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The Fencing Master
In Madrid in 1868, fencing master and man of honor Don Jaime is approached by a mysterious woman who seeks to learn the unstoppable thrust, an arcane technique known only to him. All too soon he finds himself in the vortex of a plot that includes seduction, secret political documents, and more than one murder. Rich with historical detail of a decaying world that agonizes - as does the art of fencing itself - over the ideals of honor and chivalry, The Fencing Master is superb literature and a true page-turner.
244 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
About the author
Arturo Pérez-Reverte
145 books5,545 followersArturo Pérez-Reverte Gutiérrez, is a Spanish novelist and ex-journalist. He worked as a war reporter for twenty-one years (1973 - 1994). He started his journalistic career writing for the now-defunct newspaper Pueblo. Then, he jumped to news reporter for TVE, Spanish national channel. As a war journalist he traveled to several countries, covering many conflicts. He put this experience into his book 'Territorio Comanche', focusing on the years of Bosnian massacres. That was in 1994, but his debut as a fiction writer started in 1983, with 'El húsar', a historical novella inspired in the Napoleonic era.
Although his debut was not quite successful, in 1988, with 'The Fencing Master', he put his name as a serious writer of historic novels. That was confirmed in 1996, when was published the first book of his Captain Alatriste saga, which has been his trademark. After this book, he could leave definitely journalism for focusing on his career as a fiction writer. This saga, that happens in the years of the Spanish golden age, has seen, for now, seven volumes, where Pérez-Reverte shows, from his particular point of view, historical events from Spanish history in the 16th century.
Apart from these, he also penned another successful works like Dumas Club and Flanders Panel, titles that, among others, made Pérez-Reverte one of the most famous and bestseller authors of Spanish fiction of our era.
Although his debut was not quite successful, in 1988, with 'The Fencing Master', he put his name as a serious writer of historic novels. That was confirmed in 1996, when was published the first book of his Captain Alatriste saga, which has been his trademark. After this book, he could leave definitely journalism for focusing on his career as a fiction writer. This saga, that happens in the years of the Spanish golden age, has seen, for now, seven volumes, where Pérez-Reverte shows, from his particular point of view, historical events from Spanish history in the 16th century.
Apart from these, he also penned another successful works like Dumas Club and Flanders Panel, titles that, among others, made Pérez-Reverte one of the most famous and bestseller authors of Spanish fiction of our era.
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May 14, 2020
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 older men watching their decline in disbelief, each a victim of their own inability to make anything meaningful of their lives.
Into this quiet decline comes the unexpected appearance of a beautiful and mysterious woman, Adela de Otero, a veritable whirlwind of transformation whose request to learn from him the deadly "two hundred escudo thrust" plunges the hapless fencing master into a world of danger and intrigue quite at variance with his expectations for his sunset years, though not, perhaps, wholly against his secret wishes.
The political turmoil and colour of 19th century Madrid is brought to vivid life by Perez-Reverte and Don Jaime's position as a virtual outsider within his own society make him an excellent viewpoint character for the reader. The poignant decline of Don Jaime, along with his perseverence despite the obstacles put before him, make him sympathetic despite his relatively cool nature. I really enjoyed reading this book and come back to it often to simply soak in the atmosphere so effectively created by Perez-Reverte.
***
April 2012 re-read: Still love it. Don Jaime is a great character and Adela de Otero is almost worthy to be classed with Milady de Winter. Awesome sense of time and place as well and all wrapped up in a fairly unconventional swashbuckler.
Also posted at Shelf Inflicted
Into this quiet decline comes the unexpected appearance of a beautiful and mysterious woman, Adela de Otero, a veritable whirlwind of transformation whose request to learn from him the deadly "two hundred escudo thrust" plunges the hapless fencing master into a world of danger and intrigue quite at variance with his expectations for his sunset years, though not, perhaps, wholly against his secret wishes.
The political turmoil and colour of 19th century Madrid is brought to vivid life by Perez-Reverte and Don Jaime's position as a virtual outsider within his own society make him an excellent viewpoint character for the reader. The poignant decline of Don Jaime, along with his perseverence despite the obstacles put before him, make him sympathetic despite his relatively cool nature. I really enjoyed reading this book and come back to it often to simply soak in the atmosphere so effectively created by Perez-Reverte.
***
April 2012 re-read: Still love it. Don Jaime is a great character and Adela de Otero is almost worthy to be classed with Milady de Winter. Awesome sense of time and place as well and all wrapped up in a fairly unconventional swashbuckler.
Also posted at Shelf Inflicted
August 13, 2024
„Учителят по фехтовка“ е много хубав исторически роман! Реверте убедително е представил на читателите любопитна испанска атмосфера от 19-ти век, сладкодумно разказвайки историята на дон Хайме. Сюжетът не ме впечатли колкото очаквах, обаче диалозите между персонажите бяха доста силни и въздействащи.
Главният герой е старомоден и самотен мъж, който от години е превъзходен класически учител по фехтовка. Той не се интересува от политическите интриги и спорове между монархисти и републиканци, а обръща внимание само на фехтоваческото изкуство. Един ден с него се свързва младата доня Адела, която пази в тайна миналото си, обаче притежава отлични фехтовачески способноси. Тя наема дон Хайме, за да се научи от него на легендарния „удар за двеста ескудос“, а впоследствие го въвлича в големи опасности...
„— Ако се очаква спасение, или каквото и да било друго, работата вече не е много чиста… Аз имах предвид последната битка пред прага на вечния мрак, без други свидетели, освен теб самия.
— Забравяте Бог.
— Той не ме интересува. Бог позволява непозволимото, безотговорен е и непоследователен. Не е джентълмен.
Маркизът погледна дон Хайме с искрено уважение.
— Винаги съм твърдял, учителю — каза той след известно мълчание, — че Природата прави нещата толкова добре, че превръща интелигентните хора в циници, за да могат да оцелеят… Вие сте единственото известно на мен доказателство за неточността на теорията ми. И може би именно това харесвам в характера ви, дори повече от уменията на фехтовач. Доближавате ме до някои неща, за които бих се заклел, че съществуват единствено в книгите. Вие сте нещо като моята заспала съвест.“
Главният герой е старомоден и самотен мъж, който от години е превъзходен класически учител по фехтовка. Той не се интересува от политическите интриги и спорове между монархисти и републиканци, а обръща внимание само на фехтоваческото изкуство. Един ден с него се свързва младата доня Адела, която пази в тайна миналото си, обаче притежава отлични фехтовачески способноси. Тя наема дон Хайме, за да се научи от него на легендарния „удар за двеста ескудос“, а впоследствие го въвлича в големи опасности...
„— Ако се очаква спасение, или каквото и да било друго, работата вече не е много чиста… Аз имах предвид последната битка пред прага на вечния мрак, без други свидетели, освен теб самия.
— Забравяте Бог.
— Той не ме интересува. Бог позволява непозволимото, безотговорен е и непоследователен. Не е джентълмен.
Маркизът погледна дон Хайме с искрено уважение.
— Винаги съм твърдял, учителю — каза той след известно мълчание, — че Природата прави нещата толкова добре, че превръща интелигентните хора в циници, за да могат да оцелеят… Вие сте единственото известно на мен доказателство за неточността на теорията ми. И може би именно това харесвам в характера ви, дори повече от уменията на фехтовач. Доближавате ме до някои неща, за които бих се заклел, че съществуват единствено в книгите. Вие сте нещо като моята заспала съвест.“
April 24, 2022
When considering the aphoristic and oft-repeated writing advice 'write the book you want to read,' one of the hooks that I've rarely come across as well-done is one of perspective: I love the idea of a story told from the eyes of a true side character. Not a sidekick or a right-hand or a chronicler, but an actual bit player in a larger storyline. This sounds a bit vague and potentially boring, I know, but I think it has dynamite potential in the right hands.
The longer I reflect on The Fencing Master, the more I feel like that's actually what I'm getting in this story, though somewhat unsatisfactorily.
At its strongest, this short novel is an intelligent character study. Don Jaime Astarloa is an accomplished swordmaster, an aging holdover from a time when that sort of fighting was essential. As warfare (and firearms) have evolved, Don Jaime has seen the skill (and art and philosophy) that he's spent his life passionately pursuing become less relevant, and demoted to the rank of sport. He clings to the ideals of his past, valuing the notions of an honour-filled life, and gets by trying to impart these ideologies to his fencing students. These rigid, gentlemanly practices keep him a step (or more) removed from the modern world; having lived the height of his passions at an earlier time, he has little concern for the political debate or romantic sighs of his peer group.
His sense of propriety and his remove mean that he is genuinely unaware when he becomes a player in a bigger story – though of course it all begins with a mysterious and beautiful woman asking to learn a difficult fencing move.
That's the interesting thing, though. Beyond the character study, the bulk of the actual plot happens off-page, to characters who are mostly on the fringes of the narrative. Don Jaime is a pawn, a dupe, a stepping stone. The story gets large in scope, but because our fencing master is so insular he himself doesn't pay much attention to any information that gets handed to him. In the end, he has to have everything straight out explained to him, and he still mostly only cares because his honour has been slighted.
In is an interesting stylistic choice, but leaves the plot feeling remarkably passive, and the bulk of the story slow.
On the flip side, Astorloa is an interesting man, and the story happens in 1860's Madrid, where political unrest is at a peak. Perez-Reverte is a lovely writer with a keen eye for observation, so this was a good read. Don Jaime just wasn't the dupe I was looking for.
The longer I reflect on The Fencing Master, the more I feel like that's actually what I'm getting in this story, though somewhat unsatisfactorily.
At its strongest, this short novel is an intelligent character study. Don Jaime Astarloa is an accomplished swordmaster, an aging holdover from a time when that sort of fighting was essential. As warfare (and firearms) have evolved, Don Jaime has seen the skill (and art and philosophy) that he's spent his life passionately pursuing become less relevant, and demoted to the rank of sport. He clings to the ideals of his past, valuing the notions of an honour-filled life, and gets by trying to impart these ideologies to his fencing students. These rigid, gentlemanly practices keep him a step (or more) removed from the modern world; having lived the height of his passions at an earlier time, he has little concern for the political debate or romantic sighs of his peer group.
His sense of propriety and his remove mean that he is genuinely unaware when he becomes a player in a bigger story – though of course it all begins with a mysterious and beautiful woman asking to learn a difficult fencing move.
