On the hunt for the missing Van Gogh
At the centre of the tale is a Van Gogh painting that has remained hidden from the world for 66 years.
Set in India and Germany, On the road to Tarascon by Arnab Nandy is a historical fiction set in times of World War II. At the centre of the tale is a Van Gogh painting that has remained hidden from the world for 66 years. Will the mission to recover it be successful? The debutant author talks about himself, the book and more.
Where did the idea for the book germinate?
I came across the story of The Artist on the Road to Tarascon painting while researching lost artworks in World War II for an article. The painting is said to have been destroyed in a fire, but I couldn’t find details about the circumstances in which it got lost. The mystery got me curious and I went to Magdeburg, where the painting used to be displayed. That’s when I chose this as the background for my book.
Which genre draws you the most?
I like fiction, especially thrillers. I also enjoy travel books.
The best opening line in a book you have read?
“Making a million legally has always been difficult. Making a million illegally has always been a little easier. Keeping a million when you have made it is perhaps the most difficult of all. Henryk Metelski was one of those rare men who managed all three.” — Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less (Jeffrey Archer). Brilliant novel with a beginning to match.
A fictional character close to your heart?
Obelix’s Dogmatix from Asterix comics series. Apart from such a loveable look, he is perhaps the only eco-friendly dog in literature. He howls and cries when someone cuts down a tree!
Which book do you keep revisiting time and again?
Richard P. Feynman’s autobiography Surely You’re Joking, Mr Feynman. He is a Nobel-winning physicist for sure, but the book is hardly about physics. That a man can be a physics whiz, a safecracker, a painter, apart from being a practical joker and an incredible storyteller at the same time amazes me every time I read it.
Arnab Nandy