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Майстер реліквій
Крістофер Баклі — один з постійних лідерів «Бестселерів “Нью-Йорк Таймс”», «найсмішніший сучасний англомовний письменник», як називають його критики. Новий роман Баклі «Майстер реліквій» — справжній вихор запаморочливих подій, що розгортаються в Європі XVI століття: художник Альбрехт Дюрер і торговець реліквіями Дісмас вступають у змову з метою підробки плащаниці Христа, за яку у заможних клієнтів можна отримати величезні гроші. Серед цих клієнтів — курфюрст Саксонії Фрідріх Мудрий і кардинал Майнцький. На читача чекає купа найдивовижніших середньовічних пригод — смертельно небезпечних, фривольних і хитромудрих, а також безліч цікавих подробиць про мистецтво, релігію, політику і науку тих часів.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published December 8, 2015
411 people are currently reading
6135 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Buckley
102 books953 followersChristopher Buckley graduated cum laude from Yale University in 1976. He shipped out in the Merchant Marine and at age 24 became managing editor of Esquire magazine. At age 29, he became chief speechwriter to the Vice President of the United States, George H.W. Bush. Since 1989 he has been founder and editor-in-chief of Forbes Life magazine.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
He is the author of twelve books, most of them national bestsellers. They include: The White House Mess, Wet Work, Thank You For Smoking, God Is My Broker, Little Green Men, No Way To Treat a First Lady, Florence of Arabia, Boomsday and Supreme Courtship.
Mr. Buckley has contributed over 60 comic essays to The New Yorker magazine. His journalism, satire and criticism has been widely published—in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New Republic, Washington Monthly, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Esquire, and other publications. He is the recipient of the 2002 Washington Irving Medal for Literary Excellence. In 2004 he was awarded the Thurber Prize for American Humor.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
He is the author of twelve books, most of them national bestsellers. They include: The White House Mess, Wet Work, Thank You For Smoking, God Is My Broker, Little Green Men, No Way To Treat a First Lady, Florence of Arabia, Boomsday and Supreme Courtship.
Mr. Buckley has contributed over 60 comic essays to The New Yorker magazine. His journalism, satire and criticism has been widely published—in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New Republic, Washington Monthly, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Esquire, and other publications. He is the recipient of the 2002 Washington Irving Medal for Literary Excellence. In 2004 he was awarded the Thurber Prize for American Humor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 915 reviews
December 27, 2015
Oh, believe me - I wanted to LOVE this book. I pre-ordered and paid a hefty price for it. And maybe it was the wrong time of year, what with all the holiday brouhaha, there was scant time to get really wrapped up in a book. BUT, anytime it takes me fourteen days to finish a novel, there's something wrong. I can't exactly say what was off about this one, but it never really grabbed me. The concept is fine - Dismas travels around, obtaining religious relics for two competing patrons. I quite enjoyed the part near the beginning where our hero was attending the Basel Relic Fair. Among the items up for sale are some thorns from the Crown of Thorns, Mary Magdelene's foot and the mummified camels who supposedly carried some wise men into Bethlehem. That was fine, as was the bromance between Dismas and German painter Albrecht Durer.
Pretty boy Durer
If selfies had been around in his day, he'd have never gotten any painting done.
They trade quips like the best of the comedy duos. But when he is caught in a scam, Dismas is sent on a quest to obtain one immensely desired relic, and the book evolves into a most unusual caper novel, albeit a pretty implausible one. Then a female character is introduced. I groaned, because, yes, there is the dreaded instalove. And though she does prove to be useful in other ways, in the end she is just a damsel in need of rescuing.
The book is well written and amazingly well researched. I imagine Buckley was able to write-off several trips to Europe while preparing to write this tale. I REALLY wish it had clicked for me.
It's probably a case of it's-not-you-it's me, as many others seemed to like this one more than I did.
Maybe it was the subject matter and the mania for collecting holy relics. Or the way the characters fretted so about what awaited them after death. The cynic inside me would not shut up, and kept insisting this whole mess could have been avoided if everyone had just been atheists.
Pretty boy Durer
If selfies had been around in his day, he'd have never gotten any painting done.
They trade quips like the best of the comedy duos. But when he is caught in a scam, Dismas is sent on a quest to obtain one immensely desired relic, and the book evolves into a most unusual caper novel, albeit a pretty implausible one. Then a female character is introduced. I groaned, because, yes, there is the dreaded instalove. And though she does prove to be useful in other ways, in the end she is just a damsel in need of rescuing.
The book is well written and amazingly well researched. I imagine Buckley was able to write-off several trips to Europe while preparing to write this tale. I REALLY wish it had clicked for me.
It's probably a case of it's-not-you-it's me, as many others seemed to like this one more than I did.
Maybe it was the subject matter and the mania for collecting holy relics. Or the way the characters fretted so about what awaited them after death. The cynic inside me would not shut up, and kept insisting this whole mess could have been avoided if everyone had just been atheists.
November 5, 2019
“The workings of divine grace were beyond the comprehension of man.”
This novel is quite the departure for Christopher Buckley, and I am curious as to what many of his faithful readers think of “The Relic Master”. It did not bother me all that much, but I could see some of his readers disliking this novel a lot. It is not a political satire and it is not all that funny. It has moments of Buckley’s wit and occasional dry humor, but those traits take a back seat in this text.
The novel follows Dismas, a relic hunter in what we now call Germany, in 1517. Just as Martin Luther is starting to make trouble for the Catholic Church. Dismas is a relatively honest man, quite a feat considering his profession, but sudden financial woes lead him to make a dishonest choice, which causes him all manner of trouble. Buckley incorporates many quasi historical elements in the story, and what we now know as the Shroud of Turin is also a key factor in the text. Our protagonist is friends with the painter Albrecht Dürer who is an important supporting cast member in this story. The occasional historical allusion and/or character is thrown in to the mix, which helps flesh out the world of the novel.
Overall this is a fine read, nothing great. The first half is much stronger than the second, which descends into pretty standard action adventure fare.
I enjoyed my time with the story, but I am having trouble just a couple of weeks after finishing remembering much about it.
This novel is quite the departure for Christopher Buckley, and I am curious as to what many of his faithful readers think of “The Relic Master”. It did not bother me all that much, but I could see some of his readers disliking this novel a lot. It is not a political satire and it is not all that funny. It has moments of Buckley’s wit and occasional dry humor, but those traits take a back seat in this text.
The novel follows Dismas, a relic hunter in what we now call Germany, in 1517. Just as Martin Luther is starting to make trouble for the Catholic Church. Dismas is a relatively honest man, quite a feat considering his profession, but sudden financial woes lead him to make a dishonest choice, which causes him all manner of trouble. Buckley incorporates many quasi historical elements in the story, and what we now know as the Shroud of Turin is also a key factor in the text. Our protagonist is friends with the painter Albrecht Dürer who is an important supporting cast member in this story. The occasional historical allusion and/or character is thrown in to the mix, which helps flesh out the world of the novel.
Overall this is a fine read, nothing great. The first half is much stronger than the second, which descends into pretty standard action adventure fare.
I enjoyed my time with the story, but I am having trouble just a couple of weeks after finishing remembering much about it.
February 4, 2018
I picked this book up at a local discount store because the cover was cool and the author's name was one that I recognized as one that I liked. (I had previously read Boomsday, and loved the movie adaptation of Thank You for Smoking, which I own but haven't read yet.)
Anyway, so I had a few expectations from this, namely that it would be funny and irreverent, and it was... but it was also somewhat slow moving and just didn't grab me the way that I wanted it to. I've been "reading" it for 4 days, and for 3 of them, I seriously contemplated just not picking it back up. But then today, I figured what the hell, I'll give it another 50 pages, and if I end up bored, I'll call it a good effort and finish the other book I'm reading.
Thankfully, it ended up striking me the right way, and I finished it today, though I can't really say that it ever really HELD me. It was more a "What now?" kind of mild curiosity, mixed with a sort of quirkiness to the characters that kept me going. And even the humor wasn't really of the irreverent religious satire that I really wanted it to be (think Christopher Moore's "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, but more subdued and less in your face. It assumes that you know that the purchase of indulgences to shorten your Purgatory sentence is ridiculous and a money-making fraud, it doesn't need to point it out. If you don't... well hey, I have this nice finger bone I'd like to show you...
