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The Seville Communion
Her name is Our Lady of the Tears. She's a small, crumbling Baroque church in the heart of Seville, Spain. And at least one person -- a computer hacker nicknamed Vespers -- believes that she kills to defend herself. In Arturo Perez-Reverte's stylish and entertaining The Seville Communion, Rome sends handsome Father Lorenzo Quart to investigate. He meets a feisty parish priest, a beautiful aristocrat, an ambitious banker, and three of the most touching, wonderfully ineffectual crooks to ever dabble in a life of crime. There are mysteries as well, from another death at the church to the secrets of the human heart.
-- Nancy Pate
-- Nancy Pate
375 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
451 people are currently reading
4199 people want to read
About the author
Arturo Pérez-Reverte
193 books6,314 followersArturo Pérez-Reverte Gutiérrez, is a Spanish novelist and ex-journalist. He worked as a war reporter for twenty-one years (1973 - 1994). He started his journalistic career writing for the now-defunct newspaper Pueblo. Then, he jumped to news reporter for TVE, Spanish national channel. As a war journalist he traveled to several countries, covering many conflicts. He put this experience into his book 'Territorio Comanche', focusing on the years of Bosnian massacres. That was in 1994, but his debut as a fiction writer started in 1983, with 'El húsar', a historical novella inspired in the Napoleonic era.
Although his debut was not quite successful, in 1988, with 'The Fencing Master', he put his name as a serious writer of historic novels. That was confirmed in 1996, when was published the first book of his Captain Alatriste saga, which has been his trademark. After this book, he could leave definitely journalism for focusing on his career as a fiction writer. This saga, that happens in the years of the Spanish golden age, has seen, for now, seven volumes, where Pérez-Reverte shows, from his particular point of view, historical events from Spanish history in the 16th century.
Apart from these, he also penned another successful works like Dumas Club and Flanders Panel, titles that, among others, made Pérez-Reverte one of the most famous and bestseller authors of Spanish fiction of our era.
Although his debut was not quite successful, in 1988, with 'The Fencing Master', he put his name as a serious writer of historic novels. That was confirmed in 1996, when was published the first book of his Captain Alatriste saga, which has been his trademark. After this book, he could leave definitely journalism for focusing on his career as a fiction writer. This saga, that happens in the years of the Spanish golden age, has seen, for now, seven volumes, where Pérez-Reverte shows, from his particular point of view, historical events from Spanish history in the 16th century.
Apart from these, he also penned another successful works like Dumas Club and Flanders Panel, titles that, among others, made Pérez-Reverte one of the most famous and bestseller authors of Spanish fiction of our era.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 588 reviews
March 29, 2023
[Edited 3/29/23]
A murder mystery with great local color of Seville, Spain.
A handsome young priest works for the Vatican’s (let’s call it) 'Internal Affairs Division.' He is called to Seville to look into the mess surrounding a potential church closing. It’s a tiny parish and the diocese can make a lot of money by demolishing the church and selling the land.
The problem is that a few diehards want to keep the church open. These include a crotchety old priest and his young protégée; a glamorous young woman whose antics get her in celebrity newspapers; her mother who gives money to support the church, and a renegade American nun who is working on restoring the church statues and artwork.
The husband of the glamorous woman is a banker who is in on the financial deal to sell the land. The banker hires a trio, two men and a woman, a kind of Three Stooges, to spy on the various parties and to make sure the church closes. So we add humor.
Then, one by one, three people die in the church under mysterious circumstances.
The young priest and the glamorous woman are attracted to each other. Let’s just say that everyone in the novel ends up with a lot to confess.
Fast-moving and a good read.
The Spanish author (b. 1951) has written about three dozen novels, most translated into English. He’s best known by English readers for The Club Dumas and his Captain Alatrieste series - a swashbuckler series set in 17th-century Spain. (Five of the seven in that series are available in English.) I’ve read two other novels by him, The Painter of Battles (I gave that a ‘3’) and The Flanders Panel (a ‘4’).
Photo of Seville from ourworldforyou.com
The author from publishersweekly.com
A murder mystery with great local color of Seville, Spain.
A handsome young priest works for the Vatican’s (let’s call it) 'Internal Affairs Division.' He is called to Seville to look into the mess surrounding a potential church closing. It’s a tiny parish and the diocese can make a lot of money by demolishing the church and selling the land.
The problem is that a few diehards want to keep the church open. These include a crotchety old priest and his young protégée; a glamorous young woman whose antics get her in celebrity newspapers; her mother who gives money to support the church, and a renegade American nun who is working on restoring the church statues and artwork.
The husband of the glamorous woman is a banker who is in on the financial deal to sell the land. The banker hires a trio, two men and a woman, a kind of Three Stooges, to spy on the various parties and to make sure the church closes. So we add humor.
Then, one by one, three people die in the church under mysterious circumstances.
The young priest and the glamorous woman are attracted to each other. Let’s just say that everyone in the novel ends up with a lot to confess.
Fast-moving and a good read.
The Spanish author (b. 1951) has written about three dozen novels, most translated into English. He’s best known by English readers for The Club Dumas and his Captain Alatrieste series - a swashbuckler series set in 17th-century Spain. (Five of the seven in that series are available in English.) I’ve read two other novels by him, The Painter of Battles (I gave that a ‘3’) and The Flanders Panel (a ‘4’).
Photo of Seville from ourworldforyou.com
The author from publishersweekly.com
October 1, 2017
3+ stars to Arturo Pérez-Reverte's The Seville Communion, a Spanish-to-English translated thriller novel with a very intriguing story about the Catholic church, corporate corruption and love. This was a good book, and I'd recommend it to fans of the genre or of translated novels; however, it could have packed even more of a punch, which is why it falls somewhere between a 3 and 4.
Story
Father Quart works in a special research unit (IEA -- Investigation for External Affairs) within the Catholic church, and he is sent to Seville, Spain, where someone has hacked into the Pope's personal computer to leave a message about helping a church about to be demolished. Quart, a young and handsome priest who follows the rules, finds himself torn between a lustful woman, different sides of the church and a town divided in what to do about the church. The land was deeded to the church hundreds of years ago as long as mass is said every Thursday in someone's honor. But when a ruthless corporation and corrupt town government want to sell the land to make more money, everyone's lives are in danger. The business man's wife is in the papers for cheating on him and the priest who runs the church is suspected of murder. Who's playing games and what's really going on beneath the surface? Quart finds out in the end, but he never really knows who to trust.
Strengths
The cast of characters is dynamic and complex. Within the church, you've got very different types of priests, and each one makes valid points about why their way is the right way. The woman having an affair almost makes you root for her to be successful against her husband, and her husband even comes off as respectable and honorable at many points. The 3 villains who have been hired to kill the priests are laughable and vivid. The lead priest, Father Quart, has a lot of depth, and you feel his struggle throughout the novel. I'm still unsure why he remains a priest, but it adds great conflict in his story and the church's story.
b>Suggestions
The plot is very strong, but it is purposely revealed in small amounts to draw readers in. It works, but when you get to the last 50 pages, it unwinds rather quickly with very little backstory given to support why each person made the decisions they made. It is believable, yet you want more to help drive home the complexity of the story and the need for everyone to get what they wish for. With some tweaking and a few additional story points, this would be a very strong novel.
Final Thoughts
For fans of thrillers and those with interest in the Catholic church, this is a great read. It certainly says many good things and many bad things about the church, and there is a lot of history about Spain to draw comparisons and conclusions about what really happened in the early 20th century. The language is beautiful and the messages are vivid. Very few translation issues if anything to even comment on. I'd read more by this author... definite style!
Story
Father Quart works in a special research unit (IEA -- Investigation for External Affairs) within the Catholic church, and he is sent to Seville, Spain, where someone has hacked into the Pope's personal computer to leave a message about helping a church about to be demolished. Quart, a young and handsome priest who follows the rules, finds himself torn between a lustful woman, different sides of the church and a town divided in what to do about the church. The land was deeded to the church hundreds of years ago as long as mass is said every Thursday in someone's honor. But when a ruthless corporation and corrupt town government want to sell the land to make more money, everyone's lives are in danger. The business man's wife is in the papers for cheating on him and the priest who runs the church is suspected of murder. Who's playing games and what's really going on beneath the surface? Quart finds out in the end, but he never really knows who to trust.
Strengths
The cast of characters is dynamic and complex. Within the church, you've got very different types of priests, and each one makes valid points about why their way is the right way. The woman having an affair almost makes you root for her to be successful against her husband, and her husband even comes off as respectable and honorable at many points. The 3 villains who have been hired to kill the priests are laughable and vivid. The lead priest, Father Quart, has a lot of depth, and you feel his struggle throughout the novel. I'm still unsure why he remains a priest, but it adds great conflict in his story and the church's story.
b>Suggestions
The plot is very strong, but it is purposely revealed in small amounts to draw readers in. It works, but when you get to the last 50 pages, it unwinds rather quickly with very little backstory given to support why each person made the decisions they made. It is believable, yet you want more to help drive home the complexity of the story and the need for everyone to get what they wish for. With some tweaking and a few additional story points, this would be a very strong novel.
Final Thoughts
For fans of thrillers and those with interest in the Catholic church, this is a great read. It certainly says many good things and many bad things about the church, and there is a lot of history about Spain to draw comparisons and conclusions about what really happened in the early 20th century. The language is beautiful and the messages are vivid. Very few translation issues if anything to even comment on. I'd read more by this author... definite style!
