The Art Of Murder

by José Carlos Somoza

Book Overview

In 2006, the art world has moved far beyond sheep in formaldehyde and the most avant-garde movement is to use living people as artwork. Undergoing weeks of preparation to become 'canvases', the models are required to stay in their pose for ten to twelve hours a day and, as art pieces, they are also for sale. After being exhibited, the 'canvases' can be bought and taken to the purchaser's home, where they are rented for weeks or months.
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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0349118833
• ISBN13: 9780349118833
• Release Date: June 2005
• Publisher: Abacus (UK)
• Length: 480 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.7" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Art of Murder

The subculture Somoza has created here is fascinating, strange and somewhat fetishistic. The investigators are not police detectives, but administrators in charge of security for the artistic genius Bruno Van Tysch, whose human "paintings" have been targeted by a killer. The story moves between the politics behind the investigation (not the police procedures but behind-the-scenes power struggles among different branches of Van Tysch's organization, and lots of talk about the money at stake if his priceless works are damaged or lost) and the experience of one human "canvas" as she is stretched, primed, sketched, and otherwise prepared to become a master work. Much of the novel is taken up with that process, and with the controversies surrounding humans-as-art. The investigators cannot even agree as to whether the torture and murder of one of Van Tysch's paintings was "sadistic"-- was she, after all, human, or only a canvas? Absorbing, complex, a great read.

Excellent Read

I found this to be a thoroughly entertaining, provocative, intelligent book. One of my litmus tests is: would you read it again? And I have, perhaps three or four times. I always find something new in it. I am actually staggered that this book is not more well-known!

Fascinating

I doubt there are many authors in the world today with the imagination & creativity of Somoza. Even though the concepts were slightly weird at the start, they soon became utterly engrossing. The author does an amazing job creating & developing backgrounds and characters. Highlighting the fact that it's not a traditional "murder mystery" and that the ending is somewhat predictable is simply missing the point. Every young, aspiring writer should read this. Easily 5 stars.