Stealing the Scream

by Theodore Carter

[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.

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