The characters were interesting, though in the beginning it was hard to track who was who. Two Albrechts didn't help much, though thankfully one of them just went by Durer most of the book. I liked the main character, Dismas, and really enjoyed his friendship (and sometimes lack thereof) with Durer. I grew to really love the three mercenaries. Magda... meh. Also, I really liked Markus and his countdown to corpses. Reminded me of Legolas and Gimli keeping score at the battle of Helm's Deep. In the movies.
The plot was a bit... wishy washy at times, and I found myself backtracking to try to figure out what was going on at least twice, but then just shrugged and moved on. It mostly came together, though there was one point where the end of left page and the start of right page just... did not make sense. The only thing that I could determine is that there was supposed to be a segment break that just... didn't make it in because of the natural page break between left and right sides, but that one took me re-reading like 3 times to figure out. NOT. COOL.
I do also have to say that the end let me down a bit. It just... ended. We never got closure on the penance that was the whole point of the major plot. I wanted to know how the plan that failed was going to be explained, or why it wouldn't be, if it wasn't going to be explained. I just wanted a proper ending, and I didn't feel like I got one.
So... *shrug* All in all, a decent book, but I expected a bit more from it.
Anyway, so I had a few expectations from this, namely that it would be funny and irreverent, and it was... but it was also somewhat slow moving and just didn't grab me the way that I wanted it to. I've been "reading" it for 4 days, and for 3 of them, I seriously contemplated just not picking it back up. But then today, I figured what the hell, I'll give it another 50 pages, and if I end up bored, I'll call it a good effort and finish the other book I'm reading.
Thankfully, it ended up striking me the right way, and I finished it today, though I can't really say that it ever really HELD me. It was more a "What now?" kind of mild curiosity, mixed with a sort of quirkiness to the characters that kept me going. And even the humor wasn't really of the irreverent religious satire that I really wanted it to be (think Christopher Moore's "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, but more subdued and less in your face. It assumes that you know that the purchase of indulgences to shorten your Purgatory sentence is ridiculous and a money-making fraud, it doesn't need to point it out. If you don't... well hey, I have this nice finger bone I'd like to show you...
The characters were interesting, though in the beginning it was hard to track who was who. Two Albrechts didn't help much, though thankfully one of them just went by Durer most of the book. I liked the main character, Dismas, and really enjoyed his friendship (and sometimes lack thereof) with Durer. I grew to really love the three mercenaries. Magda... meh. Also, I really liked Markus and his countdown to corpses. Reminded me of Legolas and Gimli keeping score at the battle of Helm's Deep. In the movies.
The plot was a bit... wishy washy at times, and I found myself backtracking to try to figure out what was going on at least twice, but then just shrugged and moved on. It mostly came together, though there was one point where the end of left page and the start of right page just... did not make sense. The only thing that I could determine is that there was supposed to be a segment break that just... didn't make it in because of the natural page break between left and right sides, but that one took me re-reading like 3 times to figure out. NOT. COOL.
I do also have to say that the end let me down a bit. It just... ended. We never got closure on the penance that was the whole point of the major plot. I wanted to know how the plan that failed was going to be explained, or why it wouldn't be, if it wasn't going to be explained. I just wanted a proper ending, and I didn't feel like I got one.
So... *shrug* All in all, a decent book, but I expected a bit more from it.
October 30, 2015
Christopher Buckley is done with political satires finding US politics (quite accurately) self satirizing, he's moved on or traveled back to history, specifically early 1500s. It might have been the best career move possible, because Relic Master is just awesome. Buckley's writing has always been clever and humorous, but the historical setting has added that extra dimension, at least for me and probably for any history buff. Present day affairs just don't hold the same appeal as events of bygone days. Relic Master is a classic quest story with elements of heist, comedy and adventure, featuring fictional (maybe, because really going back that far who knows for sure) and very real characters (both absolutely charismatic and engaging) in pursuit of an ultimate treasure. There are horny knights, damsels in distress, castles, feasts complete with tableau vivants, fights, intrigues, art, deceptions, more art. Not exactly a 16th century equivalent of Indiana Jones, but just as entertaining and wild and definitely funnier. Since history is in so many ways a fictional creation, one should hope more of it should be told in such a way. I, for one, am all for Buckley sticking to the genre. I've had so much fun reading this book and even learned a thing or two along the way. Excellent read. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley.
February 4, 2019
Christopher Buckley is a master at writing novels that poke fun at absurdities in modern life. In this novel he has gone back to the sixteenth century and set this novel in a world where selling indulgences and trade in religious relics were major components of the European economy. It's a world so bazaar to twenty-first century sensibilities that almost no effort is required on Buckley's part to make the point that there's no limit to human stupidity.
Here's a link to a short NPR interview with Christopher Buckley that serves as a good introduction to this book. http://www.npr.org/2015/12/12/4593727...
Most people today would agree that the relic craze got out of hand in the 15th and early 16th centuries. All cities with cathedrals wanted all the relics they could get their hands on in order to draw pilgrims (sort of like modern day tourist attractions). To give you an idea of the extent of these collections it's interesting to consider the warehouse size required to store over 19,000 relics which was the size of the collection owned by Frederick of Saxony.
Ironically, Martin Luther, who was the main cause for reducing the relic craze, lived within Frederick's jurisdiction. The question expressed many times by characters in this book is, "Why is Frederic of Saxony protecting Martin Luther?" The question is never answered other than to note that Martin is a Saxon and Frederic protects his own.
Readers of this book will learn about the theological concept of "relic translation". The main character in this novel is caught selling a fake shroud to Archbishop of Mainz. For penance he is given the assignment of stealing the Shroud of Chambéry (a.k.a Shroud of Turin) from its location in Savoy and bringing it to Mainz.
It's not stealing because when a relic is successfully "translated" from one place to another, it's assumed that the saint associated with the relic (in this case Jesus) has given permission for it to be moved. That is, if the heist works, God has sanctioned it.
I found the plot to be hilarious though improbable. However, there were some violent incidents near the end of the story that resulted in numerous deaths which I didn't think was very funny. So there are limits to how much comedy can be made of this bloody era. Frequent witch burnings and various torture techniques are referenced in this book. So sensitive souls should probably avoid this book.
If I remember correctly, this story takes place in 1517. Almost all characters mentioned in this book are actual historical people except for the main character, his girl friend and his landsknecht cohort. But of course many of the activities assigned to these characters by this book are fictional.
I learned from a New York Times review that some of the distortions of history contained in this book include adding 20 years to the age of Paracelsus and giving Machiavelli a status he had yet to achieve. In another probable deviation from historical fact, Paracelsus is credited with having pharmaceutical recipes that out perform modern medicines (including Viagra). There is frequent reference to the financial influence of Jacob Fugger which I know is historically correct from my recent reading of The Richest Man Who Ever Lived by Greg Steinmetz
This is a book to enjoy, not scruple over historical accuracy. Thus if the reader accepts the narrative as ironic satire it can be very enjoyable.
Below is a link to some quotes from this book:
https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes...
Here's a link to a short NPR interview with Christopher Buckley that serves as a good introduction to this book. http://www.npr.org/2015/12/12/4593727...
Most people today would agree that the relic craze got out of hand in the 15th and early 16th centuries. All cities with cathedrals wanted all the relics they could get their hands on in order to draw pilgrims (sort of like modern day tourist attractions). To give you an idea of the extent of these collections it's interesting to consider the warehouse size required to store over 19,000 relics which was the size of the collection owned by Frederick of Saxony.
Ironically, Martin Luther, who was the main cause for reducing the relic craze, lived within Frederick's jurisdiction. The question expressed many times by characters in this book is, "Why is Frederic of Saxony protecting Martin Luther?" The question is never answered other than to note that Martin is a Saxon and Frederic protects his own.
Readers of this book will learn about the theological concept of "relic translation". The main character in this novel is caught selling a fake shroud to Archbishop of Mainz. For penance he is given the assignment of stealing the Shroud of Chambéry (a.k.a Shroud of Turin) from its location in Savoy and bringing it to Mainz.
It's not stealing because when a relic is successfully "translated" from one place to another, it's assumed that the saint associated with the relic (in this case Jesus) has given permission for it to be moved. That is, if the heist works, God has sanctioned it.
