El club Dumas

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¿Puede un libro ser investigado policialmente como si de un crimen se tratara? Lucas Corso, mercenario de la bibliofilia, cazador de libros por cuenta ajena, se enfrenta a esa pregunta cuando recibe un doble encargo de sus clientes: autentificar un manuscrito de Los tres mosqueteros y descifrar el enigma de un extraño libro, quemado en 1667 con el hombre que lo imprimió. La peligrosa indagación le llevará de los archivos del Santo Oficio a los libros condenados, de las polvorientas librerías de viejo a las más selectas bibliotecas de los coleccionistas internacionales.

559 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,1993

About the author

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Arturo Pérez-Reverte Gutiérrez, is a Spanish novelist and ex-journalist. He worked as a war reporter for twenty-one years (1973 - 1994). He started his journalistic career writing for the now-defunct newspaper Pueblo. Then, he jumped to news reporter for TVE, Spanish national channel. As a war journalist he traveled to several countries, covering many conflicts. He put this experience into his book 'Territorio Comanche', focusing on the years of Bosnian massacres. That was in 1994, but his debut as a fiction writer started in 1983, with 'El húsar', a historical novella inspired in the Napoleonic era.

Although his debut was not quite successful, in 1988, with 'The Fencing Master', he put his name as a serious writer of historic novels. That was confirmed in 1996, when was published the first book of his Captain Alatriste saga, which has been his trademark. After this book, he could leave definitely journalism for focusing on his career as a fiction writer. This saga, that happens in the years of the Spanish golden age, has seen, for now, seven volumes, where Pérez-Reverte shows, from his particular point of view, historical events from Spanish history in the 16th century.

Apart from these, he also penned another successful works like Dumas Club and Flanders Panel, titles that, among others, made Pérez-Reverte one of the most famous and bestseller authors of Spanish fiction of our era.

Community Reviews

Rating(3.9 / 5.0, 100 votes)
5 stars
24(24%)
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100 reviews All reviews
April 26,2025
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Non è un giallo perfetto, non è un capolavoro, il finale lascia a desiderare sia perché ti aspetti il colpo di scena ed invece la fine è più banale di quanto ti immagini, sia perché ci sono dei particolari non chiari che non mi portano; tuttavia le avventure di Lucas Corso, un cacciatore di libri rari su commissione, mediatore tra collezionisti e librai di edizioni antiche e preziose, tra Madrid, Toledo, Sintra e Parigi, alla ricerca delle due copie ancora esistenti del libro “Le nove porte del regno delle ombre” stampato a Venezia nel 1666 dallo stampatore Aristide Torchia, bruciato sul rogo per stregoneria, mi hanno catturato. A questo punto ci si può chiedere cosa c’entra Dumas, messo là nel titolo. C’entra perché Corso ha anche avuto un altro incarico, quello di verificare l’autenticità del manoscritto del capitolo 42 de I tre moschettieri di Dumas, dal titolo “Il vino d’Angiò”; non basta, le avventure che gli capitano sono come un deja vu delle pagine del libro di Dumas, in cui incontriamo, tra gli altri, la perfida Milady de Winter e l’intrigante Rochefort, gli agenti del cardinale Richelieu.
Il tema demoniaco si unisce dunque a quello letterario in modo perfetto, tanto da aver suscitato e tenuto acceso il mio interesse per tutta la durata del libro. Insomma, mi sono divertita e appassionata (ed in più ho anche conosciuto qualcosa della vita e delle opere di Alexandre Dumas, che ignoravo).
April 26,2025
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A lot of fun for this Dumas fan! This book is somewhat similar to what I imagine you would get if you crossed The Name of the Rose with Angels and Demons; lots of demonology, antiquarian books and Dumas in a thriller.

My only regret is that I didn't read it last year once I had completed the entire d'Artagnan series. At least my memory of the characters and events was relatively fresh.
April 26,2025
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Rating: ⭐⭐ ½
Genre: Mystery Thriller

"The Ninth Gate," the film starring Johnny Depp, captivated me with its blend of mystery and bibliophilia. Eager to delve deeper, I sought the source material, Arturo Pérez-Reverte's "The Club Dumas." While the initial premise—a rare Dumas manuscript, shadowy book collectors, and a potentially real-life Athos—oozed with promise, the experience fell short of expectations.

