Reviewed by: Melissa Friedlund, Adult Services Specialist
Genre: Nonfiction
Suggested Age: Teen, Adult
What is the book about? Stéphane Breitwieser was perhaps the most prolific art thief in history, though he did not steal for money. Born in 1971, Stéphane’s story of collecting started as a boy hunting for buried trinkets in the woods with his grandfather. When his parents divorced, his father took all of the family’s art pieces when he left. With this dramatic loss, Stéphane’s urge to collect shifted, landing on museum pieces of art. From 1995 to 2001 he amassed a collection of nearly 250 pieces; a collection estimated to be worth nearly two billion dollars! Instead of selling anything, he surrounded himself with art in a small, attic apartment above his mother’s house in Eastern France. This account details how he was able to steal so many pieces, how he eventually was caught, and what made him different than any art thief before or since.
My Review: I enjoyed listening to the audiobook of this title very much. The eaudiobook is available for free on the Libby app. It was an interesting and engaging story. The story almost seemed to flow like a work of fiction, possibly because it is written in the present tense. This definitely kept it from becoming a dry recounting of facts and dates. Make sure you read the author’s note too. I liked those extra details at the end.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Fascinating, Riveting, and Memorable
Give This a Try if You Like…Master Thieves by Stephen Kurkjian, Stealing Rembrandts by Anthony Amore, and Museum of the Missing by Simon Houpt
Rating: 5/5
