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The Gaudí Key
Barcelona, city of mystery, and Antonio Gaudí, its most famous exponent are the subjects of this gripping new thriller for all lovers of religious conspiracy.
As the Grand Master of an ancient religious brotherhood nears death, he chooses to entrust to Antonio Gaudí a sacred object whose existence has been a guarded secret since the early Christian era. The great architect protects the artefact by hiding it where he believes it might never be discovered.
A new century, and a new danger. The granddaughter of Gaudí’s apprentice is now charged with finding the holy object. With the help of Miguel, her mathematician boyfriend, Maria unravels the clues Gaudí placed in his work. The prize, she believes, is the whereabouts of a sacred relic. But as mutilated bodies and sinister enemies follow in their wake, both realize that what’s at stake is of far greater importance . . . and their survivial is the key.
As the Grand Master of an ancient religious brotherhood nears death, he chooses to entrust to Antonio Gaudí a sacred object whose existence has been a guarded secret since the early Christian era. The great architect protects the artefact by hiding it where he believes it might never be discovered.
A new century, and a new danger. The granddaughter of Gaudí’s apprentice is now charged with finding the holy object. With the help of Miguel, her mathematician boyfriend, Maria unravels the clues Gaudí placed in his work. The prize, she believes, is the whereabouts of a sacred relic. But as mutilated bodies and sinister enemies follow in their wake, both realize that what’s at stake is of far greater importance . . . and their survivial is the key.
488 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
55 people are currently reading
1098 people want to read
About the author
Esteban Martín
19 books11 followersEsteban Martin is an anthropologist and author, and a founder of Littera, a small publishing house.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews
December 13, 2008
a pathetic attempt to recreate "the da vinci code" in a Spanish setting. i hate i even had to give it one star.
May 22, 2017
Osećam se kao da mi je mozak bio zlostavljan, vreme uludo bačeno, i bar za nijansu sam gluplji zbog čitanja ove gomile sranja nego što sam bio pre. A masterwork of FAIL. Izbegavati.
August 14, 2009
"The Gaudi Key" (La Clave Gaudi) possesses the grandiosity of its subject's architecture, but lacks his whimsy.
Sometimes you can concoct a literary triumph yet not tell a story so well. Such is the case with Esteban Martin and Andreu Carranza's novel.
"The Gaudi Key," takes Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code," moves it to Barcelona, and then attempts to transform a potboiler into big literature. But the authors fail to match Brown's talent for penning the page-turner, and instead weigh their piece down with interesting, but unnecessary information.
Any story affirmatively linking Barcelona, its most famous architect, and the second coming of Jesus Christ is going to have a lot of explaining to do, and the resulting expository writing generates a book of considerable heft (430 pages).
The set-up involves a vicious conflict between the diabolical Men of Mensula and the Knights of Moria; the latter being an ancient Catholic order of warrior friars with which Gaudi was inscribed.
The knights are engaged in an age-old quest of squiring a surviving rock sliver from Solomon's temple to its final resting place in the Gaudi-designed Sagrada Familia cathedral, as preparation for Christ's return to earth.
If it sounds complicated, well, it is. And if it doesn't sound complicated, it still is.
And although the authors successfully guide the narrative's baroque machinery to a successful conclusion, the exquisitely embroidered scheme ends up stepping all over a story that is not uninspired in its origins.
Detailing the history and competing philosophies of the Mensulan and Morian orders is tackled via long character dialogues best omitted or at least reduced to something more essential and dramatized through story action.
Parsing them is a slog and their presence is augmented by the presence of still more as these well-schooled scribes hold court on all manner of esoterica, Greek mythology, Catholic mysticism, 20th-Century anarcho-syndicalism, and the Shinto religion (to name a few).
"The Gaudi Key" never practices what it preaches. The famed architect's hallucinatory vision and transcendent approach to life and art are lost in a tome that is constantly over-reasoned and overwrought, robbing the marvelously chosen topics of all their inherent magic.
Sometimes you can concoct a literary triumph yet not tell a story so well. Such is the case with Esteban Martin and Andreu Carranza's novel.
"The Gaudi Key," takes Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code," moves it to Barcelona, and then attempts to transform a potboiler into big literature. But the authors fail to match Brown's talent for penning the page-turner, and instead weigh their piece down with interesting, but unnecessary information.
Any story affirmatively linking Barcelona, its most famous architect, and the second coming of Jesus Christ is going to have a lot of explaining to do, and the resulting expository writing generates a book of considerable heft (430 pages).
The set-up involves a vicious conflict between the diabolical Men of Mensula and the Knights of Moria; the latter being an ancient Catholic order of warrior friars with which Gaudi was inscribed.
The knights are engaged in an age-old quest of squiring a surviving rock sliver from Solomon's temple to its final resting place in the Gaudi-designed Sagrada Familia cathedral, as preparation for Christ's return to earth.
If it sounds complicated, well, it is. And if it doesn't sound complicated, it still is.
And although the authors successfully guide the narrative's baroque machinery to a successful conclusion, the exquisitely embroidered scheme ends up stepping all over a story that is not uninspired in its origins.