I found the plot to be hilarious though improbable. However, there were some violent incidents near the end of the story that resulted in numerous deaths which I didn't think was very funny. So there are limits to how much comedy can be made of this bloody era. Frequent witch burnings and various torture techniques are referenced in this book. So sensitive souls should probably avoid this book.
If I remember correctly, this story takes place in 1517. Almost all characters mentioned in this book are actual historical people except for the main character, his girl friend and his landsknecht cohort. But of course many of the activities assigned to these characters by this book are fictional.
I learned from a New York Times review that some of the distortions of history contained in this book include adding 20 years to the age of Paracelsus and giving Machiavelli a status he had yet to achieve. In another probable deviation from historical fact, Paracelsus is credited with having pharmaceutical recipes that out perform modern medicines (including Viagra). There is frequent reference to the financial influence of Jacob Fugger which I know is historically correct from my recent reading of The Richest Man Who Ever Lived by Greg Steinmetz
This is a book to enjoy, not scruple over historical accuracy. Thus if the reader accepts the narrative as ironic satire it can be very enjoyable.
Below is a link to some quotes from this book:
https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes...
August 5, 2021
THE GREAT COMPLETIST CHALLENGE: In which I revisit older authors and attempt to read every book they ever wrote
Currently in the challenge: Isaac Asimov's Robot/Empire/Foundation | Margaret Atwood | JG Ballard | Clive Barker | Christopher Buckley | Jim Butcher's Dresden Files | Lee Child's Jack Reacher | Philip K Dick | Ian Fleming | William Gibson | Michel Houellebecq | John Irving | Kazuo Ishiguro | Shirley Jackson | John Le Carre | Bernard Malamud | Cormac McCarthy | China Mieville | Toni Morrison | VS Naipaul | Chuck Palahniuk | Tim Powers | Terry Pratchett's Discworld | Philip Roth | Neal Stephenson | Jim Thompson | John Updike | Kurt Vonnegut | Jeanette Winterson | PG Wodehouse
So first, a shameful confession, that I haven't read anything by the brilliant writer Christopher Buckley since his 1994 Thank You For Smoking; and that's almost a punishable crime, given the half-dozen smart and cynical books he's churned out since then, an author who is nominally a Republican (he's the son of famed conservative William F. Buckley, and early in his career he was a speechwriter for the elder George Bush), but whose political satires tend to skewer the stupid and corrupt no matter what their particular partisan leanings. So how great for all of us, then, that Buckley recently declared it impossible to write decent political satire in an age of the Tea Party and Trump, and instead has released his first-ever historical novel, the delightfully wicked and profane Medieval comedy The Relic Master; for this is Buckley being just as naughty as he is with contemporary tales, but in this one lampooning no less than the entire Catholic Church, delivering what is essentially a zany caper about a pair of con artists who fool the church into buying what we now in contemporary times know as the venerated Shroud of Turin.
For those who don't know, the Shroud is supposedly the actual cloth that Jesus's dead body was wrapped in after crucifixion, seared with the outline of his naked body from the electricity that came from his resurrection; and back in the years after the Roman Empire but before the Renaissance, it was a crown jewel in what was at the time a booming business in holy relics among Catholic churches, literally hundreds of thousands of objects from the tiny (pinkie toes of minor saints) to the immense (splinters from the cross that Jesus was nailed to), that were tied in closely to the Catholic practice in those days of "indulgences," in which one could literally buy their way into heaven by paying museum-type admission fees to churches to go pray in front of such relics. That's a big part of what makes Buckley's novel so enjoyable, is that it's an extremely well-researched and factual look at all of these subjects and more, including the Martin-Luther-led Protestant movement in those years that was expressly a rebellion against such indulgences; but then Buckley wraps all these facts and figures into a very witty fictional story, one grounded in the real world where all the characters are quite aware of the semi-scams all these practices are, even the Catholic officials themselves, and where decisions over things like Luther's protection against popish prosecution are acknowledged as mostly political maneuvers that have little to do with actual religious piety. A fairly thick novel but one that I flew through in just a few days, this will be a hit both among existing Buckley fans and those who enjoy any good skewering of organized religion, and it comes strongly recommended to all but the most self-righteous Catholics.
Out of 10: 9.5
Christopher Buckley books being reviewed for this series: Thank You For Smoking (1994) | Little Green Men (1999) | No Way to Treat a First Lady (2002) | Florence of Arabia (2004) | Boomsday (2007) | Supreme Courtship (2008) | They Eat Puppies, Don't They? (2012) | The Relic Master (2015) | The Judge Hunter (2018) | Make Russia Great Again (2020)
Currently in the challenge: Isaac Asimov's Robot/Empire/Foundation | Margaret Atwood | JG Ballard | Clive Barker | Christopher Buckley | Jim Butcher's Dresden Files | Lee Child's Jack Reacher | Philip K Dick | Ian Fleming | William Gibson | Michel Houellebecq | John Irving | Kazuo Ishiguro | Shirley Jackson | John Le Carre | Bernard Malamud | Cormac McCarthy | China Mieville | Toni Morrison | VS Naipaul | Chuck Palahniuk | Tim Powers | Terry Pratchett's Discworld | Philip Roth | Neal Stephenson | Jim Thompson | John Updike | Kurt Vonnegut | Jeanette Winterson | PG Wodehouse
So first, a shameful confession, that I haven't read anything by the brilliant writer Christopher Buckley since his 1994 Thank You For Smoking; and that's almost a punishable crime, given the half-dozen smart and cynical books he's churned out since then, an author who is nominally a Republican (he's the son of famed conservative William F. Buckley, and early in his career he was a speechwriter for the elder George Bush), but whose political satires tend to skewer the stupid and corrupt no matter what their particular partisan leanings. So how great for all of us, then, that Buckley recently declared it impossible to write decent political satire in an age of the Tea Party and Trump, and instead has released his first-ever historical novel, the delightfully wicked and profane Medieval comedy The Relic Master; for this is Buckley being just as naughty as he is with contemporary tales, but in this one lampooning no less than the entire Catholic Church, delivering what is essentially a zany caper about a pair of con artists who fool the church into buying what we now in contemporary times know as the venerated Shroud of Turin.
For those who don't know, the Shroud is supposedly the actual cloth that Jesus's dead body was wrapped in after crucifixion, seared with the outline of his naked body from the electricity that came from his resurrection; and back in the years after the Roman Empire but before the Renaissance, it was a crown jewel in what was at the time a booming business in holy relics among Catholic churches, literally hundreds of thousands of objects from the tiny (pinkie toes of minor saints) to the immense (splinters from the cross that Jesus was nailed to), that were tied in closely to the Catholic practice in those days of "indulgences," in which one could literally buy their way into heaven by paying museum-type admission fees to churches to go pray in front of such relics. That's a big part of what makes Buckley's novel so enjoyable, is that it's an extremely well-researched and factual look at all of these subjects and more, including the Martin-Luther-led Protestant movement in those years that was expressly a rebellion against such indulgences; but then Buckley wraps all these facts and figures into a very witty fictional story, one grounded in the real world where all the characters are quite aware of the semi-scams all these practices are, even the Catholic officials themselves, and where decisions over things like Luther's protection against popish prosecution are acknowledged as mostly political maneuvers that have little to do with actual religious piety. A fairly thick novel but one that I flew through in just a few days, this will be a hit both among existing Buckley fans and those who enjoy any good skewering of organized religion, and it comes strongly recommended to all but the most self-righteous Catholics.
Out of 10: 9.5
Christopher Buckley books being reviewed for this series: Thank You For Smoking (1994) | Little Green Men (1999) | No Way to Treat a First Lady (2002) | Florence of Arabia (2004) | Boomsday (2007) | Supreme Courtship (2008) | They Eat Puppies, Don't They? (2012) | The Relic Master (2015) | The Judge Hunter (2018) | Make Russia Great Again (2020)
December 8, 2018
Саме те, що мені було зараз потрібно: жвавий авантюрний роман в історичних декораціях. Прочитала одним подихом.
