The Forgery of Venus LP: A Novel | 
| Author: Michael Gruber
Publisher: HarperLuxe
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $16.47
You Save: $8.48 (34%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 1522390
Format: Large Print
Media: Paperback
Edition: Lrg
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 464
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6 x 1.2
ISBN: 0061469033
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780061469039
ASIN: 0061469033
Publication Date: May 1, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
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Availability: Not yet published
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Product Description
Chaz Wilmot makes his living cranking out old-master parodies for ads and magazine covers. When he's offered a job restoring a Venetian palace fresco, he is at first, skeptical—he immediately sees it is more a forgery than a restoration. But he is soon seduced by the challenge and throws himself into the work, doing the job brilliantly. This feat attracts the attention of Werner Krebs, a shady art dealer who becomes Wilmot's friend and patron. Wilmot is suddenly working with a fervor he hasn't felt in years, but without warning, he finds himself reliving moments from his past—not as memories but as if they are happening all over again. Soon, he believes he can travel back to the 17th century where he lived as the Spanish artist Diego Rodriguez de Silva Velazquez. Wilmot begins to fantasize that as Velazquez, he has created a masterpiece and when the painting actually turns up, he doesn't know if he painted it or if he imagined the whole thing. Little by little, Wilmot enters a secret world of gangsters, greed and murder, with his mystery patron at the center of it all, either as the mastermind behind a plot to forge a painting worth hundred of millions, or as the man who will save Wilmot from obscurity and madness. Miraculously inventive, this book cements Gruber's reputation as one of the most imaginative and gifted writers of our time.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 Gruber's vast knowledge of art history provides a wonderful diversion from the philosophical questions his tale poses May 16, 2008
Charles (Chaz) P. Wilmot, Jr. --- graduate of Columbia University, son of renowned painter C. P. Wilmot, Sr., husband, father, drug user --- has a troubling past, and he wants to tell someone about it. He attends a party thrown by a Columbia alumnus. There, he contacts an old college buddy and passes him a CD containing an unbelievably curious story: the story of Chaz Wilmot's adventures since his friend last saw him. After listening to the CD, it's hard to know what to make of it.
"A bitter fellow, Wilmot, even back then, and it should not have surprised me that he came to a bad end. Whether the story he tells is merely remarkable or literally fantastic, I still cannot quite decide."
So what was Chaz up to during all those years?
Well, he took some trips, physically and psychedelically; ran through several relationships (some of them even lasted); and went in search of his own style of painting. Whether he found it is the $64,000 question. Or maybe the 64-million-dollar question.
It turns out that Chaz can imitate the great masters. In fact, just for fun --- and some much needed cash --- he did just that. He painted several Hollywood stars in the style of, say, Goya or Vermeer. Or Velazquez. He is particularly intrigued by Velazquez. He even dreams of him. Or does he actually become him? Chaz knows more about the Spanish painter than a mere reading of art books could have told him. He seems intimately familiar with the politics of the mid-1600s, and the doings of the royal court, for whom Velazquez painted. In fact, Chaz's life becomes so intertwined with Velazquez's that even he has trouble figuring out what is real and what is imagined.
In fairness to Chaz, the drug study he was a part of may have enhanced his susceptibility to hallucinations, for indeed the experimental drug salvinorin did some strange things to his head. But it may have had nothing whatsoever to do with the strangeness in his head, or with what happened later.
To start with, Chaz believes he is a starving artist with a loft in New York, an ex-wife and a dying child. And it may be true. When a well-paying commission comes along, he doesn't exactly jump at the opportunity, but reluctantly decides that his dire financial situation must be addressed. He is really in no position to turn down the kind of dollars this benefactor is offering. His unease stems from the request that he depart for Venice, Italy, almost immediately, which means leaving Lotte and their sick son. Of course, their son's burgeoning medical bill is the best reason to go.
Another rather significant worry Chaz has is his recurring flashbacks. He sometimes finds himself waking up in another century. Or is it just the salvinorin kicking back in?
The very lucrative commission in Venice involves restoring a fresco. Actually, it's more like recreating a fresco, as there is so little left of it that "restoration" is an understatement. Once done, there's a follow-up offer of another commission. Chaz tries to ignore the nagging thought that, for the kind of money they're talking about, it simply cannot be legitimate. But the lure of millions often overshadows good judgment. Chaz just keeps getting in deeper and deeper. At least his bank account is looking up, and Lotte will have no problem getting their child the help he so desperately needs. Where, though, does that leave Chaz?
The easy answer is that it leaves Chaz wondering who he is, what life he is really leading, even what year it is. It leaves him asking the question: Am I crazy?
Michael Gruber leaves his readers pondering the concept of reality, the intangibility of time, and the slim grasp we all have on sanity. Gruber's vast knowledge of art history provides a wonderful diversion from the philosophical questions his tale poses, and subtly introduces a veritable wealth of facts and anecdotes about the lives of the old masters. And the bonus is that he tells a darned fine story, too.
--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers
 An Engagin Thriller May 16, 2008
Over the course of the past few weeks, I had the honor of getting and reading an advance reader's edition of Michael Gruber's new book The Forgery of Venus.As many readers may remember, Michael Gruber is the author of New York Time's bestselling The The Book of Air and Shadows.I'm pretty sure Gruber's new book will also be a New York Time's bestseller.
Taking place in New York and Europe, the book follows the intriguing life of Chaz Wilmot, a remarkably gifted artists who has the ability to paint with the same techniques and style of the classic masters - especially Velasquez. But this is not just a tale of a modern artist painting in the style of the classical masters - that would be too staid of a story for Gruber. Rather, through an engrossing tale of art, history, psychology, the mafia, and drugs the reader is taken on a thrilling ride of suspense and intrigue. Is Chaz Wilmot a remarkable painter capable of reproducing works as great as the classic masters, or is he one of those masters himself?