Detailing the history and competing philosophies of the Mensulan and Morian orders is tackled via long character dialogues best omitted or at least reduced to something more essential and dramatized through story action.
Parsing them is a slog and their presence is augmented by the presence of still more as these well-schooled scribes hold court on all manner of esoterica, Greek mythology, Catholic mysticism, 20th-Century anarcho-syndicalism, and the Shinto religion (to name a few).
"The Gaudi Key" never practices what it preaches. The famed architect's hallucinatory vision and transcendent approach to life and art are lost in a tome that is constantly over-reasoned and overwrought, robbing the marvelously chosen topics of all their inherent magic.
December 16, 2021
3,5
Novela ambientada en Barcelona en los comienzos del siglo XX. La novela nos cuenta la historia de María, es historiadora de arte y la nieta de un ex alumno de Gaudi, que le dejara las pistas necesarias para descubrir un enigma que revela el secreto que ha pasado generación tras generación.
Por ello, la novela recorrerá prácticamente casi toda Barcelona y sus monumentos, para ir descubriendo estos enigmas, algo que ha sido un puntazo y mas si conoces la ciudad.
La novela esta contada en tercera persona y con saltos en el tiempo, tendremos el pasado por un lado donde seguiremos el recorrido de una gran reliquia antes de llegar al maestro Gaudi. Y tendremos el presento con nuestras protagonista y su pareja buscando esa reliquia.
La novela se me ha hecho algo lenta, para mi gusto los capítulos eran demasiado largos y habia demasiadas descripciones y datos que para mi gusto sobraban. Me ha recordado a un intento de imitación al “Codigo da Vinci”, pero solo un intento… en una historia que entretiene pero nada mas.
Novela ambientada en Barcelona en los comienzos del siglo XX. La novela nos cuenta la historia de María, es historiadora de arte y la nieta de un ex alumno de Gaudi, que le dejara las pistas necesarias para descubrir un enigma que revela el secreto que ha pasado generación tras generación.
Por ello, la novela recorrerá prácticamente casi toda Barcelona y sus monumentos, para ir descubriendo estos enigmas, algo que ha sido un puntazo y mas si conoces la ciudad.
La novela esta contada en tercera persona y con saltos en el tiempo, tendremos el pasado por un lado donde seguiremos el recorrido de una gran reliquia antes de llegar al maestro Gaudi. Y tendremos el presento con nuestras protagonista y su pareja buscando esa reliquia.
La novela se me ha hecho algo lenta, para mi gusto los capítulos eran demasiado largos y habia demasiadas descripciones y datos que para mi gusto sobraban. Me ha recordado a un intento de imitación al “Codigo da Vinci”, pero solo un intento… en una historia que entretiene pero nada mas.
May 19, 2008
An interesting premise... I enjoyed the read but felt somehow distanced from the story. Perhaps it was in the translation, or in the voice of two authors, but I didn't feel connected to the story. I did appreciate the references to Gaudi's works, and would like to learn more about him and to visit Barcelona and experience these treasures.
January 18, 2013
Firstly, most people won't like this book. It really is an inadequate cousin of Angels and Demons (which I preferred to The Da Vinci Code). But if you love Barcelona, Gaudi, and conspiracy thrillers, it's an enjoyable read. (And by the way, if you have the means to travel and can only go to one place, forget Paris, forget Rome, go to Barcelona, and do two things - first, see La Sagrada Familia - begun by Gaudi and the greatest-ever endeavor into architecture, though it's still in progress. Second, get lost and see what you find! Travel ramble over...)
May 16, 2020
“...Gaudí se adelantó a su tiempo arriesgándose siempre. Nunca nadie había hecho nada parecido y, después, tampoco.”
Esta novela nos traslada desde la Barcelona de comienzos del siglo XX hasta la actualidad. Cuenta la historia de María, una historiadora del arte, nieta de un discípulo de Gaudí, que antes de morir le dejará las claves para solucionar un enigma que le revele el secreto que se ha transmitido durante generaciones.
Acompañada de Miguel, un matemático, viajarán por las diversas construcciones de Gaudí para desvelar las adivinanzas, descubriendo el misterio que ocultó el gran arquitecto.
Narrado en tercera persona, con muchos saltos en el tiempo, seguimos el recorrido que hizo una reliquia que permanece oculta, antes de llegar a manos de Gaudí. Esos flashback enriquecen un poco la lectura, pero bajo mi punto de vista, los capítulos que los contenían eran demasiado largos y al cabo de un rato resultaban abrumadores.
Es una novela que no destaca por nada en concreto. Es una historia más que juega con un personaje histórico y su posible implicación en la búsqueda de un tesoro que podría cambiar al mundo. Es como leer una copia de Dan Brown ambientada en Barcelona. Solo para pasar el rato, pero nada extraordinario.
Esta novela nos traslada desde la Barcelona de comienzos del siglo XX hasta la actualidad. Cuenta la historia de María, una historiadora del arte, nieta de un discípulo de Gaudí, que antes de morir le dejará las claves para solucionar un enigma que le revele el secreto que se ha transmitido durante generaciones.
Acompañada de Miguel, un matemático, viajarán por las diversas construcciones de Gaudí para desvelar las adivinanzas, descubriendo el misterio que ocultó el gran arquitecto.
