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Title: The Fencing Master by Arturo Perez-Reverte ISBN: 0-15-100181-2 Publisher: Harcourt Pub. Date: 07 June, 1999 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.95 (73 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: An elegant, powerful, period thriller - A gem of a book!
Comment: What a gem of a book! This is a splendidly original, elegantly written, period thriller that is near impossible to put down. The tale is set in 19th century Madrid, a time of political instability and intrigue, against the backdrop of rumored coup plots against the Spanish queen. Don Jaime Astarloa, a proud, aging, master fencer and teacher, practices his noble art which he sees slowly losing its place within aristocratic society. He is approached one day by a beautiful yet mysterious young woman who requests that he take her on as a student. Though reluctant at first to instruct a woman, Don Jaime soon discovers that she is a skilled fencer. The mystery surrounding her grows, however, when she abruptly discontinues her lessons after learning an arcane yet deadly technique that only a select few fencers can perform. Soon thereafter, a series of murders takes place that forces Don Jaime to question whom he can trust and whether he himself is safe.
The Fencing Master combines a gripping plot, elegant prose, and intense, powerful descriptions of fencing duels that may at times leave you breathless. Think of the grace and beauty in Hemingway's depiction of bullfighting in The Sun Also Rises, and you may have some sense of how masterfully Perez-Reverte has captured the essence of the art of fencing. With each turn of the page you will feel transported to a different time and place. The stylish prose and authoritative narrative voice fill this novel with an authentic period feel. And each sentence conveys an understated sense of strength, pride, honor, integrity, and passion that make this book and its hero simply unforgettable.
Rating: 3
Summary: A simple, straightforward book
Comment: I have not read any of the author's other books, so I cannot compare, and really that's not very fair. I was under the impression that this was a thriller but the book really felt like a romance to me.
Not that that's all bad, but nothing seemed to be happening until about page 150. The premise: old fencing master is approached by a mysterious and beautiful female student to learn a "secret" but deadly fencing move and lust and deceit ensue. I couldn't help but picture Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Wait, they already did that movie.
The story is more than a little predictable, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it, mornings at my local coffee shop. I have to say that the motive in the book was lost on me, maybe if my Spanish history was better. It didn't help that my knowledge of Spanish Revolution of 1868, the back drop of the novel, is zero. Seeing that Pérez-Reverte is a native of Spain, his core readers may have been better in tune than I.
The Fencing Master is such a simple, straightforward book that it is difficult to say much without giving much of the story away. Though predictable, it was an enjoyable read and it was nice to read an international best seller for a change of pace.
Oh, by the way from Fencing.net's glossary: Foible: the upper, weak part of the blade.
For more details, go to aj.huff.org. Thanks.
Rating: 2
Summary: More Boring Than Expected
Comment: This is the fourth book I have read by this author, and it is the most boring. The book is rather thin in overall character - the plot is rather simple and there is little to no suspense in this so-called mystery. Perhaps someone interested in Spanish fencing masters of the mid to late 1800's or interested in Spain would be more moved by this book. I was just looking for a good read - and this was not it.
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Title: The Club Dumas: A Novel by Arturo Perez-Reverte, Sonia Soto ISBN: 0679777547 Publisher: Vintage Books USA Pub. Date: 01 April, 1998 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The Seville Communion by Arturo Perez-Reverte ISBN: 0156006391 Publisher: Harvest Books Pub. Date: 06 May, 1999 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The Flanders Panel by ARTURO PEREZ-REVERTE ISBN: 0553377868 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 01 May, 1996 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: The Nautical Chart by Arturo Perez-Reverte, Margaret Sayers Peden ISBN: 0156013053 Publisher: Harvest Books Pub. Date: 03 September, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The Queen of the South by Arturo Perez-Reverte, Andrew Hurley ISBN: 0399151850 Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group Pub. Date: 03 June, 2004 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
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