The Antiquarian

Enrique Alonso #1

by Julián Sánchez

In this gripping historical thriller, the search for a mysterious and powerful object hidden in the heart of Barcelona leads to ambition, desire, love—and murder.

An intriguing letter from his adoptive father, Artur, turns novelist Enrique Alonso’s world upside down. Artur, a well-known antiquarian in Barcelona, reveals that he has discovered an ancient manuscript, but he feels uneasy, as though he’s in over his head. But before Artur can piece together the final part of the puzzle, he is attacked and murdered. Enrique rushes to Barcelona to investigate his father’s death and retrieve the book. His ex-wife, Bety, a philologist, comes to his aid and the two set about translating and deciphering the encrypted text. Written in Latin and Old Catalan, the manuscript holds the key to the location of a priceless object dating back to the Middle Ages, and a secret closely guarded by the Jewish community living in the city’s Gothic Quarter. When Enrique and Bety realize they are not the only ones following the trail, it becomes a race against time to find the mythical object that has the power to transform lives.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, Spain, Ebooks, Crime

403 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Julián Sánchez (b. 1966), a native of Barcelona, decided to be a writer after reading Jack London’s novel Martin Eden at the age of ten, but also developed a career in the pharmaceutical industry and played professional basketball for fifteen years. He continues to have close ties with the sport, currently as a trainer. Literature and basketball are two fundamental activities in his life.

Reviews

[Wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

22 OCT 2016 - an interesting story within a story. I really enjoyed my reading of The Antiquarian and found myself looking for more information on the internet. I wanted to know so much more of the Spain which existed during the ages. I have already purchased Mr Sanchez' next book for future reading.

This book makes me want to visit the entirety of Spain. One day!

[Andrea Andrei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nu, trecutul nu se uita: doar ca se retrage pe carari ascunse ale mintii, de unde nu poate incomoda, de unde nu poate vicia prezentul.

[VickiLee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Antiquarian is heavily loaded with historical details and cultural references. It is a Spanish translation and I found it to be tightly packed with unnecessary details and stolid prose. An antiquarian comes across a rare and bewildering document that, by simply owning it, results in his murder. His son picks up the manuscript that ultimately has to do with the hiding place of an artifact known as the Stone of God. This novel is touted as “literary” and “intellectually challenging” (which it is) but it is also lacking cohesive suspense.

[Eva Anca · Rating 4 out of 5]

„Anticarul”, de Julián Sánchez este o carte interesantă, în care se combină mai multe stiluri. Povestea este încărcată de suspans, acțiune și o oarecare doză de romance. Nu lipsesc nici detaliile istorice și religioase, care condimentează povestea de la baza cărții.

https://randurileevei.wordpress.com/2...

[Marisa Muñoz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me ha gustado el desarrollo de la historia y descubrir el mundo de los anticuarios de la Barcelona gótica. No tanto el final, que resulta demasiado previsible (y la última conversación muy forzada, en un intento de que todas las piezas encajen).

[Elli · Rating 5 out of 5]

3.5 qctuqlly. I enjoyed this. The antiquarian community then was old and times were changing and here all of a sudden a noted antiquarian finds himself with a priceless document which a number of people would like to see kept out of the light of public knowledge. There is a little too much fantasy to it, and I had the villain figured out way too early in the tale. The characters for the most part, and pictures given of Barcelona and it's history were excellent. It is an historical mystery based on documentation (fictional) from a still earlier time. And it did cover a number of events and incidents in that earlier era.

[Paola · Rating 1 out of 5]

Molto, molto tempo fa, Einaudi non avrebbe mai pubblicato tale ciofeca.
Ed io devo smettere di credere, pensare che un libro edito da Einaudi abbia un valore aggiunto.
Einaudi é morta. Si ha da farsene una ragione, e valutare con molta attenzione cosa si porta a casa.
(questo sarebbe costato 19.50 euro, a me meno di un caffé presso la mia piccola libreria dei libri riciclati).
Per quanto é del contenuto:
grandi pretese (echi di Eco, Tuzzi per quanto é del giallo storico/colto), naturalmente del tutto disattese. Risultato: scontato, banale, vacuo.

