The Edgar Award–winning novel A Conspiracy of Paper was one of the most acclaimed debuts of 2000. In his richly suspenseful second novel, au...
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Sep 28, 2007
Sariah
rated it: 
For the most part I really enjoyed reading The Coffee Trader by David Liss. The main protagonist is Miguel, a Portuguese Jew, living in Amsterdam, and working as a broker in the emerging stock exchange. Miguel and a Dutch woman, Geertruid, scheme to corner the coffee market. Hampering there efforts are Solomon Parido, a wealthy member of the Jewish community, who harbors a grudge against Miguel, and Joachim Waagenaar, a Dutchman who lost everything in a financial deal Miguel brokered for him.
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Jan 21, 2009
D.w.
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This is a very strong book to read. By that, this book has depth. As a historical novel, you want some glimpse into the world as it was so that you leave with some factual understanding of that period admidst the fiction. In Coffee Trader you learn a great deal about Amsterdam, the center of finance in the 1600's.
You also learn of the flourishing jewish community free of the inquisition and how that atrocious institution changed the attitudes of the people it persecuted to a degree. More...
You also learn of the flourishing jewish community free of the inquisition and how that atrocious institution changed the attitudes of the people it persecuted to a degree. More...
Jan 11, 2012
Saxton B. Little
rated it:
Sometimes I'm wrong about a book though I hate to admit it. I was almost 100 pages into The Coffee Trader and moaning that I wasn't enjoying the read but had to finish it as it was a book group choice. I knuckled down finally and was pleasantly surprised when very quickly the story just popped off the pages. When all was said and done I thoroughly relished the book, even going back to re-read parts of the beginning.
I honestly think what threw me is that The Coffee Trader is about comm More...
I honestly think what threw me is that The Coffee Trader is about comm More...
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Oct 30, 2010
Tim
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The Coffee Trader is a wonderful story of intrigue set on the exchange in 17th century Amsterdam. I would recommend the novel purely on its ability to draw the reader into this very specific historical setting, the world of Portuguese immigrant Jews living in this cosmopolitan trading community. Likewise, I would recommend it to any finance geeks for its detailed descriptions of how the Dutch markets functioned.
Going beyond its standing as historical fiction, however, the novel presen More...
Going beyond its standing as historical fiction, however, the novel presen More...
Aug 29, 2010
Tim
rated it:
Probably some spoilers in here for those intent on reading the book. The Coffee Trader provides a wonderful historical setting - Amsterdam in 1659. It involves the commodity exchange, the Portguese Jewish community escaped from the Inquisition and becoming prosperous among the Dutch, and the first arrival of coffee. The descriptions of coffee and its usefulness for business are wonderful (and made me go and prepare a thick cup of joe for myself). Miguel Lienzo, once bankrupted is trying to
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Apr 17, 2009
Richard
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This book was fantastic on so many levels. Liss does an excellent job portraying 17th century Amsterdam, providing a view of a culture that has been considered famously tolerant - and shows the limit of that tolerance. This is an issue that has been famously re-examined recently, about how the Dutch really behaved during The War. And in the past decade, that famous tolerance has been stretched to the limit with the wave of Arab/Muslim immigrants. It's an issue that the Dutch have had to deal wit
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Jul 29, 2011
Booklady
rated it:
An excellent book recommended by a fellow book club member. It is set in 1659 Amsterdam and is about how coffee was brought to America. The businessmen and traders in London and Europe established coffee houses as opposed to taverns because coffee sobered the mind of man. Beer and wine had been the former beverage of business transactions. The descriptions of the market where the commodities were traded daily are vivid and alive with intrigue and deception. I felt as if I was there in Amst
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Apr 13, 2009
Marcy
rated it:
With all my other obligations lately, I have been so tired that I have not been up to my usual readable self...
The Coffee Trader is keeping me engaged! During this story, Amsterdam has already emerged as the center of the world's trade, attracting merchants from every land of importance. This is the story of Miguel, and many other characters of Jewish decent, who escaped to Amsterdam from many countries for religious freedom. Amsterdam drew these immigrants into the trade and commod More...
