Arturo Pérez-Reverte

Average customer rating:

Huge disappointment
Exceedingly Well Done
Alatriste Returns to Flander's Fields
Diminishing Returns
Well written historical fiction

The Sun Over Breda
Arturo Perez-Reverte
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Purity of Blood
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ASIN: 0399153837
Release Date: 2006-12-28

Book Description

Arturo Pérez-Reverte has enthralled readers and critics around the globe with his Captain Alatriste series. Having sold four and a half million copies to date in the Spanish-speaking world, the series has made Pérez-Reverte a literary superstar and his fictional seventeenth-century mercenary a national icon. And the appeal of Pérez-Reverte's adventurer and his exploits continues to grow, as evidenced by the extraordinary reception for the first two translated volumes in the series-Captain Alatriste and Purity of Blood.

And now, in The Sun over Breda, Pérez-Reverte continues his thrilling chronicle of the swordsman-for-hire, as Captain Alatriste takes up his blade and rejoins his elite Cartagena regiment as they take part in the battles and siege of Breda. Fifteen-year-old Íñigo Balboa enlists to serve as his master's aide, and narrates their further adventures of swordplay and skirmishes, of mutiny and wartime honor. And, back in Spain, Alatriste's nemesis Luis de Alquézar grows more powerful, as Íñigo's mysterious friend Angélica hints at some plans upon his return

Customer Reviews:

Huge disappointment.......2007-06-13

Being a fan of this genre and of Perez-Reverte in particular, I could not wait for the translation of this book and bought the Spanish version with an eye to reading it as a summer project. The English version arrived in the US market before summer and trumped this plan and many other projects, but not, I am sad to say, for good reason. This book is a huge disappointment. The previous books of the series were swashbuckling mysteries interplaying characters of various levels of Spanish society at the time. Essential to the stories was character development which included the motivations, prejudices and lifestyles of the various players. Perez-Reverte is a master at this and the first two read like a delightful combination of Jorge Amado and Dumas. In contrast, Breda reads like a frontline chronicle and like war, reduces character motivation to survival and nationalism. We really expect better from one of the worlds most famous living authors.

Exceedingly Well Done.......2007-06-05

Here's why I disagree with the poor reviews of this novel and why, the more I think about it, the more I consider this story very well written:

1. The pacing of the book is precisely what one might expect from a siege - periods of page-turning excitement between several pages of soldiers and characters getting used to one another, struggling to keep seeing their "enemy" as their "enemy," and trying to survive in the nasty, brutish world of the early 1600's warfare. The simple fact that all of the reviewers finished the book speaks to the ability of Perez-Reverte's writing to carry you through the non-fast action parts.

2. There are moments in the book - for instance, when Inigo receives a letter and Captain Alatriste talks to him about it - that are exquisitely captured; one can picture the scene, the sounds, the voices, the background as if you are watching a movie. Truly a master writer at work, knowing just what words to put in...and just what can be left out.

3. The action scenes that take place around the siege and in the story are unique for two aspects: one, they are very original; and two, as the action proceeds, you get a real feel for both the characters, their motivations, their fears, the confusion they find themselves in, and the tragedy of their courage and ideals.

If you are expecting an Erol Flynn swashbuckling derring-do, yes, you'll be unimpressed. If you're expecting an adventure story close to what likely happened to men who lived and died 400 years ago, I cannot imagine a better author and a better book that captures this moment.

Alatriste Returns to Flander's Fields.......2007-05-11

It is 1625, and Spanish armies are once again marching across the fields of Flanders. Captain Diego Alatriste has left the treacherous streets of Madrid to rejoin the colors of his Tercio. His young companion, Inigo Balboa joins him as a "mochilero", an apprentice soldier who scavanges the countryside in search of provisions. "The Sun Over Breda" follows their adventures from the beginning of the campaign to the final siege of the Dutch city of Breda.

In this third novel of his Alatriste series, Perez Reverte takes his readers away from Madrid during its Golden Age to the trench lines that surround the besieged city of Breda. For over a century, the fiercely disciplined Spanish tercios dominated European warfare. Their story is as important to Spain's Golden Age as the stories of the great Spanish painters and writers of the era. "The Sun Over Breda" is a unique fictional account of early modern warfare from the point of view of its frontline soldiers.

The first two novels of the series are swashbuckling tales that revolve around the intrigues of the Spanish court. Although well written, they will always be compared to Alexandre Dumas' superb Three Musketeer novels. By branching out to warfare as seen by the humble Seventeenth Century infantryman, Perez Reverte moves his series into a new unexplored space. Perez Reverte is at his best when he does not work in shadow of the formidable Dumas. As this series progresses, I hope he is able to take us to other unexplored locales and experiences. Recommended.

Diminishing Returns.......2007-05-07

I have long been a fan of Arturo Perez-Reverte. Novels like The Club Dumas and The Seville Communion are among my favorites. He is now in the midst of a series of short novels starring Captain Diego Alatriste and his faithful squire Inigo Balboa. Though by no means poor novels, to me they are not nearly as engaging as his others.

In The Sun Over Breda, we join the Captain and Inigo in the siege of the Dutch town of Breda. In these waning years of Spain's Golden Age, the crown is fighting desperately to retain its possessions in the face of declining wealth and Protestantism. The Captain and Inigo are models of Spanish valor and pride but they also see the futility of where things are going. Unfortunately, in this novel, things aren't going much of anywhere.

Not too surprising since the central event in this novel is a siege which, by its very nature, is not very exciting. Perez-Reverte tries to add some energy to the proceedings by relating side events to the siege, like a mutiny by the soldiers, a skirmish in the mining tunnels and a night raid on a Dutch position. Still, when it comes right down to it, there is very little action in this novel to keep things moving forward.

Perhaps these novels are much more popular in Perez-Reverte's native Spain where the events and context are immediately clear. For me, however, this novel just doesn't have the spark of his previous ones--even the previous ones in this series which have gotten steadily less interesting after an excellent opening adventure.

The Sun Over Breda is the third in this five volume series. Of course, I will read the others to see how the tale wraps up. Perez-Reverte is a strong enough writer and has written enough excellent books to keep me wading through these very short novels. Still, I will be happy when he's done with the Captain and Inigo and moves on to something else.

Well written historical fiction.......2007-05-04

"The sun over Breda" is a well written book with a thoughtful plot and character development. I enjoy books by this author because they break away from the standard formula approach so often seen in popular fiction. The history is well researched and accurate. Arturo Perez-Reverte has a particular ability to bring the past alive. A very enjoyable addition to this series and the author's works. The translation from Spanish into English is, at times, cumbersome.