[Andreea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Traducerea nu mi s-a parut dintre cele mai bune, si mai mult ca sigur textul in limba originala are o alta valoare. Cu toate acestea, asta nu m-a impiedicat sa termin cele 400 de pagini in doua zile si sa-mi capteze atentia considerabil.

[Joellen Sommer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could have used a good editor... too long and drawn out... and predictable

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read The Antiquarian when I was wanting a re-read I could count on to satisfy me. So I went through my "favorites" collection on my ereader and chose this work by Sánchez, remembering that it was a complex mystery, the sort of reading I can find satisfying when I don't want to take my chance with something new.

Oddly enough, I actually think I hadn't read this title before, so I'm not sure how it wound up in my "favorites" collection. Was I anticipating it being good? Had I actually read it before at some point, but completely and utterly forgot it except for that general complex-mystery description?

At any rate, The Antiquarian is a solid read though I'm not sure I would put it in my "favorites" collection now. I think it wound up there because I *did* read Sánchez's the Art Restorer and did really enjoy that one.

So, in brief—

• complex mystery
• everyone is straight
• the central male character has a complicated relationship with his ex-wife and also gets into a new romance with great rapidity
• the bits about medieval history are fascinating
• lots of interesting suspects to consider
• tension between police investigating murder and the central male character who wants to solve things himself as a "tribute" to the dead man

[Gustavo Arango · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disfrute la lectura del libro; la novela contiene historia de una Barcelona del siglo XIV así como una narrativa muy descriptiva de la Barcelona actual. La lectura me invitó a buscar un poco más acerca de las cábalas y los sefiros y aunque de estos últimos no hay mucha información, parece un tema interesante.

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nie skończyłam. Nie mój klimat :/

[Dana Burda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cartea scriitorului spaniol Julian Sanchez aparuta la editura Allfa in colectia " Strada fictuiunii" in anul 2013, a fost una dintre cele mai placute surprize in materie de lectura in acest an. O carte care imbina intr-un tot perfect armonios date istorice, intriga politista, poveste de dragoste, aventura si un final surprinzator.
Personajul principal este scriitorul Enrique Alonso fiul adoptiv al anticarului Artur Aiguader faimos in Barcelona. Enrique este chemat in Barcelona de urgenta din cauza asasinarii cu totul neobisnuite a tatalui sau. Pus in fata a o multime de intrebari fara raspuns Enrique cauta s adescopere motivul asasinatului pe cont propriu in paralel cu cercetarile politiei de care se ocupa comisarul Fornells si inspectorul Joan Rodriguez.. Ajuns in Barcelona afla datele de la politie si intra in legatura cu grupul de anticari din oras condus de Samuel Horovitz. Porneste de la scrisoarea pe care o primise cu cateva zile mai inainte si in care tatal sau ii preciza ca intrase in posesia unui lot de obiecte deosebite din mostenirea Bergues si ca printre aceste obiecte a gasit ceva absolut spectaculos dar daca i se intampla ceva il indemana sa caute cartea Exercitiul perfectiunii care se afla in biblioteca din magazinul de antichitati. Asa ca Enrique cauta acea carte si gaseste in interiorul ei un manuscris vechi cu foarte multe adnotari. Asa ajunge Enrique in posesia povestii arhitectului Pere Casadevall care a fost unul din responsabilii lucrarilor de constructie a catedralei din Barcelona intre 1368 si 1414. Si in timp ce se straduie sa descifreze manscrisul primeste propunerii de cumparare a tot ce apartinuse tatalui sau mai ales din partea lui Samuel Horovitz.Asa apare inscena frumoasa Mariola fiica lui Samuel cea care trebuie sa faca evaluarea mostenirii. Si enrique se vede prin intre doua feei deosebite si mai ales foarte inteligente si frumoase. Bety, fosta lui sotie si Mariola femeia frumoasa si cumva misterioasa ca abia a aparut in viata lui si i-a captivat complet interesul. Prin Bety reuseste sa obtina ajutorul unor specialisti pentru dezlegarea misterelor din manuscris in timp ce intamplari neobisnuite si periculoase isi fac mereu aparitia. Cartea este absolut fascinanta pentru ca avem mai multe povestiri in paralel cu povestea centrala simpla in esenta. Dar nimic nu este simplu cand trecutul intra in deplin contact cu prezentul. Finalul cartii este surprinzator si provocator totodata. E o carte care sigur este citita cu sufletul la gura.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the moment I finished reading The Art Restorer, I wanted to learn more about these characters. The previous title by this author, The Antiquarian introduces us to Enrique Alonzo, having just finished his latest novel, Bety, his ex-wife, and Arturo his godfather/guardian who assumed the position of "father" when Enrique's parents were killed. It doesn't take long for us to be told that Arturo, an "antiquarian" who deals in everything antique, has come upon a rare find: a 14th century book, more of a diary actually, which contains mysterious notations in the margins. Within a very few pages, Enrique receives a letter from Arturo in which Arturo admits to some trepidation. Within minutes of reading the letter, Enrique gets a phone call telling him that Arturo has been murdered, and he leaves his home in San Sebastian for Barcelona.

