Stealing the Scream

by Theodore Carter

• ISBN10: 1732709777
• ISBN13: 9781732709775
• Publish Date: 15 September 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Runamok Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 262
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of Stealing the Scream through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Stealing the Scream by Theodore Carter blends fact and fiction in this thrilling tale of the infamous art heist; the moment the Scream by Edvard Munch was stolen. And how it mysteriously appeared once again.
Have you ever wondered what happened, the night the Scream was stolen? Or the motivations behind our thieves? What about the reason for it returning? Well, clearly Theodore Carter has wondered. His novel fills in all of the blanks with his own theorized version of events – purely speculative, of course. But still, quite a lot of fun to read.
If you’re looking for a novel that blends art history and mystery into one dramatic tale, then be sure to check out Stealing the Scream.

“That would be something. Passers-by standing pensively in front of it contemplating his genius.”

Stealing the Scream was as fact-filled as it was whimsical. Theodore Carter merged the real-life facts of the crime and the history of the painting itself in with a whole new tale of a single man and his quest for inspiration.
Percival Davenport was a successful CEO, despite hating having to put up with people all day every day. So his sudden decision to retire was probably a bit of a shock. I imagine he thought retirement would magically make his world better – and his floundering post-retirement certainly indicates this much.
His character progression was fascinating to follow. From a stable, if irritated, CEO to a man completely lost in his obsession and quest for a spark in his life. That’s what ultimately lead him to the Scream and thus brought him into the big picture of this tale.
I was surprised by the character study done in this novel. I thought the biggest study in this novel would be that of the Scream, or at least focusing on the theft around it. But that wasn’t quite the case. Carter spent a lot of time building up to the infamous heist, taking his time to establish the setting and characters before we even hit that climactic moment.
It was an interesting choice, but it certainly livened up a tale that otherwise would have been missing so many details (we never did find out the whole story of the true heist, after all). This fleshed-out version of events may be highly dramatized, but it’s all in good fun. And since theorizing is about all we can do at this point, there’s no harm in it.
Stealing the Scream is perfect for any fan of art heists, mysteries, or a blend of the two. It’s full of enough real facts to add weight to the tale, yet whimsical and theoretical enough to avoid any true risk of becoming dull or dry. And of course, it’s utterly unique in the way it told its disturbing tale.

For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book, in exchange for my honest opinion. This will be available on September 15th.

This book had a fascinating premise. The Scream has actually been stolen not once, but twice. True story! Having an entirely fictitious narrative woven around the little that we know about the 2004 theft is an awesome idea.

Let me first talk about the positive aspects of this book. Percival Davenport was a fascinating character. Having retired, he goes through a period of time where he’s really sort of lost. He doesn’t know what to do with his time. Eventually, he starts painting and discovers that, not only does he enjoy it immensely, he’s really talented. His hobby soon becomes an unhealthy obsession, however, which is what made this character so interesting. Reading about his shift into the shell of a person he becomes was both riveting and heartbreaking.

There were a few supporting characters as well: Lucinda, the house-keeper; Leonard, the security guard with an eye for art; and Red, the thief that eventually slips into the narrative. While they all added to the story, the only other character that really stood out to me was Leonard. He was very kind and honest, and just stumbled into something he never would have expected.

Now, let me move on to the negative aspects of this book. The grammar and spelling are atrocious. I kept being pulled from the narrative because a glaring error would pop up and distract me. I’m not sure whether I should be quoting any of these errors in an ARC review: suffice to say, they were both obvious and numerous enough to pretty much ruin this book for me. I dearly hope they will be fixed by publication time. It looked like it hadn’t been touched by either editor or spellcheck.

If the book is polished and the many mistakes are dealt with, then this is a solid read. Otherwise, I suggest reading the history of the theft online.