Un bon llibre per un estiu tranquil

Der Medicus von Saragossa oder die Geschichte des letzten Juden Spaniens

Im Jahr 1492 hat die Inquisition Spanien fest im Griff. Ihr Hauptaugenmerk gilt den Juden bzw. den neuen Christen, wie konvertierte Juden genannt werden. In dieser Zeit spielt die Geschichte von Jona, Sohn eines jüdischen Silberschmieds in Toledo. Früh lernt er die Schrecken der Judenvertreibung kennen, verliert Bruder und Vater durch Gewalttaten und steht als 13-Jähriger plötzlich allein im Chaos. Es beginnt eine Odyssee durch Spanien voller Hoffnung auf Gleichgesinnte oder versprengte Verwandte zu treffen und Verzweiflung weil die Inquisition überall aktiv ist. Um zu überleben nimmt der Junge jede Arbeit an, die sich ihm bietet, immer auf der Hut nicht als Jude erkannt zu werden. Erst allmählich wird er heimisch, zunächst als Lehrling eines Waffenschmiedes in Gibraltar und später als Medicus in Saragossa.
Noah Gordon hat eine Art historisches Roadmovie geschaffen das ein bewegendes Einzelschicksal vor dem historischen Hintergrund der Judenverfolgung im Spanien im Übergang vom 15. zum 16. Jahrhundert spannend beschreibt. Nebenher erfährt man vieles über das Leben, das Handwerk und die Krankheiten dieser Zeit. Der Schreibstil ist flüssig und klar, so das sich Geschichte flott weg liest.
Der Titel verwirrt etwas, weder ist es eine Fortsetzung des „Medicus“ noch liegt der Schwerpunkt der Erzählung auf Jonas Leben als Arzt, da hätte der Originaltitel „The last Jew“ besser gepasst.
Ich fühlte mich bestens unterhalten und kann das Buch mit besten Gewissen weiterempfehlen.

15th Century and the Spanish Inquistion...Ferdinand and Isabella kick all the Jews out of Spain and this book tells the story of one who stayed behind in hiding. The first half of the book is REALLY slow but the last half you can't put down. Learned a lot about a time period I don't know much about plus can't see that much has changed from the 15th and 21st Centuries...we still can't get along!

La storia si svolge ai tempi del decreto dell'Alhambra, noto anche come editto o decreto di Granada del 1 marzo 1492, che sanciva la cacciata degli ebrei dalla Spagna, ispiratore Torquemada.
Il libro narra la storia dell'ultimo ebreo di Spagna che lotta per sopravvivere e mantenere la sua identità; libro di formazione
Solo nel 2015 la Spagna ha votato una legge che riconosceva agli ebrei sefarditi di Spagna la possibilità di riavere la cittadinanza spagnola.
Libro interessante da leggere in questi tempi bui di crescente intolleranza.

Me encanta la pluma de Gordon, tiene la habilidad de trasladarme en el tiempo y arrogarme en el escenario que él dibuja con tanta precisión y me envuelve en cuanta historia de amor, dolor, pasión y odio se va antojando de narrar mientras yo voy sufriendo y viviendo junto a sus protagonistas. Definitivamente me deleito con sus historias y las disfruto inmensamente. Debo confesar que esta historia me recordó un poco a la del Médico (del mismo autor, siendo esta última mucho mejor para mi gusto) pero no me desagradó en lo absoluto, ya que la leí hace mucho tiempo y me gustó recordar esa gran obra. A lo mejor si las lees muy seguidas si pudiera cansar un poco, aunque las historias son muy diferentes. En fin, un novela histórica basada en la España del siglo XV y la expulsión de los judíos, donde los estragos de la Inquisición dejan devastado a un pueblo entero y las adversidades que sufrieron los condenados y los pocos que quedaron.

This is one of the best books I've read in a while. The setting is fascinating and terrifying - the Spanish inquisition. While the inquisition is a continual backdrop - especially the first half of the book - the book is not really about the horrors of the inquisition in the blood and gore sense. Yes, there are some passages about the brutality, but this book is at its core a deep character study.

