The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous ObsessionThe Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession
What it's about
Between 1995 and 2001, a French waiter named Stéphane Breitwieser and his girlfriend stole more than two hundred works of art from museums and churches across Europe, worth around two billion dollars. He didn't sell them; he kept them all in a secret attic room in his mother's house, just to look at them. Michael Finkel tells how he did it, and what happened when he was caught.
Why it's worth reading
It spent months on the New York Times lists and was a Goodreads Choice finalist. It's a gripping true story about beauty and obsession.
You'll love it if you liked
Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators
The Hare with Amber Eyes
Midnight in the Garden of Good and EvilGood to know
It's short. What happened to the art in the end is painful for art lovers.
By the numbers
- Readers21 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller55 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz35 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #236 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #346 of the 481 new books we rank
- #2031 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Gripping, Dark
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Quick answers
Is The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession worth reading?
Yes. It spent months on the New York Times lists and was a Goodreads Choice finalist. It ranks #2,031 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 63.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession about?
Between 1995 and 2001, a French waiter named Stéphane Breitwieser and his girlfriend stole more than two hundred works of art from museums and churches across Europe, worth around two billion dollars. He didn't sell them; he kept them all in a secret attic room in his mother's house, just to look at them. Michael Finkel tells how he did it, and what happened when he was caught.
How long does it take to read The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession?
About 6 hours (224 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession?
If you liked it, try Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow, The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal or Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt.