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El maestro de esgrima
Novela de aventuras pero también policiaca, de traiciones y maniobras políticas en el Madrid galdosiano de 1868, El maestro de esgrima es la historia de un mundo de tahúres y mercachifles mantenido a distancia por un florete honorable. Pero es, sobre todo, una inquietante parábola sobre el poder del dinero, la ambición política y la extinción de los valores de honradez y f...more
Paperback, 399 pages
Published
April 30th 2005
by Punto de Lectura
(first published 1988)
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This is my favourite of Perez-Reverte's books that I've read thus far. The stoic fencing maestro Jaime Astarloa is living out his remaining days of quiet desperation with a philosophical stiff upper lip as he watches the way of life he has devoted himself to fade into unlamented obscurity. Don Jaime spends his days teaching bratty aristocrats the art of the sword, an art they appear to no longer need or care about, and marking time with his few acquaintances in the Cafe Progresso; a sad group of...more
Don Jaime Astarloa has two convictions. The first one is to be a man of honor. The second is the belief that fencing is the ultimate art.
”The pistol is not a weapon, it is an impertinence. If two men are to kill each other, they should do so face-to-face, not from a distance, like vile highwaymen.”
Many people would describe Don Jaime as pompous with his old-fashioned believes. I think it only contributes to the feeling of a living character. Not everyone can be modern and interested in politic a...more
”The pistol is not a weapon, it is an impertinence. If two men are to kill each other, they should do so face-to-face, not from a distance, like vile highwaymen.”
Many people would describe Don Jaime as pompous with his old-fashioned believes. I think it only contributes to the feeling of a living character. Not everyone can be modern and interested in politic a...more
A critic once describe Perez-Reverte's books as "beach books" for the extremely well read. They are probably what this critic reads at the beach. I am not sure that I would pack it with the sunscreen and towels. I might put it, or, more likely, one of Perez-Reverte's more interesting books, into the carry-on for a flight to Spain. There is something captivating about reading a book in the place where it is set, even if it is historical fiction and even if it isn't wonderful.
I'm still annoyed at...more
I'm still annoyed at...more
7 likes · like · see review
Jun 13, 2007
Kelly
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
teeangers, swashbuckling lit fans
This one is quite simple and straight forward. I might recommend it for a young adult who likes adventure stories. I just felt like it gave into stereotypes and predictability a little too much. Perez-Reverte has something of an obsession with the Dark Lady character out to destroy the man in love with her. Nowhere is that more prominent than in this novel. Usually it's woven in enough that it doesn't bother me, but having read his other ones and then read this one? It just made me roll my eyes...more
"The Fencing Master" by Arturo Perez-Reverte is a throwback to another time... in fact, even within the 1868 time setting of the story, the protagonist (a fencing master, go figure) is a throwback to another time, an era of pure honor and purer scruples. Of course, such an era has never existed, but within any moment there exist those Quixotic souls who live as if one might transcend the hungry groveling of politics, economics and sexuality.
Such behavior may be fantasy, but in my opinion so are...more
Such behavior may be fantasy, but in my opinion so are...more
Jan 02, 2008
Gaspar
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Shelves:
spanish
I read this book in Spanish. This is the fourth Perez Reverte book I've read and once again he doesn't dissapoint. His writing is more in line with English/American authors than with traditional Spanish ones. In this book the author is more instrospective and develops the character of the protagonist in precise detail. You get to appreciate him for what he is, even if you don't completely agree with him. A lot of historical references regarding Spain can make it a little confusing if you do wish...more
Don Jaime Astarloa is the one of the last of a noble, dying breed. As a master of the art of fencing, he lives his life by the rules of the blade, a code of conduct that centers around honorable swordsmanship and fair play. With modern weapons like the pistol gaining popularity, there is little interest in fencing, but Don Jaime is able to eke out a meager living teaching his art to the sons of the aristocracy. It is 1866, and Madrid is facing a storm of political upheaval as Queen Isabella II's...more
Dec 31, 2012
Robert Strandquist
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
while-in-belgium
Disappointed, I am. At first I thought the source of my problem lay in translation from Spanish to English. I couldn't decide if the melodramatic tone was in keeping with the plot's focus on a central character of honor. Don Jaime was a man living in the past when devotion to the art of fencing demanded respect, but times (the pistol) were changing around him. However, later on this tone shifted into one of action-adventure-mystery-suspense - a real thriller where his honorable qualities became...more
Mar 28, 2011
Dianne
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
thrillers,
fiction-historical
Elegantly written and translated book.
