Download Cathedral of the Sea A Novel Ildefonso Falcones 9780451225993 Books
Download Cathedral of the Sea A Novel Ildefonso Falcones 9780451225993 Books
Download As PDF : Cathedral of the Sea A Novel Ildefonso Falcones 9780451225993 Books
An unforgettable fresco of a golden age in fourteenth-century Barcelona, Cathedral of the Sea is a thrilling historical novel of friendship and revenge, plague and hope, love and war.
Arnau Estanyol arrives in Barcelona to find a city dominated by the construction of the city’s great pride—the cathedral of Santa Maria del Mar—and by its shame, the deadly Inquisition. As a young man, Arnau joins the powerful guild of stoneworkers and helps to build the church with his own hands, while his best friend and adopted brother Joanet studies to become a priest.
With time, Arnau prospers and falls secretly in love with a forbidden woman. But when he is betrayed and hauled before the Inquisitor, he finds himself face-to-face with Joanet. Will he lose his life just as his beloved Cathedral of the Sea is finally completed, or will his brother save him?
MORE THAN TWO MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE!
Download Cathedral of the Sea A Novel Ildefonso Falcones 9780451225993 Books
"This was a thrilling and captivating novel portraying Barcelona in the medieval ages. This is my 2nd novel by Ildefonso Falcones, and the author delivered the story and plot like no other. A story of treachery, battle, destitution, sickness, death, love, betrayal, hardship; all life circumstances in an era filled with mystery and intrigue. From the moment you read the first chapter to the end (600 pages); you will endure the life of a peasant, a baron, a nobleman or noblewoman, a prostitute, a warrior, a witch, a friar, an inquisitor and a king. I cant wait to see the real structure of the Santa Maria and the Sea and to imagine in the year 1300 all of bastaixos carrying on their backs the stones needed to build her. Long live Via Fora!!! ,"
Product details
|
Tags : Cathedral of the Sea A Novel [Ildefonso Falcones] on . <b>An unforgettable fresco of a golden age in fourteenth-century Barcelona, Cathedral of the Sea</i> is a thrilling historical novel of friendship and revenge,Ildefonso Falcones,Cathedral of the Sea A Novel,Berkley,0451225996,Historical,Barcelona (Spain) - History,Barcelona (Spain);History;Fiction.,Cathedrals,Cathedrals;Design and construction;Fiction.,Church buildings - Spain - Barcelona - Design and construction,Domestic fiction,Feudalism - Spain,Santa Maria del Mar (Church Barcelona, Spain),Social classes - Spain - Barcelona,Spain - History - 711-1516,Spain - Social life and customs,Spain;History;711-1516;Fiction.,Barcelona (Spain),Design and construction,FICTION / Historical / General,FICTION / Political,FICTION / Romance / Historical / Medieval,Fiction,Fiction - Historical,Fiction-Historical,Fiction/Thrillers - General,GENERAL,General Adult,Historical - General,Historical fiction,History,SPANISH (LANGUAGE) CONTEMPORARY FICTION,Santa Marâia del Mar (Church Barcelona, Spain),Social classes - Spain - Barcelona,Spain,Spain - History - 711-1516,Spain - Social life and customs,Spain;History;711-1516;Fiction.,Thrillers - General,United States,historical fiction; historical; romance; historical romance; war; romance novels; politics; political books; fiction; historical fiction books; historical fiction novels; medieval spain; family saga; spanish literature; brothers; family; love; friendship; corruption; religion; spanish inquisition; spain; 14th century; medieval historical fiction; medieval history; world literature; literary fiction; alternate history; teen books; young adult books; books for teens; romance books; medieval romance; books for 13 year old girls,medieval spain;family saga;spanish literature;brothers;family;war;love;friendship;corruption;religion;romance;politics;spanish inquisition;spain;14th century;medieval historical fiction;medieval history;world literature;historical fiction novels;literary fiction;historical fiction books;historical fiction;historical;historical romance;romance books;romance novels;alternate history;medieval romance;books for 13 year old girls;teen books;young adult books;books for teens;political books;fiction,FICTION / Historical / General,FICTION / Political,FICTION / Romance / Historical / Medieval,Fiction/Thrillers - General,Historical - General,Thrillers - General,Fiction - Historical,Barcelona (Spain),Design and construction,History,Santa Marâia del Mar (Church Barcelona, Spain),Spanish (Language) Contemporary Fiction,Fiction,Historical fiction
Cathedral of the Sea A Novel Ildefonso Falcones 9780451225993 Books Reviews :
Cathedral of the Sea A Novel Ildefonso Falcones 9780451225993 Books Reviews
- I traveled to Barcelona in 2014 and fell in love with the city. In looking for novels based in that city, I first read "The Barcelona Journal Murders" by J.C. Daifuku, a romance and murder mystery set in the early 1900s, which I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish. I was then suggested “Cathedral of the Sea†which is set much earlier in medieval 1300s. I couldn’t relate to it as well, despite the many well-researched historical references and the intricate plot with many characters, sometimes difficult to follow.
