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Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Shapiro Goodreads Author. When the eccentric and wealthy American art collector Edwin Bradley offers Vivienne the perfect job, she is soon caught up in the Parisian world of post-Impressionists and expatriates—including Gertrude Stein and Henri Matisse, with whom Vivienne becomes romantically entwined.

As she travels between Paris and Philadelphia, where Bradley is building an art museum, her life becomes even more complicated: George returns with unclear motives. Shapiro has made the historical art thriller her own. Get A Copy. Hardcover , pages.

More Details Original Title. Other Editions All Editions Add a New Edition. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 3. Rating details.

More filters. Sort order. Aug 06, Linda rated it really liked it Shelves: historical-fiction , net-galley , art-themes , fiction , publisher. Schemers and scoundrels hide and blend behind the scenes like the blurred textures within an art masterpiece. Within time, though, the eyes focus more readily and true colors are ultimately revealed. It’s at a small estate in Belgium and we find Paulien Mertens lost in the pangs of love.

Her nineteen years on this earth don’t adequately prepare her for the waves of ill-intent by one George Everard. George has presented her with a sizable engagement ring. But what doesn’t ring true are his sh Schemers and scoundrels hide and blend behind the scenes like the blurred textures within an art masterpiece.

But what doesn’t ring true are his shifty ways. Paulien convinces her father into investing with ol’ George. The aftermath leaves the Mertens family without their art nor their fortune. Cast out by her angry family, Paulien heads to Paris. She is forced to reinvent herself including her own name. While keeping ahead of scandal, Paulien becomes Vivienne Gregsby.

With very few coins in her handbag, Vivienne rents a tiny rundown apartment. She takes on new employment while working in a millinery shop, becoming a waitress, an art model, and eventually a translator.

But this last option will open a heavy door that will drastically change Vivienne’s life forever. Vivienne will meet Dr. Edwin Bradley, an American art collector who wishes to deal with avant-garde galleries. Shapiro intermixes her story with the likes of Henri Matisse and actual historical figures of the day as Bradley employs Vivienne to assist him in acquiring a high-end collection.

We will find ourselves in the salon of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas as well. Shapiro develops Vivienne with a fine-tuned artistic sensibility. As Bradley’s collection grows, so does Vivienne’s desire to re-engage with her family’s lost art. She also wishes to once again connect with the conniving George. But will this ambition be her eventual downfall?

I enjoyed The Collector’s Apprentice as Shapiro wraps it in true artistic appreciation. But Shapiro also adds heavy brushstrokes of human greed and desire. Her characters take on a different hue when placed in iffy situations.

You may want to check these out as well. Shapiro is a master at blending the art world with the art of fiction. My thanks to Algonquin Books and to B. Shapiro for the opportunity. View all 9 comments. Nov 05, Jeanette added it Shelves: abandoned. No rating. I couldn’t imagine giving it more than 2 stars for my own read. Just too many good ones there. It’s about a women of 20 in who makes a new life for herself in Paris working as an agent within the art sales of that period because of a Ponzi scheme fall out with her former fiance and her entire wealthy family.

Formerly wealthy- the Ponzi scheme, you know. Those readers here who are Romance genre l No rating. Those readers here who are Romance genre lovers and Paris sighers of gushing Seine placements will enjoy this one. I did enjoy the Art Forger although I did find it plodding.

This one also holds tons of instructive Post-Impressionist painting and sculpture of various types minutia and celeb artist intersect. None of which seems remotely possible to me, btw. Absolutely not my cup of tea. Writing or plot. I would also categorize it as Chick Lit. View all 11 comments. Aug 31, Lorna rated it it was amazing Shelves: historical-fiction , france , art , goodreads-authors-giveaways.

The Collector’s Apprentice was the latest historical fiction novel and thriller by the captivating author, B. Shapiro, that is an unforgettable story about passion, betrayal and fine art in the ‘s. It is in this setting that we become immersed in the story of Paulien Mertiens as she flees to France and later America as she is being accused of contributing to the loss of her family’s fortune as well as her father’s beloved art collection because of a relationship with a con-artist.