That's the interesting thing, though. Beyond the character study, the bulk of the actual plot happens off-page, to characters who are mostly on the fringes of the narrative. Don Jaime is a pawn, a dupe, a stepping stone. The story gets large in scope, but because our fencing master is so insular he himself doesn't pay much attention to any information that gets handed to him. In the end, he has to have everything straight out explained to him, and he still mostly only cares because his honour has been slighted.
In is an interesting stylistic choice, but leaves the plot feeling remarkably passive, and the bulk of the story slow.
On the flip side, Astorloa is an interesting man, and the story happens in 1860's Madrid, where political unrest is at a peak. Perez-Reverte is a lovely writer with a keen eye for observation, so this was a good read. Don Jaime just wasn't the dupe I was looking for.
December 4, 2021
Cinco estrellas porque me da la gana.
No es redondo porque sólo hay un personaje con cuerpo, el maestro de esgrima Astarloa. Porque la trama es sencillita. Y porque se enrolla un poco con el tema esgrima.
Pero te atrapa. Y te enternece el personaje, con su honor y sus convicciones ya pasadas en el tiempo en que vive.
Es un dinosaurio que vive ajeno a su tiempo y ya cercano a los 60 conoce a una bella y joven esgrimiste. Os imagináis el resultado.
Con este trasfondo nos cuenta los momentos previos a la revolución de Prim en el SXIX ( que personalmente no me interesaba nada, pero bueno...)
Resumen, que con su personaje (embrión claro de Alatriste) y su honor trasnochado y su ya preciosista uso del lenguaje (es su segunda novela) me ha re-conquistado. Y es que creo que lo leí de adolescente, pero no me acordaba de nada y no lo tenía ni apuntado como leído en mi veterana base de datos.
Yo he disfrutado mucho. Me lo he zampado en dos días. (Es cortito).
Leed y gozad. O no...
No es redondo porque sólo hay un personaje con cuerpo, el maestro de esgrima Astarloa. Porque la trama es sencillita. Y porque se enrolla un poco con el tema esgrima.
Pero te atrapa. Y te enternece el personaje, con su honor y sus convicciones ya pasadas en el tiempo en que vive.
Es un dinosaurio que vive ajeno a su tiempo y ya cercano a los 60 conoce a una bella y joven esgrimiste. Os imagináis el resultado.
Con este trasfondo nos cuenta los momentos previos a la revolución de Prim en el SXIX ( que personalmente no me interesaba nada, pero bueno...)
Resumen, que con su personaje (embrión claro de Alatriste) y su honor trasnochado y su ya preciosista uso del lenguaje (es su segunda novela) me ha re-conquistado. Y es que creo que lo leí de adolescente, pero no me acordaba de nada y no lo tenía ni apuntado como leído en mi veterana base de datos.
Yo he disfrutado mucho. Me lo he zampado en dos días. (Es cortito).
Leed y gozad. O no...
June 12, 2017
This book is my first read of Arturo Pérez-Reverte. I got this book from a second hand book and read it without much expectation. I was delighted that I find a good book without influenced by any review, or opinion of other people. I saw movie Scaramouche (1952), and how the protagonist defeated the antagonist by seeking fencing lessons from more senior fencing master. On this book, the main character is a senior fencing master, so seeing the story from a master of fencing POV is interesting.
I was considering to rate this book between 3 or 4 star. I pick 3 star due to my personal taste:
1. The setting of the novel was at the dusk time of fencing as way for honor bound fighting, or self defence. This kind of setting usually makes me uncomfortably nervous due to my experience reading wuxia with the similar era. In wuxia fiction at the dusk of martial arts era, the martial arts hopelessly lost against guns and other new war technologies. This novel had similar spirit, the fencing pictured as an obsolete battle technique.
2. There was a scene when protagonist and his friends had a gathering. I saw the scene as a potential for a good teamwork sub-plot. But then, the story development went less than my expectation.
I was considering to rate this book between 3 or 4 star. I pick 3 star due to my personal taste:
1. The setting of the novel was at the dusk time of fencing as way for honor bound fighting, or self defence. This kind of setting usually makes me uncomfortably nervous due to my experience reading wuxia with the similar era. In wuxia fiction at the dusk of martial arts era, the martial arts hopelessly lost against guns and other new war technologies. This novel had similar spirit, the fencing pictured as an obsolete battle technique.
2. There was a scene when protagonist and his friends had a gathering. I saw the scene as a potential for a good teamwork sub-plot. But then, the story development went less than my expectation.
April 24, 2017
Μαδρίτη 1868. Η Ισπανία βρίσκεται κάτω από τα δίκαια της βασίλισσας Ισαβέλλας Β’ ενώ παράλληλα ο Χουαν Πριμ οργανώνει την εξέγερση τους Ισπανικού λαού ενάντια στην μοναρχία μέσα σε μια κοχλάζουσα ατμόσφαιρα , η οποία προμηνύει μεγάλες αλλαγές σε όλα τα επίπεδα.
Βασικός πρωταγωνιστής του βιβλίου, ένας ηλικιωμένος δάσκαλος ξιφασκίας, ο Χάιμε Ασταρλόα. Δάσκαλος και βαθύς γνώστης μιας αριστοκρατικής τέχνης η οποία φθίνει με την πάροδο των χρόνων και ξεθωριάζει όπως οι παλιές αξίες του κόσμου του οποίου γνώριζε… Ο Χάιμε παρατηρεί τις αλλαγές γύρω του αλλά προσπαθεί να μείνει αποστασιοποιημένος και ουδέτερος. Μοναδικός του σκοπός πια στην δύση της ζωής του είναι να ολοκληρώσει την συγγραφή μιας μεθόδου διδασκαλίας της τέχνης του ξίφους παρακαταθήκη για όλους τους νεαρούς και επίδοξους ξιφομάχους και λάτρεις των παραδόσεων.
Ο δάσκαλος όμως θα δεχτεί μια μέρα την επίσκεψη μιας μυστηριώδους γυναίκας η οποία θα απαιτήσει να μάθει μια μοναδική τεχνική , την οποία γνωρίζει μόνο ο Χάιμε και μόνο αυτός μπορεί να την διδάσκει. Ο γέρο-δάσκαλος λοιπόν χωρίς να το καταλάβει, θα μπλεχτεί σε ένα παιχνίδι συνωμοσιολογίας, σκιών και ερωτικής αποπλάνησης, το οποίο θα καταλάβει πόσο σοβαρό και επικίνδυνο είναι μόλις η αστυνομία ανακαλύψει έναν από τους καλύτερους του μαθητές νεκρό στο αρχοντικό του….
Ο Ρεβέρτε για ακόμα μια φορά μπλέκει ιστορικά γεγονότα με μυθοπλασία. Η λύση του μυστηρίου δεν είναι τόσο αναπάντεχη, όμως οι κινήσεις του Δασκάλου θυμίζουν αγώνα ξιφασκίας, ουσιαστικά την τακτική της τελευταίας κρίσιμης μάχη που θα δώσει στην ζωή του… Για ακόμη μια φορά το μεγάλο πλεονέκτημα του βιβλίου είναι η γραφή του Ρεβέρτε. Μεστή, ουσιώδης και ακριβής μας μεταφέρει στην Ισπανία του 19ου αιώνα και μας παρουσιάζει με έναν άκρως γοητευτικό τρόπο την Τέχνη του Μονομαχείν και την ερωτική σχέση δασκάλου μαθητή!
Απολαυστικό ανάγνωσμα!
5/5…
ΥΓ: Υπάρχει και η σχετική Ισπανική ταινία του 1992 «El maestro de esgrima», αλλά είναι αρκετά μέτρια, με μια αρκετά όμως επιτυχημένη πρωταγωνίστρια στον ρόλο της μυστηριώδους και γοητευτικής ξιφομάχου…
Και ο σύνδεσμος ΕΔ��
Βασικός πρωταγωνιστής του βιβλίου, ένας ηλικιωμένος δάσκαλος ξιφασκίας, ο Χάιμε Ασταρλόα. Δάσκαλος και βαθύς γνώστης μιας αριστοκρατικής τέχνης η οποία φθίνει με την πάροδο των χρόνων και ξεθωριάζει όπως οι παλιές αξίες του κόσμου του οποίου γνώριζε… Ο Χάιμε παρατηρεί τις αλλαγές γύρω του αλλά προσπαθεί να μείνει αποστασιοποιημένος και ουδέτερος. Μοναδικός του σκοπός πια στην δύση της ζωής του είναι να ολοκληρώσει την συγγραφή μιας μεθόδου διδασκαλίας της τέχνης του ξίφους παρακαταθήκη για όλους τους νεαρούς και επίδοξους ξιφομάχους και λάτρεις των παραδόσεων.
Ο δάσκαλος όμως θα δεχτεί μια μέρα την επίσκεψη μιας μυστηριώδους γυναίκας η οποία θα απαιτήσει να μάθει μια μοναδική τεχνική , την οποία γνωρίζει μόνο ο Χάιμε και μόνο αυτός μπορεί να την διδάσκει. Ο γέρο-δάσκαλος λοιπόν χωρίς να το καταλάβει, θα μπλεχτεί σε ένα παιχνίδι συνωμοσιολογίας, σκιών και ερωτικής αποπλάνησης, το οποίο θα καταλάβει πόσο σοβαρό και επικίνδυνο είναι μόλις η αστυνομία ανακαλύψει έναν από τους καλύτερους του μαθητές νεκρό στο αρχοντικό του….
Ο Ρεβέρτε για ακόμα μια φορά μπλέκει ιστορικά γεγονότα με μυθοπλασία. Η λύση του μυστηρίου δεν είναι τόσο αναπάντεχη, όμως οι κινήσεις του Δασκάλου θυμίζουν αγώνα ξιφασκίας, ουσιαστικά την τακτική της τελευταίας κρίσιμης μάχη που θα δώσει στην ζωή του… Για ακόμη μια φορά το μεγάλο πλεονέκτημα του βιβλίου είναι η γραφή του Ρεβέρτε. Μεστή, ουσιώδης και ακριβής μας μεταφέρει στην Ισπανία του 19ου αιώνα και μας παρουσιάζει με έναν άκρως γοητευτικό τρόπο την Τέχνη του Μονομαχείν και την ερωτική σχέση δασκάλου μαθητή!
Απολαυστικό ανάγνωσμα!
