Since goodreaders have, on average, rated this the lowest of Perez-Reverte's books, I really must get to the other two I have shelved.

I must have lived a seafaring previous life because every time I read a book set upon the open waters, I simply cannot stop. Really. Never have I given up, nor wanted to give up on one. Perhaps it's just like the journey - you can't quit half-way through an ocean passage. Sooner or later, you'll have to land somewhere.

I enjoyed this book a great deal. The writing was clear and engaging. I thought the plot was straightforward and easy to follow. I liked the roles the characters played. There was Coy, the old sea salt captain, Tanger Soto, the femme intelligencia, and the dastardly scavengers who tried to beat them to the treasure. Well, of course you know who'll get the jewels in the end, but it's the way they do it that makes all the fun. You've got intrigue, plotting, adventure, a touch of romance, and the excitement of overcoming the odds.

And let's not forget, there's nothing cooler than rare and coveted old maps. They add an extra layer of mystery and allure to the story.

This is truly a sad excuse for a book. It seems to be more of a sailors' mood piece rather than a proper narrative.

It is chock full of sailing minutia which are used as a substitute for a proper plot. The author seems to have focused more on the details of sailing rather than creating an engaging story.

As a result, the book lacks the excitement and intrigue that one would expect from a good read. The sailing details, while perhaps interesting to some, do not make up for the lack of a strong plot.

Overall, this book is a disappointment and fails to deliver on what it promised. It is not recommended for those looking for a thrilling and engaging story.

DNF -

Disappointing as it was, it was not only dull but also failed to deliver the swashbuckling adventure that I so eagerly desired.

The story seemed to lack the excitement and energy that I expected from a thrilling adventure.

The characters were not developed enough to engage me fully, and the plot was rather predictable.

I found myself constantly bored and waiting for something interesting to happen.

Instead of the exciting sword fights and daring escapes that I had imagined, I was met with a series of mundane events.

Overall, it was a huge letdown and not at all what I was hoping for.

I would not recommend this to anyone looking for an exciting and engaging adventure.

No time for more than a brief note, alas.

Coy, a sailor, has been confined to land for a couple of years due to accidentally running a ship aground. He is lured by the lovely museum curator Tanger into the search for a Jesuit ship that sank in the late 18th century and its precious emerald cargo. As the story slowly unfolds, we are treated to a myriad of smaller stories of Coy's earlier adventures among other men for whom, like him, the land seems a foreign territory and the sea their only possible home.

This longish text requires you to immerse yourself in it and invest time. It is not really suitable for being read in ten-minute chunks whenever other activities permit. If you're seeking rip-roaring, pulse-pounding action, this isn't for you (although there is some of that in it). However, I found it entirely engrossing nonetheless. It was a struggle to put it down each time I had to.

Margaret Sayers Peden's respectful translation serves the book well. Every now and then, I was reminded by an odd turn of phrase or some infelicity that this was a translation, but that occurred no more than a handful of times during the book. Otherwise, the narrative read with great style.

Overall, this book offers a rich and detailed exploration of a sailor's life and his search for treasure, along with a host of engaging subplots and well-developed characters. It may not be a fast-paced action thriller, but it is a captivating read that rewards those who take the time to fully engage with it.

The Nautical Chart is, without a doubt, one of the most outstanding books I have had the pleasure of reading in recent years. It encompasses all the elements that I seek in a novel. The characters are not only intriguing but also multi-layered, making them come alive on the pages. The plot is tricky and unpredictable, constantly keeping me on the edge of my seat.

Moreover, the author has a remarkable ability to create a strong sense of place, transporting the reader to the settings with vivid descriptions. The nuanced view of sex and love adds another dimension to the story, making it both realistic and engaging.

What truly sets this book apart is the absolutely gorgeous language. The translation is unbelievably good, allowing the rhythm and beauty of Perez-Reverte's prose to shine through beautifully. I find myself longing to read the Spanish original to fully appreciate the author's mastery of language.

The ending, while completely unexpected, upon further reflection, has a rightness that I cannot dispute. It ties up the loose ends in a satisfying way, leaving a lasting impression on the reader.

Overall, this is a truly marvelous book that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys atmospheric tales with admirable anti-heroes. It is a literary gem that will stay with you long after you have turned the last page.

Have you ever perused a book that compels you to repeatedly set it aside, only to lean your head back and exclaim, "God. God" in a state of pure ecstasy? The kind of book that pierces your soul like a sharp sword, inducing a joyous agony within you? Well, that's precisely what this book is like. To be capable of writing with such finesse! To be able to translate with such precision! Both the author and the translator are not just masters of their respective crafts, but far more than that.

There are descriptions within this book that simply took my breath away. Take, for instance, the description of Cartagena on page 304. It spans almost an entire page, filled with detail upon detail, yet not a single word is superfluous. Every sentence is vivid and alive, as if you can actually smell the sun-baked dirt, taste the rich wine, and feel the salty air caressing your skin. It's truly absolutely incredible. I am now determined to read everything that Arturo Pérez-Reverte has ever penned, not only in English and its original Spanish but perhaps even in Portuguese as well.

I can't wait to embark on this literary journey and discover more of his masterpieces.

In its allusions to literature and the might of the written word, this work brought to my mind The Shadow of the Wind. To such an extent that I was taken aback when I remembered, oops, that was a different Spanish author. And in Tanger Soto, the powerful and enigmatic Ur-woman, it reminded me of The Queen of the South.