Narrado en tercera persona, con muchos saltos en el tiempo, seguimos el recorrido que hizo una reliquia que permanece oculta, antes de llegar a manos de Gaudí. Esos flashback enriquecen un poco la lectura, pero bajo mi punto de vista, los capítulos que los contenían eran demasiado largos y al cabo de un rato resultaban abrumadores.
Es una novela que no destaca por nada en concreto. Es una historia más que juega con un personaje histórico y su posible implicación en la búsqueda de un tesoro que podría cambiar al mundo. Es como leer una copia de Dan Brown ambientada en Barcelona. Solo para pasar el rato, pero nada extraordinario.
May 7, 2012
It was a very long books to leave so many loose ends. There were characters that I never figures out what purpose they served and clues that never seemed to be resolved. The dialog was somewhat stilted but that might have be attributed to the translation.
While Maria and Miquel do solve the puzzle left by her grandfather and find the relic, the conclusion seemed to come from left field as the saying goes.
While I enjoyed some of the historical thriller aspects of this novel, I don't think I would recommend it in general. Too bad because it had promise.
While Maria and Miquel do solve the puzzle left by her grandfather and find the relic, the conclusion seemed to come from left field as the saying goes.
While I enjoyed some of the historical thriller aspects of this novel, I don't think I would recommend it in general. Too bad because it had promise.
June 14, 2016
Habe das Buch nur gekauft, weil ich dieses Jahr einen Kurztrip nach Barcelona plane und gerne einen Gaudi-Roman gelesen hätte, habe aber nach 37 Seiten aufgegeben: Das ist Dan Brown für Arme: plump, einfallslos, klischeehaft, öde.
Zum Glück habe ich auf meinem Barcelona-Stapel noch gute Autoren liegen.
Zum Glück habe ich auf meinem Barcelona-Stapel noch gute Autoren liegen.
September 10, 2013
this falls into my very guilty pleasure category.
for someone who has only read the one dan brown book and have resisted temptation to read more of dan brown, i seem to be drawn to the brown knock-offs.
usual stuff - a mystery has to be solved and there are people who want to steal the secret and use it for their own purposes.
as usual the roman catholic church is involved, sort of. (these books aren't very good if they don't involve the church in some way or another).
as usual there are a handful of people who are involved in the conspiracy (on either side).
this one wears its knowledge on its sleeve - pretty much all the characters at one point or another will spout out about gaudi as if it were perfectly normal to spew out chunks of arcane knowledge.
i am pretty sure that one of the characters goes from knowing nothing about it, because not his field of knowledge, to being a bit of a know it all.
meanwhile his girlfriend, who is supposed to know all about it, seems to be lost.
there is a subplot with a nasty gang boss being in love with a gorgeous innocent girl, who just so happens to also be a genius when it comes to gaudi and his works.
this doesn't really go anywhere - which is a shame as i am sure there is room for a 3-way battle over these secrets.
where the book does score strongly is that it does have an ending that does what the the secret says it would do.
i don't think the authors have written another book which is good because it means i don't have to avoid it.
for someone who has only read the one dan brown book and have resisted temptation to read more of dan brown, i seem to be drawn to the brown knock-offs.
usual stuff - a mystery has to be solved and there are people who want to steal the secret and use it for their own purposes.
as usual the roman catholic church is involved, sort of. (these books aren't very good if they don't involve the church in some way or another).
as usual there are a handful of people who are involved in the conspiracy (on either side).
this one wears its knowledge on its sleeve - pretty much all the characters at one point or another will spout out about gaudi as if it were perfectly normal to spew out chunks of arcane knowledge.
i am pretty sure that one of the characters goes from knowing nothing about it, because not his field of knowledge, to being a bit of a know it all.
meanwhile his girlfriend, who is supposed to know all about it, seems to be lost.
there is a subplot with a nasty gang boss being in love with a gorgeous innocent girl, who just so happens to also be a genius when it comes to gaudi and his works.
this doesn't really go anywhere - which is a shame as i am sure there is room for a 3-way battle over these secrets.
where the book does score strongly is that it does have an ending that does what the the secret says it would do.
i don't think the authors have written another book which is good because it means i don't have to avoid it.
May 1, 2022
I bought the book on a whim from Amazon before I read anything about the story, authors, or subject, but I was drawn to the cover and the subject. Living in Barcelona and surrounded by Gaudi's works, I couldn't escape a Dan Brown-style thriller set in the Catalan capital.
"The Gaudi Key" possesses the grandeur of its subject's architecture.
What if the great Gaudi would have been killed in an attempt to protect a Holy relic? What if he were a Grand Master of a Knightly Order that aims to protect the Holy object and fulfill an ancient prophecy that would changed the world as we know it? What would it be like for the great Antoni Gaudi to have built the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia for a specific purpose and for all his existing works in Barcelona to be positioned in such a way as to form a map of a certain significance?
Maria Givell, the niece of Juan Givell, Gaudí's disciple, must find a Holy object, an object that has the power to change the destiny of the world. With the help of Miguel (Michael), her beloved mathematician named afteran archangel, Maria discovers, step by step, the clues left by her grandfather through the works of Gaudí.
