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The set-up is truly captivating. A hacker known as “Vespers” manages to break into the Pope's personal email and leaves a mysterious plea to save an otherwise unremarkable historic church in Seville. There are various political and financial interests at play here. The archbishop of Seville, among others, desires the church to be demolished in order to exploit the value of the real estate. The hacker has been extremely cautious in covering his tracks, and interestingly, the security breach seems to cause more concern among the Vatican hierarchy than the actual content of the message. This is despite the fact that it was disclosed that recently, two deaths occurred during the repair work on the church. These deaths were看似 accidents. A municipal architect fell due to a loose balustrade, and the archbishop's secretary was crushed by a chunk of debris from the ceiling. The email also contains dark insinuations about the hand of God. However, the main focus remains on the hacker, who has turned this affair into a high-stakes political confrontation between Archbishop Paolo Spada and Cardinal Iwaszkiewicz. The Pope has instructed the Institute for External Affairs, led by Archbishop Spada, to uncover the identity of the hacker. Meanwhile, Cardinal Iwaszkiewicz hopes for a misstep from his rival that he can blame.
From the very beginning, the contrast between a computer hacker and Vatican emails grabs the reader's attention, and this interest is further heightened by the detailed portrayal of the political rivalries. Pérez-Reverte manages to involve even the most secular-minded readers in this power struggle.
He creates a long and diverse list of colorful characters. Cardinal Iwaszkiewicz is immediately presented as a shadowy and dangerous figure. His department, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was formerly known as the Office of the Inquisition. When he is introduced into the story, he lingers by the window instead of taking a seat across from Archbishop Speda. There is an electrical outage that casts the meeting in semi-darkness, adding to the sense of mystery and menace. Their conversation is filled with careful formality, which only serves to increase the feeling of threat. The third attendee at this meeting is Father Lorenzo Quart, Spada's agent. He is reliable and discreet, described as “as precise and stable as a Swiss Army knife.” Hints of his childhood suggest that he is a complex character with guarded emotions. He is the embodiment of religious inversion, with celibacy being the foundation of his pride and obedience replacing piety. Despite his drop-dead good looks and elegant tailoring, Quart is an enigmatic agent who is dispatched to Seville to conduct a delicate and highly secret investigation.
In Seville, even more characters make their appearance. Pencho Gavira is an ambitious banker, and his assistant Celestino Perégil is a toad-like sycophant with a gambling problem. Don Ibraham is a disbarred lawyer whose memories blend fact and fiction. El Potro del Mantelete is a perpetually numb ex-boxer and failed bullfighter, and La Niña Puñales is an alcoholic chanteuse struggling to make ends meet in seedy nightclubs. Gris Marsala is the chief architect and art historian in charge of the stalled restoration project, Macarena Bruner de Lebrija is the banker Gaviras's estranged wife, Maria Cruz Eugenia Bruner is the dowager duchess and Macarena's mother, and Don Octavo Machuca is Macarena's godfather and the即将退休的 chairman of Gavira's bank. It can be quite helpful to keep a notebook of these names while reading the book, as there are also additional characters from both the past and the present of the story. The author gives each character, especially the comedic ones, a set of compelling intentions and then lets them loose to pursue their convoluted schemes. The characters do not disappoint, and some even grow on the reader as the story progresses.
Quart arrives in Seville protesting that he is only there as a neutral observer, a sort of reporter. However, he fails to see that his very objectivity is what makes him objectionable to the passionate supporters of the church. Once the emotional connections to history and art are stripped away, all that remains is a monetary assessment. Naturally, no one provides any clues about the identity of the mysterious hacker. The person with the strongest motive seems to be the parish priest, who is so old that he hardly seems capable of being computer literate.
Neutrality is a convenient pretense that not even Quart fully believes. There are always consequences. A past investigation by Quart had disturbing results. An activist Brazilian priest was brutally murdered after one of his “neutral” reports. (The ethical position of neutrality is a central theme in Pérez-Reverte's next book.)
It is a surprising twist that the church's supporters are not motivated by religious fervor. Father Ferro, the parish priest, is a worn-out relic whose religious belief has long since dried up. He defiantly declares to Quart's taunts, “Faith doesn't ever need the existence of God.” Quart dismissively assesses Father Oscar, the assistant priest's, fervor, saying, “At your age, life is more dramatic. Ideas and lost causes carry you away.” As the story progresses, it transitions from a thriller to explorations of the theme of existential crisis.
Pérez-Reverte is at his best when evoking the spirit of Seville. The Plaza Virgen de los Reyes is described as the “crossroads of three religions.” The whitewashed walls, the scent of orange blossoms, the manzanilla crafted over the centuries, and the azure skies dotted with pigeons all combine to create a vivid and immersive sensory experience. In his epigram, he offers the typical disclaimer that this is a work of fiction, but then adds, “Only the setting is true. Nobody could invent a city like Seville.”
The touches of humor that are interspersed throughout the story are somewhat less successful. The reader's enjoyment of these moments is perhaps more due to the fondness developed for the characters and their idiosyncrasies rather than the skill of the writing itself. For example, when Gavira, in frustration, orders the church to be torched, can a botched job not be expected?
Readers of Pérez-Reverte's earlier books will be pleased to see his continued love for art, history, and story-telling. Despite the extensive exploration of existential themes that占据 much of the story, he also returns to the tone of mystery that he began with. His conclusion offers a satisfying blend of closure and beguiling ambiguity. It is clear, however, that he is an author in transition. His mind is already turning towards more serious thoughts, drawing on his career as a journalist and exploring them in his next book, THE PAINTER OF BATTLES. While I didn't enjoy this book as much as I did THE CLUB DUMAS, a book by Pérez-Reverte is always a worthwhile read.