June 24, 2023
Un pirata informático que se infiltra en el Vaticano. Una iglesia barroca, en sevilla, que mata para defenderse. Tres pintorescos malvados que aspiran a mantener viva la copla española. Una bella aristócrata andaluza. Un apuesto sacerdote-agente especialista en asuntos sucios. Un banquero celoso y su secretario ludópata. Una septuagenaria que bebe coca-cola. La tarjeta postal de una mujer muerta un siglo atrás. Y el misterioso legado del capitán Xaloc, último corsario español, desaparecido frente a las costas de Cuba en 1898.
Puntuación:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Una atractiva historia de lujuria, codicia, fe, traición y asesinato. Ingredientes de lo más suculentos, bien integrados y estructurados.
Con tan interesantes ingredientes, Arturo Pérez-Reverte construye en "La piel del tambor" una ingeniosa, compleja y fascinante trama novelesca. Con su imaginación desbordante, y un espectacular dominio de la ingeniería narrativa y de los diversos géneros superpuestos -misterio, policíaco, histórica, algo de pecador romance, aventura- nos sumerge sin aliento en una historia que corta al lector cualquier posible retirada, arrastrándolo a un enigma cuya clave se esconde a la sombra de los viejos muelles del Guadalquivir; donde todavía hoy, en las noches de luna llena, sombras de mujer agitan sus pañuelos y goletas tripuladas por fantasmas siguen zarpando rumbo a las Antillas.
Un joven sacerdote trabaja para el Vaticano, llamémoslo "División Especial". Es llamado a Sevilla para investigar un turbio asunto que rodea el posible cierre de una iglesia.
Una parroquia pequeña y la diócesis puede ganar mucho dinero demoliendo la iglesia y vendiendo el terreno.
El problema es que algunos quieren mantener la iglesia abierta: un viejo sacerdote bastante cascarrabias. Una joven glamurosa que sale en periódicos, su madre que tiene el dinero para mantener dicha iglesia, y también una monja renegada que trabaja en la restauración de las obras de arte de la iglesia. El esposo de la joven es un banquero que está involucrado en el trato financiero por la iglesia.
Ritmo rápido, con sus buenas dosis de hostias que termina siendo una muy interesante y entretenida lectura.
Un thriller ambientado en el mundo clerical y que trata sobre asesinatos misteriosos, política eclesiástica, altas finanzas y crisis de fe, el libro me recordó a Umberto Eco. Reverte se muestra concienzudo en la caracterización y la ambientación.
Pérez-Reverte desarrolla una intrincada danza de desvío y misterio, incorporando al juego un elenco de personajes bastante variopinto, algo pecadores.. ✍️😈
Puntuación:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Una atractiva historia de lujuria, codicia, fe, traición y asesinato. Ingredientes de lo más suculentos, bien integrados y estructurados.
Con tan interesantes ingredientes, Arturo Pérez-Reverte construye en "La piel del tambor" una ingeniosa, compleja y fascinante trama novelesca. Con su imaginación desbordante, y un espectacular dominio de la ingeniería narrativa y de los diversos géneros superpuestos -misterio, policíaco, histórica, algo de pecador romance, aventura- nos sumerge sin aliento en una historia que corta al lector cualquier posible retirada, arrastrándolo a un enigma cuya clave se esconde a la sombra de los viejos muelles del Guadalquivir; donde todavía hoy, en las noches de luna llena, sombras de mujer agitan sus pañuelos y goletas tripuladas por fantasmas siguen zarpando rumbo a las Antillas.
Un joven sacerdote trabaja para el Vaticano, llamémoslo "División Especial". Es llamado a Sevilla para investigar un turbio asunto que rodea el posible cierre de una iglesia.
Una parroquia pequeña y la diócesis puede ganar mucho dinero demoliendo la iglesia y vendiendo el terreno.
El problema es que algunos quieren mantener la iglesia abierta: un viejo sacerdote bastante cascarrabias. Una joven glamurosa que sale en periódicos, su madre que tiene el dinero para mantener dicha iglesia, y también una monja renegada que trabaja en la restauración de las obras de arte de la iglesia. El esposo de la joven es un banquero que está involucrado en el trato financiero por la iglesia.
Ritmo rápido, con sus buenas dosis de hostias que termina siendo una muy interesante y entretenida lectura.
Un thriller ambientado en el mundo clerical y que trata sobre asesinatos misteriosos, política eclesiástica, altas finanzas y crisis de fe, el libro me recordó a Umberto Eco. Reverte se muestra concienzudo en la caracterización y la ambientación.
Pérez-Reverte desarrolla una intrincada danza de desvío y misterio, incorporando al juego un elenco de personajes bastante variopinto, algo pecadores.. ✍️😈
March 11, 2025
„Има неща, места и хора, които оставят отпечатъка си върху теб...“
„Севилското причастие“ е много хубав и интересен роман! Не успя да се нареди сред любимите ми творби на Реверте, но като цяло ми хареса. Писателят сладкодумно е разказал историята на стара църква и сложната борба за нейното спасение. Оказа се, че макар да разглежда предимно църковни теми, сюжетът е доста въздействащо поднесен, a пък севилската атмосфера е страшно очарователна...
„Испания, Югът, древната история на Средиземноморска Европа, можеше да бъде почувствана само на такива места. В Севиля се смесваха и наслагваха различни култури — зърна от броеница, събрала времето, кръвта и молитвите на различни езици под синьото небе и мъдрото слънце, за което вековете се сливаха в едно.“
„Севилското причастие“ е много хубав и интересен роман! Не успя да се нареди сред любимите ми творби на Реверте, но като цяло ми хареса. Писателят сладкодумно е разказал историята на стара църква и сложната борба за нейното спасение. Оказа се, че макар да разглежда предимно църковни теми, сюжетът е доста въздействащо поднесен, a пък севилската атмосфера е страшно очарователна...
„Испания, Югът, древната история на Средиземноморска Европа, можеше да бъде почувствана само на такива места. В Севиля се смесваха и наслагваха различни култури — зърна от броеница, събрала времето, кръвта и молитвите на различни езици под синьото небе и мъдрото слънце, за което вековете се сливаха в едно.“
August 2, 2012
I may prefer Arturo-Perez Reverte when he writes his historical adventures featuring Captain Alatriste, but his contemporary thrillers are not without merit. The Seville Communion is my second one, after The Club Dumas , and I had some issues with it, but overall it was quite a memorable journey, one that I intend to retrace by visiting the location soon.
As a thriller set in the clerical world and dealing with mysterious murders, church politics, high finance and crises of faith, the book reminded me more of Umberto Eco rather than Dan Brown. It is more concerned with cultural heritage, spiritual identity and careful characterization, rather than trying to be provocative, speculative and fast paced. In fact one of my main issues is with pacing, where I often felt the plot was having a sedate siesta under the hot Andaluzian sun, waiting for the night and the narrow, meandering alleys of the old Santa Cruz district in order to get some progress made. There's quite a lot of time spend in small cafes, eating tapas, drinking Manzanilla and listening to flamenco music, having high brow conversations about astronomy and faith, history and modernism, celibacy, obedience and redemption.
The main story is about a small, derelict baroque church in the old town of Seville, and the struggle between its priest and powerful real estate developers over the location. Two deaths of people directly involved in the church affairs have been ruled accidental, but an anonymous hacker alerts the Pope in Rome that foul play may be involved. Rome sends a troubleshooter to assess the situation and report back. From this basic premise, Perez-Reverte develops an intricate dance of misdirection and mystery, bringing into the game quite a colourful cast of characters:
- Father Lorenzo Quart - the "Swiss Army Knife" agent of the Institute of External Affairs in Rome: disciplined and impartial, he values control and submission to the Church rules above all. He sees himself as a modern crusader, fighting the battles of the faith without questioning his commanders or the morality of his actions.
The Nazarene certainly had had guts. Nobody need feel ashamed to carry His Cross like a flag. Quart often regretted not having another kind of faith. Men black with dust beneath their chain mail had once shouted the name of God as they charged into battle, to win eternal life and a place in heaven with their slashing swords. Living and dying had been so much simpler then.
- Don Priamo Ferro - the impoverished priest of a small Spanish village, now in charge of the doomed Church of Our Lady of the Tears. Fiery, rebelious and uncompromising in his religious fervor, he has no respect for his superiors and would do anything to defend his parish.
- Gris Marsala - an attractive and unconventional older woman, American expat, with studies in the architecture and culture of Seville, she is in charge of the renovation work at the church.
- Macarena Bruner - hot blooded brunnette Andaluzian beauty, heiress of an ancient Spanish Grandee family, mysterious femme fatale that is involved both with the church and with the bank that is trying to evict the premises. (Didn't really care for her name, I blame it on Rio , Los del Rio)
- Cruz Bruner - her elderly mother, duchess of El Nuevo Extremo and a trove of other titles with sonorous names but little income, living in the faded splendor of Casa del Postigo, her sumptuous family palace in the center of Seville.
- Pencho Gavira - youngish, ruthless and and ambitious vice-president of the Cartujano Bank, husband of Macarena.
- Perengil - his right hand man, a venal private investigator with a gambling addiction.