Growing The Collector’s Apprentice was the latest historical fiction novel and thriller by the captivating author, B. Growing up with brothers, young Paulien found herself drawn to her father’s collection of beautiful artwork where they would bond as she revelled in the beauty and the rapture of the beautiful works of art including the art of Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and the like.

However, Pauli’s favorite was always Matisse. Her father’s collection includes Cezanne’s ‘Five Bathers,’ which she fell in love with as a child: the vivid blues,, greens, and yellows; the roughness of the tree bark; the soft, fleshy women frolicking in the sifting sunlight.

There was something magical about the diminuitive painting, just over two feet square, which soothed and touched in a way that she was too young to understand. Bring herself to life. The multiple timelines following the main characters in this riveting book keeps one turning the pages. To say much more would give away too much. If you love fine art and mystery, this is a beautiful book and not to be missed. And I want to thank Algonquin Books for providing me with a copy of this lovely book.

View all 4 comments. Nov 08, Colleen rated it it was amazing Shelves: first-reads-giveaways , wheel-a-thon-iii. Shapiro has done it again. If you loved The Art Forger, you will love this one. Mystery, romance, art, and intrigue – what’s not to love? Highly recommended and suspenseful. A great novel and a great read. You won’t be disappointed – true to character and story line, you won’t want to put it down!

The question is not what you look at, but what you see. You have made yours and I have made mine, and they do not end in the s B. You have made yours and I have made mine, and they do not end in the same place. These failures aren’t easy to accept, but berating herself will get her nowhere.

Facing a death sentence changes your perspective, shifts your priorities. View 1 comment. Nov 21, Lynn Horton rated it it was ok. Maybe I’m over clueless, entitled heroines. In either case, Paulien didn’t do it for me. But at the percent mark I got bored and struggled to finish the book. Paulien was neither engaging nor relatable, so was unable to propel my interest through the rest of the story.

Nov 04, Daniel Villines rated it liked it. This is my second novel by Shapiro. The first, The Art Forger , was impressive. She used the magic of words to make paintings come alive so that they could be loved by the reader as they were loved by her main character; just as art has been loved by me from time-to-time. And while the novel was technically a mystery novel, this tired format took a backseat to the power and beauty of art.

Shapiro uses time and story to mask truths that are predestined to be revealed at the end of the book. The reader is simply following a string through a maze. I think that Shapiro could be a better writer rather than one that needs to rest upon mystery novels and it’s disheartening to see the mystery novel format taking hold over her ability to write beautifully about art. Given the pure joy of experiencing her talent in making art come alive, I know there is an even better novel in her waiting to be written.

Oct 18, Robert Blumenthal rated it it was amazing. I have to admit, I am a sucker for novels that are based on the fine arts. This one is loosely based on the famous or infamous Albert Barnes who amassed a late Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collection of art that could be one of the finest in the world. He is such a famous figure that documentaries have been made about him, particularly around the issue of his will that limited severely what could be done with his artwork after he died.

The state of Pennsylvania and the city of Philadel I have to admit, I am a sucker for novels that are based on the fine arts. The state of Pennsylvania and the city of Philadelphia eventually got around this specific will and moved the art from his mansion in the Western Suburbs of Philadelphia to a new museum in downtown Philadelphia.

This book plays very loosely with the lives of Barnes and a woman who helped him amass the collection and cowrote several books on artists. Here she is a lovely young woman who was initially scammed by a handsome and cunning con artist which cost her and her family dearly. She ends up eventually in the suburbs of Philadelphia and becomes Barnes’ assistant the names are changed here to Edwin Bradley and Vivianne Gregsby.

She has the dual goals of getting her father’s art back to him which were sold to Bradley and to bring the con man to justice. She ends up becoming accused of Bradley’s murder, which is revealed very early in the novel. There is much double dealing here, and the specifics of the cons and her attempts to alleviate them can be a bit hard to follow.

Toklas, amongst others. The author explains at the end how she altered timelines and events to fit her narrative. Events might have been real, but would have happened at different times in real life.

