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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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 :-)

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.

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.

A hacker manages to break into the Vatican's computer system. Once inside, the hacker leaves a rather disturbing message for the Pope. The message claims that there is a church in Seville that "kills to defend itself." As it turns out, there is indeed a church that some individuals wish to tear down and replace with a more lucrative venture. Tragically, two people have already died accidentally in relation to this matter. The Catholic Church, abhorring any kind of scandal, decides to get the IEA (Institute of External Affairs) involved. They send Father Lorenzo Quart to impartially gather information about the unfortunate incidents surrounding this run-down Baroque church known as Our Lady of the Tears. Quart's task is not only to understand what has been happening but also to determine the identity of the hacker.

Father Quart is not your typical Father Confessor. He is well-dressed, good-looking, and rather secretive. He is also a highly effective intelligence soldier for the Church. Soon after arriving in Seville, Quart discovers that the answers he is seeking are not as straightforward as he had hoped.

For me, this book was not a fast read, but that's actually a positive aspect. Seville is an incredibly enchanting and ancient place, and Pérez-Reverte describes it in a style that engages all of our senses. He creates some truly unforgettable characters, which are further enhanced by repeated descriptions. The plot is thick with politics, greed, and history, yet it moves along at a pace that can be compared to a pleasant walk through Seville (of which there are many). I wouldn't classify this as an action thriller or a "page-turner" as it does wander a bit too much at times. In fact, I had to go back to the beginning and start again during the second chapter. However, there is something about the story that compelled me to keep reading until the end. The exploration of old-fashioned faith, love, commitment, and the philosophy behind them is intellectually satisfying. There are also some humorous scenes, and the ending twists a few times. Perhaps the most rewarding surprises are Father Quart's decisions and the true meaning behind the title of the book.

I do recommend this book, but with one caveat. Read it because it takes you on a journey to Seville, not because you are specifically looking for a good hacker mystery.

2.5 stars.

Poor writing. The prose lacks fluidity and elegance, making it a bit of a struggle to get through.

Weak plot. It seems rather disjointed and unconvincing, failing to hold the reader's attention firmly.

Conceptually okay - a few ideas to contemplate.

I am travelling and was given this book on my first day away from home by someone I was staying with. Given that my time has been broken up by a constant flow of social encounters, I have had difficulty reading anything more serious. Hence this review.

I have often been curious about the novels of Pérez-Reverte. I no longer am. I found much of my reading experience to be spoiled by stereotypical characters. They lack depth and originality, coming across as mere caricatures. The stilted dialogue further detracts from the overall quality, making the interactions between the characters seem artificial and forced. And the contrived plot is just too unbelievable, with events unfolding in a rather predictable and uninteresting way. The attempt at creating comic relief through the three inept criminals fell quite flat for me. I have never been a fan of slapstick humour.

The saving grace for me was the attempt by Pérez-Reverte to include some serious discussion about the nature of history and time. While I would have appreciated a more in-depth discussion, I was pleasantly surprised by the very fact of the inclusion of these ideas in the book. The linking of discussions of family history, changing human fate and time relations in astronomy, were meant to give the reader pause and to reflect upon her own place in the world as it spins intractably bringing her onto the stage and then off again. Kinda cool. However, this alone is not enough to redeem the many flaws in the book. Overall, I was rather disappointed with this novel.

At first, I wasn't certain that I liked this book. However, I'm glad that I persisted in reading it anyway.

I have a propensity to be fond of books about priests. Perhaps this is because I almost became one myself. The seminary leaves an indelible mark even on a man who was expelled as swiftly as I was. (I like to believe it was due to my inquiries regarding the mis-translation of Song of Solomon chapter 7, verse 2. On the other hand, it probably had something to do with several fistfights, breaking a poolstick over someone's head in the common area, and the evidence of bad habits that was discovered during a search of my desk.)

I liked the character of Father Lorenzo Quart. And, despite the absurd Nabokov quote, I thought the story's conclusion was happy enough in that it was entirely appropriate. Screw Nabokov, anyway. In my opinion, there are not enough happy endings in this so-called "vale of tears."

My only complaint would be this: If you make a mistake in your Latin, and I notice it, you are either incredibly arrogant (assuming no one will notice) or incredibly lazy and/or incompetent. I received no better than a D+ in Latin class, which had more to do with my teacher's patience than any effort on my part. I deserved an F. The little Latin comprehension that I still possess I owe to Pastor Thomas Haar, who was not only an excellent teacher but also a good man and a true priest of God, one of the few I have encountered in either of those last two categories.

In any event, even I knew immediately that "...this do in remembrance of me" is not translated as "...hoc facite in meam commemorationem". For one thing, I knew the correct word was "memoriam", not "commemorationem", which I'm not even sure is a word at all. The proper phrase in the Tridentine Mass is: "Haec quotiescumque feceritis, in mei memoriam facietis."

This is a novel of about five hundred pages. Although it deviates from the usual usages of the noir genre, we could classify it as detective.

The plot centers on Quart, a priest whom the Vatican sends to Seville to investigate a couple of deaths related to a small "neighborhood" church that is struggling against a state of ruin. The development is slow, with a rhythm that only accelerates a little when there is a third left until the end (although it returns to its course shortly after) and a narration based on various interviews with the characters who surround the place.

A funny point is made by the trio of characters who are hired to watch Quart and make sure the church cannot continue to hold its worship; the truth is that the trio is quite a handful.

Finally, the creation of the author's particular universe also stands out. Let me explain: this and other novels by Pérez-Reverte include small cross-references, peppering the work with details that increase their internal coherence. Thus, in this case, we find a reproduction of The Chess Game (the imaginary painting around which the narration of The Flanders Panel revolved) and we hear about certain jewels bought by Paco Montegrifo (the one from the auction house who was trying to get hold of said painting). The good thing about those references is that if you haven't read anything from the previous novels, you can pass over them without problems, but if you are lucky enough to discover them, their reading is much richer.