The writing, likely due to the translation, felt dry and academic, struggling to capture the dynamism of the film's atmosphere. Perhaps the Spanish version had a different energy, but in English, the prose lacked the necessary spark to fully ignite the story.

The book's greatest strength lies in its ambitious concept. The blurring lines between reality and fiction, the tantalizing secrets hidden within dusty tomes, and the whispers of a world beyond the printed page—these elements are undeniably captivating. However, the execution stumbles. The story goes off in too many directions, with side plots that do not add anything to the plot and come across as narrative filler. At times, I felt lost in a maze of subplots, struggling to keep track of the central thread.

I can see how this disjointedness could be appealing to some; it is like a maze through literary history and magical lore. However, for me, it left the story feeling unfocused and, ultimately, unsatisfying. The ambiguous ending, while perhaps open to interpretation, felt more like a shrug than a satisfying conclusion.

"The Club Dumas" holds the potential for a thrilling literary adventure, but its execution stumbles under the weight of its own ambition. I'm aware I might be in the minority here, as the book has garnered significant acclaim. Perhaps it's simply a matter of taste, or perhaps, as I suspect, the magic of the Spanish prose is lost in translation. Whatever the reason, my journey through "The Club Dumas" left me wanting, with the promise of a literary treasure hunt ultimately unfulfilled.
April 26,2025
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Nothing like a mystery involving books, the rare book trade, bibliophiles involved in various unscrupulous and barely legal dealings, and then, of course, murder. This book has many parts and once it gets going it becomes an addictive read. Enjoy. I call it a cerebral mystery as there is quite a plot to follow. If following the works of Dumas and tracing the back story on some 17th century occult texts sounds interesting (and believe me it is), give this a try.
April 26,2025
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This book is an homage to the swashbuckling adventure story, particularly the Three Musketeers like stories of Alexandre Dumas, pere. But I recommend it to anyone with a deep love for books (... which I would assume would be anyone who has taken the time to join this site in the first place...). I think that you'll recognize yourself in some of the characters, even in their most ridiculous adventures. I found myself variously giggling aloud, gasping in shock, and turning pages faster and faster like a fiend. Which is /exactly/ what a book of the swashbuckling adventure genre should do. Except that this book isn't about that most of the time. It is about wandering scholars, crazed professors, and eccentric, obsessed bibliophiles.

My favorite book of Perez-Reverte's remains "The Flanders Panel," but this book is still very high on those that I love. And it has a higher action/creepout factor for those who like a little more "swash" in their swashbuckling homages.

I highly recommend it. It's a great, absorbing read. One note: I suggest reading some Dumas, or you lose about half of the fun and cleverness of the novel. The end reveal couldn't possibly be as good without that background, I don't think.

As a final note: I heard there was a movie made of this. I chose not to see it, and I heard I chose correctly. Don't judge it by that! This book is absolutely fantastic, and I'm sure the plot was mangled to make it more exciting for Hollywood audiences. Don't base your opinion of it on that.
April 26,2025
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Pas de note pour ce livre que j'ai lu dans des circonstances peu favorables, entre fatigue et voyages.

L'intrigue policière a eu du mal à me captiver, les personnages ne m'ont pas trop intéressés mais... l'auteur sait parler des livres des autres. Voilà qui m'a donné l'envie de me plonger dans les livres d'aventures du XIXe, surtout les Trois Mousquetaires dont il est beaucoup question ici, mais aussi les autres romans d'Alexandre Dumas et Rocambole, Les Mystères de Paris...
L'envie aussi de se promener dans les librairies, les bibliothèques et d'admirer les livres comme beaux objets. Alors, Arturo, merci.
April 26,2025
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For the first half of the book I thought I would give it it 5 stars. I loved the writing, the characters and the mystery.
Sadly the second half, and mostly the ending, kinda lost me and it turned out to be a bit silly. Too bad...
Still, an entertaining read! And I'd recommend it to books and Dumas lovers.
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