The Coffee Trader is keeping me engaged! During this story, Amsterdam has already emerged as the center of the world's trade, attracting merchants from every land of importance. This is the story of Miguel, and many other characters of Jewish decent, who escaped to Amsterdam from many countries for religious freedom. Amsterdam drew these immigrants into the trade and commod More...
Aug 11, 2011
(Thanks to Kennedy for the recommendation!) Earthy,engaging historical novel. Miguel Lienzo,a Portugese Jew living in Amsterdam in the 1600s makes his living buying and selling on the Exchange. An encounter with a Dutch widow involves him in the early moments of the coffee trade. My eyes tended to cross a bit during the descriptions of the machinations of trading, but the intricacies of plot and subplot kept me turning the pages. I especially enjoyed Liss' portrayal of the lives of the exi
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Jun 23, 2011
Anachronist
rated it:
What I liked:
It is my second David Liss novel and I'm admiring this writer more and more. Liss meticulously recreates the 17th century Dutch city of Amsterdam fully based on historical documents – really it seems that the author completed exhaustive research if you only consult the list of his sources, provided at the beginning of the book. He brings Lienzo's world to life in great detail, as well as the workings of the bourse which are indeed very similar to modern commodities mark More...
It is my second David Liss novel and I'm admiring this writer more and more. Liss meticulously recreates the 17th century Dutch city of Amsterdam fully based on historical documents – really it seems that the author completed exhaustive research if you only consult the list of his sources, provided at the beginning of the book. He brings Lienzo's world to life in great detail, as well as the workings of the bourse which are indeed very similar to modern commodities mark More...
Jan 05, 2009
narajaponesa
rated it:
This is where the rating scale for Goodreads is not quite right. I acknowledge that this is a really good book that I liked slightly less than it deserves, only because there were parts of the story (ie, finance) that I really didn't care for. Hence the 3 stars instead of 4. Still, it's a well-told and well-researched tale about 17th-century Amsterdam that got way better as it went along. Oh, and yes, the characters are all pretty schmucky. Live it, love it.
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Dec 07, 2008
Christa
rated it:
The Coffee Trader is the first book I have read by David Liss. I enjoyed reading about the Amsterdam commodities exchange of the 1600's. The main character, Miguel Lienzo, a trader who has recently had a run of bad fortune on the exchange, envisions a means of gaining riches and finds that he is not quite a astute at judging character as he believed. There are twists in the book as Miguel decides who he can trust and who is plotting against him. The story is interesting, but I didn't find mo
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Jun 02, 2009
Denise
rated it:
Amsterdam was a thriving financial metropolis during the 17th century, tolerant of many people, religions and beliefs and stood apart from other countries regarding the inquisition. Yet, they were still backwards in their thought of womenn
For example a man held a grudge against the main character, Miguel because he blames him for his daughter giving birth to a 'slow' child. Apparently Miguel shocked her into having a 'slow' child and will always give birth to slow children as a resul More...
For example a man held a grudge against the main character, Miguel because he blames him for his daughter giving birth to a 'slow' child. Apparently Miguel shocked her into having a 'slow' child and will always give birth to slow children as a resul More...
Jan 11, 2012
Carol
rated it:
Sometimes I'm wrong about a book though I hate to admit it. I was almost 100 pages into The Coffee Trader and moaning that I wasn't enjoying the read but had to finish it as it was a book group choice. I knuckled down finally and was pleasantly surprised when very quickly the story just popped off the pages. When all was said and done I thoroughly relished the book, even going back to re-read parts of the beginning.
I honestly think what threw me is that The Coffee Trader is about comm More...
I honestly think what threw me is that The Coffee Trader is about comm More...
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Oct 04, 2009
Abby
rated it:
"I guess I'll read this one. It can't possibly be as good as his other two. It's about coffee. Who can write this much about coffee?"
"Ugggggghhhh it's about stocks in coffee. It's not even about coffee coffee?"
"It takes place in Amsterdam? Weed."
"So far this is better than I thought it would be."
"This main character is kind of a douche."
"So is everyone else in this book."
