The Swan Thieves

Last updated

The Swan Thieves
The Swan Thieves.jpg
First edition
Author Elizabeth Kostova
Language English
Publisher Little, Brown and Company
Publication date
2010
Publication place United States
ISBN 978-0-316-06578-8

The Swan Thieves is a 2010 novel by American author Elizabeth Kostova. The "old painter" described in the book before the first chapter is Alfred Sisley. [1] Beatrice de Clerval is not based on a single real artist, but Kostova was influenced in developing her life by the life of Berthe Morisot. [2]

La Neige a Louveciennes (Snow at Louveciennes) Alfred sisley, la neve a louveciennes, 1878.JPG
La Neige à Louveciennes (Snow at Louveciennes)

Reception

Entertainment Weekly gave the book a "C" grade. [3] The Washington Post said, "Kostova's new book, set partly in Washington, tells a rather simple story, and its characters, although they sometimes insist otherwise, don't change radically over time. (All are painters, and they're not much different, in interest or in outlook, from one another.)" [4]

The Swan Thieves returned Kostova to The New York Times Best Seller list. [5] In the United States, the novel debuted at number four on The New York Times Best Seller list of best-selling hardcover fiction and remained in the top 20 for over a month. [6] [7] In Canada, the novel debuted at number seven on The Globe and Mail's bestseller list. [8] The Swan Thieves was one of only 126 hardcover novels to sell over 100,000 copies in the United States in 2010, ultimately selling 118,218 copies within that calendar year. [9]

Related Research Articles

The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. Since October 12, 1931, The New York Times Book Review has published the list weekly. In the 21st century, it has evolved into multiple lists, grouped by genre and format, including fiction and nonfiction, hardcover, paperback and electronic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Flint</span> American author and editor (1947–2022)

Eric Flint was an American author, editor, and e-publisher. The majority of his works are alternate history science fiction, but he also wrote humorous fantasy adventures. His works have been listed on The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Locus magazine best-seller lists. He was a co-founder and editor of the Baen Free Library.

A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties. An author may also be referred to as a bestseller if their work often appears in a list. Well-known bestseller lists in the U.S. are published by Publishers Weekly, USA Today, The New York Times, and IndieBound. The New York Times tracks book sales from national and independent bookstores, as well as sales from major internet retailers such as Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Kostova</span> American writer (born 1964)

Elizabeth Johnson Kostova is an American author best known for her debut novel The Historian.

<i>The Two Swords</i> 2004 novel by R. A. Salvatore

The Two Swords is a fantasy novel by American writer R. A. Salvatore, the third and final book in his series The Hunter's Blades Trilogy. The Two Swords was his 17th work concerning one of the most famous characters Salvatore has created, the drow, or dark elf, Drizzt Do'Urden. It follows The Thousand Orcs and The Lone Drow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adriana Trigiani</span> American novelist

Adriana Trigiani is an American best-selling author of eighteen books, playwright, television writer/producer, film director/screenwriter/producer, and entrepreneur based in New York City. Trigiani has published a novel a year since 2000.

Christine Feehan is an American author of paranormal romance, paranormal military thrillers, and fantasy. She is a #1 New York Times, #1 Publishers Weekly, and International bestselling author of seven series; Carpathian, GhostWalker Series, Drake Sisters, Sister of the HeartSeries, Shadow Riders Series, Leopard Series and Torpedo Ink Series. Six of the seven series have made #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. As of January 2020 she has 80 published novels. The first in her Torpedo Ink Series, Judgment Road, debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestsellers list.

North and South is a 1980s trilogy of best-selling novels by John Jakes which take place before, during, and after the American Civil War. The saga tells the story of the enduring friendship between Orry Main of South Carolina and George Hazard of Pennsylvania, who become best friends while attending the United States Military Academy at West Point but later find themselves and their families on opposite sides of the war. The slave-owning Mains are rural gentleman planters while the big-city Hazards live by manufacturing and industry, their differences reflecting the real divisions between North and South which ultimately led to war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skyhorse Publishing</span> American book publishing company

Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. is an American independent book publishing company founded in 2006 and headquartered in New York City, with a satellite office in Brattleboro, Vermont.