The action shifts from present-day Barcelona to a roller coaster ride spanning 5 centuries that include religious talismans, ancient manuscripts, cryptic writing, the Spanish Inquisition, inaccessible Vatican Archives, and, of course, a beautiful woman. With a nod to Indiana Jones and The DaVinci Code, this clever tale proceeds at a swift pace. There are clues in the text that point to the outcome, but, then, this is a first novel. It's a wonderful use of the "tale within a tale" convention that Sanchez continues in The Art Restorer.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aunque en principio me gustó la idea principal de la novela y la ambientación en Barcelona y San Sebastián, al final me ha resultado un poco floja.

Los acontecimientos se ven venir desde mucho antes de la conclusión y eso le resta el misterio que esperaba de la narración, la trama romántica no resulta nada creíble y me ha hecho levantar las cejas unas cuantas veces y el estilo de conversación me parece demasiado forzado y recargado para hacer notar la cultura e inteligencia de los personajes, pero creo que es excesivo.

También me ha llamado la atención al final un salto argumental, como si fuera una película terriblemente montada, cuando el protagonista de pronto resulta que ha investigado y resuelve todo el enigma en las últimas páginas sin que el lector sepa cuándo o cómo se llega a esta epifanía, solo tienes que creértelo.

En conclusión es una novela entretenida pero no me ha atrapado como espero de este género.

[Verena · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, this book made me notice that I fall for beautiful cover-art too easily. This time though, I was not disappointed by what it had promised. I'm still not sure if I would consider the title fitting for the story, just by the way. I have to admit that it took me two attempts to read the whole book but when I had started the second time I just couldn't put it away. I'm probably not a good critic for historical fiction but I enjoyed the connection between present and past very much, as well as the characters which aren't plain or the suspense that keeps you reading on and on.

[Jacqui · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another "lost in translation?" review: I gave up after 2 chapters. I don't care how fascinating this story might be. The style of writing is so poor, it feels like the author was paid per word. I picked this up because a few folks said it reminded them of "Shadow of the Wind"--ABSOLUTELY NO COMPARISON AT ALL. SOTW was so beautiful it made my soul ache. This one just makes my brain hurt.

[Kike · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aunque es históricamente correcta y tiene una premisa interesante, creo que le sobran demasiadas paginas, los diálogos son malísimos, frases y descripciones llenas de cliches, personajes muy mal construidos y un final horrendo. No me gusto aunque prometía muchísimo.

[Adrian Găinaru · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://ch3815h.wordpress.com/2015/04...
Anticarul, de Julián Sánchez este un roman care la doi ani dupa aparitia sa in Spania, in 2009 la Roca Editorial sub titlul original de El anticuario apare si-n Romania, multumita traducerii Alexandrei Reocov la editura Allfa, in Bucuresti 2011. Cartea prinde si capteaza atentia cititorilor traversand de-a lungul paginilor o seama de teme fundamentale ale literaturii universale, inglobandu-le intr-o maniera ce nu-i deloc pe deplin straina autorului ei, un pasionat de precizie la inaltime – baschetul – si de literatura. Bine dozat cu fler artistic, misterul pe care autorul il naste prin naratiunea lui este lasat sa se ridice singur dezvaluind pas cu pas noi si noi fatete ale unui adevar mai amplu pe care il imbraca in haina curiozitatii inca din prologul cartii autorul.