Average customer rating:

Intellectual Game of Concepts
This book is so Spanish, it defies traditional translation
"We have an old saying here: 'If it's white and comes in a bottle, it's milk.'"
Loved this Intellectual Thriller!
Church and Priest Bashing Wrapped in a Mystery Plot

The Seville Communion
Arturo Perez-Reverte
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

The Flanders Panel
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ASIN: 0156029812

Amazon.com

Spain's Arturo Perez-Reverte continues his string of comfortably old-fashioned, modestly intellectual thrillers with a touching and suspenseful story of faith and duty, set in the timeless and enchanting city of Seville. "In Seville different histories were superimposed and interdependent," he writes, aided by Sonia Soto's seamless translation. "A rosary stringing together time, blood and prayers in different languages beneath a blue sky and wise sun that leveled everything over the centuries. Stone survivors that could still be heard. You just had to forget for a moment the camcorders, postcards, coaches full of tourists and cheeky young girls, and put your ear to the stones and listen." As in his previous surprise bestsellers--The Club Dumas and The Flanders Panel, both available in paperback--Perez-Reverte takes a supposedly cool observer and turns the person into a hot-blooded participant in the action. In The Seville Communion it's Father Lorenzo Quart, who works for an investigative branch of the Vatican that is referred to by an angry, upstaged Archbishop of Seville as "you and your mafiosi in Rome, playing God's police." Father Quart, a very attractive man with prematurely gray hair cropped short, wears expensive suits and has to fight off the women who test his vows of celibacy. His toughest challenge is a breathtaking, titled beauty named Macarena, whose banker husband is at the center of a plot to tear down a historic church. Two people have already been killed because of the intrigue, and more violence threatens as Father Quart is pursued by a trio of ineptly dangerous villains, straight out of Bogart's Beat the Devil, through the gorgeous streets of a city to die for.

Book Description

A“diabolically good” hacker puts a message on the pope’s computer, pleading for him to save a seventeenth-century Spanish church—a church that is killing to defend itself.Although Our Lady of the Tears is but a crumbling baroque building in the heart of Seville, it is also the center of a multilayered mystery—one that will force ecclesiastical sleuth Father Lorenzo Quart to question his loyalty, his vow of chastity, and his faith itself.

Customer Reviews:

Intellectual Game of Concepts.......2007-05-27

The Seville Communion is a Twentieth Century thriller. Written under the "Perez-Reverte" tradition,it effectively intertwines greed,religious fervor,tradition,hypocrisy and loyalty.

The setting is mainly spellbound "Hispalis".It portrays a clash between social institutions such as The Holy See,local church hierarchy and old family lineage.

Two deaths occur in a crumbling church located in the center of Seville. "Vespers" breaks into the Pope's computer. As a result, Father Quart is sent to investigate.

With a highly complicated plot(complicated as the Baroque Movement),the constant presence of imagery and surprise is astounding.

At the end "Nobody leaves Seville without sinning"

This book is so Spanish, it defies traditional translation.......2007-03-24

I studied Spanish Literature in school and when I think of Spanish authors, I think of Cervantes, Quevedo, Becquer and of course, Gongora. Then there's a leap from the "Golden Century" and Spanish Literature becomes Latin American Literature with Garcia Marquez, Octavio Paz, Pablo Neruda and of course, Isabel Allende.

Perez Reverte is a revelation. He really takes you to Seville with a host of characters that are different from each other, and through their antics and actions,they show another dimension of this legendary city.
The pace of this story is well contained, since it cannot be read in a rush. Perez Reverte takes you to a walk through the narrow streets of Seville, showing you the Tower of Gold, La Giralda, many squares and plazas, churches and convents,all the way to the shores of the Guadalquivir River. One can see the ocher walls, and hear Tablao throughout the entire story.

Father Quart is a unique character, and the hero of the story. He so methodical in everything he does, that he reminds me of "The Day of the Jackal." He feels more pride than piety, and control rule his acntions, rather than zeal. I liked this character very much.
Macarena is the "Maja" of the story, and trough her mother, Cruz Brener, Perez Reverte takes the reader to the times of the "Other Spain," the aristocracy, the wealth, and the world of privilege that is fading away quickly.

I just have one recommendation for this book. There's nothing wrong having a good looking priest around, but it seems that Perez Reverte describes Fatehr Quart too many times as a Knight Templar throughout the entire story. I picture Father Quart as a young Arnold Schwarzenegger playing Ivan Danko in "Red Heat" running around Seville looking for Vespers.

I'm glad I discovered this author, and I have a feeling this won't be the only book I'll read from him. Well recommended, you won't be disappointed

"We have an old saying here: 'If it's white and comes in a bottle, it's milk.'".......2007-02-12

In this absorbing mystery set in Seville, author Arturo Perez-Reverte depicts the all-too-human ecclesiastical hierarchy--from an elderly local priest in a small church of declining population, to the Vatican, the Pope, and the Institute of External Affairs (IEA), in charge of investigating crime and violations of priestly protocol. Fr. Lorenzo Quart, representing the IEA, is sent to Seville to investigate when a hacker leaves a message on the Pope's private e-mail claiming that two recent deaths in a seventeenth century church suggest that the church "kills to defend itself."

Our Lady of the Tears, a Baroque church undergoing restoration, is sitting on some of the most valuable land in Seville, and the archbishop and a local bank are determined to close it and sell the land. Its irascible, elderly priest, an American nun/architect, the seventy-year-old duchess whose family has endowed the church, and her gorgeous daughter Makarena are just as determined to keep the church open. Matters become more complicated when one of the bank employees, heavily in debt, hooks up with a former prize fighter, a gypsy singer, and a slick operator, to guarantee that the church will close.

The ambition of the archbishop, the susceptibility of Fr. Quart to the wiles of Makarena, the stubbornness of the elderly priest of the church, the loss of faith of some clergy, the infighting within the Vatican, and its deal-making all show the human frailties of the clergy and add to the complexity of the developing mystery. The author uses every trick in the book to involve the reader in the action, including deaths inside the church, clergy who share their doubts about God and the church with the reader, sexual temptations, betrayals and double-crosses, and characters who gradually show themselves to be different from initial impressions. Fr. Quart, "the sexiest priest alive," supposedly resembles "Richard Chamberlain in _The Thorn Birds_, but more manly," and as he investigates and tries to avoid taking sides, he must resist the advances of Makarena.

The novel leads to a bang-up conclusion, but it is somewhat disappointing in its melodrama. In addition, the solutions to many of the novel's mysteries are revealed in retrospect, sometimes weeks or years later, not through direct action. The stereotypical characters become individuals only in the conclusion, when their atypical behaviors, for which there have been no advance hints, conveniently allow the author to solve several mysteries. Still, the author's depiction of enchanting Seville, his ability to create atmosphere, and the sheer fun of the story make this one of Perez-Reverte's most enjoyable mysteries. n Mary Whipple

Loved this Intellectual Thriller!.......2006-10-17

This is an intellectual thriller bordering on fine literature. Perez-Reverte transports you to Seville - where ninety perecent of the novel takes place - so much so that the sights and sounds seem completely alive (during the week that I read the book, I wanted to immediately take off and fly to Spain). I won't give away any plot spoilers - but this is a page-turner full of colorful and wildly diverse characters - who turn out to have more in common than it initially appears. It may help to be Catholic to fully enjoy this novel - but it's certainly not necessary.

Church and Priest Bashing Wrapped in a Mystery Plot.......2006-09-28

This novel is supposed to be about a mystery/suspense based on Vatican plots. But it turns out to be a story about priests bashing and meandering plots on the characters, especially the Father Quart character.