- Don Ibrahim, El Potro del Mantelete and La Nina Punales - a trio of small time crooks and losers: confidence trickster, ex-matador / boxer and flamenco singer. They provide some humor relief and a lot of local color and trivia. The author shows off here his book geek credentials by making puns in Latin : ODERINT DUM PROBENT (which can be translated either as "smell before you taste" or "Let them hate me, as long as they respect me")
There are more players in the game I didn't mention here - they are also important to the plot and well sketched - but I'm trying to be brief, and let the readers enjoy meeting each of them. It's quite a big cast of characters for a thriller, and my only complaint is that they are bit theatrical - like actors following a script - especially the villains who prove rather inept and predictable in the end.
Another small gripe is about computers. The book was written when 486 PC's were all the rage and a lot of the general population was still hazy about how they work. This is probably the reason why the author was unconvincing in writing about hackers, with a romantic view of secretive Robin Hoods attacking the establishment with pretty animated tools, reminiscent of 1980's Hollywood movies: As he switches phone networks, he leaves behind a kind of explosive charge that erases any trace of his route. This hacker certainly knows what he's doing.
Seville is as good a setting for the action as the Middle Age monastery from The Name of the Rose , providing a tumultous history, a passionate people, a vibrant modern life mixing with a traditionalist older generation. I got a melancholic vibe of the passing of an era, a changing of the guard, the old soldiers fading away and the new ones more concerned with instant gratification and winning by any means. The Catholic Church used to have all the power in Spain, and its struggle for significance in the modern world was ultimately the main attraction of the book for me, the question of what is worthy of preservation and what belongs in the dumping grounds of history. It is beautifully articulated by Gris Marsala:
I'm convinced that every ancient building, picture, or book that's lost or destroyed, leaves us bereft. Impoverished.
To illustrate this statement, the Church of Our Lady of the Tears is more than just an old pile of masonry, it is indelibly tied to one of the most romantic stories of doomed lovers in the tradition of Tristan and Isolde, Romeo and Juliet. They are Captain Xaloc and Carlotta Bruner, who met in Seville at the end of the XIX century - got separated by social conventions and intransigent families, making one leave to make his fortune by sailing to the Carribean, and the other to wait and watch from the tallest tower in town for a returning sail.
The ending was a bit too neat and clear cut for my taste, but the romantic aura of Seville and its histories I think will endure.
February 29, 2020
Беше ми необходимо време да вляза в историята, но след като го направих, не ми се излизаше от нея. Това, което мога да заявя е, че Реверте е прекрасен разказвач. И въпреки че темата за черковността не ми е от любимите, Реверте успя да ме омае и да задържи интереса ми докрай. Историята е плетеница от интриги с вълнуващ финал. Реверте ме изненада с избора си на хакера и с очарователно- романтичната си натура, която откривах в атмосферата, описанията и отделните сцени.
Динамиката в книгата расте постепенно, а сюжетът е като музикално произведение с определен ритъм.
Динамиката в книгата расте постепенно, а сюжетът е като музикално произведение с определен ритъм.
May 4, 2017
"The stunning novel of suspense," says the strapline on the cover of my edition of this novel. Review quotes elsewhere on the cover and in the first couple of pages of the book repeat that it's a thriller, talk of its "page-turning pace," describe the novel as a noir and Pérez-Reverte as "the thinking man's Robert Ludlum" . . .
All of which must have disappointed a hell of a lot of readers, who'll have discovered instead a book that uses a lightly done whodunnit backdrop to give us more of a novel of ideas than anything else -- the ideas in question relating to Catholicism, ethics, astronomy and more. In place of the vaunted "page-turning pace" we have a narrative that moves at what in fact is a very measured pace, even meandering on occasion -- which is part of what makes it so very, very engrossing. I was absolutely involved in this tale and its characters; once I'd finished it, my wife laughed at me when I told her how pissed off I was that I didn't have any more of it to read.
The setup in brief:
A hacker breaks into the Vatican network to alert the Pope's very own personal computer to the fact that there's some dirty business going on concerning an ancient small church in Seville. The Vatican couldn't care less about the fate of that church, but for the sake of face dispatches a sort of priestly James Bond, Lorenzo Quart, to investigate the situation and in particular identify the hacker. Quart arrives to find an array of corrupt businessmen who, with the complicity of the mayor and the archbishop of Seville, seek to buy the land the church is on, raze the building and make a bonanza profit selling the real estate for development; ranged against them are the church's curmudgeonly old priest, his callow assistant, an ageing architect/nun who's been managing the building's necessary renovations and an aristocratic but down-on-their-heels mother and daughter. Just to complicate matters, the daughter is married (albeit estranged) to the ringleader of the corrupt businessmen, and Quart finds her, despite his vows, magnetically attractive.
I mentioned that this was a novel of ideas. It's also, in many aspects, a comedy, primarily through the strand of its plot featuring a trio of incompetent crooks hired by the bad guys to nobble the old priest or in some other way ensure that the church falls out of its present hands and into theirs. The antics of this trio are as funny as you'd find in a Carl Hiaasen novel, or in one of Donald Westlake's crime comedies (e.g., his Dortmunder tales), and had me laughing aloud on several occasions.
Of the several Pérez-Reverte novels that I've read, this is the least flamboyant: its events won't change the world, there's no rattling swordplay, etc. It's just a rather quiet novel that has so many good things about it that I'd find it hard to count them all. If you come to the book expecting a "stunning novel of suspense" that moves with "page-turning pace," I could quite imagine you might even find The Seville Communion a bit dull. For me, I had difficulty putting it down at night and it colored my days. What more could one ask?
All of which must have disappointed a hell of a lot of readers, who'll have discovered instead a book that uses a lightly done whodunnit backdrop to give us more of a novel of ideas than anything else -- the ideas in question relating to Catholicism, ethics, astronomy and more. In place of the vaunted "page-turning pace" we have a narrative that moves at what in fact is a very measured pace, even meandering on occasion -- which is part of what makes it so very, very engrossing. I was absolutely involved in this tale and its characters; once I'd finished it, my wife laughed at me when I told her how pissed off I was that I didn't have any more of it to read.
The setup in brief:
A hacker breaks into the Vatican network to alert the Pope's very own personal computer to the fact that there's some dirty business going on concerning an ancient small church in Seville. The Vatican couldn't care less about the fate of that church, but for the sake of face dispatches a sort of priestly James Bond, Lorenzo Quart, to investigate the situation and in particular identify the hacker. Quart arrives to find an array of corrupt businessmen who, with the complicity of the mayor and the archbishop of Seville, seek to buy the land the church is on, raze the building and make a bonanza profit selling the real estate for development; ranged against them are the church's curmudgeonly old priest, his callow assistant, an ageing architect/nun who's been managing the building's necessary renovations and an aristocratic but down-on-their-heels mother and daughter. Just to complicate matters, the daughter is married (albeit estranged) to the ringleader of the corrupt businessmen, and Quart finds her, despite his vows, magnetically attractive.
I mentioned that this was a novel of ideas. It's also, in many aspects, a comedy, primarily through the strand of its plot featuring a trio of incompetent crooks hired by the bad guys to nobble the old priest or in some other way ensure that the church falls out of its present hands and into theirs. The antics of this trio are as funny as you'd find in a Carl Hiaasen novel, or in one of Donald Westlake's crime comedies (e.g., his Dortmunder tales), and had me laughing aloud on several occasions.
Of the several Pérez-Reverte novels that I've read, this is the least flamboyant: its events won't change the world, there's no rattling swordplay, etc. It's just a rather quiet novel that has so many good things about it that I'd find it hard to count them all. If you come to the book expecting a "stunning novel of suspense" that moves with "page-turning pace," I could quite imagine you might even find The Seville Communion a bit dull. For me, I had difficulty putting it down at night and it colored my days. What more could one ask?
November 1, 2016
Обичам го дон Реверте. По-подробно ще пиша после.
March 3, 2020
"If we are to believe the sad publishing statistics that the average American buys only one book per year, this should be that book," intones a blurb from BookPage. "If you can afford the luxury of two books, read this one twice. It's that good."
Hm!
This novel, about a Vatican investigator sent to Seville to figure out who is hacking into the pope's computer and why two people have died mysteriously at a local church slated for demolition, is overlong at 375 pages with a meandering plot, annoying subplots, and characters we're supposed to find intriguing and super sexy who are not that interesting. The protagonist-investigator is a celibate 40-something priest with movie star good looks who is always thinking about beautiful young women's long legs and heavy firm breasts and finally allows himself to be seduced by a married woman - just this once. The author wallows in misogyny: "It's hard, you know, for any woman to realize that she's lost her looks for good," says one woman. "She must have been attractive once," thinks the hot priest, about a woman in her 40s. People think this 40-something woman, a nun, must be a lesbian because she's slim with a boyish figure and has....a gray braid. A woman who is 69 is repeatedly referred to as wrinkled as a raisin, hopelessly ancient looking, and "remarkably bright and vivacious for her age."
I had read one other novel by this author but I won't bother with any more.
December 28, 2022
3.5
"— Един от нас, един от нас… Няма „нас“. Ние всички сме сами. Отговаряме пред Бога и папата. — Архиепископът умишлено направи пауза. — В този ред. Папите умираха, но Бог беше безсмъртен."
"— Откога живеете тук?
— Близо четири години. Но преди да се установя, съм идвала много пъти в града. Дойдох със стипендия и всъщност така и не си тръгнах.
— И защо?