5/5…
ΥΓ: Υπάρχει και η σχετική Ισπανική ταινία του 1992 «El maestro de esgrima», αλλά είναι αρκετά μέτρια, με μια αρκετά όμως επιτυχημένη πρωταγωνίστρια στον ρόλο της μυστηριώδους και γοητευτικής ξιφομάχου…
Και ο σύνδεσμος ΕΔ��
January 7, 2018
“El maestro de esgrima” es la segunda novela publicada de Pérez-Reverte, allá por 1988. Anterior a “La tabla de Flandes”, que es la que realmente le brindó el éxito comercial. Y también llevada al cine.
Narrada con una prosa exquisita, su interés quizás radique más en la descripción del Madrid de los años de Isabel II, justo antes de “La Gloriosa Revolución”, en el personaje central de Jaime Astarloa, verdadero antecedente de su celebérrimo “Alatriste”, y a las tertulias a las que asiste, aunque sea como convidado de piedra. Porque la trama en sí misma no es de lo mejor del autor, que a veces abruma con sus descripciones de la técnica del florete. Pero se lee con interés, y mantiene el suficiente nivel de suspense como para permanecer enganchado hasta la última página. Se nota que el autor conoce y admira a Pérez Galdós, en el que sin duda se habrá inspirado.
Narrada con una prosa exquisita, su interés quizás radique más en la descripción del Madrid de los años de Isabel II, justo antes de “La Gloriosa Revolución”, en el personaje central de Jaime Astarloa, verdadero antecedente de su celebérrimo “Alatriste”, y a las tertulias a las que asiste, aunque sea como convidado de piedra. Porque la trama en sí misma no es de lo mejor del autor, que a veces abruma con sus descripciones de la técnica del florete. Pero se lee con interés, y mantiene el suficiente nivel de suspense como para permanecer enganchado hasta la última página. Se nota que el autor conoce y admira a Pérez Galdós, en el que sin duda se habrá inspirado.
March 7, 2021
Μια ιδιαίτερη ιστορία γύρω από τη τέχνη της ξιφασκίας και έναν άντρα που ζει σύμφωνα με τα δικά του πιστεύω και ιδανικά χωρίς να αφήνει τα γεγονότα της καθημερινής ζωής να επηρεάσουν τον τρόπο με τον οποίο ζει τη ζωή του!
Και υπάρχει επίσης και το κομμάτι εκείνο του μυστηρίου που μπλέκει πολιτικές συνωμοσίες και φόνους που μπορεί η μπορεί και όχι να έχουν κάποια σχέση με τον ��άσκαλο της ξιφασκίας.
Μια πολύ καλή ιστορία που διαβάζεται εύκολα και μας μεταφέρει σε μια Μαδρίτη του 1860 με πολιτικές αναταραχές, αναφέρεται στη τέχνη της ξιφασκίας που χάνεται και μας α��ηγείται την ιστορία ενός χαρακτήρα που γύρω του υφαίνεται ένας ιστός γεγονότων που θα ταράξουν τη ζωή του χωρίς αυτός να το θέλει αλλά θα πρέπει να στη τελική να τα αντιμετωπίσει!
An interesting story about the art of
fencing and a man who lives according to his own beliefs and ideals without letting the events of everyday life affect the way he lives his life!
And there is also that part of the mystery that involves political conspiracies and murders that may or may not have anything to do with the fencing teacher.
A very good story that is easy to read and takes us to Madrid of 1860 with political unrest, refers to the art of fencing that is about to extinct and tells us the story of a character that without fault of his own a web of events is woven around him that will shake his life and eventually he sets out to face those events with an effort to not lose his self in the process!
Και υπάρχει επίσης και το κομμάτι εκείνο του μυστηρίου που μπλέκει πολιτικές συνωμοσίες και φόνους που μπορεί η μπορεί και όχι να έχουν κάποια σχέση με τον ��άσκαλο της ξιφασκίας.
Μια πολύ καλή ιστορία που διαβάζεται εύκολα και μας μεταφέρει σε μια Μαδρίτη του 1860 με πολιτικές αναταραχές, αναφέρεται στη τέχνη της ξιφασκίας που χάνεται και μας α��ηγείται την ιστορία ενός χαρακτήρα που γύρω του υφαίνεται ένας ιστός γεγονότων που θα ταράξουν τη ζωή του χωρίς αυτός να το θέλει αλλά θα πρέπει να στη τελική να τα αντιμετωπίσει!
An interesting story about the art of
fencing and a man who lives according to his own beliefs and ideals without letting the events of everyday life affect the way he lives his life!
And there is also that part of the mystery that involves political conspiracies and murders that may or may not have anything to do with the fencing teacher.
A very good story that is easy to read and takes us to Madrid of 1860 with political unrest, refers to the art of fencing that is about to extinct and tells us the story of a character that without fault of his own a web of events is woven around him that will shake his life and eventually he sets out to face those events with an effort to not lose his self in the process!
January 9, 2017
So in this book I was presented with two subjects in which I was either woefully ignorant or totally clueless: the art of fencing and an 1868 Spanish overthrow of Queen Isabell II. I think my understanding would have been enhanced had I known more about fencing, so I was surprised to find myself deciding it didn't matter. While I understood some of the fencing terms generally, mostly I came to see the discipline required to excel and that it has a long tradition. This is overlaid upon the coming chaos of a revolution.
The above makes this sound boring, boring, boring, and it was just the opposite. Yes, the initial 75 or so pages left me wondering if fencing was going to be the sum total of the novel. I did not just hope that there would be more, but there was enough foreshadowing that I felt confident there would, indeed, be more. In what period of history might we find this to be untrue?
As a thriller, I must withhold a 5-star rating because I want to save those for what I think of as more literary. That is my bias, and perhaps one day I'll be sorry for having it. Still, this is a solid 4-stars. I'm glad not only to have read it, but also that I have 2 other books by this author awaiting my attention.
The above makes this sound boring, boring, boring, and it was just the opposite. Yes, the initial 75 or so pages left me wondering if fencing was going to be the sum total of the novel. I did not just hope that there would be more, but there was enough foreshadowing that I felt confident there would, indeed, be more. In what period of history might we find this to be untrue?
Do you know what the problem is? We find ourselves in the last of the three generations history chooses to repeat every now and then. The first generation needs a god, and so they invent one. The second erects temples to that god and tries to imitate him. And the third uses the marble from those temples to build brothels in which to worship their own greed, lust and dishonesty. And that is why gods and heroes are always, inevitably, succeeded by mediocrity, cowards, and imbeciles.This is a very plot driven novel. As plot is not one of my primary reasons to read, I might find myself dismissing this as fluff. It is anything but. Prose is an important element to me and which I mention in nearly every review and in this it is good - not beautiful which would detract from the novel in this case, but good. True, I was reading a translation, but I think a translator rarely makes a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Surprisingly in a plot-driven novel was the very good characterization of the title character. The novel is told in third-person limited and so we come to know him intimately.
As a thriller, I must withhold a 5-star rating because I want to save those for what I think of as more literary. That is my bias, and perhaps one day I'll be sorry for having it. Still, this is a solid 4-stars. I'm glad not only to have read it, but also that I have 2 other books by this author awaiting my attention.
June 26, 2022
This was my first by this author. It was loaned to me by a friend. I probably would not have come across it otherwise. I found the story entertaining. A fencing master in 1868 is approaching the end of his career. He is already an anomaly, teaching the art of fencing when the pistol has become the personal weapon of choice and the weapon typically used in duels. His number of students is dwindling as Madrid and Spain in general are changing quickly all around him. His only interest is fencing, but he is swept up in the current day politics anyhow.
Despite engaging characters and plot, I found this book troublesome for a few reasons. In a relatively short work it tries to explain the art of fencing and the politics of Spain and Madrid in 1868. The art of fencing was described in detail, but never really explained. You would have to do some research outside of the novel to really learn much about fencing. The politics in Spain at the time were presented in a confused manner. The story alternated between the fencing master’s life and the cascade of political events. With all the individuals involved in the politics of the time, this subject felt rushed and superficially addressed.
I also struggled to understand the motivations of Adela de Otero, which were central to the story. I could not buy into the explanation for what was driving her actions. Finally, either the writing or the translation didn’t work in places for me. For instance, every time Adela de Otero smiled, it was an “enigmatic” smile.
A decent story with some interesting characters, but the execution failed to a significant degree.
Despite engaging characters and plot, I found this book troublesome for a few reasons. In a relatively short work it tries to explain the art of fencing and the politics of Spain and Madrid in 1868. The art of fencing was described in detail, but never really explained. You would have to do some research outside of the novel to really learn much about fencing. The politics in Spain at the time were presented in a confused manner. The story alternated between the fencing master’s life and the cascade of political events. With all the individuals involved in the politics of the time, this subject felt rushed and superficially addressed.
I also struggled to understand the motivations of Adela de Otero, which were central to the story. I could not buy into the explanation for what was driving her actions. Finally, either the writing or the translation didn’t work in places for me. For instance, every time Adela de Otero smiled, it was an “enigmatic” smile.
A decent story with some interesting characters, but the execution failed to a significant degree.
January 30, 2024
"El maestro de esgrima" de Arturo Pérez-Reverte, es una novela ambientada en el Madrid cortesano durante el reinado de Isabel II, en la que despliega una intrigante trama que se teje a la perfección a través de la presentación de los personajes y la cuidadosa recreación de la época.
Jaime de Astarloa, el protagonista, es un maestro de esgrima que, a medida que envejece, se encuentra inmerso en sus recuerdos y en la contemplación de una época pasada. Pérez-Reverte dibuja a Astarloa como un quijote introvertido, cuyas convicciones sobre el honor, la honradez y la fidelidad contrastan con un mundo cambiante que privilegia el poder del dinero y la ambición política.
La llegada de Adela de Otero, una enigmática joven, irrumpe en la rutina de Astarloa, infundiéndole nueva vitalidad y transformando su apacible vida en algo más. Era inevitable que un hombre como él no terminara prendado de una mujer como ella, que lo busca para que le enseñe su mejor estocada.
¿Motivos para que una mujer tenga interés en aprender con tantas ganas esgrima?
Habrá que leer el libro para descubrirlo 😶.
La trama se complica cuando Adela lo utiliza para establecer contacto con un alguien a quien conoce, desencadenando una serie de eventos que mezclan política, traiciones y más de un asesinato.
A medida que los acontecimientos se precipitan, Astarloa se ve envuelto en una maraña de confusión y se convierte en el próximo objetivo de un misterioso asesino. La trama se desenvuelve con giros sorprendentes, llevándome a descubrir, junto al protagonista, los oscuros secretos detrás de cartas comprometedoras, traiciones y sobornos.