Well, but it sums up human feelings... and the seven deadly sins. It happens evertyime to somebody somewhere, including priests. Some people might enjoy this book more than others. Being my third Perez-Reverte's book, I found that it was just OK. A three star read.

Average customer rating:

Fencing Master, NOT Zoro, for Catherine Zeta-Jones and Antonio Banderas
Beautiful Ending
Enjoyable
Not his best but VERY good!!!
Likeable characters, serviceable plot

The Fencing Master
Arturo Perez-Reverte
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

The Seville Communion
The Flanders Panel
Purity of Blood
Captain Alatriste
The Nautical Chart

ASIN: 0156029839

Amazon.com

In The Club Dumas, Arturo Pérez-Reverte explored the labyrinthine world of antiquarian book dealers, spicing his tale of mystery and murder with characters straight out of Paradise Lost and The Three Musketeers. Next came The Flanders Panel, a brilliant puzzle comprised of art, chess, and untimely death whose resolution lies in a painting by a Flemish master. In The Seville Communion, Pérez-Reverte turned his sights on the tangled politics of the Roman Catholic Church as an appropriate backdrop--for murder. In his fourth novel translated into English, the Spanish writer changes centuries (if not his focus on homicide), returning to the mid-1800s to follow the exploits of Don Jaime Astarloa, the eponymous fencing master.

The year is 1866 and revolution is brewing in Spain. The corrupt Bourbon queen, Isabella II, is slowly losing her grip on power as equally corrupt exiled politicians vie to be her successor in a new republic. Against this background of political upheaval, Don Jaime goes about his business, teaching a dying art to a dwindling number of students. This is a man who resists changing times; to a friend he explains, "I have spent my whole life trying to preserve a certain idea of myself, and that is all. You have to cling to a set of values that do not depreciate with time. Everything else is the fashion of the moment, fleeting, mutable. In a word, nonsense." But then Adela de Otero--a woman with a mysterious past and an amazing talent for swordplay--comes into his life, and Don Jaime's world is turned upside down. As always, Pérez-Reverte offers literary excellence, a thumping good mystery, and fascinating insight into an arcane practice, in this case, fencing. Though the 19th-century politics in the book may resonate more with a Spanish audience than with English readers, the moral at the heart of The Fencing Master is universal: "to be honest, or at least honorable--anything, indeed, that has its roots in the word honor." In this, Don Jaime and Arturo Pérez-Reverte both succeed. --Alix Wilber

Book Description

The unstoppable thrust is the arcane fencing technique known only by Don Jaime—and the deadly maneuver that a beautiful young woman wants him to teach her.What begins as a rather bold request leads Don Jaime into the shadowy politics and violence of mid-nineteenth-century Madrid.

Customer Reviews:

Fencing Master, NOT Zoro, for Catherine Zeta-Jones and Antonio Banderas.......2006-08-10

As I was reading the book I thought that the actors from the first Zoro movie would be a great fit for the characters in this book. Enough of that though. I have to say I am a fan of historical fiction, but am not very interested in fencing nor the time period in which this book was set. However, Perez-Reverte made it all very intriguing and entertaining for me through the characters. Do not shy away from the book if the subject matter seems foreign, the emotions, thoughts, and great writing bring it all home. I would have liked to see more interplay given between Luis De Ayala and Adela, but otherwise found little to fault. It is a good change to see the hero, Don Jaime, depicted as a loner a minority that have gotten a rough time of it lately. I would suggest readers look for small thumbnail sketches on the political figures referenced like Prim and Navarez to get a better understanding of the events described in the book. All in all a very enjoyable read, but a notch below Perez-Reverte's The Flanders Panel and Club Dumas.

Beautiful Ending.......2006-08-10

The writing and the story are very, very good -- definately better than the Flanders Panel and slightly ahead of the Seville Communion, but it's the ending of this book that shows a master's command of the story. Weeks after reading this novel, I still cannot get the final scene out of my mind; simply perfect. Frankly, if you are new to Perez-Reverte, this is probably the novel that I'd recommend first.

J. Avellanet, Co-Founder of Cerulean Associates LLC

Enjoyable.......2006-06-06

All things considered, an entertaining read. I learned a lot about classical fencing and the court intrigue in Spain in the 1860s. The titular hero is nicely imagined, as is his beautiful nemesis. The writing is a bit stylistically flat in places and the character descriptions seem too clumsy for a novelist of Perez-Reverte's credentials. The novel is hard to put down once the intrigue gets rolling; I just wish it hadn't taken nearly 2/5's of the book to happen. I think P-R's other works are better, but I still enjoyed the book.

Not his best but VERY good!!!.......2006-04-27

Fun to read story set in medieval Spain , with a strong plot and elderly fencing master who can't fit modern times as an old school honorable gentleman . No esothery here, boys and girls.

Likeable characters, serviceable plot.......2006-01-24

I bought several Perez-Reverte novels after thoroughly enjoying "The Club Dumas" several years ago, and "The Fencing Master" was an entertaining second read.

The highlight of the book was Don Jaime's internal conflict regarding the nature of honor. Perez-Reverte contrasts his "Untouchable" character with several cafe acquaintences in scenes which seemed to aim for more humor than they achieved. Also, Don Jaime's simple, golden presence stands starkly against the corrupt miasma of political upheaval, but the backdrop didn't intrigue me like it seemed to desire. True, the ways in which the greater conflict pertain to Don Jaime are spelled out for us in the end, but perhaps a person with a greater (read: any) appreciation for Spanish history would enjoy this portion of the book more than I.

What I did enjoy was seeing the world through Don Jaime's eyes: he's an incredibly likeable character, particulary for his innocence and steadfastness. The fencing scenes were engaging as well, and the secret of the unstoppable thrust seemed reasonably realistic.

Average customer rating:

Good At First Then Becomes Cloying
Novel about an art piece
Not A Movie
Oh, come now
Flanders Panel

The Flanders Panel
Arturo Perez-Reverte
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

The Seville Communion
The Fencing Master
The Club Dumas
The Club Dumas
The Nautical Chart

ASIN: 0156029588

Amazon.com

Julia, a young Madrid art restorer, is pulled into a shadowy world of metaphor when she discovers a long-covered inscription on a Flemish painting: Who killed the knight? Art, chess and murder are intertwined in this elegant, seductive mystery in the manner of The Name of the Rose.

Book Description

A fifteenth-century painting by a Flemish master is about to be auctioned when Julia, a young art restorer, discovers a peculiar inscription hidden in a corner: Who killed the knight? In the painting, the Duke of Flanders and his knight are locked in a game of chess, and a dark lady lurks mysteriously in the background. Julia is determined to solve the five-hundred-year-old murder, but as she begins to look for clues, several of her friends in the art world are brutally murdered in quick succession. Messages left with the bodies suggest a crucial connection between the chess game in the painting, the knight's murder, the sordid underside of the contemporary art world, and the latest deaths. Just when all of the players in the mystery seem to be pawns themselves, events race toward a shocking conclusion. A thriller like no other, The Flanders Panel presents a tantalizing puzzle for any connoisseur of mystery, chess, art, and history.

