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Jun 04, 2008

Jane rated it:

This brilliant story has a surprising ending. The scenes of Sevilla and the dialogue are so vivid. By the way I read it in Spanish where the title is "La piel del tambor." I think this is his best of the so-called mysteries, although they are much more than that. His mastery of all aspects of the Spanish languages, from the 17th-century dialogue in the Capitan Alatriste series, to the Mexican street language and Spanish drug slang to the 19th-century Franglish in "Trafalgar" More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Aug 24, 2011

Jord rated it:

I found this book in a resort in the Caribbean, it took me two holidays to actually finish reading it. I was never gripped by it but was curious to see how the plot would evolve. I found it overall disappointing. The characters were superficial and stereotypical, the rich were beautiful, the poor either "greasy" or grotesque. The descriptions of them, particularly of the more interesting trio the boxer, the fake lawyer and the singer were repetitive, page and page over. So were the des More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 07, 2011

Liam rated it:

At first I wasn't sure I liked this book, but I'm glad I kept reading anyway... I have a tendency to like books about priests, probably because I nearly became one. The seminary puts an indelible mark on even a man who got thrown out as quickly as I did (I prefer to think it was my questions about 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 More...

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Jan 21, 2011

Rick rated it:

THE SEVILLE COMMUNION starts when someone hacks into the Pope’s personal computer to plead for saving a small church, Our Lady of the Tears, in central Seville.

The church is small and dilapidated and is led by an elderly and old fashioned priest, Father Ferro. It is also slated for demolition, as Bank Cartujano and its greedy vice chairman, working in cahoots with the local archbishop, want to make a fortune by buying the property at a fraction of its true value.

The Vatican More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 27, 2011

Ibis3 rated it:

I had pretty high expectations of this book & though I liked some elements of it (Vatican politics, Templar metaphor for the hero, the description of Seville, and the setup of the plot), I was quite disappointed. I think the book was a bit rambling (especially for a mystery/thriller), the investigator didn't seem to be as good as his rep <spoiler>(he failed to solve either mystery--the identity of the hacker which he only discovered "after the fact" because it was revealed to him More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 13, 2011

Kristin rated it:

I really enjoyed this book, the characters, the story, the city of Seville. Probably the characters the most, and the ways that they interacted with each other. I laughed a lot. The author is a really good writer. The book is about a church, and a cast of characters... some who want to save the church, others who want to destroy the church, others who are spectators. All have their individual reasons for their feelings for the church and what should happen to it. You have priests and archb More...

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Apr 10, 2010

Lynn rated it:

Okay, so I bought this book thinking it was part of the author's Captain Alatriste series and almost returned it when I realized it was a technological thriller, set in 1995-vintage Seville, with a Vatican priest as the main character. I'm very glad I kept it.

For me, it was less a thriller (though the mysteries are intriguing), more an intense character-study of a very different sort of man. Lorenzo Quart, the priest and protagonist, characterizes himself as "the last Knight T More...

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May 04, 2008

eric rated it:

perez-reverte's writing style is fluid, elegant and relaxing. the mildly interesting story about the conflicts between religion, politics, and all the individuals who get caught in between is set in a beautifully described local. the main thing that i took from reading the seville communion is that i would really like to visit seville.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 08, 2010

Jamie rated it:

If I described the plot to someone it would sound like a good story. But instead of just telling the story, the author tries too hard, in my opinion, to be mysterious and steer the reader down the wrong path. This is not how a good mystery is written. Trust me, I have read good mysteries.

If your argument is the author isn't trying to write a mystery, then tell me the purpose of the novel? I think it would have been more enjoyable if a simpler plot had been devised and all the unnece More...

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Nov 19, 2009

Hilary rated it:

I really enjoyed Club Dumas and Flander Panel, also by Perez-Reverte, but his other books that I've read really don't compare. Seville Communion is relatively entertaining, but it's pretty obvious what's going to happen next. A character leaves a gasoline-soaked rag in an ashtray (a fact that's mentioned repeatedly) and, shockingly, someone uses the ashtray for its intended purpose and the place goes up in smoke. Club Dumas and Flanders Panel had flaws, but they had a subtlety that Seville Co More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 12, 2011

Steve rated it:

As a reader who has first-hand experience of the magic and magistry which this great city evokes, the writer brilliantly captures the colours and ambience of Seville and its inhabitants. Moreover, what appears at the outset to be a run-of-the-mill thriller set to unravel the mysteries of the church, turns into a novel of far greater depth and characterisation. Father Lorenzo Quart is no ordinary prelate of the Vatican, but rather an individual of great resolve with an over-arching sense of duty, More...