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"Ugggggghhhh it's about stocks in coffee. It's not even about coffee coffee?"
"It takes place in Amsterdam? Weed."
"So far this is better than I thought it would be."
"This main character is kind of a douche."
"So is everyone else in this book."
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Jun 29, 2011
Janet
rated it:
I really wanted to like this book. It is definitely in my wheel house. I love historical novels and I work in business so I figured the history of the trading would appeal to me. I'm also a big coffee drinker so it seemed like the perfect trifecta.
However, I found that this author needed a better editor. I felt it hit the same points over and over again. After awhile I wanted to shout, I get it, you lost money in sugar. Then the author continued to beat a dead horse about the Ma'amad More...
However, I found that this author needed a better editor. I felt it hit the same points over and over again. After awhile I wanted to shout, I get it, you lost money in sugar. Then the author continued to beat a dead horse about the Ma'amad More...
Aug 23, 2010
sarah
rated it:
The hum of Amsterdam in the 17th century had my heart whirring with excitement; the characters were complex and lead interesting, finance-tangled lives. Coffee is dear to me, and the trade of agricultural products through the ages is a fierce interest. Nice stock-market-floor action was intriguing, too. This book was surely a page-turner; I read the end all in a rush, up 'til 3 a.m. one day. But in the end I closed the book with great disappointment.
The author chose to dispatch with More...
The author chose to dispatch with More...
Jan 19, 2011
Don
rated it:
Really enjoyed this book, it was a quick and enticing read and ended up being much more thought provoking than I originally anticipated. The story centers on a man named Miguel, who is a Jewish commodities trader in Amsterdam, and is presented an opportunity with a new potential product called coffee. The pace of the book heightens the excitement surrounding Miguel's plans, and we are let to try to determine who is friendly with him, who is working against him, and, based on what Miguel does,
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May 01, 2009
Chris
rated it:
Miguel Lienzo, a Portuguese Jew trying to make a living in 17th century Amsterdam through futures trading, joins Geertruid, a Dutch widow, in devising a scheme to make a fortune off a new commodity - coffee. Secrecy and planning are of the utmost importance and Miguel uses his unorthodox friendships well. But a powerful businessman and member of the religious council is only one of many enemies who may be working against Miguel. Entertaining historical fiction but the stock market is just a
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Dec 10, 2008
Tracy
rated it:
I'm really glad I read The Conspiracy of Paper first, because I don't think I would have bothered if The Coffee Trader was all I had to judge by.
The book wasn't bad, but it wasn't really good, either. The primary part is I found the main character completely unsympathetic so it was really tough to root for him to succeed. The economics of trade were interesting but not somehow not quite as rich and the whole thing didn't feel as enlightening as Conspiracy - it was more matter-of- More...
The book wasn't bad, but it wasn't really good, either. The primary part is I found the main character completely unsympathetic so it was really tough to root for him to succeed. The economics of trade were interesting but not somehow not quite as rich and the whole thing didn't feel as enlightening as Conspiracy - it was more matter-of- More...
Nov 23, 2011
Brenda C
rated it:
An enjoyable, if not instructive fiction about seventeenth century "masters of the universe". This entertaining read is set in an ancient Amsterdam setting of high finance in which all characters including those who might be considered protagonists display deceipt, unbalanced ambition, infidelity, manipulation, cruelty, heavy drinking, and living on the edge! Sounds incredibly familiar and modern, but in this carefully researched novel, totally plausible. All walks of life are engag
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Nov 23, 2008
Betita
rated it:
Gostei muito da história de Miguel Lourenço e da forma como se conseguiu desenvicilhar dos seus problemas num país para ele tão estranho.
Nota-se a grande pesquisa histórica do Autor sobre os mercados do café no Sec. XV, altura em que a Holanda dominava grande parte dos negocias da Europa.
Não apreciei muito a parte final, o desenlace de Miguel com a cunhada e a partida do seu irmão, mas mais que tudo a maneira como terminou a história para a Geertruid.
Uma coisa é certa, se trata More...
