This book, when compared to the author's Flanders Panel, truly suffered.

The characters within it failed to really command my interest or evoke any sense of empathy. They seemed rather flat and unengaging, lacking the depth and complexity that would have drawn me in.

Moreover, the subject matter itself was not nearly as intriguing as that of The Flanders Panel. It lacked the captivating elements and the mystery that had made the earlier work so compelling.

As a result, reading this book was a somewhat disappointing experience, especially when held up against the high standard set by The Flanders Panel. It left me longing for the kind of immersive and engaging narrative that I had come to expect from this author.

Perhaps with a different set of characters and a more interesting subject matter, this book could have been a more successful endeavor. But as it stands, it simply does not measure up to the author's previous work.

Enjoying this fascinating intrigue that seamlessly brings together seafaring, history, and a touch of romance. The author has truly excelled in placing the reader right into the shoes of the character. The palpable sense of intrigue throughout the story is simply captivating, keeping one firmly hooked from start to finish. It's a great read for those who are seeking something a little less "mainstream", offering a unique and engaging experience that transports the reader to a different time and place. With its richly detailed settings, complex characters, and thrilling plot, this book is sure to delight fans of historical fiction and adventure alike.

Pérez-Reverte is one of the few contemporary authors that I read with real pleasure. "The Cemetery of the Nameless Ships" is the ninth novel by the author that I have read.

It is more of an internal adventure for the characters than a true adventure novel in the classic sense of the term, although the adventure is there, through a desperate treasure hunt and the presence of a number of disturbing characters.

Erudition is very much present. It ranges from Conrad to Tintin, from The Maltese Falcon to Blade Runner. Because it is also a journey through literature and cinema. I really liked the parallel that Coy, the disillusioned character, makes between the periods of his life and his readings.

There may be some longueurs (the specialized maritime vocabulary is very present in some passages), long moments of introspection that are a bit repetitive, which will not make this my favorite Pérez-Reverte novel, but I read this novel with great pleasure from beginning to end.

Coy, a down-on-his-luck sailor, strolls into a nautical auction in Barcelona. There, he spots a beautiful blond woman, covered in freckles, bidding on a rare historical map. Instantly, he is consumed by the desire to possess her and count each and every freckle on her body.

This marks the start of a historical thriller that offers a wealth of history but falls short on thrills. The plot meanders through Spanish coastal towns as the intrepid duo embarks on a treasure hunt. Their goal is to locate priceless emeralds that sank to the bottom when a Spanish brigadine carrying Jesuits on a secret voyage three centuries ago went down. They are pursued by an unscrupulous treasure hunter and his sidekick, an evil Argentinian dwarf and ex-torturer.

It took me a couple of weeks to plow through this book during my commute to and from work, which indicates that it failed to grip me tightly enough to keep me turning the pages. The issue was that I never bought into Coy's love for Tanger, the enigmatic and fascinating beauty at the heart of the novel. She simply wasn't enigmatic or fascinating enough to hold the story together. She is far too cold. She not only rejects Coy's advances but also those of the reader. I grew weary of reading about her asymmetrical blond hair and her freckles. The ending, too, was completely foreseeable several hundred pages in advance. Additionally, one is repelled by Coy's frequent outbursts of inexplicable brutality. So, while the Spanish setting is vividly described and the history is interesting (I learned a great deal about 17th-century navigation techniques and the different meridians), I can only offer this book a lukewarm endorsement.

Arturo Perez-Reverte is widely regarded as a master in the realm of the "thinking man's thriller." His works like The Club Dumas and The Seville Communion are considered literary gems. However, The Nautical Chart fails to meet the expected standards and sinks to the bottom like a stone.

The story lacks tension as a couple of mismatched souls embark on a journey to find a sunken 17th-century ship. The narrative is ponderously top-heavy with marine references and repetitive, exhaustive character development. As a result, the plot flails like a fish out of water, struggling to maintain momentum before eventually bogging down in pretentious ambition.