<i>Castle</i> (TV series) American crime comedy-drama TV series (2009–2016)

Castle is an American crime mystery/comedy-drama television series that aired on ABC for a total of eight seasons from March 9, 2009, to May 16, 2016. The series was produced jointly by Beacon Pictures and ABC Studios.

<i>Safehold</i> Fictional world by David Weber

Safehold is a science fiction book series by David Weber, currently consisting of ten titles, the latest released in January 2019. The series is mostly set around the 31st century, on a distant world dubbed "Safehold" where a group of humans are in hiding from the Gbaba, an alien enemy responsible for the end of all other human civilization.

<i>The Litigators</i> Novel by John Grisham

The Litigators is a 2011 legal thriller novel by John Grisham, his 25th fiction novel overall. The Litigators is about a two-partner Chicago law firm attempting to strike it rich in a class action lawsuit over a cholesterol reduction drug by a major pharmaceutical drug company. The protagonist is a Harvard Law School grad big law firm burnout who stumbles upon the boutique and joins it only to find himself litigating against his old law firm in this case. The book is regarded as more humorous than most of Grisham's prior novels.

<i>Shadow of Night</i> 2012 fantasy novel by Deborah Harkness

Shadow of Night is a 2012 historical-fantasy novel by American scholar Deborah Harkness, the second book in the All Souls trilogy. As the sequel to the 2011 bestseller, A Discovery of Witches, it follows the story of Diana Bishop, a historian who comes from a long line of witches, and Matthew Clairmont, a long-lived vampire, as they unlock the secrets of an ancient manuscript. Diana and Matthew travel back in time to 16th century London during the Elizabethan era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. T. Ellison</span> American writer

J. T. Ellison is a New York Times bestselling American author. She writes domestic noir and psychological thrillers, the latter starring Nashville Homicide Lt. Taylor Jackson and medical examiner Dr. Samantha Owens. She also pens the "A Brit in the FBI" series with #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter. With over a million books in print, Ellison's work has been published in twenty-eight countries and sixteen languages. She is also the co-host of the Emmy Award-winning television series, A Word on Words, which airs on Nashville Public Television. Ellison is also the founder of Two Tales Press, an independent publishing house, and The Wine Vixen, a wine review website. She lives with her husband in Nashville, Tennessee.

Susan Elia MacNeal is an American author best known for her Maggie Hope mystery series of novels, which are set during World War II, mainly in London.

<i>What Happened</i> (Clinton book) 2017 memoir by Hillary Clinton

What Happened is a 2017 memoir by Hillary Clinton about her experiences as the Democratic Party's nominee and general election candidate for president of the United States in the 2016 election. Published on September 12, 2017, it is her seventh book with her publisher, Simon & Schuster.

<i>Handbook for Mortals</i> 2017 novel by Lani Sarem

Handbook for Mortals is a 2017 young adult fantasy romance novel by Lani Sarem, first published by Geeknation Press in 2017 and subsequently mass-printed as a hardcover book.

References

  1. Wendy Smith (27 January 2010). ""The Swan Thieves", by Elizabeth Kostova". Powell's Books . Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  2. Trisha, Managing Editor (17 November 2009). "Sneak peek: Elizabeth Kostova's 'The Swan Thieves'". bookpage.com. Retrieved 17 March 2012.{{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  3. Karen Valby (6 January 2010). "BOOK REVIEW: The Swan Thieves (2010)". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  4. Donna Rifkind (12 January 2010). "Book World reviews Elizabeth Kostova's 'The Swan Thieves'". The Washington Post . Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  5. "Bestselling Novelist Kostova to Appear at CityLit Festival". CityLit Project. 17 March 2010. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  6. "The New York Times Best Seller List January 31, 2016". The New York Times. 31 January 2010. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  7. "The New York Times Best Seller List March 7, 2016". The New York Times. 28 February 2010. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  8. "BESTSELLERS". GLOBE AND MAIL. 23 January 2010. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  9. Daisy Maryles (21 March 2011). "The Winning Game: 2010 Hardcovers: Facts & Figures 2011". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 27 August 2016.