Тя сви рамене. — Не знам. Случва се с много американци, особено младите. Идват тук и просто не могат да си тръгнат. Остават и се прехранват, като свирят на китара или рисуват портрети по площадите. — Тя замислено погледна слънчевото петно на пода до вратата. — Нещо в светлината, в цветовете на улиците тук пречупва волята ти. Прилича почти на болест."
"Кварт усети, че въпреки самочувствието си, беше респектирана от якичката му. Като всички жени, помисли си, стари или млади. Дори най-решителните губеха самоувереност, когато някоя дума или жест внезапно им напомнеха, е той е свещеник."
"— Убедена съм, че загубата или унищожението на всяко старинно здание, картина или книга ни прекършва и похабява."
"Умореното потропване на танцовите й обувки къртеше трески от разнебитените сцени."
"Винаги се пази от старец, който се е вкопчил в някаква идея. Рядкост е да остарееш и все още страстно да защитаваш нещо. Малцина са щастливците, които животът не ограбва."
"Севиля, каквато винаги е била, прекрасна мавританска кралица с палмови дървета по целия отсрещен бряг, Златната кула, Аренал и Ла Хиралда. А само на един хвърлей оттук, обърната към Гуадалкивир, се намираше арената за корида „Маестранса“ — вселенската катедрала, където хората отиваха да се молят на смелите мъже от песните на Ла Ниня. "
"После, все още усмихнат, той погледна нагоре към Ла Хиралда, към ветропоказателя, от който идваше името на кулата. Испания, Югът, древната история на Средиземноморска Европа, можеше да бъде почувствана само на такива места. В Севиля се смесваха и наслагваха различни култури — зърна от броеница, събрала времето, кръвта и молитвите на различни езици под синьото небе и мъдрото слънце, за което вековете се сливаха в едно."
"Не беше завист, нито тъга. Няма дума, която да опише мрачното настроение, познато на всеки свещеник, който наблюдава близостта на някоя двойка: мъж и жена, които изпълняват древния ритуал на интимността, осветен от закона — милувка по шията към раменете; ръка, проследяваща нежната извивка на бедро; жена, която слага пръстите си върху устните на мъжа."
"Някога някой беше казал, че предателството е просто въпрос на време, а за Перехил времето изтичаше."
"— Жените са много по-сложно устроени. Мъжете са толкова праволинейни в лъжите си, толкова истински в противоречията си… толкова последователни в подлостта си."
"Докато гледаше лицата на хората край себе си, включително Макарена, Кварт си помисли, че няма значение дали има Бог, готов да наказва или възнаграждава, да проклина или да дарява вечен живот. Това, което имаше значение в тишината, изпълнена с дрезгавия глас на отец Феро, бяха хората със сериозни, спокойни лица,. съсредоточени върху ръцете и гласа му, които шепнеха с него, независимо дали разбират или не текста; хората, които получаваха нещо, което можеште да се изрази с една дума — утеха. Това беше прияте��ска ръка в мрака, топлина, която пропъжда студа."
"За свещеника, както във всяка друга област на живота, която изисква вяра в мита, че човек има привилегировано място във вселената, подобна трезвост беше смущаваща и опасна, защото разкриваше незначителността на човешкия живот. Само силата на волята, изразена като самодисциплина, предлагаше на Кварт защита от голата истина, която поражда слабост, апатия или отчаяние."
"— Има неща, места и хора, които оставят отпечатъка си върху теб."
"Кварт си помисли за своя шеф Спада от ИВД. Архиепископът и отец Феро се усмихваха по един и същ начин — като ветерани гладиатори и той се зачуди дали някога ще се усмихва като тях."
"— Когато бях млад — каза той внезапно — изчетох всички антични философи — от Сократ до свети Августин. И ги забравих. Единственото, което ми остана от тях, беше сладко-горчива меланхолия и обезверяване. Сега съм на шестдесет и четири години и единственото, което знам за хората е, че те помнят, боят се и умират."
"— Как да запазим тогава — попита той — мисията на живота в един свят, който носи печата на смъртта? Човек е смъртен; той знае, че ще умре и знае също, че за разлика от кралете, папите и генералите, няма да остави следа. Тогава си казва — трябва да има нещо повече. Иначе Вселената е просто лоша шега, безмислен хаос. Така вярата се превръща в надежда, в утеха. Може би затова дори Светият отец вече не вярва в Бога."
"Не мисли. Остави това на теолозите. Възхищавай се на резбата, на позлатата, на великолепните олтари, на страстните мистерии, които са били обичаен начин за привличане на масите от времето на Аристотел… Бъди заслепен от Божията слава. Твърде многото анализи ограбват надеждите ти. Мисли за нас като за твърда скала, на която ще намериш убежище от бурното течение. Истината те убива преждевременно."
"Голата вяра не може да съществува дълго. Хората имат нужда от символи, в които да се приютят, защото навън е студено."
"— Докато сме обременени от нещастията си, свещеници като мен са необходими… Ние сме старата, кърпена кожа на барабана, чийто глас още слави Бога. И само някой луд може да завижда на нашата тайна. Защото ние познаваме ангела, който държи ключа към ада."
"Защото под определен ъгъл, сред цветовете и светлината, в този град както никъде другаде, ясно се долавяше тихото бръмчене, с което изчезваше времето, или може би самият град."
"Никога не следвай първоначалния си импулс, беше му казал старият Мачука, когато започваше кариерата си. Успой адреналина, направи нещо с ръцете си и освободи ума си. Печели време."
"— Няколко пъти осиротявах — каза тя. — А да си сирак, означава да си роб. Спомените ти дават някаква сигурност, знаеш кой си и къде отиваш, или къде не отиваш. Без тях ти си предоставен на милостта на първия човек, който се появи и те нарече „дете мое“."
"— Макарена — каза тя — защитава своите спомени, няколко сувенира, сандъка на пралеля си и книгите, които е чела като дете и са я белязали дълбоко. Тя се бори с онова, което в ефекти на веселие нарича „ефекта Буденброкови“, усещането за един умиращ свят, изкушението да се наредиш при парвенютата, за да оцелееш. Отчаянието на разума."
"— Не гледайте така, отче. Явно е, че не прекарвате достатъчно време в изповедалнята. Не знаете нищо за жените."
"За всяка жена е трудно осъзнае, че завинаги е изгубила красотата си. — Сега изражението й беше сериозно. — Особено за една монахиня."
"— Посещавал ли сте гробище на монахини, отец Кварт? Редици малки, идентични надгробни камъни. Върху тях са издълбани монашеските им имена, а не онези, с които са кръстени. Те са били членове на орден, нищо друго не се зачита пред Бога. Това са най-тъжните гробища, които някога можеш да видиш. Като военно гробище с хиляди кръстове, надписани „Неизвестен“. Те са непоносимо самотни и сякаш питат „За какво беше всичко?"
"— Какво може да направи една монахиня, когато на четиридесет години осъзнае, че все още си е същото малко момиче, командвано от баща й? — Грис Марсала продължи. — Дете, което от силно желание да не го разочарова, да не извърши грях, се е отдало на още по-големия грях да не живее собсвения си живот. Дали е мъдро или е глупаво и безотговорно на осемнадесет години да се отречеш от светската любов и заедно с нея от доверието, от отдаването, от секса? Какво трябва да направи една жена, когато изпита тези чувства твърде късно?"
"— Някои светове не рухват със земетресение или голяма катастрофа — каза сега старата дама и погледна със съмнение Кварт, като се чудеше дали той я разбира, — а издъхват спокойно, с тиха въздишка."
"За миг той видя как ще изглежда красивата жена до него след тридесет или четиридесет години. Всичко отминава, помисли Кварт. И всичко свършва."
"— Когато наближим границата — продължи Крус Брунер — изпитваме особено, безстрастно любопитство. И нежна толерантност към онези, които ще дойдат тук рано или късно, но все още не го знаят.
— Като дъщеря ви ли? Старата дама се замисли за миг
. — Например — съгласи се тя. После се взря в Кварт, заинтересувана. — Или като вас. Няма винаги да бъдете красив свещеник, който привлича енориашките си. "
"В забравения свят, откъдето идвам, свещеникът означаваше нещо."
"— В този бизнес има много папи. Няма хора с кураж."
"— Какво сме ние? — попита той. — Каква роля играем на тази голяма сцена, която се простира над главите ни? Какво означава нашият нещастен живот и дребните ни желания? Вашият доклад до Рим, църквата, Светият отец, вие и аз, какво значение имат за тези светлини? — Той отново се изсмя дрезгаво. — Свръхнови ще избухват, звезди ще угасват, планети ще се раждат и умират дълго време, след като нас няма да ни има."
"— Мисля, че астрономията не ми харесва — каза той бавно. — Тя граничи с отчаянието. Старецът го погледна изненадан. — Отчаяние? Обратното, отче Кварт, тя носи покой на човека. Защото само сериозните, ценните и значими неща ни причиняват болка, когато ги изгубим. Малко неща имат стойност след осъзнаването, че сме капчици в океана в червения здрач на вселената. — Той млъкна, втренчил поглед в черковната кула, която се виждаше през леко потрепващите пердета. — Може би само предложената приятелска ръка, преди звездите ни да угаснат една по една и да настъпи свиреп студ."
"Някъде нетърпеливо звънна китара, очакваща глас, който да запее с нея. В крайна сметка нищо нямаше чак толкова голямо значение. Някой ден дон Ибраим, Ел Потро, Ла Ниня, испанският крал и римският папа щяха да умрат. Но Севиля щеше да остане, ухаеща както винаги на горчиви портокали и жасмин през пролетта."