La narrativa alcanza su punto álgido cuando Astarloa, armado en su casa y en vela, se enfrenta al asesino en un duelo de esgrima inesperado.
¡Esta parte final de revelaciones más el duelo a muerte ha sido mi escena favorita del libro!
En resumen, "El maestro de esgrima" es una obra que combina intriga, personajes bien desarrollados y un cuidadoso trasfondo histórico. La habilidad de Pérez-Reverte para tejer una trama envolvente y su maestría en la caracterización hacen de esta novela una lectura fascinante para aquellos que disfrutamos de la mezcla entre historia y misterio.
Jaime de Astarloa, el protagonista, es un maestro de esgrima que, a medida que envejece, se encuentra inmerso en sus recuerdos y en la contemplación de una época pasada. Pérez-Reverte dibuja a Astarloa como un quijote introvertido, cuyas convicciones sobre el honor, la honradez y la fidelidad contrastan con un mundo cambiante que privilegia el poder del dinero y la ambición política.
La llegada de Adela de Otero, una enigmática joven, irrumpe en la rutina de Astarloa, infundiéndole nueva vitalidad y transformando su apacible vida en algo más. Era inevitable que un hombre como él no terminara prendado de una mujer como ella, que lo busca para que le enseñe su mejor estocada.
¿Motivos para que una mujer tenga interés en aprender con tantas ganas esgrima?
Habrá que leer el libro para descubrirlo 😶.
La trama se complica cuando Adela lo utiliza para establecer contacto con un alguien a quien conoce, desencadenando una serie de eventos que mezclan política, traiciones y más de un asesinato.
A medida que los acontecimientos se precipitan, Astarloa se ve envuelto en una maraña de confusión y se convierte en el próximo objetivo de un misterioso asesino. La trama se desenvuelve con giros sorprendentes, llevándome a descubrir, junto al protagonista, los oscuros secretos detrás de cartas comprometedoras, traiciones y sobornos.
La narrativa alcanza su punto álgido cuando Astarloa, armado en su casa y en vela, se enfrenta al asesino en un duelo de esgrima inesperado.
¡Esta parte final de revelaciones más el duelo a muerte ha sido mi escena favorita del libro!
En resumen, "El maestro de esgrima" es una obra que combina intriga, personajes bien desarrollados y un cuidadoso trasfondo histórico. La habilidad de Pérez-Reverte para tejer una trama envolvente y su maestría en la caracterización hacen de esta novela una lectura fascinante para aquellos que disfrutamos de la mezcla entre historia y misterio.
July 27, 2020
Интересно, с напредването на литературната кариера на Риверте, той все повече се обръща към класическия стил на писане и заприличва на Дюма баща. Тук това личи много ясно - стилът му на писане се отежнява и бяга от приключенската проза, една лична драма, разиграваща се на фона на исторически събитие, а горещата любов към Испания, която струеше от предишните му книги е поутихнала по-скоро към безпристрастен исторически очерк. Но може би е заради самото събитие, което явно не му се нрави и дори си позволява да вкара собственото си мнение през устните на иначе доста мълчаливия дон Хайме.
"Но понеже повдигате темата, ще ви кажа, че предпочитам да бъда управляван от Цезар или Бонапарт, които винаги мога да се опитам да убия, ако не ми харесат, отколкото да гледам как моите занимания, нрави и компания се решават от вота на кварталния бакалин… Драмата на нашия век, дон Марселино, е липсата на характер, която е съпоставима единствено с липсата на смелост и на добър вкус. Без съмнение, това се дължи на неудържимия възход на всички квартални бакали в Европа."
Книгата се развива по времето на Славната Революция в Испания, която както знаем, не е постигнала особени резултати, освен свалянето на Изабела Втора Испанска. На този фон имаме един тъжен Дон Кихот - дон Хайме Астарола, учител по фехтовка и очарователно застинал във времето джентълмен. Един ден на вратата му се появява Доня Адела де Отеро, която го заинтригува не само с уменията си с рапирата. Хайме ще изневери на градените десетилетия принципи и ще я вземе за ученичка, без да подозира, че е само пионка в голяма политическа игра.
Една звезда давам за изключително добре вкарания образ на "la femme fatale", за който Реверте не използва класическите архетипи, а раздвижената роля от шпионските романи от средата на миналия век. Това, без да стане анахронизъм изгражда непосредствен чар на цялата книга.
Другата звезда е за фехтовката - много са книгите, които включват боя с шпаги, но авторите, бидейки съвременици на модата никога не го описват, както сега не описваме как работи четиритактовият двигател. (Самият Дюма е бил нелош фехтовач, но в романите му не се появява нито едно движение. Шекспир си позволява понякога да вкара инструкции за актьорите в пиесите си, когато има дуели, но също го избягва. Сервантес... да не продължавам, че заприличва на лекция). Та точно това направи книгата бижу за мен и точно това ѝ придаде исторически уклон, който не е чисто епигонство на старите майстори.
А, щях да забравя. Има един диалог между двамата в който смело се разкриват един пред друг, така както никой човек, поне от тези които познавам, не го прави. На подобна сцена съм попадал само във филма "Audition" на Такаши Микке - това е висш пилотаж в литературния диалог - припокриващи се, наситени емоции на двама герои едновремено... всъщност доста прилича на фехтовка.
"Но понеже повдигате темата, ще ви кажа, че предпочитам да бъда управляван от Цезар или Бонапарт, които винаги мога да се опитам да убия, ако не ми харесат, отколкото да гледам как моите занимания, нрави и компания се решават от вота на кварталния бакалин… Драмата на нашия век, дон Марселино, е липсата на характер, която е съпоставима единствено с липсата на смелост и на добър вкус. Без съмнение, това се дължи на неудържимия възход на всички квартални бакали в Европа."
Книгата се развива по времето на Славната Революция в Испания, която както знаем, не е постигнала особени резултати, освен свалянето на Изабела Втора Испанска. На този фон имаме един тъжен Дон Кихот - дон Хайме Астарола, учител по фехтовка и очарователно застинал във времето джентълмен. Един ден на вратата му се появява Доня Адела де Отеро, която го заинтригува не само с уменията си с рапирата. Хайме ще изневери на градените десетилетия принципи и ще я вземе за ученичка, без да подозира, че е само пионка в голяма политическа игра.
Една звезда давам за изключително добре вкарания образ на "la femme fatale", за който Реверте не използва класическите архетипи, а раздвижената роля от шпионските романи от средата на миналия век. Това, без да стане анахронизъм изгражда непосредствен чар на цялата книга.
Другата звезда е за фехтовката - много са книгите, които включват боя с шпаги, но авторите, бидейки съвременици на модата никога не го описват, както сега не описваме как работи четиритактовият двигател. (Самият Дюма е бил нелош фехтовач, но в романите му не се появява нито едно движение. Шекспир си позволява понякога да вкара инструкции за актьорите в пиесите си, когато има дуели, но също го избягва. Сервантес... да не продължавам, че заприличва на лекция). Та точно това направи книгата бижу за мен и точно това ѝ придаде исторически уклон, който не е чисто епигонство на старите майстори.
А, щях да забравя. Има един диалог между двамата в който смело се разкриват един пред друг, така както никой човек, поне от тези които познавам, не го прави. На подобна сцена съм попадал само във филма "Audition" на Такаши Микке - това е висш пилотаж в литературния диалог - припокриващи се, наситени емоции на двама герои едновремено... всъщност доста прилича на фехтовка.
May 13, 2022
Si algo tengo que reconocerle a Perez-Reverte es la astucia como va hilando la trama , creando a los personajes de a poco, pero con determinacion y vida propia , casi como si los tuvieras de frente y escuchando su respiracion. Los ultimos dos capitulos son de infarto , la historia excelente, algunas partes predecibles pero no le resta. El maestro Jaime Astarloa formara parte de mi lista de personajes entrañables.
September 20, 2014
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 and gossip, even though it is Madrid, 1868, a time of turmoil. Some people are no doubt like Don Jaime, only interested in perserving certain values.
”I have spent my whole life trying to preserve a certain idea of myself, and that is all. You have to cling to a set of values that do not depreciate with time. Everything else is the fashion of the moment, fleeting, mutable. In a word, nonsense.”
When Don Jaime, unwillingly, becomes involved in a complicated mystery and realizes someone is after him, he doesn’t have a clue what’s going on. It is when a woman comes into his life that everything changes. The fact that he doesn’t teach women is according to custom of the time, a view he eventually realizes can be changed, as other men have. Soon, he looses himself. The picture of anguished produced by his feelings for Donna Adela de Otero is beautifully painted by Pérez-Reverte:
”He smiled, thinking about himself, about his own image, about his now declining powers, about his spirit, which, though old and tired, in some way was rebelling against the indolence imposed on it by the slow degeneration of his physical organism. And in that feeling overwhelming him, tempting him with its sweet danger, he recognized the feeble swan song proffered, as a pathetic, last-ditch rebellion, by his still-proud spirit.”
Things start to happen around him and he, usually detached from the world and living only for fencing, is suddenly struggling with a feeling of foreboding, of something he should know but doesn’t and therefore could be dangerous. He refuses to give in to fear and challenges the danger. He whistles proudly while making coffee to be able to stay awake and wait for the comming strike of the unknown enemy. He even look up a few lines of a book he has underlined some years earlier. With some irony he leaves it open as ”the perfect epitaph”:
”Any moral character is closely bound up with scenes of autumn: those leaves that fall like our years, those flowers that fade like our hours, those clouds that flee like our illusions, that light that grows ever feebler like our intelligence, that sun that grows colder like our loves, those rivers that freeze over like our life, all weave secret bounds with our fate...”
En garde!
This isn’t just a mystery. It’s about a man that finally gets to put his long time art into real practice. His life is on the line and with a determined gaze and mocking sneer he undertakes the challenge. The whole mystery is like a duel with an enemy, and in the end, what could be better than the story getting summarized by a concrete one?
Spoilers!
Don Jaime thinks that a duel is an honorable way to die, but not in his own house, with a button on the tip of his foil, and with a woman as an opponent. That, he refuses! And what’s more, he’s not ready to die, because he’s not yet discovered the perfect thrust. Perhaps he finds it in the end.
”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 and gossip, even though it is Madrid, 1868, a time of turmoil. Some people are no doubt like Don Jaime, only interested in perserving certain values.
”I have spent my whole life trying to preserve a certain idea of myself, and that is all. You have to cling to a set of values that do not depreciate with time. Everything else is the fashion of the moment, fleeting, mutable. In a word, nonsense.”