Printre motivele principale ale cartii apar si figurile deloc perimate ale unei traditii canonice cultural-occidentale inauntrul careia campul literaturii fiinteaza inca de la firavele sale inceputuri si amintim aici despre anticar, scriitor, cautator de raspunsuri prin excelenta si unul si celalalt, cunoasterea un alt punct de atractie fascinanta care pare sa trimita actul simtirii rationale dincolo de bariera firescului si a demnitatii printr-o fascinatie irationala ce duce la crima de dragul atingerii unui obiect inzestrat dincolo de mit si misticism, credinte si ancorari culturale profunde cu o aura aparte de mister care-l fac magnetizant pentru conditia umana rational-subreda tentatiei de a-l fi avut. Filologia ca studiu asumat prin rationamentul cunoasterii in vederea descoperirii unui canon de valori culturale si civilizationale pe care antecesorii l-au conservat pana la tine si de a-i pastra vie insemnatatea valoroasa in asa fel incat dand cunostintele tale mai departe sa ai in vizor corecta lor receptare, literatura fictionala ca act al facerii in corelare cu raportarea la un set canonic de valori culturala fata de care nu poti adopta atitudinea unui rasculat, ci aceea a unui vesnic recunoscator si umil vehicul pentru ca aceasta comoara sa treaca mai departe in patrimoniul viitoarelor generatii fara ca intelesul si insemnatatea sa-i fie umbrite de ceva, iata alte ingrediente care fac aceasta carte atragatoare si sa exercite o fascinatie cat de mica fata de orice cautator de sens in spatele unui text.

Cand pana autorului leaga artistic aceste date si de o mai stransa legatura intre Artur Aiguader – anticarul batran si pasionat de arta veche in toate formele sale, asasinat aparent fara vreo motivatie si fiul sau adoptat prin natura datelor administrative, dar in fapt fiul de sange al batranului, Enrique Alonso, scriitorul tanar de succes si incercarea acestuia de a elucida cauzele decesului tatalui sau crezut initial doar adoptiv, apoi afland si adevarata poveste care-l face sa fie usor ezitant in toata aceasta cursa enigmatica de aflare a ucigasului, toata aceasta ramificare de actiuni, personaje, situatii palpitante elucidate treptat si gradual denota o buna stapanire a actului creator cu care autorul s-a familiarizat. Cand pe langa toate acestea autorul imbina si un triunghi amoros elucidat printr-o palpitanta actiune de-a lungul intregii naratiuni, gustul pe care ni-l lasa lectura cartii este unul care ne face sa fim cumpatati si sa meditam mai cu sarg la existentialele probleme cotidiene din a caror rutina Anticarul incearca si reuseste fara dubiu sa ne sustraga. Viata anima cautarea si scrierea ce se face chiar in timpul derularii actiunii narative, se-mpleteste la fiecare pas cu pericolul devenit iminent al mortii, care nu ezita sa se arate din ungherele tenebrelor unde palida lumina a sperantei elucidarilor misterioase e singura care incearca sa razbata prin intunericul pe care se pare ca amenintarea mortii a pus deja stapanire.

Valentele exclusiv cercetatoare trimitand lectura prin ochii detectivului politienesc sunt moderate cu fler de scriitorul-sportiv spaniol care propune in paginile cartii sale ce se bucura de o atentie internationala demna de titlurile semnate de autori celebri si consacrati devotiunii actului scriitoricesc o altfel de cunoastere a metropolei catalane, parte de Spania putin mai altfel si o spune in carte si de ce, Barcelona. Dincolo de cosmopolitismul aferent parca unei globalizari intr-o perpetua accentuare zilele curente pe care le traim, turismul si multiculturalismul, vasta multiculturalitate se imbina sincretic ca intr-un palimpsest intre copertele unui titlu care face din confruntarea unui trecut asumat o tema fundamentala care leaga prin elucidarile actiunilor firului narativ toate celelalte elemente si teme care zugravesc multistratificarea ordonata si echilibrata, de bun gust artistic a romanului lui Sánchez. De citit, de cautat cu interes si-ntr-un final de descoperit tot ce cartea are de transmis. Lectura placuta!

