I was looking forward to this, I'd seen the film 'The Ninth Gate' that it inspired and although that wasn't a classic by any stretch it was enjoyable and had some good chills. When I realised the book wasn't particularly gelling for me I was still inclined to give it the benefit of the doubt - after all a lot of the fun with thrillers is the surprises in the plot and I'd spoiled those for myself by watching the film... but that excuse wore thin pretty quickly.

It's usually a bad sign when characters in a book repeatedly talk about how they'd do such and such 'if this was a lousy work of fiction...' and sure enough this happens frequently. At one point the main character wonders how much of his info-dumping informant's erudition is charlatanism and I was left with the same problem. Sadly, the use of esoteric books as the macguffin and the frequently scattered bits of litr'ry trivia don't really hide up the fact that this is a fairly ordinary airport thriller.

The two biggest problems are a central twist is so clumsily signposted that it would barely be a spoiler if I gave it away here and the lead character. He's meant to be an amoral, intelligent charmer. In the film he had the advantage of being played by a pre-Jack Sparrow Johnny Depp but without that he just comes across as an unlikable little rat. Unsympathetic protagonists are one thing but given the book's plot hinges on his overpowering charisma this is something of a killer blow.

Not really worth your time.

My review of The Club Dumas is published at Grimdark Magazine.

The Club Dumas by Arturo Pérez-Reverte is quite a thrill ride for bibliophiles, with a dark, labyrinthine story full of gray morality. The protagonist, Lucas Corso, is an antiquarian book dealer and investigator known for doing whatever it takes to meet the demands of his privileged clientele. As the novel opens, Corso is approached by a wealthy client asking him to authenticate a manuscript which is supposedly a rare original document by the famed French writer Alexandre Dumas, author of The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers.

Corso’s investigation in The Club Dumas leads him on a path toward finding a legendary occultist book, supposedly containing instructions on how to summon Satan. Corso deduces that there are actually three copies of the book. Much of the plot centers on Corso locating these copies and studying their subtle differences to determine which is real and which are fake.

Arturo Pérez-Reverte does excellent work incorporating artwork into the novel, using images of nine plates contained from the legendary Satanic book and explaining the subtle differences between the authentic and forged versions. The study of these slight differences leads Corso to an unexpected conclusion regarding the person who has hired his services.

The Club Dumas is a ton of fun, and Lucas Corso is highly compelling as the main protagonist. Corso is equal parts book scholar, philosopher, hardboiled detective, and James Bond-style superspy, but with morally gray overtones that will be especially appealing to grimdark fans.

I won’t give away any more of the plot in The Club Dumas, which is filled with action involving antiquarian book lovers, femme fatales, and Satanists. The ending of the novel has a twist so big that it left me in complete disbelief, questioning everything I had read up to that point.

The Club Dumas is the type of novel that will stimulate the mind at a deep level while also keeping you entertained throughout. Overall, The Club Dumas is highly recommended for fans of dark fiction.

Vanhoja ja arvokkaita kirjoja metsästävä Lucas Corso saa tehtäväkseen hankkia haltuunsa okkultistisen teoksen, jonka avulla voi - tai ainakin niin huhutaan - manata esiin itsensä paholaisen. Lisäksi hänen haltuunsa päätyy Alexandre Dumasin alkuperäiskäsikirjoitus.

Corso saa huomata, että kirjat herättävät ihmisissä runsaasti intohimoja, jopa siinä määrin että niiden haltuun saamisen eteen ollaan valmiita tekemään likaisia temppuja - jopa tappamaan. Jossakin vaiheessa fakta ja fiktio alkavat sekoittua tavalla, joka saa kaiken nähneen ja kokeneen päähenkilön pohtimaan missä oikein mennään. Ja kuka mahtaa olla nuori ja kaunis nainen, joka putkahtaa Corson tielle kerta toisensa jälkeen?

Arturo Pérez-Reverten "Yhdeksäs portti" (Like, 2001) oli yksi opiskeluvuosieni isoista lukuelämyksistä, jonka pariin oli jännittävä palata näin parikymmentä vuotta myöhemmin. Olisiko mysteeri edelleen yhtä kiehtova?

Kyllä ja ei. Lähtöasetelma oli kiehtovaakin kiehtovampi, ja nautin suuresti kun mysteerit alkoivat hitaasti avautua. Lukuisat intertekstuaaliset viittaukset ja henkilöiden käymät kirjalliset keskustelut kutkuttivat nekin mieltä. Toisaalta romaanin toisen keskeisen tarinalinjan huipennus osoittautui melkoiseksi antikliimaksiksi - jopa siinä mittakaavassa, että toisessa mielentilassa olisin saattanut heittää kirjan roviolle Aristide Torchian seuraksi. Naishahmojen kuvaustakin sopii miettiä kahdesti.

