About this title: A game of chess is being played in a picture, in which the white knight has been taken. And now a player is dead. Next to be threatened is the white queen. When Julia, the picture's restorer, discovers that she is the white queen, she needs urgent help to plot her next moves.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Softcover, as shown. Tanned, NEVER READ. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 304 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. read more
Description: Fine. No DJ Issued. Fine. No dust jacket as issued. Never read but has sat on bookshop shelf Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 304 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Harvest Books
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9780156029582ISBN:0156029588
Description: Acceptable. Spine heavily bowed Overall below average used book. May have highlighting, underlining, notes, price sticker on cover, or be an ex-library book. read more
"Pretty much on a par with Club Dumas -- an interesting, maybe sophisticated or erudite, mystery. The flaw in this novel is that there is really no justification for the mystery in the first place -- there is no reason for the murders (and the confession at the end just points out what was missing throughout). Actually, it was the same problem in Dumas; that's probably why the author started throwing in that devil stuff -- trying to make things more important than perhaps they were. However, this was a fun read and is recommended despite being rather flawed."
"I've read four or five of this author's books and can't think of another novelist who is as skillful in quietly developing the heroic and/or demonic qualities of his characters. His heroes are subtle and that makes them even more impressive to me.
I believe this is Perez-Reverte's first novel and, although I really enjoyed it, I found The Fencing Master and The Queen of the South more interesting. I'd guess that as the author became more comfortable with his writing, he was freer to develope the complex and very nuanced morality that sets his books apart from other "thriller" writers.
That said, this is a stimulating read, populated with interesting characters and situations. Pick up all his books."
"I was so impressed with this novel! This was written brilliantly! If one loves the game of chess, one would love this novel.
Not only was this a story about a masterpiece; the story was woven as if like playing a chess game. I was intellectually stimulated and aroused!
Great read!!
I will definitely read this again sometime.
**short note: slow moving in the beginning (though for good reason, I learned later), if you can get through that part of the book and stick with it, it opens up amazingly! It was like a bright light bulb went off in my head near the end and I was enthralled! I couldn't stop saying the word, "brilliant! simply brilliant!""
"This author is new to me but I really enjoyed this book. Although it's translated from Spanish the language is perfect and it's beautifully written. It's an intelligent crime story with loads of erudite references and technical detail about obscure things like medieval armoury, restoration of old paintings, chess, Bach ... I needed a dictionary beside me! We're reading it for a bookclub I'm a member of and there's plenty of meat for discussion."
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