[Emma Cyrus · Rating 4 out of 5]

What did I learn? First, I know that a book can elicit both raves and pans, and this book is no exception. For a writer, going through another author’s reviews after reading the book provides insight into the standards of excellence for that particular sub-genre. In this case, the sub-genre includes such well-known examples as Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. Here the standards of excellence include esoteric credibility and a clear danger built into the search for the arcane object at the center of the narrative.

I found myself applying the standard of “pacing.” For me, a sense of danger is provided by a thriller-esque pace. The arcane object must be found quickly, or else. That urgency must be credible, so that the reader is rooting for the protagonists to get to the object before ‘the bad guys.’

Here, I think Sánchez didn’t pull it off. Even though he created a credible artifact, I couldn’t bring myself to care about its recovery. If the central premise isn’t super-strong, at least let me have characters I feel a vibrant connection with. In this case, none of the primary characters were intriguing or dynamic. One writers’ guide I was looking at recently said something like, ‘Great characters aren’t just one of many elements of great fiction – they are the primary and most important feature.’

This, then, is the yardstick I’m applying to working on the second Father Ambrose mystery – are my characters memorable and are they pursuing goals that drive the narrative?

Again, inside the issue of pacing, I found The Antiquarian too sluggish and, therefore, too long. Pacing intertwines delicately with the issue of setting/background. While Sánchez provides a lot of context about the city of Barcelona and its environs, too much is repetitious or unnecessary. I’m learning that economy and precision of language are more important than exhaustive description. Too much turns a would-be page-turner into a slog where the sense of urgency is diluted or overwhelmed completely.

This second lesson is key: I need to focus on providing the exact background that’s needed to propel the story going forward and not allow any context to apply the brakes to the momentum.

Finally, on background research in general: as an author, I need to know much more about my subject and my characters than I put out in the text. Too much and the effect is ‘show-off-y.’ Sánchez gives me way too much. It’s good that I know he’s very conversant with the eco-sphere of Barcelona, but I don’t need to know the names of every street the protagonist walks down.

For my own manuscripts, then, I must research thoroughly, but continue to ask myself ‘What is important to include about this, in order to set the right tone or create a scene visual?’ The good thing about working with Beta readers is that they’ll immediately pick up on places where more detail is needed, where what’s left unsaid isn’t strong enough to carry the story forward.

If you’re a huge Dan Brown fan, you might find The Antiquarian compelling. If you’ve read it already, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Promising start and weak finish

I really enjoyed the first part of this book, but could not wait for the last third of it to end. I was hoping that this would be similar to the beautiful Shadow of the Wind or The Name of the Rose. Even a Dan Brown novel would have been fine. Sadly, The Antiquarian is none of those things.

The story is set in present day-ish (Internet and cell phones) Barcelona. It opens in the antique shop of Artur Aiguader as he is sorting through some recent purchases. In addition to being a historian and antiquarian, he is also a philologist. He is a respected member of his antique community, but he is also in trouble. His life is threatened over a sale that fell through. Just as he is discovering and translating a very interesting diary dating from the 1300's, he is murdered. His adopted son, Enrique comes to Barcelona to take care of Artur's affairs and find his murderer. He is also trying to decode the diary that was so important to his father. He is aided by his ex-wife Bety and his childhood friend Carlos, who is now a private detective. Enrique is a successful novelist and his ex is a university professor. Enrique meets a beautiful young antiquarian named Mariola and sparks fly. They fly with his ex-wife too. What a mess! The novel is divided into three parts. The first part introduces us to the characters and sets up the mysteries. The second part is the translated diary and the third part resumes the mystery. The diary, written by an architect, outlines how he was asked to hide a religious object that is sacred in the Kabbalist Jewish community--The Stone of God. Enrique, Bety, and Carlos attempt to find the hiding place for the stone.

The first section of the book is good, the section with the diary is very interesting, but the third section is tedious and ridiculous. I thought that the identity of the murder was transparent. The "romantic tension" of the love-triangle became more annoying and ludicrous as it progressed. There is a lot of dialogue and interior monologue that tried to pass for introspection on the part of the characters. I felt like the romance portions of the book were in fact the author's fantasy about being desired by two women at the same time. The book would have been much better if much of the romance had been omitted. I think this book lacked some good editing overall. I also thought that the writing was uneven. There were some lovely descriptions of Barcelona and nice passages, but much of the dialog was trite. At times I felt like I was reading more of a police procedural or a "hard boiled" detective novel. The historical information was interesting, especially the sections about the Inquisition and the Jewish religion. However, I found some of the detail hard to follow. I have no interest in reading the sequel. If you want to read a gorgeous mystery and romance that is set in Barcelona, I highly recommend Shadow of the Wind.