Отже, перша половина XVІ століття, Священна Римська імперія (ну, і прилеглі краї). Колишній солдат, а тепер "бізнесмен" Дісмас — провідний фахівець з мощей та інших подібних святинь (він і є той самий майстер реліквій з назви). Дісмас має двох багатих і могутніх покровителів, які постійно прагнуть поповнювати свої колекції, тож справи йдуть чудово. Відклавши кругленьку суму у "банку", наш герой уже подумує про те, щоб піти на заслужений відпочинок і безбідно очікувати старості у якому-небудь мальовничому швейцарському селі. Та халепи часто трапляються як сніг на голову — виявилося, що його банкір був нечесним на руку, тож обурені вкладники добилися справедливого покарання, себто страти, акурат на яку й потрапляє Дісмас, повернувшись із тривалої мандрівки. Що ж тепер діяти? Як відбити собі хоч частину чесно нажитого і так нахрапом утраченого капіталу?..
Тут треба сказати, що Дісмас наш має близького друга, та не кого-небудь, а найкращого німецького художника Альбрехта Дюрера. Чарівну голову останнього навідує геніальна ідея: створити найсвятішу (і найдорожчу) реліквію — плащаницю. Я малюю, ти продаєш, виручку ділимо навпіл. І ця авантюра — це лише початок пригод Дісмаса і Дюрера. Зрештою їхнє товариство збільшиться, як і масштабність їхнього завдання. Тут і бої, і викрадення, і чарівна панна у скруті, все за каноном. Фабула розгортається на тлі початку великих змін у християнстві — Лютер уже прибив свої 95 тез, і багато-хто починає сумніватися у цінності так званих реліквій. Тут постає цікаве питання: що робить річ коштовною? Її ціна? Її рідкісність? Час, затрачений на її виготовлення? Майстерність? Містичний вплив, який вона здійснює на тих, хто її бачить? Як відрізнити істинне від фальшивки? Ми живемо в час, коли інформація доступна, як ніколи раніше, і погляньте: фейки з'являються щодня. П'ять століть тому перевірити правдивість певного твердження було набагато складніше, чим зрештою і користуються (і не раз) герої роману.
Отже, перша половина XVІ століття, Священна Римська імперія (ну, і прилеглі краї). Колишній солдат, а тепер "бізнесмен" Дісмас — провідний фахівець з мощей та інших подібних святинь (він і є той самий майстер реліквій з назви). Дісмас має двох багатих і могутніх покровителів, які постійно прагнуть поповнювати свої колекції, тож справи йдуть чудово. Відклавши кругленьку суму у "банку", наш герой уже подумує про те, щоб піти на заслужений відпочинок і безбідно очікувати старості у якому-небудь мальовничому швейцарському селі. Та халепи часто трапляються як сніг на голову — виявилося, що його банкір був нечесним на руку, тож обурені вкладники добилися справедливого покарання, себто страти, акурат на яку й потрапляє Дісмас, повернувшись із тривалої мандрівки. Що ж тепер діяти? Як відбити собі хоч частину чесно нажитого і так нахрапом утраченого капіталу?..
Тут треба сказати, що Дісмас наш має близького друга, та не кого-небудь, а найкращого німецького художника Альбрехта Дюрера. Чарівну голову останнього навідує геніальна ідея: створити найсвятішу (і найдорожчу) реліквію — плащаницю. Я малюю, ти продаєш, виручку ділимо навпіл. І ця авантюра — це лише початок пригод Дісмаса і Дюрера. Зрештою їхнє товариство збільшиться, як і масштабність їхнього завдання. Тут і бої, і викрадення, і чарівна панна у скруті, все за каноном. Фабула розгортається на тлі початку великих змін у християнстві — Лютер уже прибив свої 95 тез, і багато-хто починає сумніватися у цінності так званих реліквій. Тут постає цікаве питання: що робить річ коштовною? Її ціна? Її рідкісність? Час, затрачений на її виготовлення? Майстерність? Містичний вплив, який вона здійснює на тих, хто її бачить? Як відрізнити істинне від фальшивки? Ми живемо в час, коли інформація доступна, як ніколи раніше, і погляньте: фейки з'являються щодня. П'ять століть тому перевірити правдивість певного твердження було набагато складніше, чим зрештою і користуються (і не раз) герої роману.
November 21, 2022
The Relic Master is set in the early stages of the Reformation and concerns holy relics, so-called pieces of the bodies of saints as well as objects that were said to have belonged to them.
Our hero, Dismas, is a trader in holy relics. When he finds himself in a thorny situation because of a false relic, he is sent on a quest to steal what would later be called the Shroud of Turin. Hijinks ensue on the way.
"This bone dealing, Dismas. There's something not right about it." "We used to earn our living by killing. Was that right?" pg 26, ebook
I enjoyed this historical fiction. It is humorous, not in a laugh-out-loud way, but instead in a satirical manner about religion. If you find such things offensive, it would be wise to choose another book.
The only main female character in this book is somewhat of an after thought but I liked her anyway. She's a trained medic (as much as someone could be in that time period) and is mistaken for a witch.
Recommended for readers with a sense of humor and a little patience as the story has somewhat of a slow burn.
Our hero, Dismas, is a trader in holy relics. When he finds himself in a thorny situation because of a false relic, he is sent on a quest to steal what would later be called the Shroud of Turin. Hijinks ensue on the way.
"This bone dealing, Dismas. There's something not right about it." "We used to earn our living by killing. Was that right?" pg 26, ebook
I enjoyed this historical fiction. It is humorous, not in a laugh-out-loud way, but instead in a satirical manner about religion. If you find such things offensive, it would be wise to choose another book.
The only main female character in this book is somewhat of an after thought but I liked her anyway. She's a trained medic (as much as someone could be in that time period) and is mistaken for a witch.
Recommended for readers with a sense of humor and a little patience as the story has somewhat of a slow burn.
June 10, 2020
Сама книжка на 2½★, але через переклад заокруглюю до меншої оцінки.
Якщо коротко, то це нудний динамічний авантюрний псевдоісторичний роман.
Динамічний, бо читається легко - насичений подіями та поворотами. Але нудний, бо а) саспенс довше однієї-двох глав автор не вміє тримати, б) персонажі плоскі як дошка, в) роялів в кущах під кінець книги стає забагато.
Крім того, бракує декорацій: автор просто не вміє описати сцен дії. В нього лише діалоги та дії. Динамічно, але плоско: через трохи втомлюєшся.
І головне - автор не тямить в історичних деталях. А деколи вставляє згадки про сучасників - заради історичної достовірності, але звучать вони вкрай кумедно. І недостовірно.
Тому сумніваюся, що читатиму інший історичний роман Баклі - "Мисливець за суддями".
І для фанатів сатиричного Баклі: тут немає ні сатири, ні навіть гумору.
П.С. переклад перенасичений русизмами. Нехай перекладачка вживала русизми, але де був / -ла редактор / -ка?!
Якщо коротко, то це нудний динамічний авантюрний псевдоісторичний роман.
Динамічний, бо читається легко - насичений подіями та поворотами. Але нудний, бо а) саспенс довше однієї-двох глав автор не вміє тримати, б) персонажі плоскі як дошка, в) роялів в кущах під кінець книги стає забагато.
Крім того, бракує декорацій: автор просто не вміє описати сцен дії. В нього лише діалоги та дії. Динамічно, але плоско: через трохи втомлюєшся.
І головне - автор не тямить в історичних деталях. А деколи вставляє згадки про сучасників - заради історичної достовірності, але звучать вони вкрай кумедно. І недостовірно.
Тому сумніваюся, що читатиму інший історичний роман Баклі - "Мисливець за суддями".
І для фанатів сатиричного Баклі: тут немає ні сатири, ні навіть гумору.
П.С. переклад перенасичений русизмами. Нехай перекладачка вживала русизми, але де був / -ла редактор / -ка?!
June 3, 2016
This book is by far the best I've read all year. Granted, this is at the end of one of my favorite eras of history and I was already familiar with the political and religious scene that served as the backdrop of this book, but was also woven deftly into the plot. The plot was intricate and enjoyable. The characters stole the show. I loved how their thoughts and actions were so accurate for that period of time. I gobbled it down in almost one sitting. It was also hilarious! It had me laughing out loud.
December 20, 2015
(1 1/2). I am going to be kind and in the holiday spirit by rounding this up to 2 stars. I have read many of Christopher Buckley's other books and most have been very entertaining, a few really good. This one does not cut the mustard. The first 100 pages or so are bordering on dreadful, the tongue in cheek and stupidity level reaching an all time high (or low). After that the story becomes more palatable but way down deep it is shallow. Not a strong effort.