Customer Reviews:

Good At First Then Becomes Cloying.......2007-05-19

Perhaps due to the translation? I own this book and have read and re-read it numerous times, finding something new and interesting in the chess mystery each time. But I also have increasingly grown to dislike the main character Julia, who is insipid, self-righteous and somewhat two-faced in her dealings with the characters Menchu and Montegrifo. Again, it's perhaps due to a less than superior translation, but still, the irritating characteristics of Julia, combined with the slightly self-conscious descriptive tactics of the author himself, combined to annoy me the last time I read the book. The characters of Menchu and Cesar I found the most interesting and (strangely) sympathetic, far more than Julia's self-righteous finger pointing and philosophic offshoots about identity and art. A great idea and most of it was executed very well, but I found myself dearly wanting to smack the main character at the book's end.

Novel about an art piece.......2007-04-03

Wonderful book, but there was a bit of disappointment to it:
why is it that when someone writes such a book they think it is OK not to include the picture of the painting? Try and do goole or any other search.
What you actually see, does not completely fit the description of mister Arturo.
Otherwise - great writer!

Not A Movie.......2007-02-09

If you're looking for a nice hot historical thriller, written like a TV script, destined to be turned into a movie within six months, this ain't it. And unfortunately the publisher has billed it that way.

Actually, it's an interesting vacation book for a reader; the writing is thoughtful and in some cases thought-provoking; and it maintains its level of suspense pretty well. What especially set the book apart for me was the believability and realism of the "surprise" outcome.

Several reviewers have taken different views on whether you need to know chess or not - I guess you don't, absolutely, but the book would be a lot less interesting if you've never played a game of chess and don't know how the pieces move.

Oh, come now.......2006-12-28

Oh, please! Mirrors in paintings, paintings in mirrors, Bach pieces that reverse themselves, the black-and-white tile floor that "adds yet another level," "Why, it's just like one of those stairways in an Escher work!" There's even a half-hearted gesture towards Godel, though not by name. "As someone in a mystery novel might say . . . " Gee, maybe the author and the reader themselves could be involved in their own game of chess? Could that be . . . yet another level? Yah think? Characterization by physiognomy out of Lambroso. Arch allusions to Holmes and Watson. Epigraphs from Nabokov. And the heroine, a reportedly sophisticated cognescente of the art world continually bedazzled and astonished by all this tosh.

Queenie Leavis characterized mysteries as fodder for those who prefer the illusion of thinking to the actual thing; that's not fair, but it sums this one up pretty well. A nearly random quotation:

"Munoz was the only one who knew how to interpret the signs, the only one who possessed the keys that allowed him to come and go without being devoured by the Minotaur. [Ah, the legendary keys of Theseus] And there, sitting before the remains of her barely touched lasagna, Julia knew with a mathematical, almost a chess player's certainty that in his way, this man was the strongest of the three of them. His judgment was not dimmed by prejudices about his opponent, the mystery player and potential murderer. He considered the enigma with the same egotistical, scientific coldness that Sherlock Holmes used to solve the problems set him by the sinister Professor Moriarty."

If that's what you like, you'll like the book. It's full of it.

I did enjoy the reconstruction of the chess game, probably because I don't know much about chess. It did strike me as strange that Black had managed to advance his king four ranks in the king's rook's file, somehow hopping over two of his own pawns, yet hadn't bothered to move king's knight or bishop. But as I say, I don't know the game.

Flanders Panel.......2006-11-17

A beautifully written murder mystery with many twists and turns. My only regret is that I wish I were a Chess Player so I could understand the intricacies of the clues that run throughout the story. I highly recommend it for mystery/chess player reader types.

Average customer rating:

Captain Alatriste
Perez-Reverte does it again!
Swordplay, Adventure and Intrigue
High Adventure in medieval Spain
Disappointing: more jingoism than intelligent historical action

Captain Alatriste
Arturo Perez-Reverte , and Margaret Sayers Peden
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Purity of Blood
The Queen of the South
The Fencing Master
The Flanders Panel
The Seville Communion

ASIN: B000GFR9O4

Book Description

The first in a magnificent series of historical novels, from the acclaimed author of The Club Dumas and The Queen of the South.

Translation by Margaret Sayers Peden

Unabridged CD - 12 CDs, 13 1Ž2 hours

Customer Reviews:

Captain Alatriste.......2007-05-16

Captain Alatriste is the enthralling story of a seventeenth-century Spanish soldier who, after retiring from the Spanish army, served as so many ex-soldiers did as a sword for hire. Arturo Pérez-Reverte is one of the best authors I have read. Alatriste is an excellent read and I highly recommend it. Simply outstanding.

Perez-Reverte does it again!.......2007-05-09

Captain Alatriste is an exciting adventure, filled with the plot twists and turns that Perez-Reverte is known for. This is a terrific read. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Swordplay, Adventure and Intrigue.......2007-04-18

Captain Alatriste is the opening chapter in a series of novels detailing the adventures of the book's namesake, a veteran soldier turned sword for hire. The story is narrated by Captain Alatriste's page, the son of a fallen comrade in one of Spain's many military campaigns. The narration gives the story some good texture, and comes across like you are listening to Inigo recall events long past their time. This is a good thing, because the story is so incredible that it is better as a remembered tale.

Perez-Reverte is an accomplished writer who knows how to keep a story moving, and most of the chapters end in a way that is hard to stop reading. Unfortunately the translation makes some of the prose seem a little off; it is hard to say why exactly (I don't speak a word of Spanish myself), I just feel like I am reading a translation- other books and novels I've read translations of haven't had this effect.

Nearly all the characters in the story are overflowing with personality; especially the villains. They are a cast of good and bad you will love to love & hate.

The setting is Spain of the 1600's, a fading world empire in the midst of the Inquisition and enthralled by its own past glories. The dark tones from the Inquisition add a great deal of atmosphere to the novel and the basics of Captain Alatriste's political setting are similar to character operating in Stalinist Russia, or Nazi Germany (read any books by Alan Furst for this brand of spy/adventure). These themes are tempered by the chivalry and splendor of the fading monarchy. All in all, an excellent setting that is not often touched by modern writers.

As for the action, you will be well rewarded for your time; the swordplay is generous and exciting.

[...].

High Adventure in medieval Spain.......2007-04-04

An entertaining read.

This novel by Arturo Perez-Reverte is set in 17th century Spain and is a tale of political intrigue of international proportions; a tale of single shot muskets, romance, sword fights, ambushes and unexpected friendships. Told through the eyes of a young boy, it captures the era around the reign of Philip the 4th; a period when Spain was at the height of its powers (although the evidence of early decay was starting to seep in through some of the cracks).

The book is easy to read (even with the translated text), has an good pace and an interesting story line. There are sprinklings of poetry here and there that are appropriate for the era and personages involved.

