The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore meets to discuss a historical novel and thriller that immerses reader in ancient Greek art.
If you plan to be in the Baltimore area near the end of June, consider attending the Art of Reading Book Club.
On Sunday, June 24, from 3:00pm-4:30pm, the Art of Mystery Book Club will discuss “And Only to Deceive” by Tasha Alexander.
This historical novel is enthusiastically billed as the potential happy result should Jane Austen have written “The Da Vinci Code." Of course Jane Austen would never would have written "The Da Vinci Code," and I initially tried not to hold this statement against the book although "Da Vinci Code" is stylistically the poorest piece of published prose I've yet read. Perhaps the novel can also be forgiven for another criticism: that it fails to give a sense of the historic time it conveys, but instead remains modern in its sensibility and handling of the Victorian material.
That being said, “And Only to Deceive" intriguingly focuses its story on such fascinating topics as Greek mythology, crime, suspense, and England Victoriana.
A young bride is in forced mourning after the untimely death of her new husband (and disconcertingly she isn't all that sad about his death). She learns more about her late husband and his various interests as she begins poring through his journals. Ultimately she becomes fascinated by how much he loved her, even fancying herself falling in love with her former husband. The suspense builds as she learns that his passion for collecting ancient Greek art may have been carried out through less-than-honest means.
A reader may easily find herself rediscovering deep or forgotten interests in the story of the Trojan War, the Iliad, and of Greek antiquities.
If you’re in the Baltimore area, consider joining the book discussion!
Location: Walters Parlor, 5 W. Mount Vernon Place, Baltimore, MD. Price: Members free; Non-Members $5. For more information or to register for the Book Club, call 410-547-9000, ext. 335.
