The Modigliani Scandal by Ken Follett

The Modigliani Scandal

Don’t misunderstand the title, this book is not about some scandal planned by the great artist Modigliani which is unearthed by the means of hidden codes and prophecies through his paintings. It is rather a very simple light hearted crime story which involves a scandal and scam in relation to an age old secret painting of the great artist Modigliani performed by an handful of people.

 “The Modigliani Scandal” is narrated through a four part divided sequence of events. The first part " Priming the Canvas” majorly deals with the development of the base of the story which is of course introductory in nature for all the characters and their backgrounds and their purpose of being in the story. The second part “The Landscape” deals with the accumulation of the resources and information to perform the principal task of the story which would change the lives of all the characters.  The third part “Figures in the Foreground” brings together all the characters of the story in the most unusual of the circumstances and the finale “The Varnish “is the act of the scandal. i.e.… “The Modigliani Scandal”.

Ken Follett is among the many of authors in Britain who has written books under various pseudonyms. This book was written by him under the name of “Zachary Stone” in the year 1976. It was still two years before his first successful novel i.e.…. “Eye of the Needle”. Frankly speaking, the story and narration of this book is no match of his first successful novel, but the fact cannot be taken away from the writer of the fact that the whole setting was a very interesting one. Considering that the books had been written in 1976, a certain credit needs to be given to the author for its setting. However, it does have a minimal inch of similarity with a book which was published just two years before this one. Jeffery Archer’s debut novel “Not a Penny More Not a Penny less” had a track in the second part where in a fake painting is sold to the antagonist by a carefully hatched plan, although it is just the basic premise, the purpose of events in both the story is different.

In his earlier books, Follett can be held guilty of projecting females in a very object ionized way. Certain instances would come for the reader in this book where in the very purpose of putting lust would be unwarranted for. A similar scenario could also be seen in one of the other books of Ken Follett i.e. “Paper Money” which he had written under the name of “Zachary Stone”. The very manner of his description of certain fantasy of male characters in the story would surely put the reader into some discomfort. Though both “Paper Money “ & “ The Modigliani Scandal “have very interesting plot lines, both the books are considered as a failure by the author himself which he openly admits in the Introduction section of the respective books.

Though the major twist in this book comes during the last four pages, the lackluster story telling would certainly put off the reader.

Looking back, it is really interesting to note that many of the British Authors like Jeffery Archer and Frederick Forsyth have surely used the theme of “ Art and painting” in many of their stories to a great effect.