I liked the book, and would recommend it without reservations. 5 Stars

Disappointing: more jingoism than intelligent historical action .......2007-03-06

Having relished some of his other novels I was looking forward to an intelligent, historically rich tale, spiced with Dumas style swordplay. That is still there, indeed, there is almost too much of the musketeer about our borderline brigand soldier who under pressure is more driven by his code of honour than his sense of self-preservation. My lasting impression, however, is feeling a bit overwhelmed by the Spanish jingoism that permeates the story. As an Australian it reminded me of some painful local historical novels that are at pains to glorify some salt of the earth (somewhat mythical) archetypical Australian. Here Pérez-Reverte seems to just get a bit too excited gushing about how, for example, the Spanish people love a grand gesture over sober government. Sure it's possible to make some perceptive observations about distinctives within cultures, but I just don't subscribe to these sorts of nationalistic generalisations. I wonder if Arturo, who rose to acclaim by writing good novels incorporating his love of history, has now been feted and adopted by various parochial bodies and self-consciously wants to write `Spanish' novels.

Don't get me wrong, Pérez-Reverte has some skills and does some research. I'm not sure these days, however, that he has an editor. There were pleasures in this book, but the narrator, for example, is given too much leeway in bemoaning the tragic decline of the glorious Spanish Empire. Tragic, of course, is a matter of perspective: one kingdom's loss is another's gain. Personally, whether this particular bunch of privileged aristocrats who happened to be born in one part of Europe saw greater success than their counterparts born a thousand miles north, south, east or west fails to stir me. That isn't to say I'm not interested in history - there are fascinating people and events ranging from inspiring to despicable. However birthplace is not a valid predictor of character: nationalism then and now is an at best myopic, at worst pestilential, doctrine. [More insightfully, Pérez-Reverte is clearly overcompensating for a national football team that constantly promises far more than it delivers.]

Am I foolishly berating the author for the opinions he's given a character which may have no resemblance to his own? Perhaps, but either way it does get to be a bit of a bore. Speaking of which, please, not another Milady de Winter. Sure, `The Fencing Master' was an absolute triumph, but Pérez-Reverte himself seems aware of the inevitability of this character, spelling it all out with introductory statements along the lines of, "Little did I realise the malice such beauty concealed...". Likewise the clichéd priest/master-villain who might have stepped off a James Bond set, or, to quote my favourite description of this style of derivative baddie, "might as well have been called Snidely Whiplash and twirled his handlebar moustache" (kudos to Tony Hines).

The quality of his other books mean this isn't enough to put me off the author entirely, but it's concerning that this hopeful aberration appears to be the first of a planned series. Failing strong recommendations from people I trust, I doubt I'll be spending any more time with the Captain.

Corsarios de Levante (Las Aventuras Del Capitan Alatriste)

Average customer rating:

Amazon does not have the book yet??????

Corsarios de Levante (Las Aventuras Del Capitan Alatriste)
Arturo Perez-Reverte
Manufacturer: Alfaguara
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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El Capitan Alatriste (Las Aventuras Del Capitan Alatriste)

ASIN: 9870406300

Book Description

This long-awaited sixth installment of the best-selling series "CapitÃ¡n Alatriste", which follows the escapades of Captain Diego Alatriste, is seen through the eyes of a fellow privateer who served with Alatriste in the galleys of Naples. It is a story of skirmishes, privateers, boarded ships, killings and sackings. A time where Spain was revered, feared and hated in the easterly seas; where the devil had no color, no name and no flag, and where the only thing needed to summon hell on earth (or sea for that matter) was a Spaniard and his sword. A time where men went about their tasks without meddling in government, philosophical or theological affairs. A time where men were soldiers.

Customer Reviews:

Amazon does not have the book yet??????.......2007-02-08

This is a book between the Top Three in Spain for almost 6 weeks now, how is possible we can't find here yet?

This serie, "Capitán Alatriste", is a classic already, don't miss your chance to read it.

Average customer rating:

Swashbuckler par excellence but ...
Come for the swordfights - stay for the verse
Purity of Blood
Rivetting
Adventure, Mystery, and the Human Condition.

Purity of Blood
Arturo Perez-Reverte
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0452287987

Book Description

<B>The second swashbuckling adventure in the internationally acclaimed Captain Alatriste series</B>

Captain Alatriste, Madrid's most charismatic swashbuckler, returns in Pérez-Reverte's acclaimed international bestseller. The fearless Alatriste is hired to infiltrate a convent and rescue a young girl forced to serve as a powerful priest's concubine. The girl's father is barred from legal recourse as the priest threatens to reveal that the man's family is “not of pure blood” and is, in fact, of Jewish descent—which will all but destroy the family name. As Alatriste struggles to save the young hostage from being burned at the stake, he soon finds himself drawn deeper and deeper into a conspiracy that leads all the way to the heart of the Spanish Inquisition. A literary thriller that delivers adventure and rich historical detail, Purity of Blood captivates to the final page.

Customer Reviews:

Swashbuckler par excellence but ..........2007-06-24

No question but I prefer The Seville Communion or The Club Dumas - give me a good mystery anytime. I had not read Captain Alitriste which put me at a disadvantage for my expectations. I am unlikely to put swashbucklers in my favorite reads category but Purity of Blood is an interesting afternoon's diversion. What puts this book above the average historical thriller?
1. The characters are fleshed out and thoughtful in the sense of being true to their historical time and position. While Spanish society is shown with all its warts - the Inquisition, social interactions that easily escalate to bloodshed, hypocracy and mysticism thriving side by side ... - the characters are both products of and critics of the society.
2. The setting and plot reflect detailed knowledge of the time on the part of the author. The novel has a sense of reality to it that is often missing in the genre.
3. Poetry is quoted throughout the book - and not just by the poet. Here and there a very perceptive philosophical statements makes its way into the text. This provides the reader with a bit to think about rather than counting the pages until the next crisis.

Come for the swordfights - stay for the verse.......2007-06-23

Swordsman and his youthful sidekick facedown villains and religious fanatics in long ago Spain. The action is swift, the philosophical asides and accompanying poetry of some of the players is marvelous. Truth be told, the characters with their exotic names kind of run together. But still a delight.

Purity of Blood.......2007-05-16

The second in the series about Captain Alatriste, an enthralling story of a seventeenth-century Spanish soldier who, after retiring from the Spanish army, served as so many ex-soldiers did as a sword for hire. Arturo Pérez-Reverte is one of the best authors I have read. Alatriste is an excellent read and I highly recommend it. Simply outstanding.

Rivetting.......2007-04-11

What's the best part about the book ? Quite clearly in bold capital letters , its the ATMOSPHERE. Spain at crossroads , barely holding on to its vast empire , with decadence and religious persecution spread all around- ravishing fare. Captain Alacriste is not so much a Zorro , rather more human with many flaws. Reconciled with the may failings of a brutal society , he carries out the role of a hired sword to perfection , with some streaks of strong character and a heart of gold.
The novel has multiple perspectives - the protagonist is an apprentice to the Captain who eventually plays a fairly important role in the chain of events. The plot is intricate , with the assignment that the Captain takes up hiding layers and layers of court intrigue. The title hints to the obsession in the Spanish clergy with purging the society of any Jewish influences. The protagonist lands up in prison , facing charges of breaking into an abbey - a charge punishable by death. You can almost hear the drumbeats in the background towards a violent climax. Though expectedly for a series , this does end well.
The real treat in the book is the snippets of history that you garner from the thoughts of the protagonist and Captain Alatriste. There is no attempt at moralising - there is evil in society , but that was the norm during the period. For a person with limited knowledge of Spanish History (me) , the book still keeps you rivetted to the end. Highly recommended

Adventure, Mystery, and the Human Condition........2007-01-28

The Captain Alastriste novels are packed with adventure, mystery, the human condition, and the ominous spectre of the Inquisition. As the Bernard Cromwell "Sharpe" novels do for the early 19th Century English empire and its soldiers, the Alastrite novels paint an intelligent and vivid picture of existence in 17th Century Madrid and Spain and the life of a professional soldier during that time. Perez-Reverte breathes new life into a genre pioneered by writers such as Dumas, and would be welcome by any fan of the Musketeers. I could not put down this book and anxiously await the next installment in April.

