The Portrait

by Antoine Laurain, Emily Boyce (Translator), Jane Aitken (Translator)

Overview

From the author of The Red Notebook, described as 'Parisian perfection' by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, The Portrait is a charming mystery story of mistaken identity. 

'Effortlessly eloquent, quietly hilarious and consistently self-aware, Antoine Laurain’s debut novel is a delightful read.' Reader's Digest 

A collector unearths the find of a lifetime: an eighteenth-century portrait of a man uncannily like him.

While wandering through a Paris auction house, avid collector Pierre-François Chaumont is stunned to discover the eighteenth-century portrait of an unknown man who looks just like him.

Much to his delight, Chaumont’s bid for the work is successful, but back at home his jaded wife and circle of friends are unable to see the resemblance.
Chaumont remains convinced of it, and as he researches into the painting’s history, he is presented with the opportunity to abandon his tedious existence and walk into a brand new life… 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781910477434
Publisher:	Gallic Books Limited
Publication date:	06/27/2017
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Antoine Laurain is the award-winning author of nine novels including The Red Notebook (Indie Next, MIBA bestseller) and The President’s Hat (Waterstones Book Club, Indies Introduce). His books have been translated into 25 languages and sold more than 200,000 copies in English. He lives in Paris.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

'The story will captivate through its unique charm ... Aquick read that will leave readers eager for more of Laurain’s delightful works.'

Editorial Reviews

'A delightful literary soufflé that fans of his other charming books will savor' Library Journal

'Effortlessly eloquent, quietly hilarious and consistently self-aware, Antoine Laurain's debut novel is a delightful read' Reader's Digest

'Laurain's novella is distinctive for its energetic prose and plot and for his skill in rendering simple what is otherwise complex... pure entertainment' Riveting Reviews

Praise for The President's Hat and The Red Notebook

'A hymn to la vie Parisienne...enjoy it for its fabulistic narrative, and the way it teeters pleasantly on the edge of Gallic whimsy' The Guardian

'Like finding a gem among the bric-a-brac in a local brocante' The Telegraph

'Resist this novel if you can; it's the very quintessence of French romance' The Times 

From the Publisher

05/15/2017
Parisian patent lawyer Pierre-François Chaumont is an obsessive collector of antiques; his wife, Charlotte, however, does not appreciate his hobby and restricts his objets d'art to one room in their apartment. Still Chaumont browses the Drouot auction house on his lunch breaks, ever on the prowl for new treasures. Until one life-changing day: "I had almost reached the back of the room and was casting my eye over a display of cheap trinkets and ugly paintings on the walls when I saw it." The item in question is an 18th-century pastel portrait of a man in a powdered wig and blue coat. What's remarkable is that the face is identical to Chaumont's. After a frenzied bidding war hilariously described, the portrait belongs to Chaumont, but Charlotte and their friends don't see a resemblance. Undeterred, Chaumont researches the painting's history and discovers that the subject was a nobleman, le Comte de Mandragore. When he travels to the Mandragore chateau to make further queries, he is mistaken for the current Comte, who has been missing for four years. Should Chaumont tell Mélanie, the grieving spouse, the truth, or is this his chance to exchange a humdrum life for something better? VERDICT Laurin's (The President's Hat) fourth novel to be released in the States (but his actual debut) is a slight but delightful literary soufflé that fans of his other charming books will savor.—Wilda Williams, Library Journal

Library Journal