"— Един от нас, един от нас… Няма „нас“. Ние всички сме сами. Отговаряме пред Бога и папата. — Архиепископът умишлено направи пауза. — В този ред. Папите умираха, но Бог беше безсмъртен."
"— Откога живеете тук?
— Близо четири години. Но преди да се установя, съм идвала много пъти в града. Дойдох със стипендия и всъщност така и не си тръгнах.
— И защо?
Тя сви рамене. — Не знам. Случва се с много американци, особено младите. Идват тук и просто не могат да си тръгнат. Остават и се прехранват, като свирят на китара или рисуват портрети по площадите. — Тя замислено погледна слънчевото петно на пода до вратата. — Нещо в светлината, в цветовете на улиците тук пречупва волята ти. Прилича почти на болест."
"Кварт усети, че въпреки самочувствието си, беше респектирана от якичката му. Като всички жени, помисли си, стари или млади. Дори най-решителните губеха самоувереност, когато някоя дума или жест внезапно им напомнеха, е той е свещеник."
"— Убедена съм, че загубата или унищожението на всяко старинно здание, картина или книга ни прекършва и похабява."
"Умореното потропване на танцовите й обувки къртеше трески от разнебитените сцени."
"Винаги се пази от старец, който се е вкопчил в някаква идея. Рядкост е да остарееш и все още страстно да защитаваш нещо. Малцина са щастливците, които животът не ограбва."
"Севиля, каквато винаги е била, прекрасна мавританска кралица с палмови дървета по целия отсрещен бряг, Златната кула, Аренал и Ла Хиралда. А само на един хвърлей оттук, обърната към Гуадалкивир, се намираше арената за корида „Маестранса“ — вселенската катедрала, където хората отиваха да се молят на смелите мъже от песните на Ла Ниня. "
"После, все още усмихнат, той погледна нагоре към Ла Хиралда, към ветропоказателя, от който идваше името на кулата. Испания, Югът, древната история на Средиземноморска Европа, можеше да бъде почувствана само на такива места. В Севиля се смесваха и наслагваха различни култури — зърна от броеница, събрала времето, кръвта и молитвите на различни езици под синьото небе и мъдрото слънце, за което вековете се сливаха в едно."
"Не беше завист, нито тъга. Няма дума, която да опише мрачното настроение, познато на всеки свещеник, който наблюдава близостта на някоя двойка: мъж и жена, които изпълняват древния ритуал на интимността, осветен от закона — милувка по шията към раменете; ръка, проследяваща нежната извивка на бедро; жена, която слага пръстите си върху устните на мъжа."
"Някога някой беше казал, че предателството е просто въпрос на време, а за Перехил времето изтичаше."
"— Жените са много по-сложно устроени. Мъжете са толкова праволинейни в лъжите си, толкова истински в противоречията си… толкова последователни в подлостта си."
"Докато гледаше лицата на хората край себе си, включително Макарена, Кварт си помисли, че няма значение дали има Бог, готов да наказва или възнаграждава, да проклина или да дарява вечен живот. Това, което имаше значение в тишината, изпълнена с дрезгавия глас на отец Феро, бяха хората със сериозни, спокойни лица,. съсредоточени върху ръцете и гласа му, които шепнеха с него, независимо дали разбират или не текста; хората, които получаваха нещо, което можеште да се изрази с една дума — утеха. Това беше прияте��ска ръка в мрака, топлина, която пропъжда студа."
"За свещеника, както във всяка друга област на живота, която изисква вяра в мита, че човек има привилегировано място във вселената, подобна трезвост беше смущаваща и опасна, защото разкриваше незначителността на човешкия живот. Само силата на волята, изразена като самодисциплина, предлагаше на Кварт защита от голата истина, която поражда слабост, апатия или отчаяние."
"— Има неща, места и хора, които оставят отпечатъка си върху теб."
"Кварт си помисли за своя шеф Спада от ИВД. Архиепископът и отец Феро се усмихваха по един и същ начин — като ветерани гладиатори и той се зачуди дали някога ще се усмихва като тях."
"— Когато бях млад — каза той внезапно — изчетох всички антични философи — от Сократ до свети Августин. И ги забравих. Единственото, което ми остана от тях, беше сладко-горчива меланхолия и обезверяване. Сега съм на шестдесет и четири години и единственото, което знам за хората е, че те помнят, боят се и умират."
"— Как да запазим тогава — попита той — мисията на живота в един свят, който носи печата на смъртта? Човек е смъртен; той знае, че ще умре и знае също, че за разлика от кралете, папите и генералите, няма да остави следа. Тогава си казва — трябва да има нещо повече. Иначе Вселената е просто лоша шега, безмислен хаос. Така вярата се превръща в надежда, в утеха. Може би затова дори Светият отец вече не вярва в Бога."
"Не мисли. Остави това на теолозите. Възхищавай се на резбата, на позлатата, на великолепните олтари, на страстните мистерии, които са били обичаен начин за привличане на масите от времето на Аристотел… Бъди заслепен от Божията слава. Твърде многото анализи ограбват надеждите ти. Мисли за нас като за твърда скала, на която ще намериш убежище от бурното течение. Истината те убива преждевременно."
"Голата вяра не може да съществува дълго. Хората имат нужда от символи, в които да се приютят, защото навън е студено."
"— Докато сме обременени от нещастията си, свещеници като мен са необходими… Ние сме старата, кърпена кожа на барабана, чийто глас още слави Бога. И само някой луд може да завижда на нашата тайна. Защото ние познаваме ангела, който държи ключа към ада."
"Защото под определен ъгъл, сред цветовете и светлината, в този град както никъде другаде, ясно се долавяше тихото бръмчене, с което изчезваше времето, или може би самият град."
"Никога не следвай първоначалния си импулс, беше му казал старият Мачука, когато започваше кариерата си. Успой адреналина, направи нещо с ръцете си и освободи ума си. Печели време."
"— Няколко пъти осиротявах — каза тя. — А да си сирак, означава да си роб. Спомените ти дават някаква сигурност, знаеш кой си и къде отиваш, или къде не отиваш. Без тях ти си предоставен на милостта на първия човек, който се появи и те нарече „дете мое“."
"— Макарена — каза тя — защитава своите спомени, няколко сувенира, сандъка на пралеля си и книгите, които е чела като дете и са я белязали дълбоко. Тя се бори с онова, което в ефекти на веселие нарича „ефекта Буденброкови“, усещането за един умиращ свят, изкушението да се наредиш при парвенютата, за да оцелееш. Отчаянието на разума."
"— Не гледайте така, отче. Явно е, че не прекарвате достатъчно време в изповедалнята. Не знаете нищо за жените."
"За всяка жена е трудно осъзнае, че завинаги е изгубила красотата си. — Сега изражението й беше сериозно. — Особено за една монахиня."
"— Посещавал ли сте гробище на монахини, отец Кварт? Редици малки, идентични надгробни камъни. Върху тях са издълбани монашеските им имена, а не онези, с които са кръстени. Те са били членове на орден, нищо друго не се зачита пред Бога. Това са най-тъжните гробища, които някога можеш да видиш. Като военно гробище с хиляди кръстове, надписани „Неизвестен“. Те са непоносимо самотни и сякаш питат „За какво беше всичко?"
"— Какво може да направи една монахиня, когато на четиридесет години осъзнае, че все още си е същото малко момиче, командвано от баща й? — Грис Марсала продължи. — Дете, което от силно желание да не го разочарова, да не извърши грях, се е отдало на още по-големия грях да не живее собсвения си живот. Дали е мъдро или е глупаво и безотговорно на осемнадесет години да се отречеш от светската любов и заедно с нея от доверието, от отдаването, от секса? Какво трябва да направи една жена, когато изпита тези чувства твърде късно?"
"— Някои светове не рухват със земетресение или голяма катастрофа — каза сега старата дама и погледна със съмнение Кварт, като се чудеше дали той я разбира, — а издъхват спокойно, с тиха въздишка."
"За миг той видя как ще изглежда красивата жена до него след тридесет или четиридесет години. Всичко отминава, помисли Кварт. И всичко свършва."
"— Когато наближим границата — продължи Крус Брунер — изпитваме особено, безстрастно любопитство. И нежна толерантност към онези, които ще дойдат тук рано или късно, но все още не го знаят.
— Като дъщеря ви ли? Старата дама се замисли за миг
. — Например — съгласи се тя. После се взря в Кварт, заинтересувана. — Или като вас. Няма винаги да бъдете красив свещеник, който привлича енориашките си. "
"В забравения свят, откъдето идвам, свещеникът означаваше нещо."
"— В този бизнес има много папи. Няма хора с кураж."
"— Какво сме ние? — попита той. — Каква роля играем на тази голяма сцена, която се простира над главите ни? Какво означава нашият нещастен живот и дребните ни желания? Вашият доклад до Рим, църквата, Светият отец, вие и аз, какво значение имат за тези светлини? — Той отново се изсмя дрезгаво. — Свръхнови ще избухват, звезди ще угасват, планети ще се раждат и умират дълго време, след като нас няма да ни има."