Average customer rating:

Interesting, but not nearly as good as it could have been
When movies are better than books...
The Tenth Gate
great start, great story, inexplicable ending
A book for people who love books

The Club Dumas
Arturo Perez-Reverte
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 015603283X

Book Description

#1 International Bestseller
Lucas Corso is a book detective, a mercenary hired to hunt down rare editions for wealthy and unscrupulous clients. When a well-known bibliophile is found hanged, leaving behind part of the original manuscript of Alexandre Dumas's The Three Musketeers, Corso is brought in to authenticate the fragment. He is soon drawn into a swirling plot involving devil worship, occult practices, and swashbuckling derring-do among a cast of characters bearing a suspicious resemblance to those of Dumas's masterpiece. Aided by a mysterious beauty named after a Conan Doyle heroine, Corso travels from Madrid to Toledo to Paris in pursuit of a sinister and seemingly omniscient killer.

Part mystery, part puzzle, part witty intertextual game, The Club Dumas is a wholly original intellectual thriller by the author of The Flanders Panel and The Seville Communion.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting, but not nearly as good as it could have been.......2007-06-20

I was mostly annoyed by this book. I was drawn in by the characters, which are certainly interesting characters, and I very much enjoyed some parts of the story arc. Overall however, I found the writing pretentious (quite possibly because it was written in Spanish and things are always lost in translation), and in the end I just never really saw the connections. I have lots of unanswered questions. A fairly quick read, and worth checking out if you're a book nerd, but I didn't think it was as great as some others believe it to be.

Found it interesting however that it was the basis for The Ninth Gate with Johnny Depp that came out 8 years ago.

When movies are better than books..........2007-06-12

If you come to this book from a love of the movie "The Ninth Gate" then I suspect you will find yourself, like me, both intensely invested in reading through the book but dissapointed in its re-arranged characters, cumbersome names, parallel plotlines, and, alas, the ending.

I am a devout book-lover, so the rare book hunter aspect of this novel tickled my fancy as did the tasty descriptions of antique book handling, page turning, and the knowing nods fellow bibliophiles give one another... Even the excessive recounting of biographical data of Dumas and other persons, while it felt like padding, was an exciting, pedantic exercise of dusty data - which perhaps gives weight to one of the parallel plotlines... I guess... But, again, this is where me being in love with the movie and wanting to extend my experience of the movie makes me a poor judge of the book.

I wanted Perez-Reverte to bring the devil-stuff to the forefront and perhaps indulge the reader in a exciting, pedantic exercise of dusty data on the various books and authors mentioned like the Dictionnaire Infernal, Nicolas Remy, Jean Bodin, and others... Doing this would allow entrance into the strange texts and authors of the Inquisition: Compendium Maleficarum, Malleus Maleficarum, Demonolatry, etc.,. And it would allow more space to explore the way demons and witches were defined and debunked in the literature of the medieval period and after. This I feel would have shored up the devil-oriented plot as much as the Dumas aspect - which is obviously dominant. And come on... Nikon? Erase the Nikon bits... Oh and, by the way, Nikon was a photographer... Duh... That gets an OMFG.

So take that for what it's worth. I'd tear out the chapters that were included in the movie and stitch them together to make, well, I guess, the screenplay... Maybe that's what I should have read...

The Tenth Gate.......2007-06-10

This is one book I would never have ordinarily picked up myself because I'm not really a fan of fictional writing. Even so, I liked the Ninth Gate movie so much I just had to read the book it was based on. I'm quite fortunate I saw the movie first, though. Otherwise, it would probably have been even more difficult to appreciate. Firstly, let me say that the movie follows the book quite closely but does a fine job of leaving out many unnecessary details and references to literature and history that permeate the novel. However, the movie also sacrifices some rather good conversation that takes place between certain characters. The book is definitely more descriptive than the movie and I would imagine doing it justice would take 4 hours of film.

Still, there are times when the narrative gets too lengthy and confusing, as if the author is writing for his own enjoyment at the expense of his readers'. He also seems to have a thing for "impossibly young" tomboyish girls with green eyes. That description of one of the main characters was perhaps mentioned too often. Unfortunately, the book never quite explains who she really is anyway.

Corso's character is rather well adapted and in the movie, Johnny Depp plays him well. If you've seen the movie, you'll have no trouble picturing his character in the book. Some of the other characters look different and have meatier roles than portrayed in the movie. This is sometimes a good thing and sometimes not. There is enough humour in the book to keep the story interesting but the ending to me was somewhat anticlimactic. I always wondered what really happened at the end of the film and the book does not answer that question. In fact, I think the movie does it better.

There is some sex in the book but nothing very steamy. Arturo spends a lot of time describing the fabulous bodies of some of the female characters to make up for that, though. A little too much, perhaps. I did not see the necessity. It's kind of like when an old man makes jokes about 'young people' and talks dirty in a seemingly harmless way. It's easy to dismiss it as harmless banter but it still sounds fishy. Anyway, the book does hold one big surprise that is not in the movie but I won't spoil it for you. Suffice to say the movie deals with that 'problem' accordingly.

In summary, I would not vehemently recommend this book to anyone but might suggest those who really liked the movie to read it. On the other hand, those who have an above-average inclination to history and fictional literature (plenty of such references in the book) might get more out of it than I did. Having watched the movie and read the book, I'd like to think of myself as having reached the "tenth gate". There's nowhere left to go with this story.

great start, great story, inexplicable ending.......2007-06-08

I have enjoyed Perez-Reverte's The Nautical Chart, The Seville Communion, The Fencing Master, and The Flanders Panel, so it is clear that I like his somewhat obscure brand of thriller. I think, however, that he went too far in "The Club Dumas," the ending of which left many important questions unanswered and this reader unsatisfied.

Maybe my lack of satisfaction with the conclusion was exacerbated by the quality of the story that preceded it.

Lucas Corso is brilliantly presented, with little snippets of characterization dropped here and there to eventually comprise a coherent pattern ... he talks fast, gets his hands dirty, has a prodigious memory, appears fragile yet solid as a concrete block, has features that are sharp and precise, and alert eyes. He's ready to express an innocence dangerous for anyone who was taken in by it, seems slower and clumsier than he really is, looks vulnerable and defenseless, and is attractive to women.

Later, Corso is described as saying something casually, as if he had no opinion on the matter, slyly goading you to react, inducing you to give out more information than you had intended.

And still later (not until p.175), he is thin and hard like an emaciated wolf. A well-trained, patient wolf.

