Thoughts on *The Swan Thieves* by Elizabeth Kostova (audiobook)

The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova

Back-of-the-box blurb:  Psychiatrist Andrew Marlow has a perfectly ordered life–solitary, perhaps, but full of devotion to his profession and the painting hobby he loves. This order is destroyed when renowned painter Robert Oliver attacks a canvas in the National Gallery of Art and becomes his patient. In response, Marlow finds himself going beyond his own legal and ethical boundaries to understand the secret that torments this genius, a journey that will lead him into the lives of the women closest to Robert Oliver and toward a tragedy at the heart of French Impressionism.

Ranging from American museums to the coast of Normandy, from the late nineteenth century to the late twentieth, from young love to last love, The Swan Thieves is a story of obsession, the losses of history, and the power of art to preserve human hope.

She Is Too Fond of Books’ thoughts:  We’ve all heard the cliche “Do you want the good news or the bad news?”  Well, I’ll give them both to you (briefly), good news first.

I had really looked forward to reading (or listening to) The Swan Thieves.  From the moment I saw the HUGE banner for it at BEA 2009 I listened to the buzz, knew that Kostova’s previous novel, The Historian, had been highly acclaimed, and couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of this new one.

The length of the audiobook (17 discs, 18 hours!) didn’t dissuade me.  I thought the plot was interesting – the dual time lines, the mystery/intrigue, the peek at the lives of painters throughout time and place.  We learn about the art and lifestyle of painters from the late 1800s to present day, from days of exhibitions being a “man’s club” to days of artists colonies and co-ed classrooms.

The historic story involves a young woman (Beatrice de Clerval), her husband (Yves), and Yves’ uncle (Olivier).  From the start we know of a romantic tension between Beatrice and Olivier as he mentors her painting and offers to show her work under an assumed name.

The present-day story revolves around Andrew Marlow, a well-regarded psychiatrist and amateur painter.  Marlow develops an unhealthy interest in the history of one of his patients, the talented Robert Oliver, who has been institutionalized after damaging a portrait in the National Gallery.  Oliver refuses to speak to Marlow, so Marlow sets out on his own, following clues, speaking to Robert’s former lovers and students, and traveling to follow leads that may reveal the basis for Oliver’s illness.  It is this investigation, and the conversations and meetings that ensue, which build the engaging plot.

Marlow clearly crosses ethical boundaries, and develops a bit of an obsession not only for Oliver’s story, but for the very things/people that obsess Oliver.  It was easy to suspend disbelief, although every once in a while I thought “what about Marlow’s other patients?!”  “there’s a reason this guy is in his mid-40s and single!”… but then I settled back into my audio.

The Swan Thieves kept my interest, and I think it would have made a great book. 

Yes, book, as in “print edition.”  You see, the audio just didn’t work for me.  I applaud the use of multiple narrators in such a lengthy production; it kept my interest as points-of-view switched, epistolary segments were read by the writer of the letters, and French accents employed by Sarah Zimmerman (“Beatrice de Clerval”) and John Rafter Lee (“Olivier Vignot”) helped me to mentally shift setting.  Overall, however, I took issue with the narrators – those French accents seemed heavy, and the voice of Treat Williams (“Andrew Marlow”) was reedy, almost breathless; I had a hard time taking him seriously, despite the character’s education and high regard in his field.

I do plan to return to Elizabeth Kostova’s work and read a print edition of The Historian.  I admire her ability to hold my attention with a detailed plot and beautifully descriptive prose, despite being distracted by the particulars of the audiobook.

I’ve linked to some other blogger reviews which are more uniformly positive, including one review of the audio edition:

• Jen from Devourer of Books says The Swan Thieves is ”an absolutely lovely read, one to take your time with and savor.”
• Kathy from Bermuda Onion “ quickly became captivated by the story and the writing” of the novel, concluding that The Swan Thieves is “ about passion – for art, life and love.”
• While Rebecca from The Book Lady’s Blog feels the novel is sluggish in the middles, she does appreciate the “deftly woven lines of narration” and “ Kostova’s well-researched, richly evocative discussion of art and the artistic process.”
• And Sandy from You’ve Gotta Read This offers another view of the audiobook, saying “While listening to this novel on audio, my impression was that it seemed very gentle, wandering and dreamlike (like an Impressionist painting?)” and that the multiple narrators made it “extremely entertaining.”