Rating:  Summary: One of the best mysteries I have read Review: This ranks up there with Auster's New York trilogy, and Kerr's Berlin trilogy. This is a mystery that I will not forget.
Rating:  Summary: I kept putting it down... Review: I would not have finished this book were I not reading it for my bookgroup. We generally found The characters unsympathetic, the writing style confusing, and the ending unsatisfying. Others liked it somewhat better than I, but would only recommend it with plenty of disclaimers and warnings. The woodcuts were fun, though, and the mystery was intriguing for awhile (but a subig let down at the end.
Rating:  Summary: An excellent mystery Review: An excellent mystery written by a new and interesting author. Excellent charachter development in Lucas Corso. Very interesting suject matter. Old books, sinister henchmen and the devil, all are prominently displayed. The twists and turns are interesting and keep the reader wanting more.
Rating:  Summary: interesting but difficult to follow Review: A book merchant (with whom is difficult to related to) sets out to track copies of an ancient book which supposedly contains information as to how to summon the devil. This is story is related to subplot involving the authenticity of a chapter from the 3 Musketeers. There is a plethora of information on antique books and on Dumas. The plot is not bad, although the book is tiresome to read. The Seville Communion is a much better book! If you are interested in this author, I recommend that one over the Dumas Club.
Rating:  Summary: Good, if you like books. Review: This book is fairly well written with a lot of pretty interesting views into the minds of people who love books more than anything else. The side information about Dumas and the book collecting "industry" is a welcome addition to the plot. Be warned though, if you're looking for a mystery that wraps up in a slam-bang finish, this book isn't for you. It seems to have been written for bibliophiles who understand the passion that most of the characters have for their books. If you don't have that passion, you will probably not understand many of the characters' motivations.
Rating:  Summary: Oh, come on. Who cares? Review: I finished the Club Dumas and I'm wondering why anyone cares. The plot is ridiculous. Some greedy and somewhat sleazy book merchant chases all over the Iberian peninsula and France for two books that will supposedly summon the Devil while a bunch of Eurosnobs plot to keep a handwritten chapter of a Dumas book from public scrutiny - all the while belonging to a club that reprints ancient dime novels? Minute details about book collecting overwhelmed me with tears of boredom. There's the stereotypical fetching young woman who all we know about is that she uses a name from a Sherlock Holmes story and is a kick boxer of some talent because she can beat up an actor? Meanwhile, the evil "pay no attention to the man behind the curtains" guy surfaces only briefly at beginning an end. And if I read the word "apocryphal" one more time I would have puked. The ending, especially the last page, is so trite I would have expected it to come from a John Grisham novel. And I LIKE John Grisham.
Rating:  Summary: Occult undertones intriguing, but the rest? Review: Club Dumas entertains with its sundry of interesting information about Alexander Dumas, his serials and the selective world of the rare book. The occult undertones and puzzles added extra tantilization. But other than that, the story of a jaded book detective, his penchant for a mystery Lolita and their involvement with a group of characters who have confused their identities to the point where they are acting out parts of Dumas' 3 Musketeers, was trite and like the outcome in 'The Flanders Panel' predictable. Rebirth occurs in the onion layers of young flesh? Come on-what were all the spectacular reviews about? Methinks most folk assume that when they read a novel with the scholarly undertones of Umberto Eco, automatically they have 'arrived' on that plane where those who prefer the commercially successful genre of Grisham et al can never reach. This author exploits that need for pseudo intelligence.
Rating:  Summary: Gripping Plot, Inconsistent Writing Review: The plot of this novel is face-paced and interesting once through the first 50 pages. (About 1/7th of the total book.) Throughout the entire novel, however, I kept noticing changes in Perez's style. The first few chapers are written in a straight-forward tone, with little attention given to the surroundings. Later, more attention is given to describing the environment and Corso's [main character] thoughts. Sometimes the extra words seemed unnecessary; occasionally I found myself looking ahead to find the action again. Finally, there is a scene which is brilliantly described -- a sex scene where Corso likens his performance in bed to that of Napoleon's army at Waterloo. The entire description is funny and cleverly written. However, it would have been nice to see such ingenuity continued throughout the entire work. This novel is well-researched and great for anyone who reads mystery novels just looking for an intriguing storyline.
Rating:  Summary: An intelligent, suspenseful and playful postmodern mystery Review: If, as one of the many colorful characters in Perez-Reverte's book says, "every age gets the books that it deserves," then The Club Dumas speaks very well for our age. Written with enough postmodern playfulness and erudition to tease the intellect, this wonderful book succeeds as an engrossing and genuinely suspenseful thriller.
Rating:  Summary: It has caught my attention from the first line... Review: A very interesting book that combines the thrilling, unexpected chase for the unknown we can find in The Name of The Rose and marking, real characters. The story itself is presented in a very active manner, where the facts are shown to the reader at the same pace they are discovered by the main character. Couldn't help comparing Lucas Corso with a real life Hércule Poirot...
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