But there's a problem with all this. We are set to believe that Corso is dangerous both mentally and physically, someone who is not what others see him to be. This is excellent, but then Perez-Reverte does not have Corso act in a way consistent with these characteristics. Instead, he acts weak and unsure, and he's as often manipulated as he is the manipulator.

Now for the ending.

The story concludes with major unresolved issues, which are not even acknowledged as unresolved. Who is the green-eyed girl? Why does she follow Corso and help him? What happens to Varo Borja, who has committed murders but is not sought by the police? I found this enormously frustrating. Did I miss something?

Even more serious, Perez-Reverte has launched Corso into two unrelated stories, both of which are fascinating. I fully expected everything to come together into a single complex but coherent plot. But it never happens. I reached the concluding chapters with great anticipation that the loose threads would be integrated, and then felt great disappointment when they were not.

Perhaps I would be less frustrated if Perez-Reverte were not such a good storyteller. That also makes me wonder if it was me. Did I miss things I should have understood?

I read "The Club Dumas" differently than I read Perez-Reverte's other books. Having now published two novels --- A Good Conviction, a NYC-based legal thriller which tells the story of a young man wrongly imprisoned in Sing Sing for a murder he did not commit by a Manhattan ADA who may have known he was innocent, and The Heretic (Library of American Fiction), a historical novel describing the persecution of a family of secret Jews by the Catholic Church on the eve of the Spanish Inquisition --- I have undertaken a self-education project to see if I can improve my skills as a novelist. "The Club Dumas" is one of the novels I have read as part of this effort.

If you'd like to see more of my comments about "The Club Dumas" and other novels, I invite you to my "Education of a Novelist" blog, which you can reach by searching the web for "weinstein education of a novelist".

LEW WEINSTEIN

A book for people who love books.......2007-05-23

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, it's fast paced, the hero is likeable but not loveable and the story is well balanced. Even though I didn't get all the literary references (mostly European), I did get most of them (I think) which simply enhanced the enjoyment of the book (almost like being in an exclusive club).

I do have to confess that I have read all of Dumas' books before I reached 7th grade, he is my favorite author, so to find a book about him was a true joy.

This book is translated and very well indeed, and my only regret is that my rudimentary Spanish will not allow me to read it in the original language. There are very few books which I could say the same, Don Quixote (P.S.)Edith Grossman translation of Don Quixote is one of them.

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All in all a good read
Adrift at Sea
Well Written, Good Storyline, Engaging Protagonist - What more do you want?
A thrilling novel
Fascinating Mediterranean maritime history and mystery!

The Nautical Chart
Arturo Perez-Reverte
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0156029820

Amazon.com

A treasure hunt for a Jesuit ship sunk by pirates off the coast of Spain is the plot on which Perez-Reverte's new novel turns, but a love story is the real heart of this nicely crafted, carefully told adventure. A suspended sailor happens on a maritime auction in Barcelona, where he meets the beautiful Tanger Soto, a museum curator whose winning bid buys her a 17th-century atlas that may reveal the final resting place of the Dei Gloria. Coy, the sailor, is totally smitten, so it's no surprise that he signs on to help Tanger track the sunken ship to its grave in waters he's sailed since childhood. Enlisting the aid of a diver friend, Coy and Tanger stay a few steps ahead of the crooked salvagers who've been trying to get the atlas, outmaneuvering the attempts on their lives and the efforts to keep them from the treasure. Perez-Reverte (The Fencing Master, The Club Dumas) is better at plumbing the mysteries of the human heart than those of the sea, but The Nautical Chart manages to combine history, suspense, and obsessive love in a slow-paced but ultimately engrossing read. --Jane Adams

Book Description

Coy is a sailor without a ship.Tánger Soto is a woman with an obsession to find the Dei Gloria, a ship sunk during the seventeenth century, and El Piloto is an old man with the sailboat on which all three set out to seek their fortune together. Or do they?

Customer Reviews:

All in all a good read.......2007-05-26

This is a swashbuckler in the sense that the characters are characatures but it doesn't matter -they are still interesting.i kept wondering why the main character couldn't recognise the femme fatal he falls for as the siren-bad [..]she is until i concluded she was the 'she' of the sea. The sea is thought of as an impossible woman by sailors and so it explains his love/hate futile projection of falling for her.This is an example of how the book is full of sea lore: poetic and metaphors which i found enriching about how i view the seas now.However there was alot of tedious nautical facts about navigation and boats that i had to skip over to get on with the story The plot is a swashbuckler but there was enough facts and nuances to hold my interest.

Adrift at Sea.......2007-03-19

Some reviewers suspect the translation is bad. That may be, but unless Peden rewrote major portions of this book, you can't blame it all on her.

The Nautical Chart will disappoint you no matter what you look for in a novel. There is almost no action/adventure. The mystery/intrigue is nonexistent with the exception of one (count it one) very predictable plot twist at the very end. There is no character development at all - everythng you'll learn about the main character Coy is revealed in the first few pages of this 460 page mess.

The style is a mash of stilted formality and stilted vernacular. That may be Peden's fault as translator - I can't say - but then there's the problem of voice, which can only be blamed on Perez-Reverte. All the book except one chapter is in the third person from Coy's point of view. In that one chapter in the middle of the narrative, the author switches to a first person voice of a minor character who appears only in that chapter. Then Perez-Reverte goes back to Coy in the third person for the rest of the book. This pointless and garish shift of voice only interrupts an already sluggish flow.

Well Written, Good Storyline, Engaging Protagonist - What more do you want?.......2007-01-14

I disagree with some of the "not so great" reviews here. I read this recently, after reading all of Perez-Reverte's books, and think this is actually one of his better ones for 4 reasons:

1. The two main characters are really quite well crafted, and he does a good job of showing how love often gets in the way of seeing the whole person.

2. The plot is full of anxious ambiguity in its twists and turns. There are moments when I thought or guessed what might happen, but it turns out I only really got it about 50% right.

3. The ending was extremely well pulled off and written. If you want to see what a choppy, predictable ending looks like, read from chapter 40 onward in Gibson's "Pattern Recognition."

4. The story motif of buried treasure is very well done with unique ideas and secondary characters that flesh the ideas and story out well.

While I agree that the overarching storyline - hunt for buried treasure that turns into a race - is one that's been repeatedly done before, I also adhere to John Gardner (of "Grendel", "Freddy's Book", etc. fame) and his theory that all stories really boil down to one of two plot lines - man rides into town; man rides out of town. This is a case of the former, so I focused on the writing and what it evokes in me.

And what it evoked was the thought, "Now this was a good book - wish he'd written a sequel."

J. Avellanet, Co-Founder of Cerulean Associates LLC

A thrilling novel.......2006-12-21

Spanish best selling author Arturo Perez Reverte has made a great book, a mixture of a thriller and a homage to the sea novel. Starting off in a contemporary maritime auction in Barcelona, the plot deals with a treasure hunt for a Jesuit ship sunk by pirates off the mediterranean coast of Spain in 1767, as a suspended sailor and a beautiful curator from Madrid's Naval Museum try to track the ship's final resting place just a few steps ahead of the bad guys who also want a portion of the loot. A very entertaining read, that also shows Perez Reverte's erudition and skill at writing a great yarn.

