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A review by ravenousbibliophile
The Club Dumas by Arturo Pérez-Reverte
4.0
Blurb: The Devil you know is as mysterious as the Devil you don't.
There is a peculiar pleasure that I, as a bibliophile and cinephile derive when I read the words "based on the book..." on-screen when viewing a film. The film that brought me to this book was none other than the Johnny Depp starer 'The Ninth Gate'. While the less said about the film, the better, individual elements of the film intrigued me just enough to pique my curiosity for the book. And I acquired it promptly. Which turned out to be an excellent decisions since I am happy to begin 2019 by devouring this book. Which will be the first of many from this author.
In a way, it was my love of books and reading in general that enabled me to enjoy this book as much as I did. Indeed, a substantial portion of the story is dedicated to medieval book-binding techniques, forgery techniques, typesetting, engravings etc. It is quite simply book-porn. I cannot compliment Sonia Soto enough for her masterful translation. The scenes were vivid and the language was beautiful, eloquent and in some cases quite lyrical. And given the characters and their own respective obsessions with books of antiquity and the elitist air that they enjoyed after possessing them, the eloquence and narrative of the story fit perfectly within the book's universe.
The pacing of the book, however, is a bit inconsistent. It builds up slowly, picks up a bit in the middle, slows down and then dashes towards the end like Usain Bolt looking to break his own world-record. Thankfully, the speed of these transitions isn't quite so jarring and the crescendo of events and plot-twists is handled well. Speaking of plot-twists, the ending is one that might not be enjoyable to readers who prefer things rather cut and dried. If the phrase "the end is only the beginning" annoys you, then I wouldn't recommend this book for your reading pleasure. I on the other hand loved the ending, because it is perhaps the best way to end this seemingly bizarre yet gripping journey.
I have always had a fondness for books which are about books, and I can say with complete confidence that The Club Dumas will be one of the first names that pops up in my head when someone asks "Could you recommend a good book about a book?"
There is a peculiar pleasure that I, as a bibliophile and cinephile derive when I read the words "based on the book..." on-screen when viewing a film. The film that brought me to this book was none other than the Johnny Depp starer 'The Ninth Gate'. While the less said about the film, the better, individual elements of the film intrigued me just enough to pique my curiosity for the book. And I acquired it promptly. Which turned out to be an excellent decisions since I am happy to begin 2019 by devouring this book. Which will be the first of many from this author.
In a way, it was my love of books and reading in general that enabled me to enjoy this book as much as I did. Indeed, a substantial portion of the story is dedicated to medieval book-binding techniques, forgery techniques, typesetting, engravings etc. It is quite simply book-porn. I cannot compliment Sonia Soto enough for her masterful translation. The scenes were vivid and the language was beautiful, eloquent and in some cases quite lyrical. And given the characters and their own respective obsessions with books of antiquity and the elitist air that they enjoyed after possessing them, the eloquence and narrative of the story fit perfectly within the book's universe.
The pacing of the book, however, is a bit inconsistent. It builds up slowly, picks up a bit in the middle, slows down and then dashes towards the end like Usain Bolt looking to break his own world-record. Thankfully, the speed of these transitions isn't quite so jarring and the crescendo of events and plot-twists is handled well. Speaking of plot-twists, the ending is one that might not be enjoyable to readers who prefer things rather cut and dried. If the phrase "the end is only the beginning" annoys you, then I wouldn't recommend this book for your reading pleasure. I on the other hand loved the ending, because it is perhaps the best way to end this seemingly bizarre yet gripping journey.
I have always had a fondness for books which are about books, and I can say with complete confidence that The Club Dumas will be one of the first names that pops up in my head when someone asks "Could you recommend a good book about a book?"