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The Art Thief
In this spellbinding portrait of obsession and flawed genius, the best-selling author of The Stranger in the Woods brings us into Breitwieser's strange world--unlike most thieves, he never stole for money, keeping all his treasures in a single room where he could admire them.
For centuries, works of art have been stolen in countless ways from all over the world, but no one has been quite as successful at it as the master thief Stéphane Breitwieser. Carrying out more than two hundred heists over nearly eight years--in museums and cathedrals all over Europe--Breitwieser, along with his girlfriend who worked as his lookout, stole more than three hundred objects, until it all fell apart in spectacular fashion.
In The Art Thief, Michael Finkel brings us into Breitwieser's strange and fascinating world. Unlike most thieves, Breitwieser never stole for money. Instead, he displayed all his treasures in a pair of secret rooms where he could admire them to his heart's content. Possessed of a remarkable athleticism and an innate ability to circumvent practically any security system, Breitwieser managed to pull off a breathtaking number of audacious thefts. Yet these strange talents bred a growing disregard for risk and an addict's need to score, leading Breitwieser to ignore his girlfriend's pleas to stop--until one final act of hubris brought everything crashing down.
This is a riveting story of art, crime, love, and an insatiable hunger to possess beauty at any cost.
These book club questions were prepared by Bookclubs staff.
Book club questions for The Art Thief by Michael Finkel
Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.
Discuss Breitwieser's views on museums as "prisons for art." What do you see as the purpose and role of museums?
Breitwieser also says, “The story of art is a story of stealing.” What did he mean by that and to what extent do you agree? How does Breitwieser’s story fit into the history of stolen and looted art over centuries?
Breitwieser stole over $2 billion worth of art but did not try to sell or profit from it. What does this say about his motivations?
Why do you think Breitwieser was so obsessed with art? What drove his compulsion to steal it?
Are you a big art fan? To what degree can you empathize with Breitweiser’s passion for and visceral reaction to art? Or is there anything else that you feel as passionately about?
Why do you think Breitweiser was seemingly unable to stop stealing art, despite multiple close calls? What parallels do you see between Breitwieser’s obsession with art and typical characteristics of addiction?
What did you think of Breitwieser's relationship with Anne-Catherine? Was she a victim or willing accomplice?
How did Breitwieser's childhood and relationship with his mother shape his personality and later actions?
Do you think it’s credible that Breitwieser’s mother never suspected what he was doing?
Why do you think Breitwieser’s mother, Mireille Stengel, ultimately reacted by destroying pieces of the collection in such an extreme way? Do you think she deserves some blame for enabling her son’s crimes?
Why was Breitweiser so successful in his career as an art thief? What differentiated him from other thieves?
How does Breitwieser’s story illustrate the conflict museums face between accessibility and security?
Discuss your reactions to Breitwieser. Did you sympathize with him at any point? Why or why not?
What do you think happened to the over 80 pieces of stolen art that are still missing?
Why do you think we are so fascinated by stories of art theft and heists in general?
The Art Thief Book Club Questions PDF
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