Set in Madrid in 1866 during a period of political unrest leading to the deposition of Isobel II.
If, like me, you have had little exposure to Spanish nineteenth century history, it is worth looking up Isobel II in Wikopedia. It helps to make sense of the discussions between the four friends who meet every afternoon in the Cafe Progreso.
Fencing terms and technique are used throughout the book to slowly build up the character of Jaime Astarlao the fencing mas...more
Set in Madrid in 1866 during a period of political unrest leading to the deposition of Isobel II.
If, like me, you have had little exposure to Spanish nineteenth century history, it is worth looking up Isobel II in Wikopedia. It helps to make sense of the discussions between the four friends who meet every afternoon in the Cafe Progreso.
Fencing terms and technique are used throughout the book to slowly build up the character of Jaime Astarlao the fencing mas...more
Fencing Master, not Zoro, for Catherine Zeta-Jones and Antonio Banderas. As I was reading the book I thought that the actors from the first Zoro movie would be a great fit for the characters in this book. Enough of that though. I have to say I am a fan of historical fiction, but am not very interested in fencing nor the time period in which this book was set. However, Perez-Reverte made it all very intriguing and entertaining for me through the characters. Do not shy away from the book if the su...more
Don Jaime is a fencing master of the classical style, and the inventor of a secret thrust. Grown older, and with the pistol increasing in popularity and rebellion fomenting in society all around, he is still living by the particular ethos of his life and training, setting him apart from his contemporaries. Into his humble life comes a beautiful woman who requests that he teach her his secret fencing thrust. What follows are murder, intrigue, and consequences.
The story is written from Don Jaime's...more
The story is written from Don Jaime's...more
Set in the Madrid of 1868, it introduces us to the title character, Don Jaime--fencing master and a gentleman who still holds to the code of honor. This makes him an anachronism--even in 1868. Because the Madrid of this time period is full of political intrigue and there are men (and women) willing commit all sorts of of dishonorable deeds to bring down members of rival political parties. (Does this sound at all familiar?...the more things change, the more they stay the same. But I digress.) Don...more
Arturo Pérez-Reverte es uno de mis escritores favoritos y quizás uno de los mejores escritores españoles vivos.
De formación periodista, pero con vocación de historiador y novelista, Pérez-Reverte tiene una facilidad envidiable para trasladarnos a la España del siglo XVII (el capitán Alatriste), la rebelión española contra Napoleón (Un día de cólera) o en el Madrid de mediados del siglo XIX, que es donde está ambientado El maestro de esgrima. Si bien su capacidad para evocar lugares, ambientes, s...more
De formación periodista, pero con vocación de historiador y novelista, Pérez-Reverte tiene una facilidad envidiable para trasladarnos a la España del siglo XVII (el capitán Alatriste), la rebelión española contra Napoleón (Un día de cólera) o en el Madrid de mediados del siglo XIX, que es donde está ambientado El maestro de esgrima. Si bien su capacidad para evocar lugares, ambientes, s...more
In 1868 Madrid, Don Jaime is a fifty-something fencing master who is watching his art die out as guns become the weapon of choice. Around him, his country is experiencing a revolution, as the monarchy is being threatened by the desire for democracy. Don Jaime prefers to stay out of all this, but a conspiracy enters his life through his fencing studio and a beautiful young woman who is willing to pay him to teach her his most powerful move.
• One use of a PG-13 swear word
• Some sexuality—fencing b...more
• One use of a PG-13 swear word
• Some sexuality—fencing b...more
Tras leer el libro y analizar mis sensaciones he de decir que siento un sabor agridulce. La trama del libro y el tema son interesantes pero hay ciertas cosas que no me han gustado. Vayamos por partes:
Lo bueno:
+ El tema de la esgrima es, de por sí, muy interesante.