"— Мисля, че астрономията не ми харесва — каза той бавно. — Тя граничи с отчаянието. Старецът го погледна изненадан. — Отчаяние? Обратното, отче Кварт, тя носи покой на човека. Защото само сериозните, ценните и значими неща ни причиняват болка, когато ги изгубим. Малко неща имат стойност след осъзнаването, че сме капчици в океана в червения здрач на вселената. — Той млъкна, втренчил поглед в черковната кула, която се виждаше през леко потрепващите пердета. — Може би само предложената приятелска ръка, преди звездите ни да угаснат една по една и да настъпи свиреп студ."
"Някъде нетърпеливо звънна китара, очакваща глас, който да запее с нея. В крайна сметка нищо нямаше чак толкова голямо значение. Някой ден дон Ибраим, Ел Потро, Ла Ниня, испанският крал и римският папа щяха да умрат. Но Севиля щеше да остане, ухаеща както винаги на горчиви портокали и жасмин през пролетта."
February 12, 2020
Дълго отлагах срещата си с Артуро Реверте, но сега съжалявам , че съм го правил толкова дълго време, великолепен роман , стил на писане и разбира се Испания , мн приключения греховна страст ,църквата , вярата , силата да вярваме в мечтите си .Едно невероятно приключение с автора което ще продължи съвсем скоро .
May 31, 2020
De los que he leído de Reverte, es de los más flojitos.....
March 28, 2017
Το λιγότερο αγαπημένο μου από τα βιβλία του Ρεβέρτε, αλλά ακόμη κι έτσι, ένα πολύ ωραίο μυθιστόρημα. Απλά εμένα το νόημα μου διέφυγε.
August 25, 2011
I found this book in a resort in the Caribbean, it took me two holidays to actually finish reading it. I was never gripped by it but was curious to see how the plot would evolve. I found it overall disappointing. The characters were superficial and stereotypical, the rich were beautiful, the poor either "greasy" or grotesque. The descriptions of them, particularly of the more interesting trio the boxer, the fake lawyer and the singer were repetitive, page and page over. So were the descriptions of the sunlight on the church, on the river, and everywhere else, even though we are talking about torrid Seville, descriptions of the light must amass a good 10 pages. I liked the bit on astronomy, and the introspective nature of the Father of the Parish, but even that was kept short to the point you could not really get through to the main character of the plot. The vision of the aristocracy seems a rather common-place one of composure and subtle superiority, the clever elderly lady who hacks computers (hardly believable). And even after a fight in the dark where everybody fights and gets punched the beautiful young duchess is the only one who was kept immaculate, lol. That you have to read the very last sentence to get to know who the killer was may seem stylish, but hey hardly original, or is it?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2007
The end is disappointing. He falls into the dark lady cliche trap. But the book is beautifully written, with a touch of Marquez swirling around in there amongst the rest of his wonderful writing. The mystery's concept and development are mostly wonderful. I just think he couldn't decide to what to do with the ending, and he made the wrong choice. But again, great book. Loved it. I will read it again.
October 26, 2022
Excelente novela. Para mi gusto le falta un poco de acción, pero la ambientación, la iglesia, Sevilla y los personajes arrasan con todo.
July 25, 2020
Quart, si quieres hacerte una idea sobre el personaje, mira cualquier película de acción y el protagonista sexy y serio, ése es el. Nada más. Junto a la no menos cliché femme fatale, que está ahí para ser sensual, misteriosa y tener tensión sexual con Quart durante TODO. EL. LIBRO. Con solo estos datos te puedes imaginar bastante bien un 60% de lo que pasa aquí y es porque ya lo has visto un millón de veces.
Ah! Excepto porque en este libro está metido la iglesia pero puedes cambiar ese argumento por cualquier otro donde hay asesinatos y no mucho hubiera cambiado.
Sé que estoy quejándome del libro y que por tanto no debería gustarme, pero ahí está el problema…. si lo hizo, no estoy orgullosa de eso, me pasó lo mismo con la Tabla de Flandes donde sabía que el libro era malo (sobre todo el final) pero pasé un buen rato. Hay algo sobre este autor que a pesar que mi mente sabe que no debería caer con estos trucos baratos, igual termino haciéndolo.
Que puedo decir, Arturo Pérez-Reverte es mi placer culpable.
November 27, 2017
The set-up is intriguing. A hacker, dubbed “Vespers,” breaks into the Pope's personal email and leaves a cryptic plea to save an obscure historic church in Seville. Political and financial interests including the archbishop of Seville want the church demolished to exploit the value of the real estate. The hacker has been careful to conceal his tracks, and the security breach seems to disturb the Vatican hierarchy more than the contents of the message, despite the disclosure that recently, two deaths occurred during the repair work on the church. The deaths were apparent accidents. A municipal architect fell due to a loose balustrade; the archbishop's secretary was crushed by a chunk of debris from the ceiling. The email drops dark insinuations about the hand of God. The focus, however, is on the hacker, who has elevated the affair to a high stakes political confrontation between Archbishop Paolo Spada and Cardinal Iwaszkiewicz. The Pope has directed the Institute for External Affairs, a kind of Internal Affairs Department headed by Archbishop Spada, to discover the identity of the hacker. Cardinal Iwaszkiewicz hopes for a misstep that can be blamed on his rival.
From the start, the dissonance between a computer hacker and Vatican emails commands interest which is intensified by the delineation of the political rivalries. Pérez-Reverte involves even the most secular-minded of readers in this maneuvering for power.
He creates a long list of colorful characters. Cardinal Iwaszkiewicz is immediately established as shadowy and dangerous. His department, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was formerly called the Office of the Inquisition. When introduced into the story, he lingers by the window rather than taking a seat across from Archbishop Speda. There is an electrical outage that shrouds the meeting in semi-darkness. Their conversation is thick with careful formality that exudes even more menace. The third attendee at this meeting is Father Lorenzo Quart, Spada's agent. He's reliable and discreet, “as precise and stable as a Swiss Army knife.” (p.7) Hints of his childhood also suggest he is a brittle vessel of guarded emotions. He is the embodiment of religious inversion. Celibacy is the foundation of his pride; obedience is a replacement for piety. Drop-dead handsome and elegantly tailored, Quart is the enigmatic agent dispatched to Seville to conduct the delicate and highly secret investigation.
In Seville more characters appear. Pencho Gavira is an ambitious banker; his assistant Celestino Perégil is a toad-like toady with a gambling problem. Don Ibraham is a disbarred lawyer whose wistful memories mingle fact and fiction; El Potro del Mantelete is a perpetually benumbed ex-boxer and failed bullfighter; La Niña Puñales is an alcoholic chanteuse scraping by at seedy nightclubs. Gris Marsala is the chief architect and art historian in charge of the stalled restoration project; Macarena Bruner de Lebrija is the banker Gaviras's estranged wife; Maria Cruz Eugenia Bruner is the dowager duchess and Macarena's mother; and Don Octavo Machuca is Macarena's godfather and the about-to-retire chairman of Gavira's bank. It's worth the time to keep a notebook of these names while reading the book. There are additional characters drawn from the past as well as the story's present. The author gives each character, particularly the comedic ones, a compelling set of intentions and then releases them to pursue their convoluted schemes. The characters do not disappoint. Some even warm to their roles.
Quart arrives in Seville protesting that he is only there as a neutral observer — a mere reporter of sorts. He is blind to the fact that his very objectivity is what is objectionable to the impassioned supporters of the church. Strip away the emotional connections to history and art and all that remains is a monetary assessment. Obviously, no one provides any clues about the identity of the mysterious hacker. The person with the strongest motive is the parish priest so old he hardly seems a candidate for computer literacy.
Neutrality is a convenient conceit that not even Quart fully believes. There are always consequences. A past investigation by Quart had disturbing results. An activist Brazilian priest was brutally murdered after one of his “neutral” reports. (The ethical position of neutrality is a central theme in Pérez-Reverte's next book).
That the church's supporters are not motivated by religious fervor is a surprising conundrum. Father Ferro, the parish priest, is a battered relic whose religious belief dried up long ago. He rebukes Quart's taunts with a defiant declaration: “Faith doesn't ever need the existence of God.” (p.134). Quart dismissively assesses Father Oscar the assistant priest's fervor: “At your age, life is more dramatic. Ideas and lost causes carry you away.” (p.132). The story slips from a thriller to variations on the theme of existential crisis.
Pérez-Reverte is most successful at evoking the spirit of Seville. The Plaza Virgen de los Reyes is described as the “crossroads of three religions.” (p.69) White washed walls, the scent of orange blossoms, manzanilla crafted over the centuries, and azure skies dotted by pigeons envelope the senses. In his epigram he offers the usual caution that this is a work of fiction, but adds: “Only the setting is true. Nobody could invent a city like Seville.”
The touches of humor that are interspersed are somewhat less successful. The reader is complicit in these attempts, not so much due to the skill of the writing as to the fondness developed for the characters and their foibles.
Readers of Pérez-Reverte's earlier books will be delighted with his love for art, history and story-telling. Despite the existential exploration that preoccupies much of the story, he also returns to the tonal color of mystery he opened with. His conclusion reverts to a satisfying mix of closure and beguiling ambiguity. Yet, it is clear he is an author in transition. His mind is already focusing on more somber thoughts that draw on his career as a journalist and which are explored in his next book, THE PAINTER OF BATTLES. I didn't enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed THE CLUB DUMAS, but a book by Pérez-Reverte is always a worthwhile read.
For those of us who have never been to Seville, photos of the actual Plaza Virgen de los Reyes and the Santa Cruz area are worth viewing.
http://www.aviewoncities.com/seville/...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Cr...