Fascinating Mediterranean maritime history and mystery!.......2006-11-05

We meet Manuel Coy at an auction in Barcelona where he happens to see and later meet a fascinating young woman who will eventually change his life. Coy is all sailor - and is unhappily on land as a result of an unfortunately wrong-place-wrong-time event in his recent past. Tanger Soto, the young woman, works for a maritime Museum in Madrid and her purchase of a 17th century atlas intrigues Coy so he follows her. Soto ends up hiring Coy for his knowledge of a particular piece of the Southern Spanish coast and the race is on to find the sunken Dei Gloria, a Jesuit ship attacked by pirates on its return from the Americas 300 or so years ago.

All might have ended happily there except that Coy and Soto are not the only ones interested in what the Dei Gloria may or may not have been carrying those many years ago (and may or may not have been recovered). There is a notorious ocean scavenger named Nino Palermo (a strangely Italian name for a Spaniard) who seems to be always one step behind them and has hired a nasty henchman or two to keep his rivals on their toes (and losing sleep). Perez-Reverte's style is wonderful and I have read much of his work - most of it in Spanish.

Unlike other reviewers I did not think much of the "love story" angle to this novel, as it was really just Coy's unrequited yearnings for Soto. I also found the story dragged on in a number of places. Undeniable, however, is Perez-Reverte's capacity to engage himself in the theme of a period or a sector (chess, 17th century Flemish art, fencing, and in this case, maritime and nautical history) so that the average reader will feel they are reading a comprehensive text on whatever the subject is. I found the Jesuit and 17th century maritime history fascinating even though the modern day search for the remains of that history just didn't seem as exciting.

Average customer rating:

Well Written with Uneven Plot & Characters
Drug trade page-turner with marvellous anti-heroine
Well Written - Rough Subject Matter
The Revelations of Perez-Reverte
THE literary bestseller

The Queen of the South
Arturo Perez-Reverte
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0330413147

Book Description

The critically acclaimed, beloved, and bestselling author of The Club Dumas and The Nautical Chart delivers his most magniÞcent novel to date.

Few authors inspire the kind of passion that Arturo Pérez-Reverte does. Reviewers, readers, and booksellers alike have embraced his fiction as the perfect blend of suspense and literary ambition. A global bestseller, he is one of the most admired and widely read authors in the world. And his stunning new novel is his best yet.

A remarkable tale, The Queen of the South spans continents, from the dusty streets of Mexico to the sparkling waters off the coast of Morocco, to Spain and the Strait of Gibraltar. A sweeping story set to the irresistible beat of the drug smugglers' ballads, it encompasses sensuality and cruelty, love and betrayal, as its heroine's story unfolds.

Teresa Mendoza's boyfriend is a drug smuggler who the narcos of Sinaloa, Mexico, call "the king of the short runway," because he can get a plane full of coke off the ground in three hundred yards. But in a ruthless business, life can be short, and Teresa even has a special cell phone that Guero gave her along with a dark warning. If that phone rings, it means he's dead, and she'd better run, because they're coming for her next.

Then the call comes.

In order to survive, she will have to say goodbye to the old Teresa, an innocent girl who once entrusted her life to a pinche narco smuggler. She will have to find inside herself a woman who is tough enough to inhabit a world as ugly and dangerous as that of the narcos-a woman she never before knew existed. Indeed, the woman who emerges will surprise even those who know her legend, that of the Queen of the South.

Customer Reviews:

Well Written with Uneven Plot & Characters.......2007-03-12

This is not Perez-Reverte's best novel, rather it reads more like an homage to the rags-to-riches story and the Al Pacino movie Scarface. There are two narrators in the book - the supposed "author" of a book on the main character and then the impartial, 3rd-party narrator - and the story switches back and forth between them. And this highlights two weaknesses of the book: the characters are all well-sketched, but aside from the main character, Teresa Mendoza, none are filled in; and then the unevenness of the plotting - at several points the story is rapid-fire and well done, and then at others, you'll find yourself skimming paragraphs.

I would've liked more of the characters to be fleshed out; I found myself wanting to know more about the "author" of the book on Teresa while I related less and less to Teresa - the more powerful she grows, the less likable she becomes and I wondered where that came from.

That said, the book has a number of incredibly well-written passages, including a single paragraph on a suicide that is so sharp and precise that you will remember it far more than you'll remember the book's ending.

J. Avellanet, Co-Founder of Cerulean Associates LLC

Drug trade page-turner with marvellous anti-heroine.......2007-03-08

I agree with your previous reviewer that in terms of quality of writing 'Queen of the South' deserves 5 stars. I disagree with the moral stance though - I don't think the drug trade is glamourised at all, but portrayed as a hell on earth where sudden death is an occupational hazard. The participants at the cutting edge of the trade are far less culpable and hypocritical than the mass of politicians, judges and customs officials who hang on to their coat tails. I found Teresa Mendoza a fascinating, almost likeable character whose actions were prompted purely by survival instinct - kill or be killed. That was the only world she knew. A wonderful book which kept me up all night, unable to put it down. Recommended.

Well Written - Rough Subject Matter.......2007-01-11

The book is very interesting and very well written, but I do not like the subject matter-drugs, torture, rape, prostitution, murder, etc. I read it for book club, but had a hard time with all the violence, especially when you know it's true to life, and especially the mistreatment of women. Be prepared for some tough subject matter.

The Revelations of Perez-Reverte.......2006-11-12

This book is a bit too long, but it's an absorbing and revelatory novel that seems almost like a "docudrama." It follows the career of Teresa Mendoza. At the beginning of the novel she's the passive, bewildered, terrified girlfriend of a Mexican drug runner, but by the end, she's among the most feared and admired drug smugglers in the world.

The novel charts her rise through an alternative universe- a complex web of people and organizations, including governments, all of them involved or complicit in drug smuggling. The only law these people respect, the author reminds us, is the law of supply and demand. This is the core of the novel: these people are simply responding to a massive, worldwide demand for cocaine, hashish, marijuana, etc; if nobody wanted this stuff, nobody would be smuggling it. And if so many governments did not contain puritanical moralists intent on wiping out the drug trade and/or keeping it illegal, this outlaw network wouldn't have any reason to exist.

The crude, shootout ending of the novel is unexpected and not very effective, especially after the painstaking detail of the foregoing book. Teresa Mendoza isn't a likable character, but you can't help having a sneaking admiration for this tough little female survivor in the most brutal of male worlds.

THE literary bestseller.......2006-10-13

I wrote it once and I will write it again: the perfect novel is one that combines literary aspirations with an engaging plot, thus mixing the high-brow (the tone) with the low-brow (the cheap thrills of a great best-seller). Arturo Perez Reverte has by now carved a career out of this thin balance, being the master of the so-called literary best-seller.
"The Queen of the South" is a brilliant tale about a memorable character, a narco's morra (girlfriend) who is forced to escape her native Mexico and then turns into a drug-lord of her own. She's a complex, intriguing character, obviously not free from many ambiguous facets.
The tale is gripping, believable and, as one has come to expect from APR, very well written.
Highly recommended

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