Vaikka kirja ei ollut ihan yhtä briljantti kuin muistelin sen olevan, annan kuitenkin neljä tähteä ja luultavasti joudun lähitulevaisuudessa tarttumaan Kolmeen muskettisoturiin, aivan kuten edellisen lukukerrankin jälkeen.

I normally wouldn’t pick up something like this, but it was given to me as a gift, so I cracked it. It took me until about half-way through before I realized that it was the basis for the Johnny Depp/Roman Polanski flop “The Ninth Gate.” (Which I've yet to see).

The Club Dumas was probably only the second detective novel I’ve read in the past five years, the other being Jonathan Lethem’s Motherless Brooklyn. While the novels have very little in common, I couldn’t help but notice the formulaic similarities, and though one is about a rare book collector in Spain and the other about a Tourette’s-inflicted driver in New York, neither seems able to avoid (or resist?) the clichés of the genre:

•Both begin with the death of an older patron of the protagonist.

•Our bumbling protagonist is then hesitantly lured into investigating the crime.

•The protagonist is met with resistance by the dead man’s “sultry widow with a murky past” who tries to seduce him, but doesn't. (It is later revealed that the widow is sleeping with the protagonist’s presumed only ally(s).)

•A beautiful younger woman (both described as being between 18 and 20 with short, black hair) comes out of nowhere and becomes instantly infatuated with our admittedly unattractive protagonist for reasons never stated.

•A shadowy, violent figure stalks, then attacks our protagonist. He is rescued by the younger woman.

•Clues lead him to a city up the coast where the main events of the plot are revealed to be the machinations of a clandestine, conspiratorial organization.

Unfortunately, the strikingly familiar formula makes the only original and interesting aspects of each – Lionel’s battle with Tourette’s befuddling his efforts to solve the crime, or The Club Dumas’ references to esoterica and arcane literature which are clearly designed to appeal to pretentious literati (okay, so it worked ;P) – seem like little more than window dressing, leaving the core of the novel a warmed-over re-run. Hell, even the DaVinci Code contained most of the above formula.

Motherless Brooklyn, with its exploration of small-time crime syndicates and short, sporadic sub-chapters (some no more than a few sentences long) which parallel the main character's own tourettic outbursts, was clearly the better written of the two. The Club Dumas’ constant dwelling upon “clues” which have all the subtlety of an out-of-control Sherman tank, results in the reader knowing exactly what is going to happen before they're even half-way through.

An interesting, crime mystery, plot driven novel, set in the world of antiquarian booksellers. The story follows the adventures of Lucas Corso, a book dealer, who is hired to authenticate a rare Alexander Dumas manuscript. There are lots of plot twists. Whilst undertaking the verification of a chapter from ‘The Three Musketeers’, a client requests Corso to solve the puzzle of three copies of ‘The Nine Doors’ published in 1667. There are some murders, a beautiful mysterious young woman, Irene Adler, saves Corso’s life, the Three Musketeers find themselves recast in modern dress, and a client tries to summon the devil.

There is some interesting information provided about Dumas.

This book was first published in Spain in 1993.

6.0 stars. Another book on my list of "All Time Favorite" novels. This is a book that I started reading with very high expectations and, lo and behold, those expectations were actually met if not exceeded. This book had so many aspects to it that were right in my wheelhouse. First, it is set in the world of rare book collectors with endless references to rare editions to excite the book nerd in us all. Second, there are two related subplots involving (i) an original manuscript of The Three Musketeers that tracks the life of Alexandre Dumas and explores many of his works and (ii) a rare book written in 1666 and reputed to have been written in partial collaboration with Satan himself that contain puzzles that need to be solved in order to [???....no spoilers]. Third, you have a superb main character in Lucas Corso, a cynical, amoral book detective (played very well by Johnny Depp in the film version known as The Ninth Gate).

Fourth, Fifth, Sixth etc.. you have secret societies, satanic rituals, exotic locals, femme fatales, quirky and memorable supporting characters, supernatural guardians and pacing that moves along very quickly.

Add all of that up and you have what the front of the book accurately describes as "a beach read for intellectuals." I loved it and I give it my HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION!!!

Nominee: World Fantasy Award for Best Novel.

No, no me afilio yo a este club. Tres estrellas y casi, casi le caen dos.

Más bibliografía que novela, más explayarse en conocimientos sobre Dumas y demás libros que pululan por la obra que en una trama interesante, he leído en diagonal gran parte.

¿Veis como a pesar de ser “revertiano” no me caso con todo lo que escribe?

