Review: Ugly Cover - Great Novel
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 17, 2014
Do dot be fooled by the cover! This novel has so much more to offer than just a poor foggy illustration. In fact, it reminds me more of some of the wonderful literature of the past, with the setting updated for today's European expat community (Britons in Brittany).The characters in this book were the best thing. They were quirky, weird, recognizable, crazy, rogues, criminals, bizarre, puffed up, alcoholic, lustful and nosey. The only real thing they had in common that everyone agreed on, was that the worst thing you could be was to be BORING.The novel takes place in a small expat community of Britons in France. in essence, it is just like a small British town. Everyone knows everyone else, as well as the intimate details of their ongoing lives. Gossip is a town-wide sport in which everyone takes part. Being the purveyor of a new piece of hot gossip is quite a high status position.Into this environment enter two good looking thirty something year old men of excellent education and wit. One is following a hot tip that a an original work of art can be found at a convent within the community. When he drives there, he meets an old friend from school, who happens to have a house down the road from the convent. And so the fun ensues...Our art enthusiast is an antiques dealer, and believes the painting to be extremely valuable. He must find a way to get it without running afoul of French laws regarding art stolen during the war. In the meantime, there are women, dinner parties, get togethers, a stunning police woman and a jealous husband that he must contend with. He is the primary protagonist, and my favorite character. His ongoing sarcastic wit and ironic outlook are high entertainment. He goggles in amazement at the locals as they illustrate again and again that they will forgive anything, including murder as long as the person adds new excitement to their lives. He is basically a decent human, though shallow and decidedly self-centered. He will clearly cross the line into criminal activity when it gets him what he wants. Erudite, humorous, witty, charming, a rogue, mildly criminal and loves women.Estrade, the friend he meets who has the house is something of a cypher. He clearly does not have the means to own such a place. He spends time messing with the minds of the neighbors. He delights in tormenting them psychologically. He agrees to help his friend get the painting out of the convent for a cut of the take. He is a cross between the Artful Dodgers and the Scarlet Pimpernel. An educated, charming and clever man who fools everyone regarding his secret life, which is deemed criminal by some, but even some of those who think he is a criminal still respect him.Now the die is cast and things move forward in unexpected ways. The characters all have secrets - some big and some small, but all will play some part in what happens - even the stunning police woman.The plotting is very round about, but easy to follow if you pay attention. This is a story about being human. It is a snapshot of life for a certain community, but change the locale, the dialogue and the clothes - it could be set in any time period in European history. There are so many observations about people and life in general in this book that it is worth reading just for that alone. Of course, the entertainment value is stellar.I highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoyed the witty characters of Dickens, Sabatini, Fielding, Austin, there are so many others. Just buy it. You won't be sorry.