The sacred relic is also desired by Corbel, those who worship Baphomet, an ancient idol, those who want to bring chaos and death into our world. Enemies are on their trail, leaving many corpses behind. All who help them end up killed, and the two realize that the relic has the power to change civilization and that they must fulfill holy prophecy by any means.
Through this book we take a walk through Barcelona to Gaudi, in 1926, but also in today's Barcelona, in an attempt to discover the secret that the Knights of Moriah are trying to keep since the time when Christ lived.
The city of Barcelona is known for its historical, cultural and architectural charm. But perhaps for this very reason, it is also full of "secret" events and traditions that belong to its "unofficial history." One of the best known and most renowned architects in Barcelona, and even around the world, is Antoni Gaudí. All his work is full of symbolism, both religious and esoteric. His most famous seven creations in Barcelona - Palacio Güell, Casa Batlló, La Pedrera, Casa Vicens, Casa Calvet, Sagrada Familia and Parc Güell - when viewed from above, combine to form the exact shape of the constellation "Ursa Major ". The significance and reasons why Gaudi chose to imitate Heaven on Earth have given rise to numerous legends and theories, one of which is also found in this novel.
It was a book I couldn't let go of. I must admit that I am a big fan of conspiracy novels, I also like Dan Brown's novels so this novel was a real pleasure.
"The Gaudi Key" possesses the grandeur of its subject's architecture.
What if the great Gaudi would have been killed in an attempt to protect a Holy relic? What if he were a Grand Master of a Knightly Order that aims to protect the Holy object and fulfill an ancient prophecy that would changed the world as we know it? What would it be like for the great Antoni Gaudi to have built the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia for a specific purpose and for all his existing works in Barcelona to be positioned in such a way as to form a map of a certain significance?
Maria Givell, the niece of Juan Givell, Gaudí's disciple, must find a Holy object, an object that has the power to change the destiny of the world. With the help of Miguel (Michael), her beloved mathematician named afteran archangel, Maria discovers, step by step, the clues left by her grandfather through the works of Gaudí.
The sacred relic is also desired by Corbel, those who worship Baphomet, an ancient idol, those who want to bring chaos and death into our world. Enemies are on their trail, leaving many corpses behind. All who help them end up killed, and the two realize that the relic has the power to change civilization and that they must fulfill holy prophecy by any means.
Through this book we take a walk through Barcelona to Gaudi, in 1926, but also in today's Barcelona, in an attempt to discover the secret that the Knights of Moriah are trying to keep since the time when Christ lived.
The city of Barcelona is known for its historical, cultural and architectural charm. But perhaps for this very reason, it is also full of "secret" events and traditions that belong to its "unofficial history." One of the best known and most renowned architects in Barcelona, and even around the world, is Antoni Gaudí. All his work is full of symbolism, both religious and esoteric. His most famous seven creations in Barcelona - Palacio Güell, Casa Batlló, La Pedrera, Casa Vicens, Casa Calvet, Sagrada Familia and Parc Güell - when viewed from above, combine to form the exact shape of the constellation "Ursa Major ". The significance and reasons why Gaudi chose to imitate Heaven on Earth have given rise to numerous legends and theories, one of which is also found in this novel.
It was a book I couldn't let go of. I must admit that I am a big fan of conspiracy novels, I also like Dan Brown's novels so this novel was a real pleasure.
July 30, 2021
Surprisingly good, great storyline and love how the background is supported by existing events and Gaudi's architecture. Added bonus as I've been to sites in Barcelona mentioned so I could easily picture it
March 20, 2022
This was very flimsy and the characters were flat and unconvincing. Also, Africa is not a country.
April 26, 2013
In the Gaudi Key by Esteban Martin and Andreu Carranza it turns out Gaudi was the master of seven knights sworn to protect some relic or the other from the depredations of Chaos, better known as the Corbel, who are determined to consign the planet into anarchy. One wonders then, why they limit themselves to what is essentially a provincial backwater. Why not London? Or Tokyo? Or even Paris? Why Barcelona? (Because that's where their readers are, silly! Makes them feel all loved and fuzzy.) At any rate, Gaudi bequeathed the secret of the relic to a little chap, who decades later is falling into senility, and bequeaths it to his granddaughter. She is no ordinary woman, of course. In her will converge spiritual continua, and she'll lead us all into a bright future where the evil ones (headed by one Asmodeus) will be obliterated. But she can't do it all by herself so she needs her Fields Medal winning boyfriend to help. (How many Fields Medallists do you know that are good-looking, incredibly fit, socially ept and brilliant fencing champions to boot? I thought so. Still, it's good to see a mathematician do something other than push his thick glasses onto his bushy eyebrows.) There's a lot of hokum in this novel, and would you believe it, the Templars make an entrance here as well. I guess some of the figurative puzzles in Gaudi's architecture have been put to good use in the book, and a visitor to Barcelona armed with the book may have some fun identifying them. Scarce recompense for plowing through nearly 500 pages of awfulness, though.
February 19, 2011
This is another book that is trying to ride on the coattails of "The Da Vinci Code". However. it falls far short of its objective.