An incredible reading experience for those who love books, especially readers of the D'Artagnan Romances and Sherlock Holmes stories. The main character tracks down and investigates antique books for wealthy clients, and he is involved in a confusing investigation concerning an original manuscript of a chapter from "The Three Musketeers" and books that are supposed to help one summon the Devil. He is being hounded by what appears to be a live character from "The Three Musketeers" and aided by a woman who goes by the name "Irene Adler" of Sherlock Holmes fame. It's a fascinating and wild ride -- much better than the Roman Polanski film "The Ninth Gate", which cut out the parts of the plot that bibilophiles will love most.

April 8, 2021: I just read this book again, and, interestingly, this time I was not blown away as I was the first time. Instead I found it confusing and pedantic, with the author trying to impress us with how well-read he is. It’s amazing how one may have different reactions to the same book at different times.

3.5. Lo que más me gustó fueron las referencias a materias como la literatura y el ocultismo. La historia y los personajes, por algún motivo que atribuyo a la peculiar prosa del autor, se me hicieron bastante pesados. El libro me duró demasiado y no lo abría con especial entusiasmo cada que lo retomaba, por más que me apasionen los temas que aborda. Me agotaron bastante la longitud de las escenas y la falta de realismo en los personajes femeninos (los más importantes son preciosos floreros unidimensionales: o totalmente perversos o totalmente angélicos). Al final, quedé hastiada por la cantidad de descripciones repetitivas sobre esa jovencita de 18 años con pechos turgentes, cintura diminuta, largas piernas firmes y bronceadas, etc., etc. Me quedo con lo que el libro me remitió a investigar fuera de sí mismo. Es una pena, porque mi edición de aniversario es preciosa y fue un regalo de un buen amigo.

HUH? was my reaction to the end of this book and that is not a good reaction to have. I had such high hopes for this book - the premise seemed so entertaining - set in the world of rare book collecting, a mystery involving both Satan and Dumas. Talk about a let down!

The main character, Corso, is so dull, I could care less what happens to him. His one friend - so irritating and their friendship is never explained. And don't get me started on the beautiful young girl who inexplicably falls for Corso. If I had to read one more time about her stunning green eyes & long, sexy tan legs....talk about a middle aged man's fantasy. Oh please. Same with every other character - a big fat who cares.

The mystery is no better. Turns out there are two and neither are resolved very satisfactorily. The Dumas plotline peters out into a no big deal & the Satan plot is just abruptly dropped - hence my "huh" moment. Ok, maybe I'm an idiot who just didn't get it. SPOILERS:.........................................
What the hell happened at the end? Did Corso kill Borja? Did Borja kill himself? Did the devil show up and take Borja to hell? Did Corso just leave Borja on the floor, acting crazy? And please please please tell me that the young girl was not a fallen angel? Oh, good grief.

I am sad that I wasted part of my life reading this book. Do not make my mistake! I warn you!

4.1 ☆

Diría que Dumas es de mis autores favoritos, y el escritor de mi libro favorito "El Conde de Montecristo", EL libro, así que, como buena fangirl, el título "El club Dumas" me llamó tanto la atención que fui corriendo a leerlo.

Básicamente, Lucas Corso, el protagonista quien se dedica a la búsqueda de libros y escrituras antiguas, es contratado para autenticar un manuscrito que se cree que es fue escrito por Alexandre Dumas. Este antiquísimo papel, sin embargo, lo lleva a meterse en una trama de conspiraciones y misterios relacionados con la figura del diablo. Poco a poco, empieza a ver conexiones entre el misterioso manuscrito y "Los Tres Mosqueteros" comenzando a creer, tras varios extraños sucesos de la historia, que Milady y Rocheford podrían estar involucrados dentro de su propia investigación (...sí, tal cual).

Si bien la historia en sí me gustó bastante, hubo partes con explicaciones/descripciones algo largas y demás que se me hicieron un poco densas de leer, pero en compensación me encantó el giro al "final", donde el protagonista descubre el origen de la página del manuscrito (que ni siquiera es el final del misterio, como erróneamente cree Corso... bueno, y yo, al llegar ahí); esto fue mi momento favorito en todo el libro y lo que me hizo decidir darle 4 estrellas y un poco más.

La escritura del autor me gustó, en especial el detalle de las pequeñas citas de varios libros de aventura clásicos que coloca al inicio de cada capitulo, aunque tengo pendiente leer el resto de sus obras.

Los personajes están bien desarrollados y se diferencian muy bien unos de otros (Liana Taifeller se terminó volviendo mi personaje favorito hacia el final, y la obsesión de Lucas Corso por resolver todo el misterio la terminé tomando yo también, me encantó leer sus teorías cada vez más interesantes a medida que avanzaba la historia y obtenía nuevas pistas).

En resumen, estuvo super entretenido y lo recomiendo para cualquiera que quiera leer un buen libro de misterio y aventuras!

(Also...Me gustaría que existiera un Club Dumas, la verdad)

One of those books that get better as they progress. A very surprising ending. Recommended if you're into books about books and thrillers.