[Ed Mestre · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a mixed mess. I’m not sure how many stars considering some parts I liked quite a bit and some were a bit irritating. So, I guess 2 1/2 stars splits it down the middle. It started off quite well, giving me high hopes. Well, written and intriguing. The next post murder section brought in the main character, Enrique, supposedly a best selling author. I found him to be the main source of irritation. At one point, later in the book, a cop says to him “…that’s exactly how I think you’ve acted throughout this entire thing: like an idiot.” Yes, yes, yes I cried out! How could two intelligent, beautiful women characters be vying over this schmo? This made the romance stuff, which broke up the flow of the story, far from believable.

The plot revolves around a mysterious manuscript from the middle ages. The next section we get read the translation of this manuscript. This was by far my favorite part of the novel. It was a well told story of a fascinating period in Barcelona history. But then we go back to Enrique. There were many parts of the book that were indeed lovely writing. And then there were parts that were just so wordy and unnecessary. Including sections that sounded like Google Maps directions on how to get from point A to point B in Barcelona. As one reviewer said here on GR, was Sánchez being paid by the word? Tack onto this a conclusion that was literally inexplicable. It just kind of happens. It closes with some rumination between Enrique and his ex-wife Bety that’s a little interesting, but it was almost really the Enrique we had been mostly presented up to then. Well, I already have another book by this author on my bookshelf, so I guess I’ll eventually give a try in hopes of consistency with the potential I did occasionally see here.

[Jack Hrkach · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this Kindle book as part of my "research" into a trip to Spain I just returned from. I saw that it was set mostly in Barcelona, a little in San Sebastian, two of the places I visited. I find that, often, fiction set in a place will tell the reader a good bit about the place, more likely specific areas in a city.

Two were featured (if you will) in Barcelona: Tibidabo and in greater detail, the areas in the old town very near, even IN, the cathedral.

So it served that purpose, and as often happens with plot-driven books, this one involving the suspicious murder of a prominent antiquarian, offered an acceptable, at times even exciting plot. It somewhat strained credulity, but I enjoyed if for that (and of course for the places I would see, and in fact had seen on earlier visits.

Sadly, as also all too often happens with such books, characters are sacrificed for suspense. The leading man is in a triangle with his former wife and the woman who might be the love of his life - fine, but I found little believable about the characters. When I am enjoying a plot but find myself frequently stopping and rolling my eyes about those who people the plot it at very least lessens the impact of the book. Have a look if you like. There are worse occupations if you plan to visit Barcelona. But - The Shadow of the Wind is much more satisfying both in locations, plot and character.

[Katu Miletich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Artur es un conocido anticuario de Barcelona que recibe un lote de libros y entre ellos un manuscrito en latín y catalán antiguo que esconde un objeto preciado, oculto desde la época de la inquisición. Este hallazgo despierta el interés de más de uno que busca seguir las pistas del manuscrito y hacerse del preciado tesoro. Un asesinato hace que está búsqueda deje de ser un juego y la adrenalina te invada.
Una novela que mezcla el misterio con la historia. Cuando el autor te narra los sucesos de la época de la inquisición, estás más que involucrada. Lo vives como si estuvieras ahí mismo. Un periodo tan convulsionado como es la de la inquisición, el autor logra llevarte a la época de forma precisa y descriptiva.
Algo similar sucede cuando recorres las calles de Barcelona, sientes que tu mismo estuvieras caminándolas.
Aunque debo decir que sentí que daba vueltas en círculos cuando se centraba en los idas y venidas de los personajes. Quizás para despistar o quizás para esconder pistas; pero por momentos ese relleno me desconcentraba. Aún así, me parece una novela entretenida, intrigante, histórica, con secretos y enigmas cabalísticos y sucesos inesperados que te mantienen conectado.
El final, aunque si llega a cerrarse, deja mucho a opinión propia. Dos personas pueden leer el mismo libro y tener una perspectiva del final totalmente distinta. Me gusta, porque da carta abierta para una buena conversación al respecto.