In this 456-page book, the ship isn't even found until page 415. I found myself skimming long before that point. While there are indeed moments of evocative, brilliantly turned phrases that one has come to expect from Perez-Reverte, they are as elusive as the treasure at the bottom of the sea. Overall, The Nautical Chart is a real disappointment.

Arturo Perez Reverte is truly an amazing writer.

He has this remarkable ability to turn long and seemingly unnecessary descriptions into something that is not only riveting but also essential.

There might be other writers who could be on a par with Reverte when it comes to descriptive talents, but in my personal opinion, no one can exceed him.

The descriptions in The Nautical Chart are as good as any he has written. However, this is certainly not one of his best books.

Throughout most of the book, you are trapped within the protagonist's longing for the book's femme fatale. This constantly reminds me that I am so over the concept of unrequited love.

I found it extremely annoying to be stuck inside the head of an impotent (not in a literal sense) beta male. Naturally, like most people in his position, he was resentful, which in turn reminded me of various scenarios from my own life that I would rather not dwell on.

That being said, the characters in the book are actually quite complex. The plot is full of swashbuckling adventures. The protagonist becomes more likeable as he gains some courage. And there are plenty of Tin Tin references, which is always a plus.

All in all, while The Nautical Chart may not be Reverte's best work, it still has its own unique charm and qualities that make it worth reading.

Not bad.

I think I was just in the wrong mood for this one.

Consequently, it ended up taking me almost 2 weeks to read.

However, Perez-Reverte always demonstrates solid writing skills.

Although I must admit to having a preference for his period work.

His ability to create vivid characters and engaging storylines is truly remarkable.

Even in this particular book, which may not have been my absolute favorite, there were still many aspects that I enjoyed.

The plot was complex and full of twists and turns, keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout.

The descriptions of the settings were so detailed that I could easily picture myself in the scenes.

Overall, I would still recommend Perez-Reverte's work to others, especially those who enjoy well-written novels with historical or cultural backgrounds.

After reading the synopsis, I embarked on reading this book with great anticipation. The search for a sunken treasure that has been lying in the Mediterranean for over two hundred years was a sufficient subject to make me eager for the reading. Unfortunately, as I progressed, that eagerness gave way to an enormous boredom. I was only advancing in the number of pages because in the first two hundred, the author fails to transport us anywhere or advance the story in a way that grabs the reader.

Although the synopsis conveys an idea of action, \\"... from Barcelona to Madrid, from Cadiz to Gibraltar, along the coasts of Cartagena...\\", during the 443 pages of the book, little or almost nothing is conveyed about Madrid, Barcelona, Cadiz, Gibraltar, or Cartagena. From Madrid, we learn that there is a Naval Museum near the Prado Museum; from Barcelona, Coy's city, that there is an auction house that Coy regularly visited; from Cadiz, that it was a city through which, in the past, the 0 meridian line passed, used by the Spanish in their navigation charts, and of Gibraltar or Cartagena, nothing! I didn't get anything at all about these two cities... This means that the author spends most of the time (or pages) rambling through Coy's thoughts and the way of life at sea and the feeling of discomfort that a sailor feels when on land. Sincerely, I can't stand 443 pages of that...

The ending is also brutally disappointing! Very weak, weak...

I've made no secret of my love for Arturo Perez-Reverte on this site. In fact, I have a rather amusing story to share. I once sleepily read his name as "Arthur in Reverie." Strangely enough, I think this dreamy author, who is so in love with the past, might have actually appreciated that little slip-up.

The Nautical Chart follows a pattern similar to many of his other books. There's the woman who lures our unsuspecting and unassuming man into a mystery. There's his unfortunate life before that encounter, a strong link to and nostalgia for the past, and the promise of redemption. All of these elements are beautifully woven into a character study. I'll admit that this is the most unabashedly formulaic and predictable of his books, which is why I give it only three stars. However, his formula is one that is ideally built to please me. (Aside from my past described issues with his "dark lady" complex, but I have much less of an issue with that than with drowning Ophelias, so.) So, I don't really take issue with it.