+ El autor habla de la esgrima en términos muy técnicos. Se ve que se ha documentado bien. Esto creo que es una constante en los libros de Pérez-Reverte (no olvidemos su pasado periodístico) y se me viene a la mente, por ejemplo, "La ta...more
Lo bueno:
+ El tema de la esgrima es, de por sí, muy interesante.
+ El autor habla de la esgrima en términos muy técnicos. Se ve que se ha documentado bien. Esto creo que es una constante en los libros de Pérez-Reverte (no olvidemos su pasado periodístico) y se me viene a la mente, por ejemplo, "La ta...more
Elegantly written historical mystery set in Spain during the 1860's. Pérez-Reverte artfully draws the reader into the social and political turmoil of this place and time.
"The Fencing Master" is a novel of a time and place and the characters who inhabit that space; particularly it is the story of Don Jaime, the fencing master of the title and a man whose heart and soul belongs to an earlier time, when fencing was a matter of honor and of life and death. Don Jaime has resigned himself to graceful...more
"The Fencing Master" is a novel of a time and place and the characters who inhabit that space; particularly it is the story of Don Jaime, the fencing master of the title and a man whose heart and soul belongs to an earlier time, when fencing was a matter of honor and of life and death. Don Jaime has resigned himself to graceful...more
This is Perez-Reverte's second novel. It is a tale possessed of Perez-Reverte's typically meticulous attention to detail, and some might argue that it is the blueprint of the Alatriste novels, particularly when it touches upon the main character's (Jaime Astarloa) archaic sense of honour and the friends that he meet in the tavern. However I think that it is a novel which stands squarely on its own two feet, possessed of a gallery of distinctly original characters.
The novel's background is early...more
The novel's background is early...more
Once in a great while a book comes along which causes you to remember how much you love to read simply because of words. This is one of them. Perez-Reverte is originally from Spain, and; therefore, his work is translated, but it does not lose any of its majesty. His understanding of conveying the sultry climate, the warm, languid tones and colors of the environment is astounding. Though I am not much of a drinker, I found myself likening his work to the perfection a connoisseur must feel when he...more
You know those books that have a lot of loose ends that are left hanging until just before the end when everything is neatly finished and all mysteries are solved? Well, the problem with this book is that the loose ends weren't really visible/evident until just before then end, when they tied up at pretty much the same time. I felt like there were mysteries in the story, but I wasn't really aware of what they were until the end, at which point I didn't care about the characters enough to be reli...more
The Fencing Master started off pretty slowly for me. There's quite a bit in the first half of the book about Spanish politics and power grabs, a lot about monarchists and revolutionaries, and I didn't find much of this to be very interesting. Enter Doña Adela de Otero. With her introduction into the story everything shifted.
The last half of the book proved itself to be a pretty good murder mystery/intrigue which made everything in the first half of the book relevant. I ended up feeling like the...more
The last half of the book proved itself to be a pretty good murder mystery/intrigue which made everything in the first half of the book relevant. I ended up feeling like the...more
The reader is submerged in the world of the title character through meticulous details on fencing culture (chivalry/honor/etiquette) and technique (parry-positions/responses-to-specific attacks). The old-fashioned fencing master watches the way of life he has devoted himself to fade into unlamented obscurity (a political turmoil of 19th century Spain and industrial revolution is brought to vivid life) when a beautiful and mysterious woman, Adela de Otero (a veritable whirlwind of transformation)...more
Pe`rez-Reverte describes historical people and actions in a very down-to-earth way in Spain of the late 1860's. We see Old World and New century changes in war, politics, and romance from the Fencing Master's aged point of view. Realizing he is from a world of honor and tradition you gain the stylized view of life as a game or fencing tradition—which has rules. The problem; life has no rules. The story starts slowly, as does life, and ends quickly, passionately, and possibly with no more meaning...more
This novel has a wonderful sense of atmosphere, but is really heavy on the political intrigue. I assumed as I read it that since I know nothing about Spanish history, I shouldn't spend a lot of time trying to sort it all out (same thing with the fencing terms - look, I'm being less OCD about things!). But by the end, I wished I'd spent some more time with it. I was trying to finish it for a book club, and I'm sure I'll pick it up again at some point, but it's not really a fast read, despite its...more
I know nothing about Fencing, but this book made me feel like I did. The story was well told, with developed characters. The author did a good job establishing the setting and the time. It just had a unique feel to it - established a place in memory.
