The stories in the collection reference a great deal of books and art, such as the many novels Timothy forges or the collection of Shakespeare in which Freddie keeps the photos of actresses. Traditionally, books and art are a symbol of culture, learning, and wisdom. Towles plays with this interpretation to emphasize key points in his stories. For Tommy, books hold their symbolic value as cultural objects, but only until he learns how to profit from them, at which point they transform into opportunities for commission. A similar process happens to Skinner in “The DiDomenico Fragment,” as Skinner fails to see the value of both the “Annunciation” and his own family, blinded by the promise of a large finder’s fee.

At the same time, Towles also manipulates and modifies the meaning of this symbol to highlight character flaws. The most severe subversion of the symbolic meaning of books and art occurs in “Eve in Hollywood,” as Prentice notes Freddie’s desire to keep the words of the Bard close at hand, noticing the collection of Shakespeare’s works on Freddie’s desk. In Hollywood, traditional acting on the stage is viewed as more refined and skilled than movie acting, but Freddie debases Shakespeare’s work by filling his edition of the plays with candid photos of nude actresses.