April 6, 2017
In an interview conducted by Deborah Solomon for the New York Times Magazine in 2008, Christopher Buckley engaged in this exchange:
[Your father] was a practicing Catholic. What are you? I am post-Catholic.
As opposed to a lapsed Catholic? I am probably more of a collapsed Catholic.
That’s about the size of it, to judge from Buckley’s latest satirical novel, The Relic Master. This diabolical tale is a send-up of the Catholic Church at what was probably the most unattractive period in its history. The dissolute scion of a notorious family, Lorenzo de’ Medici held forth in the Holy See as Pope Leo X, pursuing carnal pleasures and bankrupting the Vatican as a patron of the arts. He was perhaps the most corrupt and immoral in a long line of unspeakably awful Popes. In Wittenberg, in reaction to the excesses of Leo’s Church, the Augustinian monk Martin Luther began his campaign for reform.
A tale of the Reformation
In The Relic Master, Christopher Buckley spins a tale built around the historical figures who played key roles in the early days of the Reformation: not just Leo and Luther themselves, but also Johann Tetzel, the Dominican friar commissioned by the Pope to raise money for the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica; Tetzel’s greedy bishop, Cardinal Albrecht of Mainz; and Elector Frederick “the Wise” of Saxony. The brilliant German painter, Albrecht Durer, plays a major part in the story, too.
The plot is built around two historical artifacts that helped to define the Catholic Church of the era: the veneration of “relics” of the crucifixion of Jesus and the martyrdom of the saints, and the notoriously corrupt practice of selling “indulgences” to credulous followers of the Church. By paying money to Tetzel (who split his take with Cardinal Albrecht), the ignorant believers of the era presumably were pardoned for a period of time in Purgatory, the more money they paid, the longer the period. Failing that, according to the Church, they would languish in Purgatory for hundreds of years.
The Relic Master in person
The protagonist, identified in the book’s title as the Relic Master, is Dismas, a former soldier of fortune turned relic-hunter. He pursues the choicest relics for his two principal clients, Cardinal Albrecht of Mainz and Frederick of Saxony. Frederick was nominally the more powerful of the two, because he held the powerful title of Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, one of a handful of officials who would choose the next Emperor. To help his clients continue to build their unparalleled collections of relics — each of them containing more than 10,000 items — Dismas scours Europe and the Middle East, stopping by “relic fairs” that are scenes of hilarity. All goes well until Dismas loses the fortune he has accumulated in a 16th-century version of a Ponzi scheme. His friend, the artist Albrecht Durer, persuades him to engage in an elaborate fraud against the Cardinal that will make them both rich. And that is the beginning of the end of the tale.
Where does satire come from?
By giving reality a few twists in one direction or another, satire makes us think. The Relic Master is a great case in point.
At this remove of five centuries, it’s difficult to understand how the people of the time could have been so colossally ignorant as to believe such nonsense. Yet, as I look around myself in the early 21st century, I can’t avoid thinking about today’s religious absurdities: the unfathomable violence of Muslim extremists, the irredentist absurdity that motivates ultra-Orthodox Jews, and the dogged insistence of fundamentalist Protestants in the literal truth of the Bible in the face of centuries of evidence to the contrary. Is there something in the nature of the human race that impels some of us to grasp so tightly onto such ridiculous fantasies? Sadly, it would appear so.
About the author
Christopher Buckley has long since managed to transcend his identity as the son of William F. Buckley, Jr., one of the founders of modern conservatism in America. Early in life, he became editor of Esquire magazine and shortly afterward a speechwriter for President George H. W. Bush. In addition to a number of nonfiction books and numerous contributions to magazines, he has written ten satirical novels, of which three have been produced as films.
[Your father] was a practicing Catholic. What are you? I am post-Catholic.
As opposed to a lapsed Catholic? I am probably more of a collapsed Catholic.
That’s about the size of it, to judge from Buckley’s latest satirical novel, The Relic Master. This diabolical tale is a send-up of the Catholic Church at what was probably the most unattractive period in its history. The dissolute scion of a notorious family, Lorenzo de’ Medici held forth in the Holy See as Pope Leo X, pursuing carnal pleasures and bankrupting the Vatican as a patron of the arts. He was perhaps the most corrupt and immoral in a long line of unspeakably awful Popes. In Wittenberg, in reaction to the excesses of Leo’s Church, the Augustinian monk Martin Luther began his campaign for reform.
A tale of the Reformation
In The Relic Master, Christopher Buckley spins a tale built around the historical figures who played key roles in the early days of the Reformation: not just Leo and Luther themselves, but also Johann Tetzel, the Dominican friar commissioned by the Pope to raise money for the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica; Tetzel’s greedy bishop, Cardinal Albrecht of Mainz; and Elector Frederick “the Wise” of Saxony. The brilliant German painter, Albrecht Durer, plays a major part in the story, too.
The plot is built around two historical artifacts that helped to define the Catholic Church of the era: the veneration of “relics” of the crucifixion of Jesus and the martyrdom of the saints, and the notoriously corrupt practice of selling “indulgences” to credulous followers of the Church. By paying money to Tetzel (who split his take with Cardinal Albrecht), the ignorant believers of the era presumably were pardoned for a period of time in Purgatory, the more money they paid, the longer the period. Failing that, according to the Church, they would languish in Purgatory for hundreds of years.
The Relic Master in person
The protagonist, identified in the book’s title as the Relic Master, is Dismas, a former soldier of fortune turned relic-hunter. He pursues the choicest relics for his two principal clients, Cardinal Albrecht of Mainz and Frederick of Saxony. Frederick was nominally the more powerful of the two, because he held the powerful title of Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, one of a handful of officials who would choose the next Emperor. To help his clients continue to build their unparalleled collections of relics — each of them containing more than 10,000 items — Dismas scours Europe and the Middle East, stopping by “relic fairs” that are scenes of hilarity. All goes well until Dismas loses the fortune he has accumulated in a 16th-century version of a Ponzi scheme. His friend, the artist Albrecht Durer, persuades him to engage in an elaborate fraud against the Cardinal that will make them both rich. And that is the beginning of the end of the tale.
Where does satire come from?
By giving reality a few twists in one direction or another, satire makes us think. The Relic Master is a great case in point.
At this remove of five centuries, it’s difficult to understand how the people of the time could have been so colossally ignorant as to believe such nonsense. Yet, as I look around myself in the early 21st century, I can’t avoid thinking about today’s religious absurdities: the unfathomable violence of Muslim extremists, the irredentist absurdity that motivates ultra-Orthodox Jews, and the dogged insistence of fundamentalist Protestants in the literal truth of the Bible in the face of centuries of evidence to the contrary. Is there something in the nature of the human race that impels some of us to grasp so tightly onto such ridiculous fantasies? Sadly, it would appear so.
About the author
Christopher Buckley has long since managed to transcend his identity as the son of William F. Buckley, Jr., one of the founders of modern conservatism in America. Early in life, he became editor of Esquire magazine and shortly afterward a speechwriter for President George H. W. Bush. In addition to a number of nonfiction books and numerous contributions to magazines, he has written ten satirical novels, of which three have been produced as films.
September 19, 2019
Половину книжки я думала, як вона мене бісить. Іншу половину змирилася, бо бісило насправді тільки одне - погане редагування і море русизмів. Аж ніяк не чекала в книзі про Середньовіччя побачити фразу "таки да" чи слово "фігня", наприклад 😁 Але на цьому бісячість закінчується і починається авантюрний роман, який нагадує фільми про друзів Оушена 😝 в середньовічних декораціях. Стартує все, щоправда, у наші дні, коли в могилі Папи Лева Х знаходять плащаницю, яка дуже нагадує Туринську. І Крістофер Баклі пропонує нам свою версію подій, звідки ця плащаниця взялася і наскільки вона автентична.
На сторінках - море реальних історичних осіб. Наприклад, Парацельс, Мартін Лютер, а ще німецький художник Альбрехт Дюрер, який просто зірка цієї книги. Страшенно самозакоханий, саркастичний і харизматичний персонаж. Загалом, гумор в книзі крутий, читається вона легко і захопливо. Історичний бекграунд потужний і змушує думати, згадувати, дізнаватися нове. Над всіма дикими моментами Середньовіччя типу спалювання відьом, індульгенцій і бізнесу з продажу реліквій, який процвітав у тодішні часи, автор вдало іронізує.