The book evolves from straight forward storytelling to a mystery and I found the mystery to be weak. But the mystery itself was not as important as the effect the mystery had on the protagonist. The ending was bitter, leaving one feeling sad, but I...more
The book evolves from straight forward storytelling to a mystery and I found the mystery to be weak. But the mystery itself was not as important as the effect the mystery had on the protagonist. The ending was bitter, leaving one feeling sad, but I...more
In this story a middle-aged 19th century fencing master becomes involved, against his will, in political intrigues. It has a fine cast of characters; they often meet in a coffee house, which allows the author to contrast and develop their natures. The fencing master is a sympathetic character. He is rather "old school", and may remind you a little of the most famous character in Spanish literature. Still, he is his own man and the author keeps the action moving, and not just with fencing bouts,...more
This is Perez-Reverte's second novel, set amidst the political intrigues between royalists and revolutionaries in mid-c19th Spain. While enjoyable as all of his novels are, The Fencing Master lacks much of the drama and pace of his succeeding works. The atmosphere is an effective one and the interactions between the characters move from dramatic to comic effortlessly. The protagonist, Don Jaime Astarloa, is a man out of his times, an idealist who remains committed to an ascetic life of bygone ch...more
Only read this because it was a book club selection and I figured I'd read it, but probably not attend discussion. However, this story sparks all kinds of interesting questions about Madrid in 1866, whether the political upheaval or timeless moral questions in addition to just understanding the story, particularly thoughts about the ending. Although I wouldn't have chosen this book on my own, was glad to have stretched my horizons and had the opportunity to recall my short lived fore into the "s...more
I was once a fencer, so I ought to like that this book focuses on and romanticizes the sport. I'm not entirely sure why the author chose to write about a fencer as the centre of a story about romance and political intrigue in late 19th century Spain, but he did. Perhaps it's just the old-world idea that a man with a sword is somehow classy. I can tell you from experience that this is not true, but I digress.
The historical fiction aspects of the book are interesting, although I must confess I am...more
The historical fiction aspects of the book are interesting, although I must confess I am...more
Ce roman de cape et d'épée se déroule en Espagne à la fin de 19ème siècle. Le pays est alors en pleine mutation, l'art intemporel de l'escrime ne sera bientôt plus qu'un vestige du temps passé. Il n’est plus utilisé lors des duels car on lui préfère de vulgaires armes à feux et, désormais pratiqué par des femmes, on va même jusqu'à l'assimiler à un sport. Le vieux maître d'escrime, personnage principal de ce récit, se résout, malgré lui, à vivre avec son temps et accepte d'enseigner sont art à u...more
I originally discovered Arturo Perez-Reverte through Johnny Depp’s film The Ninth Gate (based on Perez-Reverte’s book The Club Dumas). I was quickly enamored with his writing, which is fluid, descriptive, and intrinsically character based. My only complaint with The Club Dumas was the ending. I felt that Perez-Reverte had failed to give enough attention to completing his antiquarian book thriller, leaving the reader wanting for a better conclusion.
When I picked up The Fencing Master, I expected...more
When I picked up The Fencing Master, I expected...more
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Spanish novelist and journalist. He worked as war reporter for twenty-one years (1973 - 1994). He started his journalistic career writing for the now-defunct newspaper Pueblo.
More about Arturo Pérez-Reverte...
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“Actually loneliness has a kind of fascination; it's a state of egotistical, inner grace that you can achieve only by standing guard on old, forgotten roads that no one travels anymore.”
—
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“Sabe qual é o problema? Encontramo-nos na última de três gerações que a História tem o capricho de repetir de quando em quando. A primeira precisa de um Deus, e inventa-o. A segunda ergue templos a esse Deus e tenta imitá-lo. E a terceira utiliza o mármore desses templos para construir prostíbulos onde adorar a sua própria cobiça, a sua luxúria e a sua baixeza. E é assim que aos deuses e aos heróis sucedem sempre, inevitavelmente, os medíocres, os cobardes e os imbecis.”
—
1 person liked it
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Apr 11, 2012 10:04am
updated Apr 11, 2012 10:35am