City of Secrets: One Woman's True-life Journey to the Heart of the Grail Legend

by Patrice Chaplin

Patrice Chaplin began going to Girona, Spain, at age 15, and with each visit she became more enmeshed in its mysteries. She found a lover, Jose; met many strange characters; and heard dark talk of the legendary Abbé Saunière of Rennes-le-Château. She discovered that many of Girona's townspeople were part of a secret society formed to guard the Abbé's legacy and his knowledge of the Grail. Eventually the society asks Patrice to be the vehicle for revealing their secrets. This riveting account is the result of that request.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, History, France, Religion

348 pages, Paperback

First published May 24, 2004

Reviews

[Velina Andonova · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the history and mythical elements linked to Girona. It's a trully magnetic place to which, like Patrice, i tend to return.
What made it difficult to read though was the Patrice-José love which i found misplaced in the story as a whole
At many points I felt like i missed something , probably due to the many characters and occasional names dropped here and there and present in the correspondace.
The story is quite dispersed.

[Deirdre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chaplin was in the right place at the right time to experience the sudden interest in the Holy Grail and the city of Rennes le Chateau. This is her story of living in the area and around and with some of the people involved.

Interesting stuff, who knows what's truth and what's cashing in on the controversy but still an interesting piece in the holy grail mystery.

[Aysha Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'v read this book several times, during my years (2018-2021) living in Girona, the "city of secrets," to try to make sense of the many mentions of places and characters. While it alludes to all sorts of magic and wonder, there are far too many holes in an incoherent narrative. Having met several of the characters, elderly by the time of my encounters, my experience is that they were not inclined to comment on the book or the events the author described. Therefore all the mysteries remain and the city, which should honor "José" for his many real contributions, seems to have erased him entirely, along with the tower and the French woman's home, which did indeed exist.

[David Bateman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will interest those who question

As someone who knows some of the stories associated with these locations, I enjoyed this side of the tales. The writing style is similar to random organized memories. I think this is why some have had complaints about the book.

[winifer skattebol · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dan Brown is infinitely preferable to this drivel. Many mock him, but at least he knows how to tell a story.

[Margalo · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are much better books on the subject. A few details of interest and I did visit some of the locations in Girona.

[Juliette Morris Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be hard to follow if I wasn't obsessed with the myths and legends of the Pyrenees (Spanish and French sides), and gypsies. :P

Chaplin has a writing style that is more reflective. It follows its own pattern, and sometimes you wonder if you've missed a sentence or two while reading.

You really can 'feel' her love for Jose and for Girona, though. I would have loved to know more about some of the characters (names were changed, etc.), especially Ingrid and Lucia (I think that was her name?). I hear she's writing a book that follows up with much of the Qabalistic practices she heard about, which I'll look out for.

[Fiona Robson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book because of its connection to the Rennes-le-Chateau mystery, and like "Happy Hour", this made me want to revisit Girona. However, I was getting slightly annoyed by Chaplin's "relationship" with Jose, and kept on wishing he'd grow a backbone and cut the umbilical chord! Asked more questions than it answered, but opened up a few new doors on RLC for me, which I will no doubt be exploring further!

[Juliette Morris Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patrice isn't the best writer in the world, but her story fascinates me (she seems to stumble into secret society members on a regular basis without realizing it). If you like, or are fascinated by the Rennes le Chateau history, give this a try. It will add another possible dimension to Sauniere's background. ;)

[Donald · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring. It's a book about the Grail legend, or something, but the Grail isn't even mentioned for 200 pages. Then there's an all-too-brief search by the "narrator" to discover what her lover has been doing since 1955, putting all the pieces together, but nothing even comes out of it. Boring. If I hadn't had to read this for work, I would have given it up after the first 100 pages.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, from a different angle on the subject of Grail hunting and Rennes-le-Chateau.Enjoyed it and Chaplin's style of writing had a lot to do with it.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bejais