Окремий респект від мене - за опис алгоритму підробки, яким користувалися художники. Дуже люблю чомусь читати про те, як люди штучно зістарюють картини чи роблять фарби з всіляких старовинних інгредієнтів, які більше не використовують.
На сторінках - море реальних історичних осіб. Наприклад, Парацельс, Мартін Лютер, а ще німецький художник Альбрехт Дюрер, який просто зірка цієї книги. Страшенно самозакоханий, саркастичний і харизматичний персонаж. Загалом, гумор в книзі крутий, читається вона легко і захопливо. Історичний бекграунд потужний і змушує думати, згадувати, дізнаватися нове. Над всіма дикими моментами Середньовіччя типу спалювання відьом, індульгенцій і бізнесу з продажу реліквій, який процвітав у тодішні часи, автор вдало іронізує.
Окремий респект від мене - за опис алгоритму підробки, яким користувалися художники. Дуже люблю чомусь читати про те, як люди штучно зістарюють картини чи роблять фарби з всіляких старовинних інгредієнтів, які більше не використовують.
December 21, 2015
Imagine a Bing Crosby/Bob Hope road movie, only it's in the 16th century, one of them is a religious relic seller, the other is the painter Durer and they're trying to steal the Shroud of Turin. Christopher Buckley veers sharply from his usual world of DC insiders to write a terrific, lively, smart book about faith, commerce, friendship and cures for the pox. It takes a chapter or so to get everyone in place but once the safety bar comes down across your lap it's a great ride.
December 11, 2015
http://www.themaineedge.com/buzz/shro...
Christopher Buckley is a veteran of the best-seller lists, known for quirky works of wit and intelligence that take on the nuts and bolts of American government – works such as “Thank You For Smoking,” “God is My Broker” and “Boomsday” that are sharply satirical and wildly funny.
But Buckley’s latest offering finds him traveling farther outside the Beltway than ever before, leaving the machinations of Washington D.C. far behind in terms of both space and time.
“The Relic Master” takes us to 16th century Europe – the year 1517 to be exact. Dismas is the titular relic master; his job is to procure authentic religious relics and artifacts for wealthy benefactors. His primary clients are Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony, and Albrecht of Mainz – soon to be a cardinal. The two men could not be more different – Frederick is protecting the rogue theologian Martin Luther from the wrath of the Pope on principle, while Albrecht is simply looking to find any way possible to gain more power.
Frederick has assembled a collection second only to that of Rome itself, doing so out of a pure fascination with the religious power of the pieces. Albrecht, on the other hand, is a morally questionable fellow who seeks more and more relics so that he might find ways to make more money through the sale of indulgences – a dubious practice in which people might buy their way out of years to be spent in Purgatory.
When Albrecht’s demands for bigger and better relics prove to be too much, Dismas hatches a plan with his good friend Nars (the German painter Albrecht Durer – “Nars” is short for “Narcissus” for reasons that rapidly become abundantly clear) to manufacture a counterfeit relic – a forgery of Jesus Christ’s burial shroud. Due to some questionable decisions by both Dismas and Durer, however, their ruse is discovered.
Their punishment? To steal the real burial cloth – known as the Shroud of Chamberay – and hand it over to Albrecht. Accompanied by a quartet of deadly German mercenaries, Dismas and Durer are dispatched to procure Europe’s most celebrated religious relic. Along the way, they encounter mad and lustful noblemen and brilliant apothecaries…and they soon discover that they might not be alone in their desire to translate the shroud into other hands.
The subject matter of “The Relic Master” is a clear departure for Buckley, yet the standard features of his work – the meticulous research, the attention to detail, the cutting satire and the biting wit – are all present in abundance. It’s a wonderful exploration of a particularly tumultuous time in history – religious history in particular – rendered with the same thorough observation that makes Buckley’s takes on contemporary history so engaging.
Dismas is a fascinating character, one generated almost entirely from Buckley’s imagination, yet he fits perfectly into this long-ago landscape. He stands alongside real-life historical figures and establishes relationships that are striking in their genuineness. Those relationship dynamics combine with a rich understanding of history and a breakneck narrative pace to create a novel that is truly exceptional.
There’s no doubt that the 16th century was a dark time; the fracturing nature of the church meant that men lacking in morality were easily able to ascend the ranks. These men – up to and including Pope Leo X himself – had no problem using their sizeable power for the purposes of vengeance and/or personal gain. While Buckley never shies away from that darkness – indeed, he mostly confronts it head on – he still manages to mine the circumstances for humor. Sure, more often than not, it is gallows humor, but it is humor nevertheless.
The story of Dismas and company makes for a thoroughly enthralling narrative. Buckley’s grasp of the history is unquestioned, but it is his creativity in filling in the gaps that truly makes “The Relic Master” soar. The end result is part caper and part satire, part love story and part adventure - a tale that feels both fantastic and feasible. It might be a new direction for Buckley, but there’s no doubt that he knows exactly where he’s going.
Christopher Buckley is a veteran of the best-seller lists, known for quirky works of wit and intelligence that take on the nuts and bolts of American government – works such as “Thank You For Smoking,” “God is My Broker” and “Boomsday” that are sharply satirical and wildly funny.
But Buckley’s latest offering finds him traveling farther outside the Beltway than ever before, leaving the machinations of Washington D.C. far behind in terms of both space and time.
“The Relic Master” takes us to 16th century Europe – the year 1517 to be exact. Dismas is the titular relic master; his job is to procure authentic religious relics and artifacts for wealthy benefactors. His primary clients are Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony, and Albrecht of Mainz – soon to be a cardinal. The two men could not be more different – Frederick is protecting the rogue theologian Martin Luther from the wrath of the Pope on principle, while Albrecht is simply looking to find any way possible to gain more power.
Frederick has assembled a collection second only to that of Rome itself, doing so out of a pure fascination with the religious power of the pieces. Albrecht, on the other hand, is a morally questionable fellow who seeks more and more relics so that he might find ways to make more money through the sale of indulgences – a dubious practice in which people might buy their way out of years to be spent in Purgatory.
When Albrecht’s demands for bigger and better relics prove to be too much, Dismas hatches a plan with his good friend Nars (the German painter Albrecht Durer – “Nars” is short for “Narcissus” for reasons that rapidly become abundantly clear) to manufacture a counterfeit relic – a forgery of Jesus Christ’s burial shroud. Due to some questionable decisions by both Dismas and Durer, however, their ruse is discovered.
Their punishment? To steal the real burial cloth – known as the Shroud of Chamberay – and hand it over to Albrecht. Accompanied by a quartet of deadly German mercenaries, Dismas and Durer are dispatched to procure Europe’s most celebrated religious relic. Along the way, they encounter mad and lustful noblemen and brilliant apothecaries…and they soon discover that they might not be alone in their desire to translate the shroud into other hands.
The subject matter of “The Relic Master” is a clear departure for Buckley, yet the standard features of his work – the meticulous research, the attention to detail, the cutting satire and the biting wit – are all present in abundance. It’s a wonderful exploration of a particularly tumultuous time in history – religious history in particular – rendered with the same thorough observation that makes Buckley’s takes on contemporary history so engaging.
Dismas is a fascinating character, one generated almost entirely from Buckley’s imagination, yet he fits perfectly into this long-ago landscape. He stands alongside real-life historical figures and establishes relationships that are striking in their genuineness. Those relationship dynamics combine with a rich understanding of history and a breakneck narrative pace to create a novel that is truly exceptional.
There’s no doubt that the 16th century was a dark time; the fracturing nature of the church meant that men lacking in morality were easily able to ascend the ranks. These men – up to and including Pope Leo X himself – had no problem using their sizeable power for the purposes of vengeance and/or personal gain. While Buckley never shies away from that darkness – indeed, he mostly confronts it head on – he still manages to mine the circumstances for humor. Sure, more often than not, it is gallows humor, but it is humor nevertheless.
The story of Dismas and company makes for a thoroughly enthralling narrative. Buckley’s grasp of the history is unquestioned, but it is his creativity in filling in the gaps that truly makes “The Relic Master” soar. The end result is part caper and part satire, part love story and part adventure - a tale that feels both fantastic and feasible. It might be a new direction for Buckley, but there’s no doubt that he knows exactly where he’s going.
