The Modigliani Scandal

A Novel

By: Ken Follett

Narrated by: Justin Avoth

A high-speed, high-stakes thriller from Ken Follett, the grand master of international action and suspense.

A fabulous "lost masterpiece" becomes the ultimate prize - for an art historian whose ambition consumes everyone around her, an angry young painter with a plan for revenge on the art establishment, and a desperate gallery owner who may have double-crossed his own life away. Behind the elegance and glamour of the art world, anything goes - theft, forgery, betrayal, and maybe even murder....

©1976 Ken Follett (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Definitely early Follett

I enjoyed it, easy read. I always have trouble following his characters, but it is usually worth any extra effort. Really not fair to compare to his later works. The book was clever and did hold my interest.

Early Work

This is a wonderful
Almost frivolous tale about an ambitious art history student, a crooked art dealer(s), and a glimpse into an artist’s life in his native Italy. If one listens to the style of storytelling it adumbrates what the more mature author would become—an ethicist buried in a fertile creative fantasist’s mind. It’s short and sweet. AR Morse

A Ken Follett novel unworthy

As a big fan of the catching and intelligent stories of Ken Follett I definitely expected more from this book.
It was missing a clear story-line and not exactly pleasant to listen to. Disappointing and sudden end as well. Disappointment.

Follett never disappoints

The Modigliani Scandal was extremely interesting. I have always had the same thoughts about the artistic world, but thought I was just being naive. Ken Follett has found the perfect way to show the reality of the absurd world of fine art. The moral of the story is to buy what you love and keep good artists employed.

Intrigue and Art Education

Narrator excellent. Too many character names to follow smoothly. Somewhat anti-climatic. Unique story line.

An early Follett, and not great

I’ve read a dozen books by Ken Follett, including a couple of early ones, and enjoyed them all. This one, so early it was published under a pseudonym, I liked not so much. The plot is convoluted, most interesting perhaps for its exposition of the art scene in the mid-1970s, predominantly in London. Very unlike Follett’s other books, this one deprives the reader of critical information needed to fully understand the resolution as it’s being told. The reader is just OK, with an annoying tendency to drop his voice in the final sentences of dialogue. A must for Follett completists; for others, don’t start reading him with this one.

Early Follett, lots of fun

I have read other early Ken Follett novels, and this one was sheer fun. With a bit more suspense it would have made an entertaining Hitchcock movie.

Really fun story

The performance was so well done. The narrators voice was smooth and enjoyable to listen to. I really liked the intrigue of this story.

Terrible

Hard to follow. Book just never really took off. If I wasn’t so determined to finish it I would have sent it back

Ties "World Without End" for worst Follet novel

It competes with "World Without End" for worst Follet novel, but for different reasons.

I usually love Ken Follett's books, but "The Modigliani Scandal" just never generated enough interest in the story. I was halfway through the book when I decided that I just didn't care about what happened.

The "World Without End" was very politically biased, but I at least finished it before hating it.