The story takes place in Barcelona and an old man is near death. He is found to be one of the Seven Knights of Moriah. The Seven Knights of Moriah preceded the Knights Templar and were to guard a sacred article that was handed down from Jesus Christ.
The man's daughter, Maria, and her boyfriend, Miguel, are given riddles that they must solve in order to find the article and place it in a predestined spot. In their quest to find the item they are protected by other members of the Knights. They are in need of protection because they are being pursued by Asmodeus and his followers. They are obviously the workmen of the devil and if they succeed they will prevent the second coming of Christ.
The reader will get bogged down in endless descriptions of the architecture of buildings that have revelence to the story. It will probably make sense to an architect but loses reader interest quickly. The reader will also be baffled by the riddles and their solutions. I'm not sure if I understood any of them. There are also too many hightly unlikely or impossible situations to lend credibility to the story.
The story takes place in Barcelona and an old man is near death. He is found to be one of the Seven Knights of Moriah. The Seven Knights of Moriah preceded the Knights Templar and were to guard a sacred article that was handed down from Jesus Christ.
The man's daughter, Maria, and her boyfriend, Miguel, are given riddles that they must solve in order to find the article and place it in a predestined spot. In their quest to find the item they are protected by other members of the Knights. They are in need of protection because they are being pursued by Asmodeus and his followers. They are obviously the workmen of the devil and if they succeed they will prevent the second coming of Christ.
The reader will get bogged down in endless descriptions of the architecture of buildings that have revelence to the story. It will probably make sense to an architect but loses reader interest quickly. The reader will also be baffled by the riddles and their solutions. I'm not sure if I understood any of them. There are also too many hightly unlikely or impossible situations to lend credibility to the story.
June 16, 2018
One of those books in which characters constantly exclaim things like "Of course! That makes perfect sense. The sunflower of the soul," when of course nothing makes any sense at all - instead you have endless pages of people spouting exposition at each other. If this was in any way readable it wouldn't be a problem, but none of this is readable. It doesn't help that the writers, having clearly done a lot of research, are determined that they'll use every last piece of information they've discovered, no matter how irrelevant it is or how much it drags out an already thin plot.
The last act, in which our heroes run around solving riddles which make absolutely no sense, is something of a highlight, mainly because it's unintentionally hilarious. That aside, there's nothing to see here that hasn't been done before (and far more coherently).
The last act, in which our heroes run around solving riddles which make absolutely no sense, is something of a highlight, mainly because it's unintentionally hilarious. That aside, there's nothing to see here that hasn't been done before (and far more coherently).
October 29, 2012
Through this book I learned something about Gaudi, and the story ... well it is not something inspiring... pity ...
March 31, 2016
4 stelle e mezzo.
Che storia!
Ma che cervello hanno questi due?
Bello bello!
Che storia!
Ma che cervello hanno questi due?
Bello bello!
August 12, 2018
This book is about a secret kept by a artist or a architect called gaudi which is passed through jaun guivell and thereafter passed to Maria with his boyfriend Miguel try to reveal the secret and fulfill the prophecy. This book is originally written in Spanish and translation to English done by the author is very good but there are some words or sentences which are best referred in Spanish. There are few instances where I feel the book was being moved out of the story. May be due to the translation problem. Overall it was a ok Goodread
May 21, 2022
Me parece una buena lectura. La trama está bien hecha y el libro tiene ritmo, además de una buena ambientación, pero hay demasiados saltos en el ritmo que te hacen salir de la historia. Creo que a veces, por correr demasiado, salta de un momento a otro o de un lugar a otro, perdiéndose alguna vez el hilo.
Aun así, es una buena lectura.
Aun así, es una buena lectura.
August 29, 2024
Spannend, maar zo ingewikkeld geschreven dat ik er bijna niet doorheen kwam
August 5, 2018
https://osrascunhos.com/2018/07/14/a-...
A Chave Gaudí foi publicado há uns bons anitos (mais de 10) pela Saída de Emergência, mas não o li na altura. Mais recentemente, em El Fantasmas de Gaudí vi, na introdução, uma referência a este livro e a um dos seus escritores, Esteban Martín, onde estaria a teoria de que Gaudí seguiria uma linha de construção mais antiga, que pretendia reproduzir na Terra o que existe no céu.
A Chave Gaudí cruza várias teorias sobre os trabalhos do arquitecto em Barcelona e as suas supostas relações com grupos secretos, reproduzindo perspectivas matemáticas e artísticas para desenvolver estas teorias. Paralelamente acompanhamos uma jovem que se apercebe que a morte do avô poderá não ter sido acidental – tal suspeita é fortalecida quando, nesse dia, é perseguida por brutamontes que atiram nela e no namorado.
Como desenvolver teorias sobre Gaudí sem acabar com um livro chato e académico? Ou com um duvidoso livro de Ficção especulativa? Cruzando as várias teorias com uma história movimentada, onde o perigo eminente justifica os constantes episódios de acção numa fórmula muito explorada por Dan Brown.
Neste romance não falta o casal de apaixonados para sentirmos empatia e torcermos, nem as mortes horrorosas para conceder o sentimento de perigo, nem os vilões que se revelam maus por natureza e não pelas circunstâncias – o mal consciente e propositado que pretende corromper e dominar.
