"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
The other star of the novel is youngish art historian Martin Clay (a Hugh Grant character gone to fat), who identifies the lost Bruegel in a tumbledown country home. The picture elicits an immediate shock of recognition:
Already, somewhere in those first few instants, something has begun to stir inside me. In my head, in the pit of my stomach. It's as if the sun's emerging from the clouds, and the world's changing in front of my eyes, from grey to golden. I can feel the warmth of the sunlight spreading over my skin, passing like a wave of beneficence through my entire body.The sight of this masterwork glimmering through the "grimy pane of time" fires up Martin's customarily dilettantish intellect, and he decides to secure it for the nation--and make himself a fortune--without revealing its true value to the owner. Much double-dealing, bamboozling, and suppressed hysteria ensue as he and the owner try to outfox each other. Yet the heart of the novel is Martin's search for the meaning of the painting that has become his "triumph and torment and downfall." Bouncing from gallery to museum to library, he delivers an extended (and entertaining) lesson on iconography and landscape.
As Martin's obsession takes hold, the pace of the novel also accelerates into a breathless rush of action, comic anguish, and scholarly speculation. Not surprisingly, some of Martin's machinations go haywire, which leads to a certain amount of irritating slapstick--shady deals in underground parking lots, art treasures being tipped into the back of a filthy Land Rover, and so forth. But even if he makes his plot work overtime, Frayn is superb in the quest for the meaning of art, not to mention the lure of money and intellectual reputation. And for that alone, Headlong deserves to be called picture perfect. --Eithne Farry
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
US$ 3.99
Within U.S.A.
Book Description Condition: New. Safe and Secure Mailer. No Hassle Return. Seller Inventory # 4JSHAO0042HN
Book Description Condition: New. Book is in NEW condition. 1.45. Seller Inventory # 0805062858-2-1
Book Description Condition: New. New! This book is in the same immaculate condition as when it was published 1.45. Seller Inventory # 353-0805062858-new
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Dust Jacket Condition: New. First Edition; First Printing. Book and DJ New. Never opened. No names or ANY markings. New DJ not price clipped ($26). ; 342 pages. Seller Inventory # 42675
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Advanced Reader. Seller Inventory # BK2532
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. Brand New Copy. Seller Inventory # BBB_new0805062858
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_0805062858
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. Buy for Great customer experience. Seller Inventory # GoldenDragon0805062858
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Seller Inventory # Wizard0805062858
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think0805062858