book data
186 ratings, 3.59 average rating, 38 reviews
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published
April 1st 2007
(first published 2005)
by Rayo
binding
Paperback, 464 pages
isbn
0060828587
(isbn13: 9780060828585)
description
A masterful blend of Christian scholarship and thrilling adventure, The Last Cato is a novel about the race to find the secret location of the Ver...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 247)
Read in January, 2006
This book is along the lines of the DaVinci Code. I learned a lot about the early Christian Church through this book and so I liked the historical aspect. I was a bit turned off when the main character, a nun, falls in love. I really didn't like the ending at all - found it too ridiculous and silly and it ruined the book for me.
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Read in April, 2007
Doctor Ottavia Salina is a “paleographer” working at the Vatican. Relics of the True Cross from across the world have been disappearing, and an obscure religious order is suspected of collecting them. The pope himself has ordered Salina, together with a big shot in the Swiss Guard and a world-renowned archaeologist to get to the bottom of the disappearances. The trio discovers a connection to Dante’s Divine Comedy, and pursuing clues left in the classic text, they pursue the truth across t...more
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Read in September, 2008
well - i had higher hopes for this one, and did like the premise and much of the story, but there were some definite flaws. it was translated into english, originally published in italian, and it was sorely obvious. some of the dialogue was just... goofy... and some was weak or too stong, with exclamation points in weird places where they didn't fit. overlooking that, i think the story got weird toward the end, and the very end was a bit predictable. there were also a couple of silly scenes - li...more
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Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
everybody who's interested in history and a good thriller
Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
history/suspsense
This book is very similar in the grand scheme of things to the Da Vinci code... Vatican employees follow hints in The Divine Comedy to be initiated in a secret cult, who is trying to steal all the pieces of the crucifix of Jesus Christ.
Historic suspense follows as they muss pass historical texts.
Comparison: Better written, research and historical aspects to the book than the Da Vinci code... the characters were much better developed and human.
I prefer the political/social implicat...more
Historic suspense follows as they muss pass historical texts.
Comparison: Better written, research and historical aspects to the book than the Da Vinci code... the characters were much better developed and human.
I prefer the political/social implicat...more
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Read in June, 2008
recommends it for:
those who liked the Da Vinci Code
I was just curiuos to read this, but didn't expect much, and in fact got no surprise. It's a mix between a Indiana Jones and Dan Brown: legends, religion, a secret society, riddles..seen that?
The leading theme is Dante Alighieri's Divina Commedia, in particular the second book, Purgatorio, which servers a a guide to the stolen pieces of the Holy Cross.
The three main characters are a nun, Ottavia, as the narrating voice, a Professor, and a Vatican Swiss Guards Captain(!). The start is good ...more
The leading theme is Dante Alighieri's Divina Commedia, in particular the second book, Purgatorio, which servers a a guide to the stolen pieces of the Holy Cross.
The three main characters are a nun, Ottavia, as the narrating voice, a Professor, and a Vatican Swiss Guards Captain(!). The start is good ...more
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Read in March, 2007
recommended to Hilda by:
Amparo
I enjoyed the book even though I found it too long. However, the plot was interesting enough to keep me going through the too-detailed explanations of Dante's "Divine Comedy" which served as the guide for the quest the characters are completing. Although somewhat complex and predictably contrived it was a good story.
Character development was good for the novel's narrator Ottavia, but less so for supporting characters Farag and the Captain.
I would recommend it to people who en...more
Character development was good for the novel's narrator Ottavia, but less so for supporting characters Farag and the Captain.
I would recommend it to people who en...more
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This is a seriously goofy book - but I enjoyed it! Requires total suspension of disbelief, like when reading science fiction. The elaborate trials of the main characters became a little tedious with the continual point-of-death solving of the riddles. The revelation of the truth about the main character's family and her lack of reaction to it was a bit mind-numbing, but if you can swallow that, you can also swallow the surreal ending.
The translation was a little clumsy in places.
The translation was a little clumsy in places.
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Read in September, 2008
Similar in plot to the Da Vinci Code, but better. It was written first, but in Spanish. An old religious brotherhood is stealing parts of the true cross from churches around the world and a nun, Swiss guard, and coptic Egyptian travel to 7 ancient Mediterranean cities to take the brotherhood's 7 initiation tests (using clues from Dante's Purgatory) to find out where they are headquartered. The tests are very cool; the romance in it is less so. Strong Byzantine focus.
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For those who enjoyed Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, this book is for you. The murder of an Ethiopian man covered with enigmatic tattoos, leads the upper echelons of the Catholic Church to investigate. Siste Ottavia Salina, head of the Restoration and Paleography Laboratory of the Vatican's archives; Kaspar Glauser-Roist, Captain of the Swiss Guard; and Farag Boswell, Egyptian archaeologist, use Dante's Divine Comedy to interpret the clues left by the murdered man.
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Read in September, 2008
recommends it for:
Cyndee, Debbi, Seth, Bayou Librarian, Suzanne
The plot seems a like a knock-off of a Dan Brown thriller, except add in a good dose of the Nicholas Cage "National Treasure" movies. The story line kept my interest, although I found myself more than once suspending belief, things get so, well, crazy! At first the "Shangri-La" ending put me off, but the more I think about it, the author chose a good way to close her "entertainment."
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This author is very well read and educated. She has created a fantastic story that often seems all too real with her intricate details. If you enjoyed The DaVinci Code, you should enjoy this book, although The Last Cato is not for the general reading public. It does require some effort.
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Read in July, 2008
I cannot remember a more poorly written book. The plot is vaguely interesting, although not that different from the DaVinci Code. The character development, the dialogue, the plot twists, all felt like it was some creative writing attempt in a high school writing class.
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Read in September, 2007
recommended to Betania by:
Coral Kraayeveld
Great book. I loved the ancient history/Dante intertwined with the suspenseful mystery/action. A few places you could tell that it had been translated into English from another language, but that didn't take away from the book. I was sad that it was over.
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Read in January, 2008
A good esoteric thriller, in a similar vein to DaVinci Code, et al., but written and published (in Spanish) earlier. Better than Brown's book, both more and less 'earth-shattering' in its 'revelations'. Lots of fun.
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Read in May, 2008
took a little while to get into, but then it was a highly enjoyable read. the ending is a little out there, and i felt like i needed a computer nearby to look things up, but otherwise i liked it a lot
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Read in February, 2007
recommends it for:
Everyone
Not at all what I expected.
Chronicles the journey of a nun who does archeology type reseach, a Vatican secret service type guy, and a museum guy as they unearch church history and secrets.
Chronicles the journey of a nun who does archeology type reseach, a Vatican secret service type guy, and a museum guy as they unearch church history and secrets.
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Read in February, 2008
The first third of this book was great and then it sunk into the absurd. I thought I'd love this book (it is about a paleographer, after all), but it was a little too silly for me.
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Read in January, 2006
recommends it for:
everyone
This is, by far, one of the best books that I have ever read. The plot is innovative, the characters well fleshed out, and the narrative is well structured. An amazing read!
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Read in August, 2008
I thought this was an awesome book from beginning to end. It's one you can't put down. Mystery, history, romance, adventure... just a good book!!!
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