Dentro das limitações da fórmula que pretende transformar a história num page turner, A Chave Gaudí consegue ser competente. No entanto, a componente mais interessante é exactamente a exposição de teorias que pretendem revelar grupos milenares, secretos que transportam missões tão antigas quanto Cristo, missões que nem os Apóstolos nem outros grupos teriam identificado como necessárias nas palavras deixadas pelo Messias. Ainda, desenvolvem-se teorias matemáticas mostrando que as formas naturais que inspiraram Gaudí apresentam fortes estruturas tri dimensionais pouco usadas pelos restantes arquitectos.
O resultado é uma leitura movimentada e rápida que não me deixou grandes memórias pelas personagens e pelo seu percurso pessoal, mas que contém alguns pontos interessantes que também foram apresentados em El Fantasma de Gaudí (publicado recentemente na colecção Novela Gráfica, publicada pela Levoir em parceria com o jornal Público).
A Chave Gaudí foi publicado há uns bons anitos (mais de 10) pela Saída de Emergência, mas não o li na altura. Mais recentemente, em El Fantasmas de Gaudí vi, na introdução, uma referência a este livro e a um dos seus escritores, Esteban Martín, onde estaria a teoria de que Gaudí seguiria uma linha de construção mais antiga, que pretendia reproduzir na Terra o que existe no céu.
A Chave Gaudí cruza várias teorias sobre os trabalhos do arquitecto em Barcelona e as suas supostas relações com grupos secretos, reproduzindo perspectivas matemáticas e artísticas para desenvolver estas teorias. Paralelamente acompanhamos uma jovem que se apercebe que a morte do avô poderá não ter sido acidental – tal suspeita é fortalecida quando, nesse dia, é perseguida por brutamontes que atiram nela e no namorado.
Como desenvolver teorias sobre Gaudí sem acabar com um livro chato e académico? Ou com um duvidoso livro de Ficção especulativa? Cruzando as várias teorias com uma história movimentada, onde o perigo eminente justifica os constantes episódios de acção numa fórmula muito explorada por Dan Brown.
Neste romance não falta o casal de apaixonados para sentirmos empatia e torcermos, nem as mortes horrorosas para conceder o sentimento de perigo, nem os vilões que se revelam maus por natureza e não pelas circunstâncias – o mal consciente e propositado que pretende corromper e dominar.
Dentro das limitações da fórmula que pretende transformar a história num page turner, A Chave Gaudí consegue ser competente. No entanto, a componente mais interessante é exactamente a exposição de teorias que pretendem revelar grupos milenares, secretos que transportam missões tão antigas quanto Cristo, missões que nem os Apóstolos nem outros grupos teriam identificado como necessárias nas palavras deixadas pelo Messias. Ainda, desenvolvem-se teorias matemáticas mostrando que as formas naturais que inspiraram Gaudí apresentam fortes estruturas tri dimensionais pouco usadas pelos restantes arquitectos.
O resultado é uma leitura movimentada e rápida que não me deixou grandes memórias pelas personagens e pelo seu percurso pessoal, mas que contém alguns pontos interessantes que também foram apresentados em El Fantasma de Gaudí (publicado recentemente na colecção Novela Gráfica, publicada pela Levoir em parceria com o jornal Público).
August 22, 2024
Ik vond dit boek in een buurtbieb en denk dat het bij de zomer opdracht 2024 van de FNL past omdat het zich niet zomaar in Spanje afspeelt maar in Barcelona en rondom de Sagrada Familia.
Juan Givell is een oude man en voelt dat hij niet veel tijd meer heeft. Daarom besluit hij zijn kleindochter te vertellen over een groot geheim: 80 jaar geleden was hij bij het dodelijke ongeluk van Gaudi die lid was van een rk ridderorde en die hij opvolgde als hoeder van een relikwie uit de tijd van de tempel van Salomo. Hij geeft het haar mee waarna ze gelijk al wordt achtervolgd (hoe weten de boeven dat?). De kleindochter begint aan een groot avontuur want behalve de ridderorde is er natuurlijk ook een Satanische secte die de orde tegen moet houden.
Het verhaal is vergezocht en er wordt dan ook veel uitgelegd. Ik denk dat de schrijvers de Spaanse versie van een Dan Brown wilden schrijven? Het is geen geslaagd boek: te bizar.
Juan Givell is een oude man en voelt dat hij niet veel tijd meer heeft. Daarom besluit hij zijn kleindochter te vertellen over een groot geheim: 80 jaar geleden was hij bij het dodelijke ongeluk van Gaudi die lid was van een rk ridderorde en die hij opvolgde als hoeder van een relikwie uit de tijd van de tempel van Salomo. Hij geeft het haar mee waarna ze gelijk al wordt achtervolgd (hoe weten de boeven dat?). De kleindochter begint aan een groot avontuur want behalve de ridderorde is er natuurlijk ook een Satanische secte die de orde tegen moet houden.
Het verhaal is vergezocht en er wordt dan ook veel uitgelegd. Ik denk dat de schrijvers de Spaanse versie van een Dan Brown wilden schrijven? Het is geen geslaagd boek: te bizar.