November 12, 2015
“The Relic Master” by Christopher Buckley, published by Simon and Schuster.
Category – Fiction Literature/Comedy Publication Date – December 08, 2015.
Looking for something different to read? How about a story that dates back to the 1500’s? How about a story based in some facts and characters of that time? How about a fun read? If you answer “yes” to any of the above pick up “The Relic Master” on December 08, 2015.
Dismas is a Relic Collector. He purchases relics of saints of the Roman Catholic Church, most of them of dubious provenance. These relics are used to help sell indulgences, which were to lessen one’s time in Purgatory. These indulgences came under fire by Martin Luther and became part of his 95 theses that he nailed to a cathedral door.
Dismas is on a search for the “Holy Shroud”, the supposed burial cloth of Jesus. In his search he comes across three mercenaries, Unks, Cunrat, and Nutker (remember the Three Stooges?), he also is joined by a beautiful young lady, Magda. Thus is the setting for a rollicking adventure that includes comedy, duplicity, revenge, and a little romance.
The story does go into some detail as to the authenticity of the “Shroud of Turin”, which even today remains a mystery.
This is one of those books that is an easy read that keeps the reader captivated from beginning to end.
Category – Fiction Literature/Comedy Publication Date – December 08, 2015.
Looking for something different to read? How about a story that dates back to the 1500’s? How about a story based in some facts and characters of that time? How about a fun read? If you answer “yes” to any of the above pick up “The Relic Master” on December 08, 2015.
Dismas is a Relic Collector. He purchases relics of saints of the Roman Catholic Church, most of them of dubious provenance. These relics are used to help sell indulgences, which were to lessen one’s time in Purgatory. These indulgences came under fire by Martin Luther and became part of his 95 theses that he nailed to a cathedral door.
Dismas is on a search for the “Holy Shroud”, the supposed burial cloth of Jesus. In his search he comes across three mercenaries, Unks, Cunrat, and Nutker (remember the Three Stooges?), he also is joined by a beautiful young lady, Magda. Thus is the setting for a rollicking adventure that includes comedy, duplicity, revenge, and a little romance.
The story does go into some detail as to the authenticity of the “Shroud of Turin”, which even today remains a mystery.
This is one of those books that is an easy read that keeps the reader captivated from beginning to end.
December 30, 2015
Wonderful setting and a fun cast of historical and fictional characters. Early chapters were a joy while protagonist Dimas is in his element as a relic hunter. The absurdity of his trade combined with his personal code of ethics makes for great dry humor from Buckley. It's in the second half, where it turns into a caper story, that things fall apart a little. The increasingly frequent action scenes are dense with beats but not at all interesting to follow. The villainy of the final act is jarringly arch. And the degree of dameseling foisted upon the only woman is off-putting. There is definitely potential in these elements to pull of a swindle with the charm of Ocean's 11 and the absurdity and irreverence of Monty Python (the comparisons in the reviews that caught my interest) but too often the action movie plotting invokes 90s Robin Hood, both the Prince of Thieves and Men in Tights.
December 20, 2017
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for sending me The Relic Master for review. Unfortunately I just couldn't get in the book at all and I found it draining to read. It was written well but It's just not my cup of tea!
February 13, 2024
It was a fun little read, but often gave me what felt like whiplash — it felt like the author couldn’t decide what they wanted to write and it felt like 3 different books mashed together
November 12, 2016
I love Buckley's books, I've tried to read most of them. So I was excited to find his latest would be historical fiction, which is quite a leap from what he normally writes. However, this just wasn't my favorite. It's harder to have witty banter within the constrains of the 15th century dialog. It also had the VERY cliched love interest. Buckley does have a penchant for writing about beautiful woman who fall in love with the protagonist, so I was willing to take it in a stride. The historical context this story is set in was very, very cool. Martin Luther and the pope and the nobles of that time were really interesting to read about. Overall I'd say it was entertaining but not his best work.
August 22, 2021
Humorous, satirical romp set in the Reformation period, 16th century Germany, involving a relic seller, a sleazy cardinal, the painter Albrecht Dürer and the "Holy Shroud", crème de la crème of relics AND a scam. While the heroes are on their quest, the novel does devolve into silliness. I didn't remember having read this before. This time I upped my rating. I laughed out loud in places. With so much "gloom and doom" in today's news, this was the perfect antidote to feelings of hopelessness and helplessness.
July 27, 2020
1517-ieji. Dismas – prekiautojas relikvijomis. Ne, tiksliau ne taip – relikvijų tiekėjas. Vienas iš geriausių ir labiausiai gerbiamų. Turi du klientus, kuriems ir medžioja relikvijas. Turi principus. Nors ir mato galimybę užsidirbti, niekuomet tuo nesusivilios, jei bus aišku, kad relikvija – netikra. Tačiau kiti ne tokie sąžiningi. O blogiausia, kad nesąžiningas ir jo bankininkas, iššvaistęs klientų pinigus. Ir staiga Dismas, jau susiruošęs pasitraukti iš verslo bei tykiai ir laimingai nugyventi likusį gyvenimą, lieka be savo santaupų. O čia dar bičiulis, dailininkas Diureris, zyzia į ausį, siūlo planą padirbt vieną relikviją. Ir Dismas galiausiai sutinka.
Vieną sykį. Vieną vienintelį sykį jis nusižengia savo principams ir rezultatų ilgai laukti nereikia. IŠ pradžių viskas vyksta kuo puikiausiai, tačiau netrukus yla lenda iš maišo ir prasideda... Iš mirties nagų Dismą išgelbėja vienas jo globėjų. Bet tas išsigelbėjimas toks... Dabar Dismas privalo pavogti pačią garsiausią ir labiausiai saugomą relikviją – drobulę (tą pačią, kurią mes dabar žinome, kaip Turino drobulę). Žygin išvyksta penkiese – Dismas, Diureris (kuris tiesą sakant ir yra didžiausias nesėkmės kaltininkas) bei trys landsknechtai – neva paskirti saugoti Dismą, o iš tikrųjų turintys jį nudaigoti, vos tik tas nugvelbs drobulę.
Daug istorinio fono, aibė garsių to laikmečio žmonių, šmaikštus ir nenuobodus pasakojimas. Ne taip gerai, kaip to paties autoriaus „The Judge Hunter“, bet savo keturių iš penkių knyga verta.
Vieną sykį. Vieną vienintelį sykį jis nusižengia savo principams ir rezultatų ilgai laukti nereikia. IŠ pradžių viskas vyksta kuo puikiausiai, tačiau netrukus yla lenda iš maišo ir prasideda... Iš mirties nagų Dismą išgelbėja vienas jo globėjų. Bet tas išsigelbėjimas toks... Dabar Dismas privalo pavogti pačią garsiausią ir labiausiai saugomą relikviją – drobulę (tą pačią, kurią mes dabar žinome, kaip Turino drobulę). Žygin išvyksta penkiese – Dismas, Diureris (kuris tiesą sakant ir yra didžiausias nesėkmės kaltininkas) bei trys landsknechtai – neva paskirti saugoti Dismą, o iš tikrųjų turintys jį nudaigoti, vos tik tas nugvelbs drobulę.
Daug istorinio fono, aibė garsių to laikmečio žmonių, šmaikštus ir nenuobodus pasakojimas. Ne taip gerai, kaip to paties autoriaus „The Judge Hunter“, bet savo keturių iš penkių knyga verta.
July 11, 2021
Якщо коротко, то це пригодницький роман на кшталт «Одинадцяти друзів Оушена» або «Як викрасти хмарочос» у середньовічних декораціях. Головними героями роману є успішний торговець священними реліквіями та мощами Дісмас та знаменитий німецький художник Альбрехт Дюрер. В силу обставин їм доведеться взяти участь у створенні фальсифікації туринської плащаниці, а потім у афері зі спробою викрадення оригінальної плащаниці, ну, чи принаймні тієї, що вважається такою. І відмовитись від таких небезпечних пригод вони не в змозі, бо «зажаті в лещата» сильними світу цього тогочасного періоду. Також десь на задньому фоні в книзі періодично з’являються Мартін Лютер, курфюрст Фрідріх ІІІ Мудрий, розпусний папа Лев Х, архієпископ Альбрехт Бранденбурзький, Джуліано ді Лоренцо де Медічі, Йоганн Тецль та герцог Савойї Карло ІІІ Добрий.
