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Learn moreAn unlikely con man wagers wife, wealth, and sanity in pursuit of one of art’s elusive old masters.
Martin Clay, an easily distracted philosopher, and his scrupulous art-historian wife are invited to dinner by a boorish local landowner to assess the value of three dusty paintings moldering in the freezing breakfast room. But blocking the soot from the chimney is nothing less, Martin believes, than one of the world’s lost treasures, camouflaged by misattribution and the grime of centuries. Thus begins a wild trail of lies and concealments, soaring hopes and sudden panics, as Martin embarks on an obsessive quest to prove his hunch, separate the painting from its owner, and resolve one of the great mysteries of European art.
Michael Frayn is the author of thirteen plays, including the classic comedy Noises Off, and Copenhagen, which was named Play of the Year by the Evening Standard and won the Drama Critics Circle award. Frayn has also written seven novels and three screenplays, as well as being a journalist, documentary filmmaker, and translator of Chekhov. Headlong is his first novel to appear in the United States since 1993. He lives in London.
Frederick Davidson (1932–2005), also known as David Case, was one of the most prolific readers in the audiobook industry, recording more than eight hundred audiobooks in his lifetime, including over two hundred for Blackstone Audio. Born in London, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and performed for many years in radio plays for the British Broadcasting Company before coming to America in 1976. He received AudioFile’s Golden Voice Award and numerous Earphones Awards and was nominated for a Grammy for his readings.
Reviews
“Rueful and amusing…Frayn is that rare writer who succeeds as both a novelist and a dramatist.”
“Finely wrought and highly comical…a perfect introduction to a writer who likes to pull the rug out from under your feet while offering you the most seductive of smiles.”
“Delightful...deadpan hilarious and wonderfully written…as effective a work of historical reconstruction as it is a comedy.”
“Exceedingly funny, both in event and in intellectual high jinx.”
“Headlong offers an enthralling and refreshingly grown-up take on the alarming speed with which our morals shift to accommodate our desires, and on the lofty and low ways in which the great art of the past continues to affect us.”
“Art historians will rejoice over the subject matter and the intricate descriptions of the paintings and their provenance…[Davidson’s] vocal changes bring forth believable characters with pleasing sounds.”
“Davidson’s decidedly British accent helps bring the story alive.”
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