The Last Jew is about Yonah Toledano, a man who by circumstances ends up orphaned at the time of the expulsion. It is too late for him to leave Spain and he does not want to convert to Catholicism (he is offered the opportunity to stay in Toledo and become the adoptive son of his father's friend, an "Old Christian"). Instead, he leaves Toledo alone with a burro and meanders across Spain, terrified of being discovered but steadfastly opposed to converting to Catholicism. He finds himself in various cities, tries out several professions and meets some interesting people along the way. He uses adopted names, eventually settling on Ramon Callico. There is the constant fear of being turned in and he gradually learns to act outwardly as a Catholic. He tries to keep up with Jewish tradition, but as time comes, he remembers less and less. He struggles to remember, but there is no one to remember with him. Eventually, Yonah finds his way to Saragossa and becomes a physician. At the end of the novel, Yonah has changed - he realizes that for better or for worse he must be an outward Catholic and he assumes the identity of an "Old Christian." He goes to church to keep appearances and over time he forgets the prayers and the traditions. He learns to hob-nob with preists and no one suspects that not only is he not an "Old Catholic" - he never even converted to Catholicism! Yonah is a Jew until the end, but ultimately, he adapts.

This books is definitely not "light reading." I felt sad through most of it - only at the end is there a glimmer of happiness. Nonetheless, I recommend it!

Der deutsche Titel versucht eine Verbindung zur vorangegangenen Medicus-Trilogie des Autors herzustellen, mit welcher das Buch nichts zu tun hat.
Der "Letzte Jude" (so der Originaltitel) behandelt die teilweise sehr detailliert beschriebene brutale Behandlung und Auslöschung der jüdischen Bevölkerung in Spanien in den letzten Jahres des 15. Jhrdt. in Spanien.

Das Buch ist dennoch ein "Medici" da er alle bekannten (Lieblings-)Elemente des Autors beinhaltet. Herzerwärmende Nebengeschichten, medizinische Behandlung, Körperentleerung, Spannungsbögen, Beschreibung von Pferden, Sexualität.

Habe das Buch in 5 Tagen gelesen und kann es als guter Einstieg empfehlen bevor man die Medicus-Trilogie beginnt.

If you're like me and don't know a lot about late-15th-century Spain, this novel is a nice accessible little history lesson. I learned a lot about beliefs and customs at the time of the Spanish Inquisition.

Ferdinand and Isabella issued a royal edict expelling all Jews from Spain. Fifteen-year-old Yonah Toledano is a Jewish boy whose family members have all fled or been slain. He stays in Spain, keeping his Jewishness a secret and using a Christian name. He travels far and wide on his trusty burro, Moise, taking on whatever work he can find for days, months or years at a time. Whenever it appears he may be found out, he steals away at night.

As the years go by, Yonah works as a farm laborer, sailor, metalworker, shepherd, and eventually a physician's apprentice. Through his journeys and the people he meets, you get to learn all kinds of interesting things about life in that era. I had no idea they were performing successful cataract surgeries that long ago!!

The author's deep research is evident, but he doesn't go off on long historical tangents. He just incorporates the knowledge into the story, which is nice.

Una novela de Noah Gordon centrada en el año 1500, en la que cuenta la vida del último judío de España.

Acompañarás al protagonista a lo largo de su vida, creciendo en sabiduría y en experiencias con él. Es precisamente eso mismo lo que te deja tan buen sabor de boca cuando cierras el libro tras terminarlo, la satisfacción de un camino recorrido.

En un primer momento pensaba que el libro podría ir sobre la resolución de un misterio; pero estaba equivocado, acompañamos a nuestro protagonista desde que es un joven en las calles de Toledo, pasando por Extremadura, Granada, Gibraltar, para terminar convertido en médico de Zaragoza.

Generally I liked it, so more like 3.5. The setting is very interesting, the world of the end of 15th century Spain, focused on the expulsion of the Jews, with persecution, flight, forced and honest conversions isn’t something that I met before. I don’t know how historically accurate is Gordon but all that happens around our protagonist seems legit and authentic.
The story itself and its main protagonist Yona, are somewhat lacking. It is built like sword and sorcery novel, he goes there , meets new people, does something improbable and then moves on. We are not feeling any emotional connection to him or to horrible staff that is happening around him. The plot is also very unlikely but it serves its purpose.

2.5 stars
I think the author wrote, unintentionally, about the Jews of the last 80 years: they know it is important to be a Jew but they either don't know why or they are unable to articulate why. Actually, there is always a percentage of Jews in each generation that are cultural Jews and do not have the knowledge of Judaism to understand what is to be a Jew and the value in persisting to be Jewish, even if it means death, imprisonment or exile. These days the Holocaust and Israel substitute for authentic Torah Judaism for many.
The book was pleasant to read. I honestly don't know the details of life in that period in Europe but the author made it all seem plausible. It was unclear what was the point of the story, as I mentioned at the beginning of the review.

Como siempre, Noah Gordon nos trae una historia apasionante y bien documentada. Ha habido otros libros de este mismo autor que me han gustado más pero no significa que esta novela sea muy francamente entretenida.

Recomendable 100%.