A collector unearths the find of a lifetime: an eighteenth-century
portrait of a man uncannily like him. While wandering through a Paris auction
house, avid collector Pierre-François Chaumont is stunned to discover the
eighteenth-century portrait of an unknown man who looks just like him. Much to
his delight, Chaumont’s bid for the work is successful, but back at home his
jaded wife and circle of friends are unable to see the resemblance. Chaumont
remains convinced of it, and as he researches into the painting’s history, he
is presented with the opportunity to abandon his tedious existence and walk
into a brand new life…
I so enjoyed The
Red Notebook and couldn’t wait to get my hands on The Portrait. It is another
fast read from Antoine Laurain but quirkier than its predecessor. Laurain
explores the intriguing premise, which leads to strange twists. Like the
protagonist in The Red Notebook, Pierre Francois comes across a mysterious object, a
painting, whose subject and origin spark an obsession. The ending, however, was
a bit ambiguous. Read one way and the tone changes to something very dark and
not in keeping with the mostly light-hearted rest of the story. It begs to be
reread and seen from a new point of view.
“Modern eyes? They have no soul; they no longer look up to
heaven. Even the most pure are only concerned
with the immediate. Vulgar lust, petty
self-interest, greed, vanity, prejudice, cowardly appetites and envy. Those are
the abominable emotions swarming in today’s eyes. We have the souls of notaries
and cooks. That’s why the eyes on the
portraits in museums are so spectacular; they reflect prayers and tortures,
regrets and remorse.”
I loved The Red Notebook. I'll put The Portrait on my TBR list. Thanks for your fantastic review! I'll read it slowly based on your review.
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