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theseliterarydelights's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting how this novel has the sort of ending I desperately wanted Bollen’s The Destroyers to have and yet as a whole A Beautiful Crime is just so meh. There is no doubt in my mind that Christopher Bollen can write his ass off and I appreciate the level of research he did for this book, but that’s really where my admiration ends. I was entertained by the plot and liked the characters well enough at first, but somewhere around the halfway mark I definitely lost interest in both.
So basically skip this and read The Destroyers instead. ✌️
So basically skip this and read The Destroyers instead. ✌️
jdelloso's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
suchallie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Minus stars for the rape scene
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
maedo's review
3.0
I hated to put this book down while I was reading it, but upon reflection, I think I lean closer to three rather than four stars. There are some twists in the book, so all thoughts to support this decision are spoiler tagged!
On the other hand, though, wealthy people in real life are almost certainly more mistrustful and guarded than they are roundly portrayed in this book. Gotta protect that cash. Which leads me to:
2.) I find it hard to believe that silver con gets pulled off to the point that money is exchanged, in the age of the internet. Putting aside the fact that West trusted the expertise of a guy he knew for like two days for a second, but...wouldn't someone with a huge interest in the art world and lots of money to spend educate himself fairly well re: details of authenticity and spotting fakes himself?
The summary conclusion of 1 & 2 is just that I think the cons in the book went off too easily, really.
3.) A personal issue, but...there is a rape scene in this that I found viscerally uncomfortable. It's there for a reason, but it certainly made me enjoy the process of reading the book less, feeling ill.
The biggest strengths of this book, however, are twofold. First, it has been 4 years since I visited Italy and Bollen brought the country back for me vividly. It was a pleasure to recall the tastes and sounds and vibrancy, the art and the sun and the people.
Secondly, I loved the homage to the older generations of LGBT Americans in the characters of Freddy and Daniela, those who lived in the margins long before medical management of HIV and legalized gay marriage. LGBT contemporary stories have multiplied exponentially on bookshelves over the last few years and that is a boon to current generations. But it is so important to keep telling the stories of the past, too.
Spoiler
1.) It bothered me how quickly the wealthy characters in this book came to trust Nick. I understand that this is social commentary on the way that attractive white corn-fed Midwestern boys are often granted trust by default, whereas Clay, a black man, is instinctively perceived as a criminal (although the rumor mill has him wrong).On the other hand, though, wealthy people in real life are almost certainly more mistrustful and guarded than they are roundly portrayed in this book. Gotta protect that cash. Which leads me to:
2.) I find it hard to believe that silver con gets pulled off to the point that money is exchanged, in the age of the internet. Putting aside the fact that West trusted the expertise of a guy he knew for like two days for a second, but...wouldn't someone with a huge interest in the art world and lots of money to spend educate himself fairly well re: details of authenticity and spotting fakes himself?
The summary conclusion of 1 & 2 is just that I think the cons in the book went off too easily, really.
3.) A personal issue, but...there is a rape scene in this that I found viscerally uncomfortable. It's there for a reason, but it certainly made me enjoy the process of reading the book less, feeling ill.
The biggest strengths of this book, however, are twofold. First, it has been 4 years since I visited Italy and Bollen brought the country back for me vividly. It was a pleasure to recall the tastes and sounds and vibrancy, the art and the sun and the people.
Secondly, I loved the homage to the older generations of LGBT Americans in the characters of Freddy and Daniela, those who lived in the margins long before medical management of HIV and legalized gay marriage. LGBT contemporary stories have multiplied exponentially on bookshelves over the last few years and that is a boon to current generations. But it is so important to keep telling the stories of the past, too.
etrnyl's review against another edition
5.0
5/5 stars. AMAZING. I absolutely LOVED this. The writing was a bit confusing at first, but once i got the hang of it it was just beautiful. The whole story was just beautiful and unique. I have never read anything like it before or even remotely similar. I 10/10 recommend this. I’d like to recommend it to only certain people but i thought i would just end up dnfing it so i can’t really say who’d enjoy this and who wouldn’t.