When Don Jaime, unwillingly, becomes involved in a complicated mystery and realizes someone is after him, he doesn’t have a clue what’s going on. It is when a woman comes into his life that everything changes. The fact that he doesn’t teach women is according to custom of the time, a view he eventually realizes can be changed, as other men have. Soon, he looses himself. The picture of anguished produced by his feelings for Donna Adela de Otero is beautifully painted by Pérez-Reverte:
”He smiled, thinking about himself, about his own image, about his now declining powers, about his spirit, which, though old and tired, in some way was rebelling against the indolence imposed on it by the slow degeneration of his physical organism. And in that feeling overwhelming him, tempting him with its sweet danger, he recognized the feeble swan song proffered, as a pathetic, last-ditch rebellion, by his still-proud spirit.”
Things start to happen around him and he, usually detached from the world and living only for fencing, is suddenly struggling with a feeling of foreboding, of something he should know but doesn’t and therefore could be dangerous. He refuses to give in to fear and challenges the danger. He whistles proudly while making coffee to be able to stay awake and wait for the comming strike of the unknown enemy. He even look up a few lines of a book he has underlined some years earlier. With some irony he leaves it open as ”the perfect epitaph”:
”Any moral character is closely bound up with scenes of autumn: those leaves that fall like our years, those flowers that fade like our hours, those clouds that flee like our illusions, that light that grows ever feebler like our intelligence, that sun that grows colder like our loves, those rivers that freeze over like our life, all weave secret bounds with our fate...”
En garde!
This isn’t just a mystery. It’s about a man that finally gets to put his long time art into real practice. His life is on the line and with a determined gaze and mocking sneer he undertakes the challenge. The whole mystery is like a duel with an enemy, and in the end, what could be better than the story getting summarized by a concrete one?
Spoilers!
Don Jaime thinks that a duel is an honorable way to die, but not in his own house, with a button on the tip of his foil, and with a woman as an opponent. That, he refuses! And what’s more, he’s not ready to die, because he’s not yet discovered the perfect thrust. Perhaps he finds it in the end.
August 24, 2017
"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 most poetic and religious concepts. Does this worry me? Not terribly. Anyone who has loved "Don Quixote," "The Lord of the Rings," "The Old Man and the Sea," (and so many more) will understand what I'm trying to describe: Only by keeping alive the illusions of perfection, trust, sacrifice and love -- only by deluding ourselves just a bit -- can we face the random Darwinian cruelties of existence.
And in that sense, "The Fencing Master" is an existential story. One may not be able to effect change or impose codes of behavior upon the evolving whims and demands of human society, but one can choose to uphold those tenets in spite of the futility.
I'm not certain what impresses me more about "The Fencing Master:" that the book is so good, or that Sr. Perez wrote it at age thirty-seven. Precocious fellow.
(Hats off to Margaret Jull Costa for this exquisite translation from the original Spanish.)
Such behavior may be fantasy, but in my opinion so are most poetic and religious concepts. Does this worry me? Not terribly. Anyone who has loved "Don Quixote," "The Lord of the Rings," "The Old Man and the Sea," (and so many more) will understand what I'm trying to describe: Only by keeping alive the illusions of perfection, trust, sacrifice and love -- only by deluding ourselves just a bit -- can we face the random Darwinian cruelties of existence.
And in that sense, "The Fencing Master" is an existential story. One may not be able to effect change or impose codes of behavior upon the evolving whims and demands of human society, but one can choose to uphold those tenets in spite of the futility.
I'm not certain what impresses me more about "The Fencing Master:" that the book is so good, or that Sr. Perez wrote it at age thirty-seven. Precocious fellow.
(Hats off to Margaret Jull Costa for this exquisite translation from the original Spanish.)
June 13, 2007
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 a little. Come on, Arturo, you're better at putting together plot threads than this.
However: The mystery is good, the suspense is there, the dark writing is spooky and appropriate. It's a very quick, fun, easy read. And I still liked it, I would just read all the other ones by him first because they're that much better.
However: The mystery is good, the suspense is there, the dark writing is spooky and appropriate. It's a very quick, fun, easy read. And I still liked it, I would just read all the other ones by him first because they're that much better.
November 16, 2017
Caro Arturo, questo tuo libro mi era rimasto indietro della felice stagione in cui ti amai. E' un onesto libro di avventure che però non fa di te il più grande scrittore vivente di Spagna (ma il più bello, sì), che un tempo pensavo tu fossi, e che tu ancora credi di essere .
Nella tua adorabile sbruffonaggine (personale e scrittoria) mi ricordi un altro antico amore: Alexandre Dumas. E dunque va bene. Ci vediamo sul prossimo Alatriste (se smetterai di inseguire il tuo libro 'definitivo').
Ps. Ascolta una fedele lettrice: la tua misura non deve superare le 300 pagine; solo lì puoi dare il meglio di te
Nella tua adorabile sbruffonaggine (personale e scrittoria) mi ricordi un altro antico amore: Alexandre Dumas. E dunque va bene. Ci vediamo sul prossimo Alatriste (se smetterai di inseguire il tuo libro 'definitivo').
Ps. Ascolta una fedele lettrice: la tua misura non deve superare le 300 pagine; solo lì puoi dare il meglio di te
August 2, 2019
Okay, first off: I went into this book with no great expectations. I picked it up on impulse, in a random kindle sale, intending to save it as light reading for the first time I go to the beach, whenever that will be. I knew I was probably the wrong audience and that there were likely to be things that'd piss me off, but whatever. Give me historical fiction about fencing and 19th century Spain. No need to be quality, just quick and readable.
Well, today the day has come. And turns out that yes, it pretty much lived up to those expectations - entertaining with a shit plot and more than a bit cliché. Which I was luckily more amused than irritated by.
Still, I would not recommend it.
The plot follows Jaime Astarloa, an aging fencing master in an era where fencing is becoming increasingly irrelevant because of guns. He's your usual crochety old man yelling at clouds - despairing that the great practical art of fencing is being reduced to a mere sport, grumbling about today's youth, loudly proclaiming that he doesn't care about politics ("I couldn't care less about the principle of equality [...] I can tell you I would rather be governed by a Caesar or Bonaparte"), imagining himself the last honourable man. In short, a staunch traditionalist. From how it was all written, we were meant to find him a tragic and sympathetic figure, but I could neither bring myself to take him seriously, observing the whole thing with...fascinated amusement, perhaps. Such a stereotype.
I was cheering far more for two of the side characters, even if it was clear the narrator is not on their side - his friend Cárceles, a journalist and staunch revolutionary often monologuing about guillotines (very entertaining) and Adela, a young woman who wants to learn a fencing move near impossible to defend against. Her appearance was described at great male-gazey length, earning many an eye-roll (violet eyes!), but she was competent and awesome and I liked her a lot. I hoped the plot was not . And indeed it was not.
Unfortunately, it turned out worse. Imagine my disgust when in the end . Okay, in retrospect, I should have seen it coming. Still. Utter fucking bullshit, I say.
It's always strange when you find yourself siding with other characters than the narrative or the author does. When a character is pushed as a sympathetic protagonist, but you find yourself drawn to anyone but. I didn't mind Jaime as such at all - I don't care if I relate to or agree with a character as long as they are interesting, which he was - but I did roll my eyes at how he was pushed as the protagonist who's obviously always in the right. And at the disservice done to Adela. Yes, I disagreed, and I would have liked it much more if the narrative didn't take sides - I'm not a conservative old man. Picking a kindle book at random has been a fun experiment, but now it's over, and I'd rather go back to books that treat female characters better. Perhaps fantasy has spoiled me.
Am I pissed off? No. I didn't ever expect anything good to happen from the hints I got from the narrative. I knew it was going to be an old-school book, not aimed at me, with all the irritations that come with that. I just had to see just what type of trainwreck it will end in - and I won't lie, it read smooth and fast and remained amusing all the way through, even if not for the reasons the author intended. There was no disappointment, because I never expected it to be...anything other than what it was. But if anyone hyped it up, it would have undoubtedly ended in a wall toss.
Funny how these things go.
Enjoyment: 4/5
Execution: 2/5
Recommended to: idk, people looking for a shitty plot written in a somewhat entertaining way?
Not recommended to: seriously, if you know me (and even if you don't) don't bother with it
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
Well, today the day has come. And turns out that yes, it pretty much lived up to those expectations - entertaining with a shit plot and more than a bit cliché. Which I was luckily more amused than irritated by.
Still, I would not recommend it.
The plot follows Jaime Astarloa, an aging fencing master in an era where fencing is becoming increasingly irrelevant because of guns. He's your usual crochety old man yelling at clouds - despairing that the great practical art of fencing is being reduced to a mere sport, grumbling about today's youth, loudly proclaiming that he doesn't care about politics ("I couldn't care less about the principle of equality [...] I can tell you I would rather be governed by a Caesar or Bonaparte"), imagining himself the last honourable man. In short, a staunch traditionalist. From how it was all written, we were meant to find him a tragic and sympathetic figure, but I could neither bring myself to take him seriously, observing the whole thing with...fascinated amusement, perhaps. Such a stereotype.
I was cheering far more for two of the side characters, even if it was clear the narrator is not on their side - his friend Cárceles, a journalist and staunch revolutionary often monologuing about guillotines (very entertaining) and Adela, a young woman who wants to learn a fencing move near impossible to defend against. Her appearance was described at great male-gazey length, earning many an eye-roll (violet eyes!), but she was competent and awesome and I liked her a lot. I hoped the plot was not . And indeed it was not.
Unfortunately, it turned out worse. Imagine my disgust when in the end . Okay, in retrospect, I should have seen it coming. Still. Utter fucking bullshit, I say.
It's always strange when you find yourself siding with other characters than the narrative or the author does. When a character is pushed as a sympathetic protagonist, but you find yourself drawn to anyone but. I didn't mind Jaime as such at all - I don't care if I relate to or agree with a character as long as they are interesting, which he was - but I did roll my eyes at how he was pushed as the protagonist who's obviously always in the right. And at the disservice done to Adela. Yes, I disagreed, and I would have liked it much more if the narrative didn't take sides - I'm not a conservative old man. Picking a kindle book at random has been a fun experiment, but now it's over, and I'd rather go back to books that treat female characters better. Perhaps fantasy has spoiled me.