However, I found this one more appealing than either of those. Perhaps it's because I once resided on a sailboat. Maybe it's because I adored the omnipresent history, the Jesuits and their sailing vessels, the unfixed longitudes, and the shadowy puppeteers.

The main narrative of the rivals in pursuit of treasure progresses slowly, yes, but that doesn't bother me. I relished the details, the gradual revelation of Coy's heart, the way he thinks in nautical metaphors and helplessly trails a woman he is aware will shatter his heart.

This has been my favorite thus far among all of Pérez-Reverte's books.

Pornind de la licitarea unui vechi și prețios Atlas nautic, acțiunea romanului îi are în centru pe un marinar eșuat pe uscat. El este un personaj cu trecutul plin de aventuri și dezamăgiri. În pofida eșecului său anterior, încă îl înțelege pe mare și are o pasiune pentru căutarea comorilor.

Alături de acesta, există o frumoasă cercetătoare de la Muzeul Marinei. Ea are o pasiune pentru istoria marinară și încearcă să afle mai multe despre trecutul său misterios. În căutarea ei, se întâlnește cu marinarul și împreună încearcă să rezolve misterele legate de Atlas nautic.

Dar aventura lor nu este fără riscuri. Un lup de mare, un „pirat” ultramodern specializat în căutarea comorilor înghițite de ape, îi urmărește pe cei doi. El încearcă să îi împiedice să găsească comori și să le asigure el însuși profitul. Cu o minunată pendulare între trecut și prezent, romanul trimite la perioada istorică a supremației flotei spaniole. Cititorul este purtat din Peninsula Iberică în America, din speluncile marinărești la Curtea regilor Spaniei, din corăbiile secolului al XVIII-lea în marile nave moderne. În această aventură, întâlnește marinari, corsari, miniștri, aventurieri și mulți alți personaje interesante.

The story developed in a way that I thought was expected, which made me a little tired.

Maybe it was because the plot followed a familiar pattern, lacking in surprises and excitement.

However, I still continued to read, hoping that there would be some unexpected twists or revelations later on.

As I turned the pages, I found myself becoming more and more immersed in the story, despite its predictability.

The characters were well-developed, and their relationships added depth to the narrative.

Overall, although the story didn't completely captivate me, it was still an enjoyable read that kept me engaged until the end.

I truly made an effort. I really did. However, after reaching page 119, I had no choice but to set it aside and turn to some more thrilling books. Subsequently, I returned and read another 60 pages, only to dread the thought of slogging through another 300.

Nothing occurred. A woman is in search of a shipwreck. She enlists a man to assist her. They converse about the ship. They discuss the sea. The man reflects to himself about the sea. Eventually, he does punch someone, but even that fails to be particularly exciting.

I have enjoyed all the other books by Pérez-Reverte that I have read, and it irritates the completionist within me not to finish this one. But if I continue to persevere, I will be spending the next three months reading this.

I have a deep affection for Pérez-Reverte's novels. Truly, I do.

However, after reading this particular book, I was left with the distinct impression that he is a misogynist. A blatant misogynist, in fact. Like many misogynists, he attempts to hide his aversion to women behind a guise of "I truly appreciate their beauty, even when I perhaps shouldn't."

I had suspected this to some extent in all the other books of his that I've read (such as all of Alatriste and Hombres Buenos), but this one in particular made me think almost immediately, "wow, some woman has really had a profound impact on this guy..."

While others may have found this novel interesting and filled with unexpected twists and turns, I, despite loving the opening sentences, pretty much knew what was coming. It is populated with caricatures and every single trope of the noir genre. He aimed for a Lauren Bacall-like female protagonist but ended up with something far from that.

The novel's greatest flaw is Pérez-Reverte's incessant, insistent, and relentless need to prove that he knows his subject matter. It is almost at the eleventh hour when he reveals that the narrator is a master cartographer who knows the story of Coy and Tánger. How he came to know all these details is inconsequential because, regardless of logic, by the last page one of his protagonists is dead and the other is either headed to jail or the graveyard.

In the beginning, you might have some interest in what is being sought and who is doing the searching, perhaps even in the why. But halfway through, you realize that you knew all along there was a treasure, the people doing the searching are all completely unlikable (he can try to make Coy seem nice and likable by having him love books and jazz, but it falls flat), and the author has absolutely no interest in telling you why the search is so important to anyone.

To make matters even worse, he kills the dog. The only likable character in the novel is the dog, and he kills it... and then you discover that the betrayal of killing the dog is even more egregious than you could have possibly imagined.

I will be staying away from Pérez-Reverte for a good long while... and I would even like to remove the RAE chair from beneath him.

Set in the Spanish Mediterranean,

this thrilling hunt for a lost shipwreck and potential treasure, all while eluding modern pirates, felt highly believable. The reason for this lies in the well-developed characters. In particular, the two main characters, Coy and Tanger, stand out. Coy, a merchant marine, immediately hooks the reader with his struggle to survive on land and win the girl. Tanger, on the other hand, is one of the strongest female characters I've come across in my reading. Her strength is entirely feminine - modern, yet still retaining that essential femininity, not some unrealistic ninja or superhero like Laura Croft. Perez-Reverte's wistful tone is enjoyable for the most part, although at times his sentimentality can seem a bit excessive. Perhaps this is due to a translation issue. The book is filled with nautical terminology and sailing references, including those from the best-known nautical fiction, which should be very appealing to the experienced reader. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this literary voyage and highly recommend this adult book to both males and females alike. It has an abundance of action, intrigue, and romance to satisfy most tastes.