[Tristan Robin Blakeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this rather complex book quite a bit - but have very little to say about it.
Sánchez has taken a convoluted puzzle and written in a very clear concise way so that it's quite easy to follow - no mean feat, believe me! About 1/3 of the way through it I got a bit of whiff of Dan Brown's Angels and Demons and The DaVinci Code, but it certainly isn't a copy of those books, and I suppose modern mystery/thrillers with historical backgrounds are not the personal monopoly of Mr. Brown! I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere of the antique/rare book store setting where much of the story takes place.

If you follow my reviews, you know that a romance novel masquerading as a mystery/thriller book is one of my absolute pet peeves. There is a romance, of sorts, in this book - however, it's an adult relationship/triangle and I didn't find it at all intrusive in the mystery. And it did play into the thriller aspect of the book quite well.

I read the Nook Book, and it's well-edited and proof-read. None of the preponderance of misspellings, repeated sentences/paragraphs, etc. that often happen in e-books.

I found this a most satisfying summer read - I recommend it to people who like historical novels and mystery/thriller novels.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had kind of two distinct story lines in it, with on cutting the other in half way through the first. I really liked the basic premise of the story - its a mystery about an antiquarian that finds an old manuscript. I would have liked more of this story.

About half way through, they go into a long meandering back story about something in the manuscript and the author almost lost me there. 1) The backstory is told by a secondary character about HIS experience which isn't really related to the main story line and 2) the author gives you a translation of the manuscript at some point in the book, so it's like double back info.

I didn't quit this book because I liked the primary story line, but I thought about - I wish there was a lot more action and a lot less great detail about the importance of this particular item.

[Ladyhawk · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. FINALLY finished this. 508 pages as a ebook. Not that the story wasn't compelling, I just didn't have a lot of time to read it continuously.

The Antiquarian seemed like a story upon a story. A characteristic that made it unique and interesting.
Being it took place in the ancient Roman city of Barcelona, I wanted even more detail of the city than what was provided.

And while the reader got a glimpse into the world of Spanish Antiquarian dealers, the author missed a chance once again to provide more detail, this time of lovely, coveted antiques.

But perhaps with the inclusion of Medieval Cathedrals, an architects quest to save his remaining family from the plague, a mysterious stone, all revealed following the murder of a modern antiquarian, there just wasn't enough room or time.

[Roos Depla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Op de eerste pagina's van het boek vervangt een antiquair de kaft van een oud handschrift en gooit de oude kaft gewoon in de vuilbak, wat echt niet kan!
Vanaf hier gaat het eigenlijk alleen maar bergafwaarts; een recensie achteraan vertelt ons hoe de auteur "de intelligentie" van de lezer respecteert". Wanneer er dan een enorm knappe vrouw verschijnt die geïnteresseerd is in het ouder hoofdpersonage, gaat er al meteen een belletje rinkelen. Uiteraard blijkt zij de schuldige te zijn.
Aan de andere gebruikt de auteur begrippen in zijn verhaal die zeker niet door alle lezers gekend zijn, zoals cabbalistisch.
Vooral de theorie over de "magische krachten" van de steen op het einde van het boek zijn bijna lachwekkend.
Al bij al, geen aanrader

[Darren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. I tried again and again but it was basically an overwrought Dan Brown book with weak pacing. I don't have anything against Dan Brown books--I've read a few and they were entertaining--but they are fun because the pacing is so tight.

Instead we have a lot of mediocre introspection, a meh love triangle, and some less than interesting characters. The most interesting characters were a researcher who was only in it for a few pages, the antiquarians, and the city of Barcelona.

[Phyllis Fredericksen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good mystery, situated in Barcelona. I read it because I’m planning a trip there this summer. I liked the characters to some extent. But...the translation was not done well and it made it difficult to read at times. If it was better written I think this would be a really good book. The mystery concerns “ the stone of god”, hidden in Barcelona ‘s Cathedrall 800 years ago. The two main characters stumble upon the information needed to find the stone inadvertently. Murders ensue with no clear suspect.