Am I pissed off? No. I didn't ever expect anything good to happen from the hints I got from the narrative. I knew it was going to be an old-school book, not aimed at me, with all the irritations that come with that. I just had to see just what type of trainwreck it will end in - and I won't lie, it read smooth and fast and remained amusing all the way through, even if not for the reasons the author intended. There was no disappointment, because I never expected it to be...anything other than what it was. But if anyone hyped it up, it would have undoubtedly ended in a wall toss.
Funny how these things go.
Enjoyment: 4/5
Execution: 2/5
Recommended to: idk, people looking for a shitty plot written in a somewhat entertaining way?
Not recommended to: seriously, if you know me (and even if you don't) don't bother with it
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
October 1, 2023
Excellent work, among the best, set in the turbulent Madrid of the mid-19th century, where an experienced fencing teacher is involved in a conspiracy of mysterious murders related to him.
For my taste, perhaps the descriptions in the use of the foil are a little too technical. Don Benito Pérez Galdós would be proud, there is no doubt.
Read, enjoy and learn.
For my taste, perhaps the descriptions in the use of the foil are a little too technical. Don Benito Pérez Galdós would be proud, there is no doubt.
Read, enjoy and learn.
June 9, 2022
Pérez-Reverte masterfully combines Old World sensibilities with the painful realities of modern life. Those conflicts are embodied in the character of Don Jaime, a Spanish fencing master pursuing his art in mid-19th century Spain. Outsiders might mistake his outlook for romanticism. However, as he himself points out, he is no Don Quixote, despite having reached an age that is a daily reminder of irrelevance. Don Jaime's loyalty is to an ideal of integrity, a virtue he has attempted to uphold throughout his life, and which he continues to revere in the face of a reality of political chaos, uncertainty and betrayal.
The Fencing Master is aptly named. Although the plot is grounded on a base of political intrigue and the abstruse aesthetic of fencing – synecdoches for power and passion -- its heart lies with its two unique character portraits. The reader experiences Don Jaime as an alter ego. His pronouncements are unambiguous. Politics is an ephemeral series of struggles for personal power. Fencing is an art, perhaps even a spiritual endeavor. Confronted with its obsolescence in warfare he replies: “ 'The day that the last fencing master dies will be the day when all that is noble and honorable about the ancient battle between man and man goes down with him into the grave. After that, there will be room only for the blunderbus and the knife, for the ambush and the stab in the back....I don't envy you the wars that you will live through in the next twenty or thirty years.'” (p.29-30)
He is equally candid on the subject of God:: “ 'He doesn't interest me. God tolerages the intolerable; he is irresponsible and inconsistent. He is not a gentleman.'” (p.97)
Doña Adela de Otero is his counterpart. She appears out of nowhere, reveals no past, and the motives for her manipulations are an enigma to be discovered. She is both seductive and formidable. Her potency draws from the dark enchantresses of mythology.
The novel opens in 1866 when an unnamed government minister meets with an unscrupulous informant to receive a list of names. The narrative skips to 1868. We will be reminded of this secretive meeting throughout the book by the rants of a radical (anti-monarchial) journalist, Cárceles. Rumors fly about arrests, plots to overthrow the reigning monarch Isabella II, fleeing exiles in hiding, and executions. Nevertheless without any background in Spanish history, the significance of these events were lost on me. Like Don Jaime, I found these interruptions annoying. Only with the climactic closing chapters do these events reveal an undercurrent of mystery and danger.
I like this author's writing, but this novel was not one of my favorites.
The Fencing Master is aptly named. Although the plot is grounded on a base of political intrigue and the abstruse aesthetic of fencing – synecdoches for power and passion -- its heart lies with its two unique character portraits. The reader experiences Don Jaime as an alter ego. His pronouncements are unambiguous. Politics is an ephemeral series of struggles for personal power. Fencing is an art, perhaps even a spiritual endeavor. Confronted with its obsolescence in warfare he replies: “ 'The day that the last fencing master dies will be the day when all that is noble and honorable about the ancient battle between man and man goes down with him into the grave. After that, there will be room only for the blunderbus and the knife, for the ambush and the stab in the back....I don't envy you the wars that you will live through in the next twenty or thirty years.'” (p.29-30)
He is equally candid on the subject of God:: “ 'He doesn't interest me. God tolerages the intolerable; he is irresponsible and inconsistent. He is not a gentleman.'” (p.97)
Doña Adela de Otero is his counterpart. She appears out of nowhere, reveals no past, and the motives for her manipulations are an enigma to be discovered. She is both seductive and formidable. Her potency draws from the dark enchantresses of mythology.
The novel opens in 1866 when an unnamed government minister meets with an unscrupulous informant to receive a list of names. The narrative skips to 1868. We will be reminded of this secretive meeting throughout the book by the rants of a radical (anti-monarchial) journalist, Cárceles. Rumors fly about arrests, plots to overthrow the reigning monarch Isabella II, fleeing exiles in hiding, and executions. Nevertheless without any background in Spanish history, the significance of these events were lost on me. Like Don Jaime, I found these interruptions annoying. Only with the climactic closing chapters do these events reveal an undercurrent of mystery and danger.
I like this author's writing, but this novel was not one of my favorites.
February 19, 2018
Adela de Otero irrompe nella vita tranquilla di Jaime Astarloa, maestro di scherma, come il sorgere di una sfolgorante giornata estiva in pieno autunno. Avviato con i suoi cinquantasei anni alla soglia del crepuscolo della vita, dopo molte resistenze il famoso maestro cede, accettando di dare lezioni alla ragazza. Ma alla prima lezione, al solo sfiorarsi dei fioretti Astarloa capisce di avere a che fare con tutt’altro che una neofita; oltre ad essere una donna (e il suo primo allievo di sesso femminile), Adela si dimostra un’eccellente schermitrice, migliore anche di quasi tutti i maschi che praticano quest’arte in Madrid. Il perché della richiesta di lezioni è chiarito fin da subito: in cambio di un compenso esorbitante, la bella e misteriosa Adela vuole essere messa a conoscenza del segreto di una stoccata vincente, potenzialmente letale in un eventuale duello, conosciuta da meno di una decina di schermidori.
Astarloa è infastidito dal fascino della ragazza; solo il concreto timore di rendersi ridicolo lo trattiene dal seguire i suoi impulsi naturali. Mentre anche le perplessità e il mistero che circondano Adela e la sua sconosciuta origine vengono forzatamente ignorati, un avvenimento banale, apparentemente insignificante, incrina il monotono e incolore succedersi degli eventi. Ma tra lezioni di scherma – descritte con molti termini tecnici –, accese e inconcludenti dispute politiche tra repubblicani e monarchici e tra rivoluzionari e realisti al Café Progreso, si arriva senza sussulti a metà libro; soltanto da qui in avanti la storia diventa interessante.
Astarloa è infastidito dal fascino della ragazza; solo il concreto timore di rendersi ridicolo lo trattiene dal seguire i suoi impulsi naturali. Mentre anche le perplessità e il mistero che circondano Adela e la sua sconosciuta origine vengono forzatamente ignorati, un avvenimento banale, apparentemente insignificante, incrina il monotono e incolore succedersi degli eventi. Ma tra lezioni di scherma – descritte con molti termini tecnici –, accese e inconcludenti dispute politiche tra repubblicani e monarchici e tra rivoluzionari e realisti al Café Progreso, si arriva senza sussulti a metà libro; soltanto da qui in avanti la storia diventa interessante.
February 21, 2017
La novela con la que saltó Pérez-Reverte al mundo de la literatura dice mucho sobre su carrera como escritor: buena documentación, personajes excesivamente arquetípicos y una trama mediocre. En "El maestro de esgrima", el MacGuffin es el tema de la esgrima pero lo que le interesa contar al autor son los movimientos políticos que hubo relacionados con la Revolución de 1868 y terminaron con el exilio y abdicación de Isabel II, con lo que nos encontramos con que las referencias a la esgrima son relativamente simples (lo digo yo que soy tirador) porque prácticamente sólo usan como posiciones la tercera y la cuarta (nada de sexta u octava, las posiciones que más se usan desde siempre y que siguen vigentes en la actualidad) y porque la idea de la estocada definitiva que busca el protagonista es una pampirolada (como lo es la denominada "de los doscientos escudos"). Se habla más de política que de esgrima, y es ahí donde se ve lo bien que se documenta este hombre (ahí y en el uso del vocabulario), aunque es una pena que no le sirva para hilar una historia decente. La trama es, en el mejor de los casos, previsible, principalmente porque el lector sabe lo que va a pasar en todo momento, como si tuviera la sensación de haber visto o leído ya esta historia. ¿Por qué ocurre esto? Porque los personajes son calcados a los de otras mil narraciones: el protagonista quijotesco y obsesionado con el honor y demás paparruchas revertianas (el maestro de esgrima es el primero de los Alatristes de Pérez-Reverte, un hombre que vive en una época que le ha sobrepasado porque sus creencias están anticuadas), una "femme fatale" que es tan guapa como mala (tipo Milady De Winter, que se me viene a la cabeza ahora, aunque luego hubo una Angélica de Alquézar...De los libros de Alatriste), un "bon vivant" que sólo vive para las mujeres y el juego (habrá miles como él, imaginen el que quieran)...Lo único que salva al libro de la mediocridad absoluta es la fantástica documentación (aunque no pasaría nada por encontrar algún García, González o Fernández entre los múltiples personajes que aparecen, porque todos tienen apellidos no excesivamente comunes), y que se lee fácil, porque el resto es de lo más prescindible.
October 31, 2017
¿Que les digo? Cada vez que uno vuelve a leer un libro lo encuentra diferente a la primera vez y al mismo tiempo es igual. Ahora entiendo de forma diferente la trama, pero me sigue gustando igual que siempre.
Leí este libro hace años, nuevamente, para una clase y aunque no me acuerdo de absolutamente todos los detalles del libro, recuerdo muy bien la línea principal de la historia y sobre todo, recuerdo lo que me hizo sentir y por eso está entre mis favoritos. Fue el primer libro que leí de Arturo Pérez-Reverte
Es una novela de intrigas, habla un poco sobre los valores perdidos (en este caso, la esgrima y el honor) pero principalmente es una novela de misterio (y un poco histórica) en la que termina involucrado un maestro de esgrima (de ahí el título) que aparte del problema que se le presenta, persigue la estocada perfecta.
La novela es muy descriptiva en cuanto a los personajes, los escenarios y sobre todo en la parte histórica por lo que llega a resultar un poquitín pesado a veces pero salvo por ese detalle me parece que es una novela emocionante y atrapante.
