Ease Reading-Find Your Next Favorite Book

Hot Search

The Seville Communion

arturo pérez-reverte sonia soto

... Show More
Her name is Our Lady of the Tears. She's a small, crumbling Baroque church in the heart of Seville, Spain. And at least one person -- a computer hacker nicknamed Vespers -- believes that she kills to defend herself. In Arturo Perez-Reverte's stylish and entertaining The Seville Communion, Rome sends handsome Father Lorenzo Quart to investigate. He meets a feisty parish priest, a beautiful aristocrat, an ambitious banker, and three of the most touching, wonderfully ineffectual crooks to ever dabble in a life of crime. There are mysteries as well, from another death at the church to the secrets of the human heart.
-- Nancy Pate

375 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,1995
Literary awards
prix jean-monnet de littérature européenne du département de charente, dublin literary award, 
Places
seville, spain, vatican city, 

This edition

Format
375 pages, Paperback
Published
June 7, 1999 by Harcourt, Inc.
ISBN
9780156029810
ASIN
0156029812
Language
English
Characters More characters

More editions

About the author

Profile Image for arturo pérez-reverte

arturo pérez-reverte

... Show More
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.

Readers also enjoyed

Community Reviews

Rating(4 / 5.0, 100 votes)
5 stars
31(31%)
4 stars
37(37%)
3 stars
32(32%)
2 stars
0(0%)
1 stars
0(0%)
100 reviews All reviews
Profile Image for Kimberly .
r1z0_n
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
... Show More
This brilliant story truly has a most surprising ending.

The scenes set in Sevilla are描绘得如此生动, as are the dialogues.

By the way, I had the pleasure of reading it in Spanish, where the title is "La piel del tambor."

I firmly believe that this is his finest among the so-called mysteries, for they are so much more than just that.

His remarkable mastery of all aspects of the Spanish language is truly astonishing.

From the 17th-century dialogue in the Capitan Alatriste series, to the vibrant Mexican street language and the gritty Spanish drug slang, and even to the unique 19th-century Franglish in "Trafalgar," he has rightfully earned his place in the Real Academia de la Lengua.

Without a doubt, he is my absolute favorite modern writer.

His works have the power to transport readers to different times and places, and to engage them in the most captivating stories.

I can't wait to explore more of his literary treasures.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
hellodarknesss
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
... Show More
Anything written by Perez-Reverte is of high quality. I discovered this particular book at an airport. Generally, I prefer to read his works in Spanish, but on this occasion, I was in need of a book for my flight.

One part that I really loved was when he visited a fine tailor and purchased an extremely expensive priest outfit for himself. When asked about the reason for spending such a large amount of money on his clothes, his response was that his clothes served as a uniform. If he was going to interact with very powerful individuals, he needed to don the appropriate uniform.

The book is filled with intrigue and action, which keeps the reader engaged from start to finish.

I highly recommend this book. It has the potential to be easily adapted into a movie, given its exciting plot and well-developed characters.

Overall, it is a great read that I would encourage others to pick up.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Lenko_
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
... Show More
The plot has become somewhat tedious to me.

I think it would have been better with half the pages.

The ending seemed a bit unbelievable to me.

Perhaps the author could have condensed the story and focused more on the key elements to make it more engaging.

Also, the ending could have been rewritten in a more convincing way to tie up the loose ends and give the readers a more satisfying conclusion.

Overall, while the story had some interesting ideas, the execution could have been improved to make it a more enjoyable read.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Gangankuroi-sama
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
... Show More
This is a strange novel. Everything in it seems to be set up to make a perfect, rich, and exciting novel. However, it didn't click with me. Strangely, I had trouble getting into it. The style is still as distinguished and refined as ever.

Even though I found the digressions right in the middle of dialogues a bit long and superfluous, which made it lose the thread. The descriptions of Seville are enchanting, the atmosphere is perfectly captured, and the characters are also quite well-developed.

Despite all these undeniable qualities, I didn't sense the "thing" that would have made me devour the book. I didn't find it thrilling or captivating. It lacked that rhythm that makes you not let go of a book until you know more. Some of the secondary characters bordered on caricature, and the identity of the computer pirate is overly convoluted.

The ending is very fast compared to the rest, which is very long. "The Skin of the Drum" will not be my favorite by this author.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
sadasianstudent
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
... Show More
Best last line ever!

This book is an absolute delight to read. The author's writing style is so smooth and flowing that it makes the story just glide along.

No matter how exhausted I was, I simply couldn't put this book down. I was constantly eager to turn the next page and see what would happen next.

One aspect of the book that I really loved was the description of the city. It was portrayed as a living, breathing entity - something that has the power to consume and discard the less capable characters. This added a unique and interesting layer to the story.

Overall, the story holds together very well. However, my only minor complaint is that the identity of the hacker didn't seem entirely realistic to me. But despite this small flaw, I still think this book is an outstanding piece of work. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an engaging and entertaining read.

I give this book 4.9 stars, which I'm rounding up to 5 because it's just that good!
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
kurasaina
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
... Show More

The heroes in Arturo Pérez-Reverte's works are obviously strong personalities, solitary individuals capable of grappling with their own absurdities. Learning to live not according to your beliefs, but according to the world's expectations of you and the perseverance to do so for many years requires a great deal of inner strength that no one can give you, especially if the Almighty is not your source. That's why Pérez-Reverte is so popular, because many people identify with his heroes. His works are easy and pleasant to read. In 2008, I was in Seville and I regret that I didn't read his books then. The descriptions of the streets and places in that city seem to be especially enjoyable to read when you are actually in Seville :-)

0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Dowiet
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
... Show More
DNF stands for "Did Not Finish". It seems that the person is disappointed as they state that a certain book, which they have only completed 34% of, is not for them. This is a common experience when reading. Sometimes, a book may not resonate with us for various reasons. It could be the writing style, the subject matter, or perhaps our own personal interests at that particular time.

It's important to remember that not every book is going to be a perfect fit. There are countless other books out there waiting to be discovered. Just because one book didn't work out doesn't mean we should give up on reading altogether. We can always move on to the next one and hope to find that special connection.

Maybe this book will be more suitable for someone else. And who knows, perhaps in the future, when our perspectives have changed or we have more life experiences, we might be able to pick up this book again and see it in a different light. So, while it's a shame that this particular book didn't work out for the person, there's always the possibility of finding something even better in the world of literature.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
cosmiqr
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
... Show More
Sevilla is a truly remarkable place with its enchanting setting.

The city is filled with a unique charm that immediately captivates visitors. The architecture, the narrow streets, and the vibrant colors all contribute to creating a magical atmosphere.

Not only is the setting wonderful, but the storylines and characters in Sevilla are also highly engaging. There are countless tales to be discovered, whether it's through the local history, the traditions, or the people themselves.

The characters in Sevilla are diverse and full of life, each with their own distinct personalities and stories to tell. They draw you in and make you feel a part of their world.

Overall, Sevilla offers a combination of a beautiful setting, interesting storylines, and captivating characters that make it a place worth exploring and experiencing.
0 0 Reply
Leave a Review
You must be logged in to rate and post a review. Register an account to get started.