September 17, 2016
Este libro es bastante curioso, primero diré que para mi gusto cumple con su cometido, que es entretener, y conseguir que te pique la curiosidad sobre la ciudad de Barcelona y la figura y obra de Gaudí, yo lo he leido ahora, menos de un mes despues de haber ido por primera vez a Barcelona de visita turística y de visitar la mayoría de los monumentos de los que se habla en el libro, y probablemente por eso me ha resultado aún más apasionante. Me parece un libro bien llevado y sobre todo, bien documentado, evidentemente hay partes que son obra de la imaginación de los autores, no deja de ser ficción, pero sin duda lleva detrás un gran trabajo de documentación, al centrarse toda la trama en Barcelona, es mas sencillo, pero prefiero cien veces un libro con menos "escenarios" pero con total coherencia geográfica e historica a un best seller con localizaciones en todo el mundo en el que de repente lees algo como "esos malditos españoles comulgan al princpio de la misa" (quien haya leido ese otro libro, sabra a lo que me refiero, además los comentarios negativos de este, mencionan mucho al autor de ese otro...).
En definitiva un libro recomendable para los amantes del genero, su titulo nos deja bien claro que es una historia de intriga y misterio centrada en la obra de Gaudí, así que si te gustan esos temas, te gustará el libro. Como punto negativo diré que algunos personajes no se desarrollan lo suficiente.
Le pongo 5 estrellas por dos motivos, primero, que el libro me ha entretenido mucho, que es lo que espero de un libro, no es ninguna joya de la literatura universal, pero su cometido, lo cumple, y el segundo es que tiene demasiados comentarios de 1 o 2 estrellas, supongo que de gente que se ha quedado en puertas del nobel de literatura varias veces y cuyo gusto por la literatura excede todos los canones, y ya que para toda esa gente es tan sencillo tirar por tierra el trabajo de otros, pues me parece de justicia, ya que a mi me ha gustado mucho, darle 5 estrellas.
En definitiva un libro recomendable para los amantes del genero, su titulo nos deja bien claro que es una historia de intriga y misterio centrada en la obra de Gaudí, así que si te gustan esos temas, te gustará el libro. Como punto negativo diré que algunos personajes no se desarrollan lo suficiente.
Le pongo 5 estrellas por dos motivos, primero, que el libro me ha entretenido mucho, que es lo que espero de un libro, no es ninguna joya de la literatura universal, pero su cometido, lo cumple, y el segundo es que tiene demasiados comentarios de 1 o 2 estrellas, supongo que de gente que se ha quedado en puertas del nobel de literatura varias veces y cuyo gusto por la literatura excede todos los canones, y ya que para toda esa gente es tan sencillo tirar por tierra el trabajo de otros, pues me parece de justicia, ya que a mi me ha gustado mucho, darle 5 estrellas.
January 30, 2017
Imam osjećaj da se ova knjiga i ja jednostavno nismo našle. Ono što se činio kao potencijalno zanimljiv početak knjige koja me je trebala odvesti na uzbudljivo putovanje isprepleteno poviješću, simbolima i drevnim sukobima se, nažalost, nije dogodilo. Zapravo sam se osjećala kao da se nalazim na kakvom suhoparnom predavanju za koje jedva čekam da završi. Da budem potpuno iskrena, dugo mi je trebalo da završim ovu knjigu jer sam je čitala svaki dan po par stranica tek toliko da je, eto, završim iako mi je više puta došlo da odustanem, dok inače knjige s tim brojem stranica pročitam u jednom danu bez imalo problema.
Mislim da je problem ove knjige u nedostatku misterije i maštovitosti. Knjiga koja bi trebala biti prepuna intrigntne tajanstvenosti se svela na nezanimljive dijaloge i uistinu prekomjerne i suvišne detalje.
Stvarno sam željela da mi se ova knjiga svidi, a kao što sam već napomenula, početak se doista činio kao štivo koje vodi ka dobroj priči, međutim, što sam dalje odmicala s tekstom to sam sve više gubila interes.
Kako nisam imala prilike pročitati druge knjige od ova dva autora, ne želim sad tu prestrogo suditi o njihovu pisanju jer svakom autoru se može omaknuti knjiga koja nije pretjerano zanimljiva i ako u knjižnici naletim na još koju knjigu od kojega od njih, naravno da ću joj dati priliku jer možda naredno štivo bude drugačije i bolje koncipirano ili je možda jednostavno stvar u meni i u tome da mi ova knjiga baš nikako nije sjela dok će se nekome drugome njen sadržaj možda stvarno svidjeti.
Ipak, zbog činjenice da me naučila ponešto o Gaudiju i, omogućila mi, onako, turistički obilazak Barcelone, a ima i simpatičnu naslovnicu dodijelila sam joj dvije zvijezdice.
Mislim da je problem ove knjige u nedostatku misterije i maštovitosti. Knjiga koja bi trebala biti prepuna intrigntne tajanstvenosti se svela na nezanimljive dijaloge i uistinu prekomjerne i suvišne detalje.