Estoy deseando releerla. Espero hacerlo pronto
Leí este libro hace años, nuevamente, para una clase y aunque no me acuerdo de absolutamente todos los detalles del libro, recuerdo muy bien la línea principal de la historia y sobre todo, recuerdo lo que me hizo sentir y por eso está entre mis favoritos. Fue el primer libro que leí de Arturo Pérez-Reverte
Es una novela de intrigas, habla un poco sobre los valores perdidos (en este caso, la esgrima y el honor) pero principalmente es una novela de misterio (y un poco histórica) en la que termina involucrado un maestro de esgrima (de ahí el título) que aparte del problema que se le presenta, persigue la estocada perfecta.
La novela es muy descriptiva en cuanto a los personajes, los escenarios y sobre todo en la parte histórica por lo que llega a resultar un poquitín pesado a veces pero salvo por ese detalle me parece que es una novela emocionante y atrapante.
Estoy deseando releerla. Espero hacerlo pronto
April 3, 2016
A fairly good book. The story developed slowly but eventually picked up. The book tells tge story of a fencing master Don Jamie, one of the few, living in the civil war period. He is approached by a young seniorita, with in depth knowledge on the art of fencing.
He reluctantly accepts her as her student. Soon after, another client of his is murdered. The Marquis, Don Luis, who dies just after becoming intimate with the seniorita. Other murders follow soon.
Who is killing all these people? This is what this book is about.
He reluctantly accepts her as her student. Soon after, another client of his is murdered. The Marquis, Don Luis, who dies just after becoming intimate with the seniorita. Other murders follow soon.
Who is killing all these people? This is what this book is about.
October 24, 2018
Debo admitirlo: la historia española no es precisamente el punto que más me guste leer. Aunque tengo una debilidad por los libros que manejan un contexto histórico bien delimitado y conjugado con la historia, me he topado con varios libros que se ubican en la historia de España que no me han atrapado nada. Sin embargo, El maestro de esgrima es una de las excepciones.
Pérez-Reverte me conquistó con La reina del Sur y me propuse seguir con cada una de sus novelas poco a poco. Ya había escuchado de El maestro de esgrima, por lo que parecía ser la mejor opción para seguir. Aunque es muy diferente a la primera novela suya que leí, me ha gustado muchísimo. En esta ocasión, se aventura en la España del siglo XIX, teniendo al esgrima es el eje principal de la historia.
Nos presenta a Jaime Astarloa, un maestro de esgrima, como el título lo indica, que trabaja dando clases a nobles de su ciudad. Su vida rutinaria comienza a cambiar cuando una dama llamada Adela de Otero, sensual e ingenua, aparece en su vida con ganas de tomar clases de esgrima, dando pie a que sucedan hechos que él nunca imaginó podrían pasar. Ella se introduce en su historia y la llena de café, estocadas perfectas e historia, y lo hace caer en enredos y situaciones complicadas, que ponen a flote sus sentimientos más profundos y sacan a colación u secreto oculto, que vamos descubriendo poco a poco.
Pérez-Reverte rememora lo antiguo, lo tradicional y lo olvidado, partiendo de valores como el honor y la honestidad para narrar la historia de Jaime y su enredo con Adela, quien va tejiendo una telaraña de hechos entre estocadas y peleas, que transforman al esgrima en una forma de entender la vida. Gracias a esto, ambos personajes adquieren un toque quijotesco divino. Él, por su parte, es culto, discreto y exquisito. En consecuencia, es un símbolo del honor en el héroe que lo ha perdido todo y que lucha contra el destino que se le ha impuesto. Ella, gracias a poseer oscuros secretos, cumple el rol de voltear su mundo y hacer del esgrima una disciplina mucho más profunda de lo que él creía.
Lo que más me gusta es la personalidad de Jaime, ya que él es el típico héroe tradicional, que se mantiene firme ante sus convicciones aunque le cueste la vida. Además, se convierte en una especie Quijote que evoluciona y decrece a lo largo de la novela, ya que su vida está marcada por la autodisciplina que le ha dado el esgrima. En consecuencia, este le ha dado sus principios de vida, a los que se mantiene fiel.
Tomando esto como base, el personaje parece ser anacrónico, pues da la sensación, gracias a su estética, indumentaria y costumbres de haberse detenido en el tiempo. A través de esto, Reverte habla de aquellas profesiones, como la educación, que han quedado en el olvido. Así, hace una metáfora de la decadencia de este arte, único capaz de formar y transformar a otros, que muchos han optado por rechazar. El maestro sabe que su arte ya no es una tendencia, incluso sus alumnos se lo recalcan, pero para él es imposible dejarlo, porque además de ser su medio de subsistencia, es su vida, ya que siempre ha vivido en torno a la estocada perfecta. Por ende, la obra habla de que el arte de educar, cada día más olvidado, pese a ser olvidado, es necesario, pues crear ciudadanos capaces es responsabilidad de nosotros, los formadores.
Adela, por contrario, me gusta bastante poco, pues tiene un rol de antagonista, ya que es la única capaz de debilitar la estricta rutina del maestro, gracias a su poder de seducción y su hábil manejo del florete. A pesar de cargar con terribles crímenes, actúa movida por un código moral manchado por los reveces del destino, que le sirven para justificar sus actos, iniciando su propio combate: el de la seducción.
Mediante ambos opuestos, el escritor enfrenta dos mundos: el tradicional, cargado de valores como la honestidad y la caballerosidad y el nuevo, el del progreso, donde todos los varones se desmoronan y son sustituidos por las ansias de poder y los intereses económicos. Partiendo de estos, aborda temas tan importantes como la modernidad y el cambio que esta supone, reflejados en el esgrima como un arte que representa los valores que ella machaca.
Cabe destacar que la obra se sitúa en el verano de 1868, mientras que la Reina Isabel II se ve obligada a abandonar su puesto. Esta fue una etapa en la que España estaba bastante debilitada, luego de la invasión napoleónica. En consecuencia, se encontraba sin fuerzas y sin esperanza, pues parecía extraño tener un gobierno justo y permanente. En este escenario, Pérez-Reverte nos habla de las represiones brutales y barricadas que hubo en ese momento y analiza cómo estás marcaron el inicio del capitalismo en su país.
Gracias a esto, El maestro de esgrima es una novela sustentada en unas bases teóricas densas, que la dotan de un rico material histórico, a través del cual Pérez-Reverte refleja esa época en la que todo el mundo conspiraba, representados en ambientes y descripciones muy propios del momento, con un lenguaje simple, lírico, sobrio, adaptado al estilo clásico de la narrativa ( inicio – nudo – desenlace), llevado a cabo con un narrador omnisciente.
En definitiva, una novela que lo tiene todo, que me ha encantado y que se va directo a mis favoritos de este año. Pérez-Reverte cada día me cautiva más y con El maestro de esgrima se ha terminado de ganar mi corazón.
http://mariana-is-reading.blogspot.co...
Pérez-Reverte me conquistó con La reina del Sur y me propuse seguir con cada una de sus novelas poco a poco. Ya había escuchado de El maestro de esgrima, por lo que parecía ser la mejor opción para seguir. Aunque es muy diferente a la primera novela suya que leí, me ha gustado muchísimo. En esta ocasión, se aventura en la España del siglo XIX, teniendo al esgrima es el eje principal de la historia.
Nos presenta a Jaime Astarloa, un maestro de esgrima, como el título lo indica, que trabaja dando clases a nobles de su ciudad. Su vida rutinaria comienza a cambiar cuando una dama llamada Adela de Otero, sensual e ingenua, aparece en su vida con ganas de tomar clases de esgrima, dando pie a que sucedan hechos que él nunca imaginó podrían pasar. Ella se introduce en su historia y la llena de café, estocadas perfectas e historia, y lo hace caer en enredos y situaciones complicadas, que ponen a flote sus sentimientos más profundos y sacan a colación u secreto oculto, que vamos descubriendo poco a poco.
Pérez-Reverte rememora lo antiguo, lo tradicional y lo olvidado, partiendo de valores como el honor y la honestidad para narrar la historia de Jaime y su enredo con Adela, quien va tejiendo una telaraña de hechos entre estocadas y peleas, que transforman al esgrima en una forma de entender la vida. Gracias a esto, ambos personajes adquieren un toque quijotesco divino. Él, por su parte, es culto, discreto y exquisito. En consecuencia, es un símbolo del honor en el héroe que lo ha perdido todo y que lucha contra el destino que se le ha impuesto. Ella, gracias a poseer oscuros secretos, cumple el rol de voltear su mundo y hacer del esgrima una disciplina mucho más profunda de lo que él creía.
Lo que más me gusta es la personalidad de Jaime, ya que él es el típico héroe tradicional, que se mantiene firme ante sus convicciones aunque le cueste la vida. Además, se convierte en una especie Quijote que evoluciona y decrece a lo largo de la novela, ya que su vida está marcada por la autodisciplina que le ha dado el esgrima. En consecuencia, este le ha dado sus principios de vida, a los que se mantiene fiel.
Tomando esto como base, el personaje parece ser anacrónico, pues da la sensación, gracias a su estética, indumentaria y costumbres de haberse detenido en el tiempo. A través de esto, Reverte habla de aquellas profesiones, como la educación, que han quedado en el olvido. Así, hace una metáfora de la decadencia de este arte, único capaz de formar y transformar a otros, que muchos han optado por rechazar. El maestro sabe que su arte ya no es una tendencia, incluso sus alumnos se lo recalcan, pero para él es imposible dejarlo, porque además de ser su medio de subsistencia, es su vida, ya que siempre ha vivido en torno a la estocada perfecta. Por ende, la obra habla de que el arte de educar, cada día más olvidado, pese a ser olvidado, es necesario, pues crear ciudadanos capaces es responsabilidad de nosotros, los formadores.
Adela, por contrario, me gusta bastante poco, pues tiene un rol de antagonista, ya que es la única capaz de debilitar la estricta rutina del maestro, gracias a su poder de seducción y su hábil manejo del florete. A pesar de cargar con terribles crímenes, actúa movida por un código moral manchado por los reveces del destino, que le sirven para justificar sus actos, iniciando su propio combate: el de la seducción.
Mediante ambos opuestos, el escritor enfrenta dos mundos: el tradicional, cargado de valores como la honestidad y la caballerosidad y el nuevo, el del progreso, donde todos los varones se desmoronan y son sustituidos por las ansias de poder y los intereses económicos. Partiendo de estos, aborda temas tan importantes como la modernidad y el cambio que esta supone, reflejados en el esgrima como un arte que representa los valores que ella machaca.
