Scan barcode
A review by ravenousbibliophile
The Flanders Panel by Arturo Pérez-Reverte
3.0
Rating: 2.5-3 / 5
Blurb: A book that checkmates your desire to like it, every few pages.
After finishing [b:The Club Dumas|7194|The Club Dumas|Arturo Pérez-Reverte|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327896341l/7194._SY75_.jpg|372756] by Reverte, I was looking forward to reading more of his works. Reverte's brand of historical-fiction mixed in with eloquent language and symbolism really made an impression on me and it was with great enthusiasm that I set about reading The Flanders Panel. Hoping to find the same level of mystery, intrigue, symbolism and philosophy. And while I did discover all of these elements, I found that the story, or to be more precise, the mystery within the story was rather inaccessible due to my lack of knowledge of the game of chess.
Now granted, a game to which one is oblivious can definitely form the central theme of an entertaining story but in the case of The Flanders Panel, the level of emphasis given to the game of chess and not just the game, but also each move and what it represents as both a move in the game and a move in philosophical terms is often a large jumble of words and ideas and abstractions that make you want to either read the page again or just skip ahead to the point where the characters talk to each other and push the plot forward.
Even with all its drawbacks however, the book is a treat to read from time to time. The descriptions of the paintings, the sheer amount of knowledge being imparted with regards to the topics of chess, art, music, culture, it makes one feel that The Flanders Panel is a book which will readily lend itself to a Film/TV adaptation (1994 adaptation notwithstanding).
Another positive of the book is its summing up at the end. Well, it would be fair to say that the end had some positive aspects to it. The final revelation of the figure in the shadows and their motivation is at once both congruous and incongruous with what we know. The biggest flaw (as I can see) is the complete atrophy of the main character, Julia, as the plot progresses. While she's certainly a driving force behind events at the beginning, she soon becomes someone to whom things are simply happening and she's reduced to being a silent, and almost helpless witness with occasional bursts of initiative. This I think was a great disservice to a character by a story that holds a strong-willed woman in its central theme.
In the end, where this book falls short is with its penchant for leaving a reader who isn't well-versed in chess floating through a sea of eloquent words and picturesque descriptions. There were moments of genuine entertainment but they were fleeting, and in the end I held onto just enough fascination with Reverte's works to pick up a third book, which I hope will be the beginning of an upward sloping curve of enjoyment.
Blurb: A book that checkmates your desire to like it, every few pages.
After finishing [b:The Club Dumas|7194|The Club Dumas|Arturo Pérez-Reverte|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327896341l/7194._SY75_.jpg|372756] by Reverte, I was looking forward to reading more of his works. Reverte's brand of historical-fiction mixed in with eloquent language and symbolism really made an impression on me and it was with great enthusiasm that I set about reading The Flanders Panel. Hoping to find the same level of mystery, intrigue, symbolism and philosophy. And while I did discover all of these elements, I found that the story, or to be more precise, the mystery within the story was rather inaccessible due to my lack of knowledge of the game of chess.
Now granted, a game to which one is oblivious can definitely form the central theme of an entertaining story but in the case of The Flanders Panel, the level of emphasis given to the game of chess and not just the game, but also each move and what it represents as both a move in the game and a move in philosophical terms is often a large jumble of words and ideas and abstractions that make you want to either read the page again or just skip ahead to the point where the characters talk to each other and push the plot forward.
Even with all its drawbacks however, the book is a treat to read from time to time. The descriptions of the paintings, the sheer amount of knowledge being imparted with regards to the topics of chess, art, music, culture, it makes one feel that The Flanders Panel is a book which will readily lend itself to a Film/TV adaptation (1994 adaptation notwithstanding).
Another positive of the book is its summing up at the end. Well, it would be fair to say that the end had some positive aspects to it. The final revelation of the figure in the shadows and their motivation is at once both congruous and incongruous with what we know. The biggest flaw (as I can see) is the complete atrophy of the main character, Julia, as the plot progresses. While she's certainly a driving force behind events at the beginning, she soon becomes someone to whom things are simply happening and she's reduced to being a silent, and almost helpless witness with occasional bursts of initiative. This I think was a great disservice to a character by a story that holds a strong-willed woman in its central theme.
In the end, where this book falls short is with its penchant for leaving a reader who isn't well-versed in chess floating through a sea of eloquent words and picturesque descriptions. There were moments of genuine entertainment but they were fleeting, and in the end I held onto just enough fascination with Reverte's works to pick up a third book, which I hope will be the beginning of an upward sloping curve of enjoyment.