The Flander's Panel.
SO, completely disregarding caramel_betty's advice, I read Arturo Pérez-Reverte's The Flander's Panel this week instead of The Seville Communion. This is simply because it was on top of my "to read" pile and I was in a hurry in the morning and couldn't remember which he'd recommended I read first.
It is, as you would expect, a very good read. Like most of Arturo's work it has a central theme, last time it was fencing, this time it's chess, and since both of these are things I love and wish I had the time to practice I enjoyed it immensely (again, you get the chance to visualise the game and almost play it for yourself). It also deals with the kind of art I appreciate most, and is set in the parts of Madrid that I know and love, and is a damn fine murder mystery to boot. All in all, this is my kind of novel. The only downside for me is that I couldn't help but think of The Da Vinci Code while reading it, which spoilt things a little. I've no idea why I kept making the connection, it's not even as if I've seen the Da Vinci film and could have my imagination steered by previously seen images. There's no real comparison, just that they're mysteries stretching back in time, revolving around European cities and art galleries, that's about it.
It doesn't have a complete ending in the way The Fencing Master did, and it's one of those books that could easily have had a "what happened next" chapter stuck on the end (as Jane Eyre does). Of course, it doesn't need this by any means, and part of the experience is that, like the Italian Job, you get to decide what happens for yourself. Anyhow, it's another I'd recommend, and if caramel_betty is right and The Seville Communion is even better, then I have a real treat in store for the week after next.
It is, as you would expect, a very good read. Like most of Arturo's work it has a central theme, last time it was fencing, this time it's chess, and since both of these are things I love and wish I had the time to practice I enjoyed it immensely (again, you get the chance to visualise the game and almost play it for yourself). It also deals with the kind of art I appreciate most, and is set in the parts of Madrid that I know and love, and is a damn fine murder mystery to boot. All in all, this is my kind of novel. The only downside for me is that I couldn't help but think of The Da Vinci Code while reading it, which spoilt things a little. I've no idea why I kept making the connection, it's not even as if I've seen the Da Vinci film and could have my imagination steered by previously seen images. There's no real comparison, just that they're mysteries stretching back in time, revolving around European cities and art galleries, that's about it.
It doesn't have a complete ending in the way The Fencing Master did, and it's one of those books that could easily have had a "what happened next" chapter stuck on the end (as Jane Eyre does). Of course, it doesn't need this by any means, and part of the experience is that, like the Italian Job, you get to decide what happens for yourself. Anyhow, it's another I'd recommend, and if caramel_betty is right and The Seville Communion is even better, then I have a real treat in store for the week after next.