Improbability of love

The Improbability of Love by Hannah Rothschild is an interesting read. The book tells the story of a famous painting said to inspire love and jealousy in equal measure. A fixture in the homes of the great and the good down through the centuries this painting has taken on a life of its own and even has its own voice.

The painting is found in a junk shop by Annie wanting to find a present for her new boyfriend, skulduggery, greed in all its forms abound in this book. Russian oligarchs, art dealers, chefs, collectors, former Nazis and a whole host of characters each tell their own story. The story is told through a cast of characters including the painting itself. It explores the question of what is art? Who decides that something is art? Does art have to be permanent or can it be transitory like a great meal?

This would be a great book to talk about in a book group due the range of questions and subject matter.

The only drawback I would say is that the ending seemed slightly rushed but apart from that I enjoyed this book - and so did my book group.