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Sep 15, 2009

Stefan rated it:

The Seville Communion is a novel of power and beauty that mixes poetic, intelligent dialogue, unforgettable characters, a complex and well developed plot, and the amazing setting of Seville. Arturo Perez-Reverte weaves quiet despair, awe, and wit expertly into his writing. Themes and topics like violence, how we relate with God, meaning and purpose in life, Roman Catholicism, greed, history, love, literature, philosophy, music, science, and legend populate these pages. This a excellent mystery t More...

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Dec 19, 2011

Chris rated it:

The Seville Communion is further proof that Reverte writes interesting, historically rich, mystery novels. An enjoyable read, skillfully mixing the past and present into a layered and rich, complex story of Spain. One thing that strikes me with every one of his books is how different his perspective is on some things, due to how different his culture is from mine. This is one of the reasons why I enjoy reading authors from different countries/cultures; I learn a lot about them and gain from t More...

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Jul 06, 2010

Douglas rated it:

I read the translated edition and found it to be a wonderful book. Arturo Pérez-Reverte paints interesting and engaging characters who range from mundane to eccentric but always believable. More than that, the setting of the novel and its primary conflict even have character. He writes of Seville giving it a unique and fascinating character that's as fascinating as any of his characters. I found myself hoping and cheering for Our Lady of Tears just as I would a well-written protagonist. Thi More...

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Jan 12, 2011

Carlos rated it:

Anything by Perez-Reverte is good. I found this at an airport. I usually read him in Spanish, but I needed a book for my flight.
I loved the part where he goes to a fine tailor and buys himself a very expensive priest outfit. He is asked why he spends so much money for his clothes. His answers is that his clothes are an uniform. If he is going to be dealing with very powerful people, he needs to wear the correct uniform.
The book has intrigue and action.
Highly recommended.
More...

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Mar 18, 2008

Madame Charlotte rated it:

Étrange roman que celui-ci. Tout y est pour faire un parfait roman foisonnant et passionnant. Pourtant ça n’a pas pris avec moi. Bizarrement j’ai eu du mal à y entrer. Le style est toujours aussi distingué, raffiné, (même si j’ai trouvé un peu longues et superflues les digressions en plein dialogues qui font perdre le fil), les descriptions de Séville sont envoûtantes, l’atmosphère est parfaitement rendue, les personnages sont eux aussi assez fouillés. Malgré toutes ces indéniables qualités, je More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 25, 2009

Jens rated it:

The writing was pretty good, certainly diverting. I've never read something that's so sympathetically anticlerical. It does make me want to visit Seville. I don't feel like the odd Latin phrase here or there makes it the "intellectual thriller" described in the blurbs. The character development does a bit more to fit the bill. Perhaps it suffers from reading "I am a strange loop" at the same time.

Oh, and the sexy bit is memorable, without being explicit. N

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May 24, 2011

Cathy rated it:

Sensual, fragrant and mysterious Seville is a fitting host for this classy and seductive thriller where the Vatican’s coolest investigator Lorenzo Quart delves into the mystery of a church that 'kills' to protect itself. Supported by an engaging cast of sinister clerics, corrupt bankers, an alluring aristocrat and a trio of hopeless baddies, Quart faces his own demons, as man and priest, as he unravels the layers to reveal and to disguise the truth. An engrossing read – and a satisfying conclus More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 05, 2011

Jenny Sparrow rated it:

Сюжета не рассказываю, но скажу, что роман написан в лучших традициях Переса-Реверте: неспешная, вязкая проза, загадка, постепенно разворачивающаяся перед нашим взглядом, колоритные персонажи, среди которых главный – город Севилья. Читая, прямо чувствуешь ее палящее нещадное солнце, видишь эти пыльные улицы, обсаженные апельсиновыми деревьями, изящную архитектуру домов, восхитительную прохладу садов. В целом книга мне понравилась, хотя проза немного вязковата. More...