Engaging, entertaining, and remarkably fresh, The Forgery of Venus catapults the reader on an adventure involving high end art forgeries, the little known psychoactive plant Salvia, and an artist desperately trying to make a living.
A high end art dealer who has known, and been watching Chaz's work, offers Chaz the chance to restore an ancient Venetian palazzo. However, it is not simply a one time job - as Chaz soon finds out - for more work is offered as Chaz begins to work on other pieces by the masters. At the same time, Chaz continues to deal with his depression and revolving drug habit, going in and out of periods of drug induced productivity. This combination of drugs and art leads Chaz down a road of confusing identities, as he begins to think that he is not really recreating or restoring works by Velasquez and other masters, but that he is Velasquez.
I don't want to give away too much of the story, no one likes a spoiler. Let's just say that Gruber held me captivated from beginning to end. Bending the line between real and fake, internal and external, The Forgery of Venus is a dazzling suspense story that I couldn't put down. Rarely does one get to read a book that combines history, psychology, and art with such skill and intrigue. I've already recommended this book to a couple of my close friends, and I'm sure you will agree, Gurber has done it again. The Forgery of Venus is as good as it gets.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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Amazing sleight of hand. May 9, 2008
The subject is perspective, and as some of the other reviewers have pointed out, the fine line that separates perception and reality. In this instance, we witness one man's perceived descent into madness, and engage in both time travel, and alternative reality. Mr. Gruber is a student of the human experience, and his historical, artistic, scientific and political observations are absolutely delightful to read. Keep a particular eye out for his discussion of the ways in which forged art is used for credit and sold by wealthy gangsters. These descriptive passages remind me of the best writing from Ian Fleming on gold and diamond smuggling as an organized criminal enterprise. Mr. Gruber is a major talent and I recommend this book to you without reservation. This book also perhaps serves as a bit of a jest on the author's part: just as the protagonist Wilmot is drawn into the world of art, painting under someone else's name, so did Mr. Gruber ghost write a series of popular novels, before releasing the wonderful thriller, Tropic of Night, under his own name.
Fantastic Novel that Examines Art, Creativity, Sanity, and Madness May 1, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
It's been suggested that there's a fine line between brilliance and madness, and it is exactly this edge of reason that becomes the centerpiece of exploration for "New York Times" best selling author Michael Gruber in his new work, "The Forgery of Venus." This brilliantly written, endlessly fascinating story focuses on the life of Chaz Wilmot, an artist of exceptional talent who has had to make a hard scrabble living from commercial work, even while living in the shadow of his father, a far more famous artist.
Chaz has led a less than exemplary life (doing drugs, acting out) and despite his superior talent (better than his father or other contemporaries), he finds himself desperate for money to help support his sick child who needs expensive medical treatment. To make ends meet, Chaz first agrees to participate in a drug study on creativity, but then receives an even more lucrative offer he finds he cannot refuse. His best friend, gallery owner Mark Slade, tells him about a ceiling in Venice that needs a secret restoration. This Tiepolo ceiling, however, is more re-creation than restoration, but the price is so tempting that Chaz agrees.
Thus begins the descent into confusion over his own identity and sanity. While in Italy, Chaz Wilmot continues to take the drugs stolen from the medical study on creativity, which have a transformative effect on him. When under their influence, Wilmot believes that he becomes the Spanish painter Velazquez. Adding to the insanity surrounding Wilmot are the motivations of his employer, a shady art dealer who has been accused of selling paintings stolen by the Nazis in World War II, who seeks to keep Wilmot in a questioning state so as to use his talent for forgery.
It is this descent into a mixture of madness and the full execution of Wilmot's own exceptional artistic talent that lay at the center of the novel. Which reality is true? Or can both be true at the same time? Can Wilmot believe what is happening to him or what he knows within himself to be true? Gruber is a master at using this novel to explore these issues and create for the reader the sort of confused state in which he imagines his own main character. Add to this his gripping tale of the life of Velazquez, the story of paintings stolen during World War II, and the issue of forgery and truth in art, and you have an amazing novel in which the line between sanity and insanity seems arbitrary at any given moment.
This hallucinatory state is so brilliantly and compellingly written that Gruber touches on something that seems nearly impossible to describe: the state of creativity. What makes art so interesting in part is its magic: Just how did the artist create the work? What was his state of mind? Because artists tend to live on the edge of society (apart in their craft and way of seeing the world), the rest of society seems to view them as "mad geniuses," an apt description in this novel.
The author himself has created something truly outstanding with this novel: He has allowed a peak into that world through his story and character Chaz Wilmot. He has created a book that is part mystery, part art history, part literary fiction and totally engrossing. Where is the line between madness and sanity? Although Michael Gruber may not answer that question in his novel, he certainly gives his readers plenty to think about.
Christine Zibas, Book Pleasures
Interesting... April 15, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This was the second book by Michael Gruber that I have read and thought it was really interesting and enjoyable.
This book reminds me a bit if SHUTTER ISLAND by Dennis Lehane. What is really going on here? Is the main character insane, disturbed or completely rational? Gruber does a great job with his characters; defining them clearly and making them come to life. Chaz Wilmot is a great anti-hero. Definitely flawed, but you like him anyway. In fact he's a bit like Jake in THE BOOK OF AIR AND SHADOWS.
The plot is a little difficult to follow, but if your really paying attention, you will be able to follow along. This is a book that's well worth reading. You'll even learn a little something about art.
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