Monday, December 28, 2015

The Orpheus Clock - Simon Goodman

After his father dies in his eighties, music producer Simon Goodman and his brother receive a box of his papers, discovering secrets about their family neither of them were aware of.  Their grandparents had been part of a wealthy German banking family, owning smart houses and a vast art collection of both old masters and impressionist works.  After being murdered by the Nazis,  the paintings, clocks and ornaments were scattered throughout Europe and America and their father had spent much of his life trying to track down and claim what belonged to the family.

Simon Goodman decides to take on his late fathers task of reuniting the art back to the family, which initially proves difficult due to the reluctance of the art world, auction houses, museums and governments to recognize that this art was taken by force and under duress.  It is a fascinating read, and I was amazed thinking of the amazing wealth of the Guttman family and how quickly that was all taken away from them. 4/5

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