Тематика роману цікава, обізнаність автора з описуваними питаннями – на рівні. Що ж мені було не так під час всього періоду часу читання книги? Мова. Таке враження, що автор спробував змішати сучасний сленг з гаданим стилем спілкування на початку 16 століття, у підсумку вийшла «суміш бульдога з носорогом» і мова твору якось перманентно вибішувала. Все ж для вивчення політичного ландшафту тогочасної Європи та загального розвитку книгу прочитати можна.
Тематика роману цікава, обізнаність автора з описуваними питаннями – на рівні. Що ж мені було не так під час всього періоду часу читання книги? Мова. Таке враження, що автор спробував змішати сучасний сленг з гаданим стилем спілкування на початку 16 століття, у підсумку вийшла «суміш бульдога з носорогом» і мова твору якось перманентно вибішувала. Все ж для вивчення політичного ландшафту тогочасної Європи та загального розвитку книгу прочитати можна.
January 18, 2016
Christopher Buckley is a gifted satirist, as anyone who has read "Thank You For Smoking" will know. His previous works have hilariously skewered contemporary politics, lobbying, and glib duplicity in America, particularly Washington, territory he obviously knows well. Assessing the current scene he decided -- correctly -- our current political scene is self-satirizing, having descended to a reality that already looks like it has come from a satirist's imagination. Hence his move to Europe circa 1517-19, an historical era rich in con men, venal clergy, and credulous fools for this new work.
The problem is that despite his research (a bibliography ends the novel, something I can't remember encountering before with a work of fiction, even historical) he seems out of his depth here. While his characters are well drawn and the adventure hums along well enough (and often amusingly), avid readers of history and historical fiction are liable to spot quite a few historical errors and anachronisms. While one is prone to cut an outright farce or satire some slack in this regard, it can take one jarringly away from the scene Buckley has set, spoiling even that tenuous credulity that successful satire or historical fiction depend on. When one of the more odious villains, an Italian, is called a 'Dago' in 1519, it necessarily rings a false note. These kind of issues are frequent enough that one must conclude that either Buckley was lazy with his research/fact checking, or that he simply didn't care all that much about historical verisimilitude.
The problem is that despite his research (a bibliography ends the novel, something I can't remember encountering before with a work of fiction, even historical) he seems out of his depth here. While his characters are well drawn and the adventure hums along well enough (and often amusingly), avid readers of history and historical fiction are liable to spot quite a few historical errors and anachronisms. While one is prone to cut an outright farce or satire some slack in this regard, it can take one jarringly away from the scene Buckley has set, spoiling even that tenuous credulity that successful satire or historical fiction depend on. When one of the more odious villains, an Italian, is called a 'Dago' in 1519, it necessarily rings a false note. These kind of issues are frequent enough that one must conclude that either Buckley was lazy with his research/fact checking, or that he simply didn't care all that much about historical verisimilitude.
October 27, 2023
Як я не люблю релігійні теми в книжках, та мені на них прям дуже щастить, навіть якщо не було ніяких натяків. Але це безперечно найкраща книжка, що я читала, та й певно коли-небуть прочитаю на цю тему, бо тут до релігії таке іронічне ставлення, як я люблю.
Коротко про книжку можна сказати "і сміх, і гріх", бо на фоні всіх жорстокостей того часу (інквізиція, катування, спалення за єресь), гумор автора просто чудовий! Не пам'ятаю, коли я востаннє так сміялась. Та маю зазначити, що навряд книжку можна назвати комедією, це скоріш іронічно-історичний пригодницький роман.
Автор знайомить нас із такими видатними особистостями того часу, як художник Альбрехт Дюрер, Парацельс, Лоренцо ІІ Медічі, герцог Урбіно (правнук того, про кого ви подумали), герцог Карл Савойський, згадує Папу Лева Х та Мартіна Лютера. Та й взагалі, окрім релігії, тут багато подробиць про тогочасні політику, мистецтво та науку, і суспільство в загалому.
Можливо, деякі моменти й були доволі наївними, але, як на мене, це зовсім не зіпсувало книжку, а лише додало іронії. Щоправда, було би краще, аби автор трохи розтягнув кінець, бо все відбувалось дуже швидко і потім наче обірвалось.
Висновок - однозначно буду читати автора ще. Там наче його "Дякую за куріння" вийшла нещодавно, мені треба!
Коротко про книжку можна сказати "і сміх, і гріх", бо на фоні всіх жорстокостей того часу (інквізиція, катування, спалення за єресь), гумор автора просто чудовий! Не пам'ятаю, коли я востаннє так сміялась. Та маю зазначити, що навряд книжку можна назвати комедією, це скоріш іронічно-історичний пригодницький роман.
Автор знайомить нас із такими видатними особистостями того часу, як художник Альбрехт Дюрер, Парацельс, Лоренцо ІІ Медічі, герцог Урбіно (правнук того, про кого ви подумали), герцог Карл Савойський, згадує Папу Лева Х та Мартіна Лютера. Та й взагалі, окрім релігії, тут багато подробиць про тогочасні політику, мистецтво та науку, і суспільство в загалому.
Можливо, деякі моменти й були доволі наївними, але, як на мене, це зовсім не зіпсувало книжку, а лише додало іронії. Щоправда, було би краще, аби автор трохи розтягнув кінець, бо все відбувалось дуже швидко і потім наче обірвалось.
Висновок - однозначно буду читати автора ще. Там наче його "Дякую за куріння" вийшла нещодавно, мені треба!
December 5, 2017
I’ve read a few of Buckley’s earlier novels, and I enjoyed them all. He’s a sharp satirist with a keen ability to slice up the high and mighty of modern America. I don’t know if The Relic Master is his first historical novel, but it’s the first historical novel of his that I have read, and he seemed out of his element. You can make fun of the collecting of religious relics, and it does seem to be a practice invented to be mocked, but it’s not exactly a fresh target, and Buckley brings nothing new to it. I give Buckley points for trying a different genre, but then I have to take them back away for writing a fairly mediocre book. His previous novels made me laugh out loud at least a few times, but not The Relic Master. The blurbs on the book compare it to historical comedy like Monty Python, and to heist movies like Ocean’s Eleven, but these comparisons are not accurate. It’s not that funny and the heist isn’t that great either.
April 26, 2017
Although this book was apparently well researched, it's not what I'd call a historical novel. There are several anachronisms (relic sellers' conventions?). However, don't let that deter you from reading it. Just like accepting impossible things like time travel and FTL Spaceship drive in a SF novel, you have to take the belief in relics seriously to get the most out of Buckley's book. In the beginning, Dismas the relic master is not a charlatan, but an honest dealer in Christian relics who is known for discerning real relics from fake ones. The story tells how he comes to live up to his namesake, "The Good Thief." Along the way, we meet some of the important people in the the Martin Luther Controversy, as well as the Renaissance painter, Albrecht Duerer.
December 23, 2016
I loved this book. The only book of Buckley's that I had read before was "Losing Mum and Pup" which I also enjoyed. The start to the book was a little slow for me as it seemed like a "one-trick pony". It dealt with the selling of indulgences by the Catholic Church in the 1500s. Most of the humor came from the relics Dismas would locate and sell to his customers. The story and the humor pickup when Dismas becomes involved in a plot with the great artist, A. Durer, to steal the Shroud of Turin. Many of the characters in the book were real figures from that time although there roles were extremely exaggerated. Buckley did a masterful job researching this period.
February 15, 2016
My kind of historical fiction, The Relic Master is rooted in the 16th century, includes characters both real and imagined, and encompasses art, politics, and religion. Buckley's humorous take on all this is the icing on this particular cake. His portrayals of the motley crew that makes up the relic master's band of "pilgrims" are well drawn. Albrecht Dürer will never be the same to me. And the 16th century was not pretty.
January 7, 2017
The point of historical fiction is to make you feel a little closer to another time, brushing up against some things you knew you wanted to encounter and glimpsing others you never knew you wanted. Buckley draws us into contact with a web of characters from the Protestant Reformation without ever being heavy-handed. A good plot and better than good dialogue keep this satisfying from start to finish.
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