The polychrome sculpture of the Spanish baroque period is central to the church's mystique. Gregorio Fernandez and Juan Martinez Montanes are two of the primary artists of the period. This website is one example of the pieces from this period.
http://caravaggista.com/2011/09/baroq...
From the start, the dissonance between a computer hacker and Vatican emails commands interest which is intensified by the delineation of the political rivalries. Pérez-Reverte involves even the most secular-minded of readers in this maneuvering for power.
He creates a long list of colorful characters. Cardinal Iwaszkiewicz is immediately established as shadowy and dangerous. His department, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was formerly called the Office of the Inquisition. When introduced into the story, he lingers by the window rather than taking a seat across from Archbishop Speda. There is an electrical outage that shrouds the meeting in semi-darkness. Their conversation is thick with careful formality that exudes even more menace. The third attendee at this meeting is Father Lorenzo Quart, Spada's agent. He's reliable and discreet, “as precise and stable as a Swiss Army knife.” (p.7) Hints of his childhood also suggest he is a brittle vessel of guarded emotions. He is the embodiment of religious inversion. Celibacy is the foundation of his pride; obedience is a replacement for piety. Drop-dead handsome and elegantly tailored, Quart is the enigmatic agent dispatched to Seville to conduct the delicate and highly secret investigation.
In Seville more characters appear. Pencho Gavira is an ambitious banker; his assistant Celestino Perégil is a toad-like toady with a gambling problem. Don Ibraham is a disbarred lawyer whose wistful memories mingle fact and fiction; El Potro del Mantelete is a perpetually benumbed ex-boxer and failed bullfighter; La Niña Puñales is an alcoholic chanteuse scraping by at seedy nightclubs. Gris Marsala is the chief architect and art historian in charge of the stalled restoration project; Macarena Bruner de Lebrija is the banker Gaviras's estranged wife; Maria Cruz Eugenia Bruner is the dowager duchess and Macarena's mother; and Don Octavo Machuca is Macarena's godfather and the about-to-retire chairman of Gavira's bank. It's worth the time to keep a notebook of these names while reading the book. There are additional characters drawn from the past as well as the story's present. The author gives each character, particularly the comedic ones, a compelling set of intentions and then releases them to pursue their convoluted schemes. The characters do not disappoint. Some even warm to their roles.
Quart arrives in Seville protesting that he is only there as a neutral observer — a mere reporter of sorts. He is blind to the fact that his very objectivity is what is objectionable to the impassioned supporters of the church. Strip away the emotional connections to history and art and all that remains is a monetary assessment. Obviously, no one provides any clues about the identity of the mysterious hacker. The person with the strongest motive is the parish priest so old he hardly seems a candidate for computer literacy.
Neutrality is a convenient conceit that not even Quart fully believes. There are always consequences. A past investigation by Quart had disturbing results. An activist Brazilian priest was brutally murdered after one of his “neutral” reports. (The ethical position of neutrality is a central theme in Pérez-Reverte's next book).
That the church's supporters are not motivated by religious fervor is a surprising conundrum. Father Ferro, the parish priest, is a battered relic whose religious belief dried up long ago. He rebukes Quart's taunts with a defiant declaration: “Faith doesn't ever need the existence of God.” (p.134). Quart dismissively assesses Father Oscar the assistant priest's fervor: “At your age, life is more dramatic. Ideas and lost causes carry you away.” (p.132). The story slips from a thriller to variations on the theme of existential crisis.
Pérez-Reverte is most successful at evoking the spirit of Seville. The Plaza Virgen de los Reyes is described as the “crossroads of three religions.” (p.69) White washed walls, the scent of orange blossoms, manzanilla crafted over the centuries, and azure skies dotted by pigeons envelope the senses. In his epigram he offers the usual caution that this is a work of fiction, but adds: “Only the setting is true. Nobody could invent a city like Seville.”
The touches of humor that are interspersed are somewhat less successful. The reader is complicit in these attempts, not so much due to the skill of the writing as to the fondness developed for the characters and their foibles.
Readers of Pérez-Reverte's earlier books will be delighted with his love for art, history and story-telling. Despite the existential exploration that preoccupies much of the story, he also returns to the tonal color of mystery he opened with. His conclusion reverts to a satisfying mix of closure and beguiling ambiguity. Yet, it is clear he is an author in transition. His mind is already focusing on more somber thoughts that draw on his career as a journalist and which are explored in his next book, THE PAINTER OF BATTLES. I didn't enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed THE CLUB DUMAS, but a book by Pérez-Reverte is always a worthwhile read.
For those of us who have never been to Seville, photos of the actual Plaza Virgen de los Reyes and the Santa Cruz area are worth viewing.
http://www.aviewoncities.com/seville/...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Cr...
The polychrome sculpture of the Spanish baroque period is central to the church's mystique. Gregorio Fernandez and Juan Martinez Montanes are two of the primary artists of the period. This website is one example of the pieces from this period.
http://caravaggista.com/2011/09/baroq...
July 15, 2020
В последно време чета няколко книги на куп, но никоя не задържа вниманието ми за твърде дълго. Това се промени щом започнах “Севилското причастие”. Озовах се в магичния и дъхав свят на Севиля и той ме омагьоса. От няколко години искам да посетя Андалусия, но все не намирах време. Бях решила да е тази пролет, но за съжаление Корона вирусът промени плановете ми. Дано скоро да имам възможност да се разходя по малките улички и да се насладя на смесицата от мавърска и испанска култура.
Отново увлекателна и въздействаща история, поднесена от Реверта в описателния му и богат на детайли език. Човек неусетно се пренася на улиците на Севиля и може да вдъхне мириса на портокалови дръвчета, да усети горещината по кожата си и омайната прохлада на сянката край фонтаниете във вътрешните дворове на богатите къщи. Залагат се много интересни теми като причините за свещеническия и монашески обет, шока след личностното осъзнаване. Отношението на съвременните хора към църквата и нейната роля в техния живот.
Това е едва втората книга на автора, с която се сблъсквам, но вече виждам модел – жените, в главната роля, са фатални и изкусително красиви, интригуващи. Мъжете също са красавци, смели и принципни. Всички второстепенни герои в общия случай са обикновени на външен вид, дори неугледни на моменти и подвластни на доста слабости в характера и външността. Малко напомня на древногръцките произведения, където красотата е еквивалентна на добродетелност.
Не знам защо, но историята със свещеника и изкушенията, пред които е изправен ми беше малко клиширана. През цялото време не можех да спра да правя паралел с “Птиците умират сами” и “Осъдени души” макар да не съм чела нито една от двете. Усеща се желанието на автора да няма крайни злодеи и безпринципни персонажи или ако има такива те да си получат заслуженото.
А коя е вашата любима история със свещеник главен герой?
https://prezprozoreca.wordpress.com/2...
Отново увлекателна и въздействаща история, поднесена от Реверта в описателния му и богат на детайли език. Човек неусетно се пренася на улиците на Севиля и може да вдъхне мириса на портокалови дръвчета, да усети горещината по кожата си и омайната прохлада на сянката край фонтаниете във вътрешните дворове на богатите къщи. Залагат се много интересни теми като причините за свещеническия и монашески обет, шока след личностното осъзнаване. Отношението на съвременните хора към църквата и нейната роля в техния живот.
Това е едва втората книга на автора, с която се сблъсквам, но вече виждам модел – жените, в главната роля, са фатални и изкусително красиви, интригуващи. Мъжете също са красавци, смели и принципни. Всички второстепенни герои в общия случай са обикновени на външен вид, дори неугледни на моменти и подвластни на доста слабости в характера и външността. Малко напомня на древногръцките произведения, където красотата е еквивалентна на добродетелност.
Не знам защо, но историята със свещеника и изкушенията, пред които е изправен ми беше малко клиширана. През цялото време не можех да спра да правя паралел с “Птиците умират сами” и “Осъдени души” макар да не съм чела нито една от двете. Усеща се желанието на автора да няма крайни злодеи и безпринципни персонажи или ако има такива те да си получат заслуженото.
А коя е вашата любима история със свещеник главен герой?
https://prezprozoreca.wordpress.com/2...
March 26, 2015
Ένα ακόμα από τα βιβλία του Ρεβέρτε που αποτελούν την ιερή μου "Αγία Τριάδα" των βιβλίων του! Μία παλιά εκκλησία στη Σεβίλλη,που "σκοτώνει" όποιον προσπαθεί να τη γκρεμίσει. Ένας ειδικός απεσταλμένος-ιερέας του Βατικανού που καλείται να εξιχνιάσει την υπόθεση.Άνθρωποι που επιδιώκουν το γκρέμισμα ή τη σωτηρία του ναού,ο καθένας για τους δικούς του λόγους.Κι όλα αυτά με περιτύλιγμα τη μοναδική ατμόσφαιρα της όμορφης Ισπανίας,με την ώρα της σιέστας και τα έθιμά της,τα μυστικά και τη μουσική της,τους ανθρώπους της με τα 1000+1 πρόσωπά τους και τις συνήθειές τους,τους θρήσκους,τους φιλότεχνους,τους αριβίστες..Ένα εξαιρετικό "πακέτο",γραμμένο από τον μάστερ της Ισπανικής λογοτεχνίας,ένα βιβλίο που θα σας μαγέψει τόσο που δε θα θέλετε να το αφήσετε από τα χέρια σας μέχρι να τελειώσει..Τα έχει όλα,σε απολαυστικά ικανοποιητικές αναλογίες.
