Headlong (Frayn novel)

Headlong is a novel by British author Michael Frayn, published in 1999. It is a comic philosophical thriller centered around the discovery of a supposedly lost painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

The plot follows the character of Martin Clay, a philosophy lecturer, and his wife Kate, who live a modest life in the English countryside. They become entangled in the world of art dealing when Martin suspects that a painting owned by their eccentric neighbor, Tony Churt, is actually The Proverbs, a missing panel from Bruegel's famous series.

Driven by a mixture of intellectual curiosity, financial temptation, and a desire for recognition, Martin embarks on a quest to prove the painting's authenticity and acquire it, leading him down a rabbit hole of art history, forgery, and moral compromise. The novel explores themes of authenticity, ownership, the value of art, the nature of happiness, and the philosophical implications of possession.

The title Headlong refers both to the physical action of Martin throwing himself into the pursuit of the painting and to the reckless, impulsive nature of his behavior and the escalating consequences of his decisions. The narrative is characterized by Frayn's characteristic wit and intellectual playfulness, incorporating philosophical discussions into the fast-paced storyline.