Nota-se a grande pesquisa histórica do Autor sobre os mercados do café no Sec. XV, altura em que a Holanda dominava grande parte dos negocias da Europa.
Não apreciei muito a parte final, o desenlace de Miguel com a cunhada e a partida do seu irmão, mas mais que tudo a maneira como terminou a história para a Geertruid.
Uma coisa é certa, se trata More...
Jun 29, 2010
Petra
rated it:
Interesting story of a good man trying to make his fortune on the Stock Market in 1600's Amsterdam. This story shows the stakes involved, the build up to a "scheme", the hopes, deceits, betrayals, friendships and intrigue that are involved in daily Stock Market trading.
It also shows the fall out of a completed scheme, both the good and bad sides, and how it effects everyone involved.
A very enjoyable & interesting story with good characters and an intriguing story to tell. More...
It also shows the fall out of a completed scheme, both the good and bad sides, and how it effects everyone involved.
A very enjoyable & interesting story with good characters and an intriguing story to tell. More...
Dec 19, 2008
Lynn
rated it:
I think my enjoyment of this book partly came from having a miserable cold and needing to lose myself in something. It was loaned to me by my mom 2 or 3 years ago and it has never seemed that enticing so it has been sitting on my nightstand for some time. However, I would give it a 3.5 if that were possible. Just a very different novel, taking place hundreds of years ago in Amsterdam. It was suspenseful and well plotted, particularly focusing on the character of Miguel. He is a complex, morall
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Aug 06, 2009
Marvin
rated it:
Another fascinating novel set among the 17th-century Dutch. This one is surprisingly fascinating because it's about an attempt to corner the market, on the Amsterdam mercantile Exchange (as that business form was just emerging) of a newly emerging product--coffee. A Portuguese Jew who has fled the Inquisition for the relatively tolerant Amsterdam becomes an unwitting pawn in a complicated scheme to ruin a powerful figure in the Jewish community there. He repeatedly convinces himself that his une
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Dec 06, 2008
Sherie
rated it:
This is vintage D. Liss. Our hero, Miguel, is in considerable financial distress after being a successful trader. He has to live with his younger brother and endure his sister-in-law's hapless state. All the while, he tries to dig his way out of debt, not really knowing who is for him and who is against him. He is an altogether decent sort, who while trying to second guess those he perceives to be his enemies, makes some bad decisions. His hatched plot is shot full of holes and he is pursued
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Jul 12, 2011
Efredell
rated it:
An excellent historical novel with a fun plot twist. It's more about emmigrant jews living in Amsterdam, chased from Portugal by the Inquisition, than it is about coffee. In fact, while it addresses the period in time before coffee became a drink in Europe, the appearance and references to the drink itself are rather lame (heachaches due to withdrawal, a feeling of invincibility overcoming drinkers due to the cafeine injection). But trying to figure out who is using whom, and where the story wil
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Nov 27, 2011
Doug
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A great mix of financial intrigue and historical setting; I enjoyed the little known world of Portuguess Jews in Amsterdam mixed with the, then, growing trade in stocks and commodities. Though the book had me guessing most of the time and was well-written, there was a little too much Dickensian tying-up of loose ends in the final chapter - but I enjoyed it enough to go on to Liss's previous book, Conspiracy of Paper. Liss seems to have a pulse on today's crazy financial world and sees the conne
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Jan 02, 2011
Kandice
rated it:
This was the first book I read by David Liss. While I didn't find it exactly compelling at first, I found I couldn't put it down. Liss combines the historical times and context of the book with the introduction of commodities trading, the discovery of coffee, and the religious turmoil of the times. He presents it on a personal level through the life of the main character. Somehow he turns all this into a story that you can't wait to read and finish. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look fo
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Aug 07, 2010
Rebecca
rated it:
The first time that I read this book, I didn't make it past page 20. But when I picked it up last year, I found myself sitting up late at night to find out what would happen next in a tricky world of coffee, dutch merchants, money, and a string of half-truths. Recommended for anyone who wants their historical fiction to be a real challenge -- in a good way.
For a more complete review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/The_Coffe... More...
For a more complete review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/The_Coffe... More...