There was also AMAZING lgbtqia+ rep. There was a very lightly present gay romance in it that was just sweet but if it had been any more present it would have ruined the book. You guys all know how much i love romance so that coming from me is very rare.
When I decided to check this out from my local library I had no idea what it was about. If seen in goodreads and amazon reviews that people often compare this to the Talented Mr. Ripley. I have only watched the movie so I can’t comment on that fact yet. However, I have put it on hold so I can read it and write a review to see if they’re similar in any way.
There was also AMAZING lgbtqia+ rep. There was a very lightly present gay romance in it that was just sweet but if it had been any more present it would have ruined the book. You guys all know how much i love romance so that coming from me is very rare.
When I decided to check this out from my local library I had no idea what it was about. If seen in goodreads and amazon reviews that people often compare this to the Talented Mr. Ripley. I have only watched the movie so I can’t comment on that fact yet. However, I have put it on hold so I can read it and write a review to see if they’re similar in any way.
jbrendanshaw's review against another edition
3.0
A con story set in Venice. The characters were lovingly realized and compelling, and the vision of a Venice both beautiful and dying from gentrification and climate change was engaging, but the stakes of the scam being run never felt as high as I wanted them to be.
readbyryan's review
5.0
Nick and his boyfriend, Clay, agree to meet in Venice to pull of the perfect crime. As the novel starts to reveal the details of the scheme, we learn how the couple reached this moment. Back in Manhattan, Nick dated a man 20 years his senior who introduced him to silver appraisal. Clay was in a relationship with a 70 year old photographer from a legendary New York family. Now, they are in Venice in a fraud involving silver, art, and even real estate.
I loved the backdrop of Venice with the symbolism of isolation in the Adriatic, while the city’s survival is threatened by tourists and the tides. The main characters were interesting and sympathetic. Every action was surprising yet felt true to the character. The novel explores the themes of intergenerational wealth, new money versus old money, and financial security in a rapidly changing world. Through the actions of the characters, the reader is forced to question what he or she is willing to do for money, security, love. I thought it would be more of a fast-paced thriller, but it’s a slower psychological examination of the characters. The tension builds as the story progresses with jumps in time effectively setting up the suspense of the last act.
Even though the pacing was not what I was expected, I hung on every word of this engrossing novel. From the opening lines I was sucked into this story, this location, these lives and I couldn’t stop thinking about between reading sessions. The story has a few upsetting moments which were handled deftly and were never lurid or gratuitous. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes heists, international intrigue, and art history.
I loved the backdrop of Venice with the symbolism of isolation in the Adriatic, while the city’s survival is threatened by tourists and the tides. The main characters were interesting and sympathetic. Every action was surprising yet felt true to the character. The novel explores the themes of intergenerational wealth, new money versus old money, and financial security in a rapidly changing world. Through the actions of the characters, the reader is forced to question what he or she is willing to do for money, security, love. I thought it would be more of a fast-paced thriller, but it’s a slower psychological examination of the characters. The tension builds as the story progresses with jumps in time effectively setting up the suspense of the last act.
Even though the pacing was not what I was expected, I hung on every word of this engrossing novel. From the opening lines I was sucked into this story, this location, these lives and I couldn’t stop thinking about between reading sessions. The story has a few upsetting moments which were handled deftly and were never lurid or gratuitous. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes heists, international intrigue, and art history.
anne_lbatch's review against another edition
5.0
W O W. One of the best books I’ve read this year. Captivating and compelling, this story grabs your heart with both hands as you follow Nick and Clay through the disasters they run through
dylansdream's review against another edition
3.0
The premise of this book sounds perfect (two young gay men, new lovers, move to Venice and try to pull a massive con on a rich asshole who has a thing for silver antiques!) yet I was rather bored. It never got sunspenseful enough for me, and I was never truly invested in what was happening. There was nothing inherently wrong with the book, it was well written with fleshed out characters. I just don't think this one was for me. Which is a shame cause it could have been such a me book.