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Jul 27, 2011

Alexis rated it:

Excelente narrativa y completo dominio del diálogo entre personajes hacen casi imposible soltar este libro. El personaje de Macarena Brunner es uno de los más sexys que he leído y su relación de flirteo con el padre Quart te hacen olvidar el tema principal de ésta novela. Otra novela bien escrita y entretenida de mi escritor favorito, recomendada.

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Jan 18, 2012

Nathan rated it:

Detective priest from Rome is sent to sort out a mystery involving an old church in Seville. Gets involved with curmudgeons, hackers, bankers, paparazzi, nobility, the police, the three shady characters from the Maltese Falcon. Confusing and meandering. I don't really know what it was all about. Rated M for some violence, adult themes. 2.5/5

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Aug 09, 2011

Turan added it

Wunderschönes Buch. Eine Hommage an die Hoffnung, an Sevilla, an liebenswürdige Loser, an einen Soldaten Roms, eine rebellische Nonne, ein sturer Pfarrer, Banker, schmierige Handlanger und eine bildhübsche Herzogin. Es ist spannend, schön erzählt und hat eine leichte Melancholie, die nicht betrübt, sondern nur sehnsüchtig macht.

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Oct 06, 2010

Melinda rated it:

Rating:3.5 stars - a solid thinking persons mystery. Reverte is a talented,complex writer who offers us glimpse into priests, Vatican politics, vintage Seville and classic characters. Father Ferro & Quart were crafted to show us the taught awkward nature of man, church, and religion-well done! As a bookstore owner, I would rec and read another APR novel.

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Jan 03, 2009

Meredith rated it:

-Great descriptions of Sevilla.
-Odd, quirky, yet believable characters.
-Huge twist at the end of the book.

I think I liked this book because I have a thing for bizarre plots, especially bizarre plots that take place in Spain (this is the third or fourth book I've read by Pérez-Reverte and they all fall under this description). More than anything, this book made me want to go back to Sevilla. Soon.

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Feb 21, 2010

Mattie rated it:

Actually, I'd give this a solid 3 1/2 stars, if I could. A clever, engaging. literate whodunit revolving around a hacker breaking into the Pope's computer and some strange goings on in a small Seville church. Although not Perez-Reverte's tightest work, it was still a fun read, with engaging characters and an interesting juxtaposition of the modern day (internet, high finance) with the ancient and traditional (the Catholic church, both the building and the institution). I particularly liked th More...

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Aug 20, 2011

Ken rated it:

This is a book that I could put down and did because it was fairly predictable. But I stayed with it because the story was interesting and there were some interesting characters...though not always believable. A Vatican priest/agent with a clouded history is sent to investigate a situation in Seville that hardly seems worth the effort. Instead, He is inticed into a secondary plot that involves several deaths and a 100 year old love story.

Arturo Pérez-Reverte has written better than More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Nov 05, 2009

Jennifer rated it:

Not as gripping as the other Perez-Reverte books I have read but it wasn't bad. I liked how the main character Father Quart always saw himself as a embattled Knight Templar. And I quite liked the trio of paid ne'er do wells commissioned to do underhanded deeds to allow the Cathedral Our Lady of Tears to be closed. Those 3 had quite a code. Considering it was set with the backdrop of the Catholic church it was interesting how the characters were generally lacking faith but perhaps that was the po More...

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Nov 07, 2011

Nick rated it:

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Novels about the Church usually make me defensive and embarrassed but this was sensitively done. Excellent plot and wide range of plausible characters driving it on. I particularly enjoyed the tragi-comedy of the hapless trio, and Quart himself,so strong yet vulnerable,but Bond in a cassock? I think not.

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Jan 14, 2009

Nan rated it:

I was a little disappointed in this book. It took me until page 200 to really get hooked on the story and for the suspense to start building. Whenever I read an Arturo Perez-Reverte novel, I compare it to the Flanders Panel which was fantastic and, in my opinion, his best book.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 27, 2011

Joe rated it:

It gets four stars because it doesn't quite measure up to "The Nautical Chart" or "The Club Dumas." That's OK, though, since no other books can measure up to those two fine novels. Typical Perez-Reverte (excellent). I particularly enjoyed the tie-in with "The Flanders Panel": the painting of "The Game of Chess" is mentioned in this book, along with the auctioneer Montegrifo, and the police inspector. None of these items are really important to the stor More...

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