For those of us who have never been to Seville, it can be beneficial to view photos of the actual Plaza Virgen de los Reyes and the Santa Cruz area. Here are some links: http://www.aviewoncities.com/seville/... and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Cr....
The polychrome sculpture of the Spanish baroque period is central to the church's mystique. Gregorio Fernandez and Juan Martinez Montanes are two of the primary artists of this period. This website provides an example of the pieces from this era: http://caravaggista.com/2011/09/baroq....
From the very beginning, the contrast between a computer hacker and Vatican emails grabs the reader's attention, and this interest is further heightened by the detailed portrayal of the political rivalries. Pérez-Reverte manages to involve even the most secular-minded readers in this power struggle.
He creates a long and diverse list of colorful characters. Cardinal Iwaszkiewicz is immediately presented as a shadowy and dangerous figure. His department, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was formerly known as the Office of the Inquisition. When he is introduced into the story, he lingers by the window instead of taking a seat across from Archbishop Speda. There is an electrical outage that casts the meeting in semi-darkness, adding to the sense of mystery and menace. Their conversation is filled with careful formality, which only serves to increase the feeling of threat. The third attendee at this meeting is Father Lorenzo Quart, Spada's agent. He is reliable and discreet, described as “as precise and stable as a Swiss Army knife.” Hints of his childhood suggest that he is a complex character with guarded emotions. He is the embodiment of religious inversion, with celibacy being the foundation of his pride and obedience replacing piety. Despite his drop-dead good looks and elegant tailoring, Quart is an enigmatic agent who is dispatched to Seville to conduct a delicate and highly secret investigation.
In Seville, even more characters make their appearance. Pencho Gavira is an ambitious banker, and his assistant Celestino Perégil is a toad-like sycophant with a gambling problem. Don Ibraham is a disbarred lawyer whose memories blend fact and fiction. El Potro del Mantelete is a perpetually numb ex-boxer and failed bullfighter, and La Niña Puñales is an alcoholic chanteuse struggling to make ends meet in seedy nightclubs. Gris Marsala is the chief architect and art historian in charge of the stalled restoration project, Macarena Bruner de Lebrija is the banker Gaviras's estranged wife, Maria Cruz Eugenia Bruner is the dowager duchess and Macarena's mother, and Don Octavo Machuca is Macarena's godfather and the即将退休的 chairman of Gavira's bank. It can be quite helpful to keep a notebook of these names while reading the book, as there are also additional characters from both the past and the present of the story. The author gives each character, especially the comedic ones, a set of compelling intentions and then lets them loose to pursue their convoluted schemes. The characters do not disappoint, and some even grow on the reader as the story progresses.
Quart arrives in Seville protesting that he is only there as a neutral observer, a sort of reporter. However, he fails to see that his very objectivity is what makes him objectionable to the passionate supporters of the church. Once the emotional connections to history and art are stripped away, all that remains is a monetary assessment. Naturally, no one provides any clues about the identity of the mysterious hacker. The person with the strongest motive seems to be the parish priest, who is so old that he hardly seems capable of being computer literate.
Neutrality is a convenient pretense that not even Quart fully believes. There are always consequences. A past investigation by Quart had disturbing results. An activist Brazilian priest was brutally murdered after one of his “neutral” reports. (The ethical position of neutrality is a central theme in Pérez-Reverte's next book.)
It is a surprising twist that the church's supporters are not motivated by religious fervor. Father Ferro, the parish priest, is a worn-out relic whose religious belief has long since dried up. He defiantly declares to Quart's taunts, “Faith doesn't ever need the existence of God.” Quart dismissively assesses Father Oscar, the assistant priest's, fervor, saying, “At your age, life is more dramatic. Ideas and lost causes carry you away.” As the story progresses, it transitions from a thriller to explorations of the theme of existential crisis.
Pérez-Reverte is at his best when evoking the spirit of Seville. The Plaza Virgen de los Reyes is described as the “crossroads of three religions.” The whitewashed walls, the scent of orange blossoms, the manzanilla crafted over the centuries, and the azure skies dotted with pigeons all combine to create a vivid and immersive sensory experience. In his epigram, he offers the typical disclaimer that this is a work of fiction, but then adds, “Only the setting is true. Nobody could invent a city like Seville.”
The touches of humor that are interspersed throughout the story are somewhat less successful. The reader's enjoyment of these moments is perhaps more due to the fondness developed for the characters and their idiosyncrasies rather than the skill of the writing itself. For example, when Gavira, in frustration, orders the church to be torched, can a botched job not be expected?
Readers of Pérez-Reverte's earlier books will be pleased to see his continued love for art, history, and story-telling. Despite the extensive exploration of existential themes that占据 much of the story, he also returns to the tone of mystery that he began with. His conclusion offers a satisfying blend of closure and beguiling ambiguity. It is clear, however, that he is an author in transition. His mind is already turning towards more serious thoughts, drawing on his career as a journalist and exploring them in his next book, THE PAINTER OF BATTLES. While I didn't enjoy this book as much as I did THE CLUB DUMAS, a book by Pérez-Reverte is always a worthwhile read.
For those of us who have never been to Seville, it can be beneficial to view photos of the actual Plaza Virgen de los Reyes and the Santa Cruz area. Here are some links: http://www.aviewoncities.com/seville/... and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Cr....
The polychrome sculpture of the Spanish baroque period is central to the church's mystique. Gregorio Fernandez and Juan Martinez Montanes are two of the primary artists of this period. This website provides an example of the pieces from this era: http://caravaggista.com/2011/09/baroq....