Stvarno sam željela da mi se ova knjiga svidi, a kao što sam već napomenula, početak se doista činio kao štivo koje vodi ka dobroj priči, međutim, što sam dalje odmicala s tekstom to sam sve više gubila interes.
Kako nisam imala prilike pročitati druge knjige od ova dva autora, ne želim sad tu prestrogo suditi o njihovu pisanju jer svakom autoru se može omaknuti knjiga koja nije pretjerano zanimljiva i ako u knjižnici naletim na još koju knjigu od kojega od njih, naravno da ću joj dati priliku jer možda naredno štivo bude drugačije i bolje koncipirano ili je možda jednostavno stvar u meni i u tome da mi ova knjiga baš nikako nije sjela dok će se nekome drugome njen sadržaj možda stvarno svidjeti.
Ipak, zbog činjenice da me naučila ponešto o Gaudiju i, omogućila mi, onako, turistički obilazak Barcelone, a ima i simpatičnu naslovnicu dodijelila sam joj dvije zvijezdice.
Read
July 27, 2012I can't judge the plot because I was skipping the pages more than I was reading them, but I really liked the analysis of Gaudi's work.
It finally explained to me his expansive popularity with the Japanese. It pointed out Gaudi's compositions connections to Zen through its imitations of the natural shapes of cliffs, grottoes and plants, with the native stonecrop, Sedum acre, given quite a prominence. Gaudi turned birds' nests, anthills, stalactites, mountains, trees, rocks and plants into towers, vaults, pillars and cupolas in his architectural design. For him originality meant going back to the source, and natural beauty was the brilliance of the truth.
The Japanese love Gaudi because his compositions are reminiscent of suiseki- art in stone created by nature. His work is full of symbolism: his rocks and trees are full of hidden spiritual meaning.
So, this was interesting, but as I said, I can't comment on the book.
It finally explained to me his expansive popularity with the Japanese. It pointed out Gaudi's compositions connections to Zen through its imitations of the natural shapes of cliffs, grottoes and plants, with the native stonecrop, Sedum acre, given quite a prominence. Gaudi turned birds' nests, anthills, stalactites, mountains, trees, rocks and plants into towers, vaults, pillars and cupolas in his architectural design. For him originality meant going back to the source, and natural beauty was the brilliance of the truth.
The Japanese love Gaudi because his compositions are reminiscent of suiseki- art in stone created by nature. His work is full of symbolism: his rocks and trees are full of hidden spiritual meaning.
So, this was interesting, but as I said, I can't comment on the book.
September 15, 2012
The only positive thing I can say about this book was that I learned about
Antonio Gaudi. There was a lot of rich information about his work, his life,
and you could catch a glimpse of the how, why, and when of his masterpieces.
The plot in my opinion was quite lame, or maybe It was very similar to the famous
Da Vinci Code book. Some of the parts were, at least to me, unnecessary. I didn't like
the end, in the sense that I expected way more "fighting" between good and evil from
the good and bad boys.. it seemed too easy. Also, the new Messiah in Africa? where does
that come from.. the traveller was Maria? I think that part was just rushed in, and a little bit
more explanation could've been better. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book. It is an ok
book that might entertain you, but honestly, it falls into the cheesy lame shelf books.
Antonio Gaudi. There was a lot of rich information about his work, his life,
and you could catch a glimpse of the how, why, and when of his masterpieces.
The plot in my opinion was quite lame, or maybe It was very similar to the famous
Da Vinci Code book. Some of the parts were, at least to me, unnecessary. I didn't like
the end, in the sense that I expected way more "fighting" between good and evil from
the good and bad boys.. it seemed too easy. Also, the new Messiah in Africa? where does
that come from.. the traveller was Maria? I think that part was just rushed in, and a little bit
more explanation could've been better. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book. It is an ok
book that might entertain you, but honestly, it falls into the cheesy lame shelf books.
November 24, 2017
Whew! Where to begin?! This book was a
CHORE
to finish. An absolute
MISERY
. It's the bastard child of Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code, Holy Blood, Holy Grail, and The Sacred Bones, and probably a few dozen more pseudo-intellectual attempts to make something very simple into something needlessly complex, all in the name of conspiracy theory. The only difference between this book and all those mentioned is the target of the end goal.
The first 2/3 trudged along like a crippled zombie, the plot advancing at roughly the speed of chilled molasses. It wasn't until the final section that things got going and permitted the maintenance of any level of interest...but even that was broken by repeated checking to see just how much more of this ridiculous drivel was left.
Needless to say, I was relieved when it was over.
The first 2/3 trudged along like a crippled zombie, the plot advancing at roughly the speed of chilled molasses. It wasn't until the final section that things got going and permitted the maintenance of any level of interest...but even that was broken by repeated checking to see just how much more of this ridiculous drivel was left.
Needless to say, I was relieved when it was over.
March 2, 2011
Okay, I tried. I really did. But, no, oh no, I could not finish this book. The premise sounded fascinating and promising - a Da Vinci Code type plot, but with Antonio Gaudi (an artistic architect that I love) & set in Barcelona (a beautiful, romantic city). The story was good, but the overly lengthy detailed background stuff throughout the entire book...BORING. That alone finished it for me.
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