Cabe destacar que la obra se sitúa en el verano de 1868, mientras que la Reina Isabel II se ve obligada a abandonar su puesto. Esta fue una etapa en la que España estaba bastante debilitada, luego de la invasión napoleónica. En consecuencia, se encontraba sin fuerzas y sin esperanza, pues parecía extraño tener un gobierno justo y permanente. En este escenario, Pérez-Reverte nos habla de las represiones brutales y barricadas que hubo en ese momento y analiza cómo estás marcaron el inicio del capitalismo en su país.
Gracias a esto, El maestro de esgrima es una novela sustentada en unas bases teóricas densas, que la dotan de un rico material histórico, a través del cual Pérez-Reverte refleja esa época en la que todo el mundo conspiraba, representados en ambientes y descripciones muy propios del momento, con un lenguaje simple, lírico, sobrio, adaptado al estilo clásico de la narrativa ( inicio – nudo – desenlace), llevado a cabo con un narrador omnisciente.
En definitiva, una novela que lo tiene todo, que me ha encantado y que se va directo a mis favoritos de este año. Pérez-Reverte cada día me cautiva más y con El maestro de esgrima se ha terminado de ganar mi corazón.
http://mariana-is-reading.blogspot.co...
May 9, 2024
Che dispiacere, mi aspettavo di più.
March 11, 2011
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, sonidos y hasta olores no está tan desarrollada en esta novela como lo está en la serie del capitán Alatriste (recordemos que El maestro de esgrima es su segunda novela), la historia es tan envolvente y los personajes tan carismáticos que no podemos menos que caír rendidos ante ellos.
Jaime Astarloa es un maestro de esgrima (por supuesto) ya en los primeros años de la vejez. Pero no es la decadencia física lo que más lo atormenta, sino el saberse un personaje fuera de sitio: en 1868, la esgrima había dejado de ser un arte de combate y se había convertido en un pasatiempo o un deporte, reemplazada por las mucho más eficientes y (como lo destaca un personaje) "democráticas" armas de fuego. ¿Por qué democráticas? Porque la esgrima es un arte de elite, complejo, difícil y para el cual se necesitan años de práctica para convertirse en un luchador consumado; las armas de fuego, en cambio, hacen iguales a los hombres, porque hasta el más debilucho de los pusilánimes se convierte en un adversario de temer cuando tiene un revólver en la mano.
La contraparte de Astarloa está en la misteriosa Adela de Otero, una joven y atractiva esgrimista de ojos violeta que remueve el amargo y solitario corazón de Astarloa y lo arrastra a una sórdida historia de engaños, asesinatos y conspiraciones.
Astarloa recuerda mucho al capitán Alatriste, quizás por ese aire de decadencia, ese honor extraño y ese aferrarse a costumbres e ideas que a veces no sólo son de otro tiempo, sino de otro planeta. En un momento, uno de los personajes se sorprende de que Astarloa no se deje llevar por la "ocupación nacional" del español: el chismorreo y el debate político. A Astarloa el mundo, los gobiernos, las conspiraciones, los escándalos y todo lo que signifique vida social fuera de su reducido círculo de conocidos le resbala como si estuviese aceitado. Por eso parece un personaje atemporal, extraño, con dificultades para adaptarse a la vida de un mundo que le es ajeno, pero que, en su área de conocimiento -la esgrima- no es sólo ducho, sino el auténtico maestro, ese para el cual el mundo se detiene cuando debe investigar una nueva movida de esgrima, cuando intenta descubrir "el Grial" de la esgrima: una estocada perfecta, imparable, que, además, sospecha que no existe.
No tengo mucho más que decir que no sean adjetivos, así es que prefiero detenerme aquí.
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, sonidos y hasta olores no está tan desarrollada en esta novela como lo está en la serie del capitán Alatriste (recordemos que El maestro de esgrima es su segunda novela), la historia es tan envolvente y los personajes tan carismáticos que no podemos menos que caír rendidos ante ellos.
Jaime Astarloa es un maestro de esgrima (por supuesto) ya en los primeros años de la vejez. Pero no es la decadencia física lo que más lo atormenta, sino el saberse un personaje fuera de sitio: en 1868, la esgrima había dejado de ser un arte de combate y se había convertido en un pasatiempo o un deporte, reemplazada por las mucho más eficientes y (como lo destaca un personaje) "democráticas" armas de fuego. ¿Por qué democráticas? Porque la esgrima es un arte de elite, complejo, difícil y para el cual se necesitan años de práctica para convertirse en un luchador consumado; las armas de fuego, en cambio, hacen iguales a los hombres, porque hasta el más debilucho de los pusilánimes se convierte en un adversario de temer cuando tiene un revólver en la mano.
La contraparte de Astarloa está en la misteriosa Adela de Otero, una joven y atractiva esgrimista de ojos violeta que remueve el amargo y solitario corazón de Astarloa y lo arrastra a una sórdida historia de engaños, asesinatos y conspiraciones.
Astarloa recuerda mucho al capitán Alatriste, quizás por ese aire de decadencia, ese honor extraño y ese aferrarse a costumbres e ideas que a veces no sólo son de otro tiempo, sino de otro planeta. En un momento, uno de los personajes se sorprende de que Astarloa no se deje llevar por la "ocupación nacional" del español: el chismorreo y el debate político. A Astarloa el mundo, los gobiernos, las conspiraciones, los escándalos y todo lo que signifique vida social fuera de su reducido círculo de conocidos le resbala como si estuviese aceitado. Por eso parece un personaje atemporal, extraño, con dificultades para adaptarse a la vida de un mundo que le es ajeno, pero que, en su área de conocimiento -la esgrima- no es sólo ducho, sino el auténtico maestro, ese para el cual el mundo se detiene cuando debe investigar una nueva movida de esgrima, cuando intenta descubrir "el Grial" de la esgrima: una estocada perfecta, imparable, que, además, sospecha que no existe.
No tengo mucho más que decir que no sean adjetivos, así es que prefiero detenerme aquí.
March 16, 2007
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 a repeat of The Club Dumas — fantastic style with a disappointing finish. To my surprise, Perez-Reverte pulled together a much more satisfying story with a conclusion that was far tidier than the previous novel.
Set against the backdrop of the 1868 Spanish Revolution, Perez-Reverte gives us an extremely sympathetic main character in Don Jaime Astarloa, an aging fencing master who is witnessing the demise of not only his profession but his code of ethics as well. It’s the internal machinations of Don Jaime that drive the novel and gives this story a convincing tone.
Like The Club Dumas, The Fencing Master is well written, leisurely paced, and thick with vivid descriptions. As in the former novel, Perez-Reverte makes use of a fairly obscure profession to draw the reader into a realistic, yet commonly unknown world.
There are times, however, when Perez-Reverte seems to spend too much space on secondary characters. Don Jaime’s set of café companions, for example, add little value to the overall story. Even though one of these characters plays prominently later in the story, the numerous scenes with this handful of eccentrics merely drag the plot unnecessarily.
Nonetheless, this one minor complaint is nothing compared to the loosely pulled together ending of The Club Dumas, giving The Fencing Master a far more entertaining aftertaste. Even though I enjoyed the previous novel (and the movie it spawned), if asked, I’d have to recommend The Fencing Master to anyone interested in Perez-Reverte’s work.
When I picked up The Fencing Master, I expected a repeat of The Club Dumas — fantastic style with a disappointing finish. To my surprise, Perez-Reverte pulled together a much more satisfying story with a conclusion that was far tidier than the previous novel.
Set against the backdrop of the 1868 Spanish Revolution, Perez-Reverte gives us an extremely sympathetic main character in Don Jaime Astarloa, an aging fencing master who is witnessing the demise of not only his profession but his code of ethics as well. It’s the internal machinations of Don Jaime that drive the novel and gives this story a convincing tone.
Like The Club Dumas, The Fencing Master is well written, leisurely paced, and thick with vivid descriptions. As in the former novel, Perez-Reverte makes use of a fairly obscure profession to draw the reader into a realistic, yet commonly unknown world.
There are times, however, when Perez-Reverte seems to spend too much space on secondary characters. Don Jaime’s set of café companions, for example, add little value to the overall story. Even though one of these characters plays prominently later in the story, the numerous scenes with this handful of eccentrics merely drag the plot unnecessarily.
Nonetheless, this one minor complaint is nothing compared to the loosely pulled together ending of The Club Dumas, giving The Fencing Master a far more entertaining aftertaste. Even though I enjoyed the previous novel (and the movie it spawned), if asked, I’d have to recommend The Fencing Master to anyone interested in Perez-Reverte’s work.
January 28, 2015
There are a couple of reasons this isn't getting one star. The first is the writing. I will admit that there were moments that the writing in this book was beautiful and I have to give the author credit where credit is due. The other is my understanding that a lot of my dissatisfaction with the story has to do with the fact that I am not a Spanish native. It is my understanding that this book was written by a native of Spain and translated (quite well, I might add) into English. So the references to Spanish historical events and people that I didn't understand and therefore found distracting, are probably common knowledge to many Spanish citizens and added to the story for them rather than detracted.
But then we come to the story itself. I didn't have a problem with the main character, the fencing master. He was, quite frankly, the only interesting, multilayered character in the whole book. I found the other characters (especially the "femme fatale") to be one dimensional and unbelievable, when I could keep the characters straight that is. The plot was flat and predictable. The glimpses into the maestro's past were far more interesting to me than the action happening in "the present" and honestly THAT'S the book I'd like to read :P
Overall, this book was a chore to get through, but I powered through it because it was short and occasionally had glimmers of hope in the pretty prose and the main character, but these were well overshadowed by the many problems with the plot and other characters. Take from that, what you will :)
But then we come to the story itself. I didn't have a problem with the main character, the fencing master. He was, quite frankly, the only interesting, multilayered character in the whole book. I found the other characters (especially the "femme fatale") to be one dimensional and unbelievable, when I could keep the characters straight that is. The plot was flat and predictable. The glimpses into the maestro's past were far more interesting to me than the action happening in "the present" and honestly THAT'S the book I'd like to read :P
Overall, this book was a chore to get through, but I powered through it because it was short and occasionally had glimmers of hope in the pretty prose and the main character, but these were well overshadowed by the many problems with the plot and other characters. Take from that, what you will :)
March 13, 2017
Σταμάτα να διαβάζεις αυτή την κριτική και πήγαινε να διαβάσεις αυτό το βιβλίο. ΤΩΡΑ.
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