(και έναν ποινικά κολάσιμο ιερέα-πρωταγωνιστή,που κόντεψε να ρίξει το Σταύρο Ζαλμά και το ρόλο του ως πατέρα Ιωάννη από τον...εκκλησιαστικό μου θρόνο! :Ρ)
(και έναν ποινικά κολάσιμο ιερέα-πρωταγωνιστή,που κόντεψε να ρίξει το Σταύρο Ζαλμά και το ρόλο του ως πατέρα Ιωάννη από τον...εκκλησιαστικό μου θρόνο! :Ρ)
June 5, 2008
This brilliant story has a surprising ending. The scenes of Sevilla and the dialogue are so vivid. By the way I read it in Spanish where the title is "La piel del tambor." I think this is his best of the so-called mysteries, although they are much more than that. His mastery of all aspects of the Spanish languages, from the 17th-century dialogue in the Capitan Alatriste series, to the Mexican street language and Spanish drug slang to the 19th-century Franglish in "Trafalgar" have earned him a place in the Real Academia de la Lengua. He is my favorite modern writer.
March 28, 2019
Leído en 2005. 8,5/10.
Cinco estrellas no completas, en realidad 8,5/10, pero la buena pluma del autor, la compleja historia con Iglesia, antiguo corsario y Sevilla todo junto y la tacada a leer que me impedía soltarlo lo elevan a la última estrellita.
Thriller adictivo de Reverte, vamos (otro más).
Cinco estrellas no completas, en realidad 8,5/10, pero la buena pluma del autor, la compleja historia con Iglesia, antiguo corsario y Sevilla todo junto y la tacada a leer que me impedía soltarlo lo elevan a la última estrellita.
Thriller adictivo de Reverte, vamos (otro más).
October 21, 2018
Lastima el final que a mí me decepciono ... Lo demás, de lo mejor del autor ... Para recordar la explicación que da el cura sobre su función hoy ... Por lo demás, excepcional
July 29, 2012
A hacker breaks into the Vatican's computer to leave a message for the Pope that says that there i's a church in Seville that "kills to defend itself." It turns out that there is a church that some want to tear down and to be replaced with a more profitable adventure. And two people have died accidentally. Abhorring any kind of scandal, the Catholic Church gets the IEA (Institute of External Affairs) to look into the matter. They send Father Lorenzo Quart to impartially gather information about the unfortunate incidents of this run down Baroque church called Our Lady of the Tears and to determine the hacker's identity. Quart is not your Father Confessor. He's well dressed, good looking, secretive and a good Intelligence soldier for the Church. Soon he finds that the answers in Seville are not the ones he is seeking.
For me, this was not a fast read, which is a positive statement. Seville is a very enchanting, old place which Pérez-Reverte describes in a style that engages all of our senses. He creates some very unforgettable characters that are reinforced with repeated descriptions. The plot is thick with politics, greed, history, yet moves along at pace that can be compared to a pleasant walk through Seville (which there are many of). I would not call this an action thriller or a "page-turner" as it wanders a bit too much and I did have to go back to the beginning and start again during the second chapter. But there is something that compelled me to the end. The concern with old fashioned faith, love, commitment and the philosophy thereof are intellectually satisfying. There are some humorous scenes and the ending twists a few times. Perhaps the most rewarding surprises are Father Quart's decisions and the true meaning behind the title of the book.
I recommend the book, but with one caveat; read it because it takes you to Seville, not because you are looking for a good hacker mystery.
For me, this was not a fast read, which is a positive statement. Seville is a very enchanting, old place which Pérez-Reverte describes in a style that engages all of our senses. He creates some very unforgettable characters that are reinforced with repeated descriptions. The plot is thick with politics, greed, history, yet moves along at pace that can be compared to a pleasant walk through Seville (which there are many of). I would not call this an action thriller or a "page-turner" as it wanders a bit too much and I did have to go back to the beginning and start again during the second chapter. But there is something that compelled me to the end. The concern with old fashioned faith, love, commitment and the philosophy thereof are intellectually satisfying. There are some humorous scenes and the ending twists a few times. Perhaps the most rewarding surprises are Father Quart's decisions and the true meaning behind the title of the book.
I recommend the book, but with one caveat; read it because it takes you to Seville, not because you are looking for a good hacker mystery.
November 23, 2012
I loved the idea of this book. Someone breaks into the Vatican's computer and leaves a note about a church in peril and a priest/agent is sent to investigate. Unfortunately the tale takes too long to tell and it is not a page turner. I forced myself to finish. I think the author had a good idea but did not put enough into making the story flow and mostly I was just glad I was done.
September 9, 2015
2.5 stars. Poor writing. Weak plot. Conceptually okay - a few ideas to contemplate.
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I am travelling and was given this book on my first day away from home by someone I was staying with. Given that my time has been broken up by a constant flow of social encounters, I have had difficulty reading anything more serious. Hence this review.
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I have often been curious about the novels of Pérez-Reverte. I no longer am. I found much of my reading experience to be spoiled by stereotypical characters, stilted dialogue and a contrived plot. The attempt at creating comic relief through the three inept criminals fell quite flat for me. I have never been a fan of slapstick humour.
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The saving grace for me was the attempt by Pérez-Reverte to include some serious discussion about the nature of history and time. While I would have appreciated a more in-depth discussion, I was pleasantly surprised by the very fact of the inclusion of these ideas in the book.
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The linking of discussions of family history, changing human fate and time relations in astronomy, were meant to give the reader pause and to reflect upon her own place in the world as it spins intractably bringing her onto the stage and then off again. Kinda cool.
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I am travelling and was given this book on my first day away from home by someone I was staying with. Given that my time has been broken up by a constant flow of social encounters, I have had difficulty reading anything more serious. Hence this review.
-
I have often been curious about the novels of Pérez-Reverte. I no longer am. I found much of my reading experience to be spoiled by stereotypical characters, stilted dialogue and a contrived plot. The attempt at creating comic relief through the three inept criminals fell quite flat for me. I have never been a fan of slapstick humour.
-
The saving grace for me was the attempt by Pérez-Reverte to include some serious discussion about the nature of history and time. While I would have appreciated a more in-depth discussion, I was pleasantly surprised by the very fact of the inclusion of these ideas in the book.
-
The linking of discussions of family history, changing human fate and time relations in astronomy, were meant to give the reader pause and to reflect upon her own place in the world as it spins intractably bringing her onto the stage and then off again. Kinda cool.
March 7, 2020
Okay, so I bought this book thinking it was part of the author's Captain Alatriste series and almost returned it when I realized it was a technological thriller, set in 1995-vintage Seville, with a Vatican priest as the main character. I'm very glad I kept it.
For me, it was less a thriller (though the mysteries are intriguing), more an intense character-study of a very different sort of man. Lorenzo Quart, the priest and protagonist, characterizes himself as "the last Knight Templar," obedient and loyal to an institution that rarely has his best interests at heart. He's not a character who happens to be a priest, but a priest who happens to be a participant in a series of relatively small events that change him in cherished ways.
The backdrop is Seville, Spain -- a city I now want to visit -- and the supporting characters are, I have to believe, as typical of that city as any of Damon Runyon's or Dashell Hammett's characters were typical of their milieux, and just as dignified and memorable.
I read this novel in a translation by Sonia Soto who rendered Perez-Reverte's prose into simple, yet elegant English
For me, it was less a thriller (though the mysteries are intriguing), more an intense character-study of a very different sort of man. Lorenzo Quart, the priest and protagonist, characterizes himself as "the last Knight Templar," obedient and loyal to an institution that rarely has his best interests at heart. He's not a character who happens to be a priest, but a priest who happens to be a participant in a series of relatively small events that change him in cherished ways.
The backdrop is Seville, Spain -- a city I now want to visit -- and the supporting characters are, I have to believe, as typical of that city as any of Damon Runyon's or Dashell Hammett's characters were typical of their milieux, and just as dignified and memorable.
I read this novel in a translation by Sonia Soto who rendered Perez-Reverte's prose into simple, yet elegant English
October 16, 2016
Трупове се стелят около стара църква в Севиля: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...
Както и в другите му книги (а отчетливо и изобщо при испанските автори, за пример Сафон и Барселонската му тетралогия), сред главните герои е градът, в който се развива действието. Севиля – разпъната между бляскаво, но поовехтяло и рушащо се минало, и настоящето, което протяга хищни лапи към него. Олицетворение на този сблъсък, течащ на толкова много нива, е една малка църквичка, разположена на апетитна земя, за която ламти издигнал се чрез брак с богата аристократка местен банкер. Църквата е защитена от старо завещание, но местният архиепископ няма желание да се противи на интересите на силните на деня.
Издателство "Еднорог"
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...
Както и в другите му книги (а отчетливо и изобщо при испанските автори, за пример Сафон и Барселонската му тетралогия), сред главните герои е градът, в който се развива действието. Севиля – разпъната между бляскаво, но поовехтяло и рушащо се минало, и настоящето, което протяга хищни лапи към него. Олицетворение на този сблъсък, течащ на толкова много нива, е една малка църквичка, разположена на апетитна земя, за която ламти издигнал се чрез брак с богата аристократка местен банкер. Църквата е защитена от старо завещание, но местният архиепископ няма желание да се противи на интересите на силните на деня.
Издателство "Еднорог"
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/s...
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