The Russian Master
The Age
Saturday October 18, 2008
The Russian Master
Ian Callinan Central Queensland University Press, $32.95 FORMER HIGH COURT judge Ian Callinan is a sometime novelist. Hislatest fiction The Russian Master is a droll farce set in the cutthroat world of international art dealership. Davenport Jones is an Australian art expert propelled into an unlikely position at a prestigious firm of art auctioneers. His forthright personality makes him uniquely unsuited to the unscrupulous tactics his employment requires. But when he becomes involved in a plan to acquire the paintings of an obscure Russian master, it's a quality that might serve him well. The novel contains a cast of conniving characters: a debonair but morally dubious dealer, Davenport's former wife, and the Russian artist's rival inheritors. The novel is full of mildly witty observations and dialogue, but the pacing and structure are deeply flawed. Callinan spends half his time introducing the characters, then doesn't do much with them in terms of interaction. Also, the book ends in an unsatisfying flurry.
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