Though the author did a lot of history research and the book is a great learning experience, it often feels like the plot is forced into the events of the period, which is a long time ago; this gives it a slightly contrived feeling. Also the frequent depictions of medieval cruelty, the mistreatment of women and other dramas seems a little sensationalist and at times is almost like a caricature.
The book is written in a very straightforward manner but doesn’t have the layered feel and delight of the other book. - I liked the parts about the actual building of the Cathedral. I became exhausted with all the violence, cruelty and abusive sex.
- This was a thrilling and captivating novel portraying Barcelona in the medieval ages. This is my 2nd novel by Ildefonso Falcones, and the author delivered the story and plot like no other. A story of treachery, battle, destitution, sickness, death, love, betrayal, hardship; all life circumstances in an era filled with mystery and intrigue. From the moment you read the first chapter to the end (600 pages); you will endure the life of a peasant, a baron, a nobleman or noblewoman, a prostitute, a warrior, a witch, a friar, an inquisitor and a king. I cant wait to see the real structure of the Santa Maria and the Sea and to imagine in the year 1300 all of bastaixos carrying on their backs the stones needed to build her. Long live Via Fora!!! ,
- There is nothing quite as satisfying as sinking your teeth into a very long, historically correct, action-packed, educational, heart-rending story woven by a master of words that turn into images, sounds and smells of a time that is long past. Bravo Mr. Falcones for this masterpiece. Life is a great story, but the way that it is told -- through generations of families, great events in history, or through the contributions of ancient stones -- laborioulsy hauled on the backs of real men, carefully aligned to become architectural marvels of grace, elegance and beauty in an era called the "Dark Ages", lovingly venerated and used to kneel upon in prayer, burned and cracked by misfortune, war and greed -- Cathedral of the Sea is a book that educated me, enlightened me, inspired me and gave me new insight into my ancestors.
- I probably wouldn’t have even heard of this beautiful story, had it not been for a review that I saw on Trip Advisor of all places. I was looking at places to visit for our upcoming trip to Barcelona, deciding on whether or not to visit Santa Maria del Mar, a cathedral in Barcelona. One of the reviewers highly recommended reading this book first. I’m a sucker for reading travel-related books and I have to say that I’ve been hard-pressed to find much that truly interests me when it comes to books that are set in Spain. I am becoming a bit more selective and no longer want to read a travel-related book just because we’re headed there. It has to be good also. Anyway, I am so grateful to that reviewer and I wrote and told him so.
The story, set in 14th century Barcelona, is well-written with some edge-of-the-seat turns. If you enjoy medieval fiction, such as “Pillars of the Earthâ€, you may like this one. I enjoyed “Pillars of the Earth†more, but this was lovely also. The story was compelling. Like most historical fiction, you love some of the characters and hate a few others also. There were some parts that bored me, but those are easy to skim through.
One word of warning for those who may be a bit on the conservative side, it does get a bit graphic at times, but not too often.
Finally, the book is thoroughly researched. I really enjoyed the final pages of the book, where the author explains the parts of the story that are true. I hope that we have time to visit this fascinating cathedral during our short stay in Barcelona.
Some of my favorite quotes
"The past does not exist. There is nothing to be sorry for. Today is when we start to live. Look ... look at the sea. The sea has not past. It is just there. It will never ask us to explain. The stars, the moon are there to light our way, to shine for us. What do they care what might have happened in the past? They are accompanying us, and are happy with that; Can you see them shine? The stars are twinkling in the sky; would they do that if the past mattered? Would not there be a huge storm if God wanted to punish us? We are alone, you and I, with no past, no memories, no guilt, nothing that can stand in the way of ... our love. "
“From the beginning, Santa Maria de la Mar church was built by and for the common people.â€
“Santa Maria de la Mar is without doubt one of the most beautiful churches to be found anywhere. It may lack the monumentality of others built at the same time or later, but its interior is filled with the spirit with which Berenguer de Montagut sought to infuse it the people’s church, built by the people of Barcelona for Barcelona, is like an airy Catalan farmhouse. It is austere, protected, and protecting, and the light of the Mediterranean sets it apart from any other church in the world.â€
“According to the experts, the great virtue of Santa Maria is that it was built over an uninterrupted period of fifty-five years. This means it benefits from a unified architectural style, with few elements added on, making it the leading example of Catalan Gothic.†- When I started this book I was excited. I reminded me of Ken Follett's "Pillars of the Earth." Sadly, the further I read, the more tedious the vast amount of historical information drowned out the story to the point where I skimmed through pages until the whisper of the story resurfaced. The story itself took on a soap opera feel, with the weight of all that history resting unrealistically on the shoulders of the main character. He suffered one tragedy after another to illustrate the barbarity of the feudal system and the Spanish Inquisition.
Comments
Post a Comment