One of the most obvious is taking what was 90 years in the history of the Barnes collection and squeezing it into 10 years. My parents went to classes at the Barnes and I have visited the original museum several years ago.

I also watched the documentary The Art of the Steal about the state of Pennsylvania breaking Barnes’ will and moving the collection.

So I have quite a bit of knowledge about this issue and found the book fascinating and involving because of it. This is a rip roaring tale of deceit and revenge with a rather tightly woven plot. That being said, if love of art is not your thing, you may have some trouble with this novel.

I had no trouble with it at all. View 2 comments. Jan 17, Lynn rated it liked it Shelves: historical-fiction. She reinvents herself as Vivienne Gregsby, and gets hired by a renowned art collector, Edwin Bradley.

She eventually moves to Philadelphia and becomes indispensable to him as his assistant at his art school. A few years later, she is ac 3. A few years later, she is accused of his murder. I found the whole plot to be convoluted and at times absurd. At 20, she is supposedly worldly enough to impress Edwin and eventually have Henri Matisse lusting after her.

Edwin has a hair trigger temper and is hugely egotistical. George is a heartless con artist who is always looking for the next mark. There are a lot of historical characters in the book who interact with the fictional ones, but except for Matisse, they seem ancillary to the story and barely fleshed out. I found this book to be very disappointing.

There is a lot of discussion about the post-Impressionist era and its artists, but those sections sometimes bog down the storyline. The ending seemed rushed, unrealistic and unsatisfying. Sadly, I cannot recommend it. Nov 07, Julia rated it liked it. Two and a half stars. I think I would have liked this book more if I weren’t thoroughly knowledgeable about Albert Barnes, the Barnes Foundation, and the battle over Barnes’ collection.

Shapiro states in the afterword that the book is “loosely based” on Albert Barnes and Violette de Mazio and that is very much the case. Why she even bothered to “loosely base” her book on Albert and Violette when most of the book was complete fiction, I cannot answer.

Jul 02, Natalie rated it really liked it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is an incredibly interesting novel about the young woman who worked with the fictioalized Albert Barnes in assembling the magnificent Barnes Collection in Philadelphia.

Vivienne had been duped by a con man and lost her comfort and her family. She totally reinvents herself and finds work as an assistant to the millionaire art collector. She works with him in Europe and ultimately moves to Philadelphia as his aide.

What should have been a happy change in her troubled life, becomes a nightmare This is an incredibly interesting novel about the young woman who worked with the fictioalized Albert Barnes in assembling the magnificent Barnes Collection in Philadelphia. What should have been a happy change in her troubled life, becomes a nightmare. Would the internet and social media make it more or less difficult? Do you believe Paulien was in any way responsible for what George did to her family?

Why or why not? Did Paulien love George? Did Vivienne? Did Bradley love Vivienne? Did Vivienne love Matisse and did he love her? Did George love either Paulien or Vivienne? Is a man like George capable of love? Shapiro based George on her study of sociopaths, imbuing him with many of the characteristics of this kind of personality disorder, particularly his lack of empathy.

Have you ever encountered anyone with these traits in your own life? Does this enhance or detract from the believability of the story?

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Summary and reviews of The Collector’s Apprentice by B. A. Shapiro

 
The Collector’s Apprentice is a best book club book for discussion, a historical art thriller about obsession set in the Parisian world of. Book Summary. From the bestselling author of The Art Forger and The Muralist. It’s the summer of , and nineteen-year-old Paulien.

 

THE COLLECTOR’S APPRENTICE | Kirkus Reviews

 
This is a riveting book about the art world that I love being immersed in all of its beauty and complexity. This book takes us to ‘s Paris with the likes of. Book Summary. From the bestselling author of The Art Forger and The Muralist. It’s the summer of , and nineteen-year-old Paulien. THE COLLECTOR’S APPRENTICE. bookshelf. Less might have been more in this Review Posted Online: July 31, Share your opinion of this book.

 
 

The collectors apprentice book club questions free

 
 
Those readers here col,ectors are Romance genre l No rating. And again. I found this book to be very disappointing. Retrieve credentials. Although Mrs. Anna Roins