female artist, Beatrice de Cleval and
her mentor, the awe inspiring Oliver Vignot.
The
story might stray from the main plot line sometimes, but she always manages to
sustain the tension in the air. The book keeps you guessing and hypothesizing
as to what made Robert attack the painting, how the letters are related to him
and what sort of a life this mysterious painter lead. In doing so, Marlow
discovers a long hidden secret and scandal in the world of 19th
century.
A
great love story fuels a mystery in 1877 that reaches into the 20th
century. From one century to another, Kostova explores the tumultuous landscape
of the artist and the power of originality. It is easy to fall in love with the
genius as well as the many distinguished characters. Blending impressionist
France with the modern Washington DC, this is a sweeping novel of artistic
genius and its demands among several other things. From the windswept coast in
Normandy to the predawn hours as Oliver paints furiously in his attic, the
impact on the reader is magnificent.
This
is a grand tale of revolutionary art and is sure to leave you thinking about
the characters long after you have turned the last pages of the book. Elizabeth
Kostova reigns!