The protagonist of this piece is a down and out sailor. He ends up helping a mysterious woman find maps that are supposed to lead to buried treasure. Our protagonist is somewhat subdued, more inclined to watch the world than participate in it, due to past trauma. I really appreciated his return to "living," even though it was a slow and painful process for him. The female character is obviously a stereotypical dark lady, and she's quite easy to predict. But her journey is still touching, and I was still able to become absorbed in the book, even though it might seem slow to others. I found it more thoughtful than enthralling, which is not what I generally expect from a Perez-Reverte. But that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. I read this book so long ago that I would have to read it again to recall the subtle details that I liked specifically. However, I do generally remember that Reverte's deft atmospheric touch was there. His ability to make the gothic seem every day, his way of making his characters seem to step out of 19th century dreams without being overly campy about it, and his ability to draw a well done character study into an adventure story.

I would recommend this book to those who already love Reverte's work, not to newcomers. He's capable of much better, and I wouldn't want anyone to walk away thinking that this is his best.

A truly dreary book with a lethargically paced narrative. It takes a whopping over 200 pages before the characters even embark on a boat to search for the wreck. I must say that I found this particular book to be significantly weaker than both The Flanders Panel and The Club Dumas. The story seems to drag on and on, lacking the excitement and intrigue that one would expect.

However, on the plus side, while the ending was somewhat predictable, it was still okay, all things considered. It didn't completely disappoint, but it also didn't leave a lasting impression. Overall, this book is not one that I would highly recommend to others. There are far better works out there that offer a more engaging and satisfying reading experience.

Habiendo leído buena parte de la bibliografía de Pérez-Reverte, podría calificar La carta esférica como un libro de transición. Sus novelas de misterio/búsqueda, que alcanzaron su máxima sublimación en El Club Dumas y La Tabla de Flandes, se convierten definitivamente en novelas de personajes, destacando El Pintor de Batallas en 2006. El tono se vuelve más sombrío y pesimista, y la trama, aunque siempre magníficamente engarzada, pasa a ser menos relevante.

Los temas típicos de Pérez-Reverte se integran sin artificios y con sutil naturalidad: el mar, el héroe cansado, Troya y el Mediterráneo, los códigos, la camaradería y la soledad... y, por supuesto, La Mujer.

El lenguaje marino es voluntariamente críptico, tal como lo será en Cabo Trafalgar, posiblemente para hacernos sentir a los no familiarizados tan perdidos como nuestros semejantes en la novela. Como ellos, ante tan abrumador léxico, podemos echar los higadillos por estribor y siempre a sotavento, nunca a barlovento.

La prosa es ágil y directa, marca de la casa, con juegos narrativos acertados y efectivos, y personajes creíbles, densos y complejos (única concesión a lo grotesco, el hijodeputa de Kiskoros).

Tengo curiosidad por conocer la opinión de alguna mujer sobre la protagonista femenina, Tánger Soto, quien es una mujer pérez-revertiana en su máximo exponente.

BIEN.

Though this story is firmly set in the present time, it is rich with a plethora of historical aspects that revolve around the ship they are in search of.

Even though I possess almost no knowledge about sailing, I have an intense love for reading maritime novels. The aspect that I found to be the most fascinating in this story was the stark contrast between sailing in the eighteenth century and in modern times.

Tánger and Coy were compelled to utilize their knowledge of the available technology from the 1700s and rectify the information they had to align with modern (and far more accurate) charts. It truly was a complex puzzle.

Overall, this was an extremely exciting story that could be read quickly. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone with an interest in maritime adventures or historical mysteries.

It offers a unique blend of present-day action and historical depth that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish.