The Portrait Paperback – June 27, 2017

I’ll just write one review to go with all of the books I have read by this author. Unique and mysterious and fun.

I really enjoyed, this, my third Laurain story. He is a superb storyteller. The pace and style seem of another time, in the best of ways.

I read Antoine Laurain's "Vintage 1954" and loved it. Thats why I decided to give this author another go and acquired his first novel "The Portrait". I have to say I was more than a little let down in doing so. You could say it just didn't grab me, and you'd be right, it didn't. Perhaps I was looking for another Dorian Gray and be assured, I never found one. I also think the book ended too soon or rather it could have introduced much more life into our protagonist "Pierre-Francois Chaumont" with a few more chapters. Not for me this one.

This is the 4th book we’ve read by the amazing author Antoine Laurain. Each book transports you to another world ! Beautiful descriptions, strong characters and of course the streets of Paris call you!! We’ve ordered two more of Lorain’s books and will be awaiting his latest this Fall.

So looked forward to this book After reading The Red Notebook. How disappointing. Not at all as engrossing or as believable.Thought as his first novel, he probably had yet to hit his mark.

Ive read this author a couple times, i like art related stories.

To reading this book. I loved the sweet story and likeable characters in The Red Notebook, but not so the characters in this one. I thought the main character was dishonest (maybe that was intentional; he is a lawyer) and I didn't like that he was able to change his life through deception.I also thought he threw in scenes that I couldn't see as relevant to the story, like his dreams (beheading, really?), Or the imagined "conspiracy" among his wife and their friends to deny he looked like the man in the portrait.I understand this was Laurain`s first novel. I'll try one more - French Rhapsody and hope I'm not as disappointed as I am in this one.

I preordered this book and got a notice that it would be delayed. That raised a red flag. Then it did come but...it was a major disappointment to me. I truly loved Laurain's other books but this is obviously a case of a greedy publisher cashing in on an author's success by releasing his first ever book—one that was never published before. Disappointed in the wonderful Gallic Books for this tactic. Barely three stars for this one.