atippmann's review against another edition
4.0
This was a super interesting read for me- someone who is a history fan (medieval times being ones of my favorites) and someone who lives in Barcelona. I have always enjoyed while traveling to read and learn about that place's specific past. I thought the book was well-written and similar to Follet in including different narratives to engage your interest in the historical events, I like that style. It was quite eye-opening to hear about this city's often brutal past. Now I catch myself envisioning glimpses of the past life while I wander the streets of the old city. This book has enriched my everyday experience here. And I had a really special moment at one point while I was in the middle of the book, I went to the cathedral and spent some time inside, letting my imagination run wild. Such a cool experience!
heartcurse's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
medea_jade's review against another edition
5.0
A masterpiece of historical fiction. If you want to read a book about the building of a cathedral I would recommend this book. It is orders better than Pillars of the Earth. This book is written with exquisite attention to detail. The world of 14th century Barcelona is brought to life in a way that allows you to breath in the atmosphere of the city and its residents. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the genre.
eatingfiction's review
3.0
Cathedral of the Sea is a historical fiction novel that is dense yet fascinating, with much detail and description of the time period and historical events. The plot is closely tied to real-life events and interwoven with a fair amount of melodrama. I found the main character's story to be over-the-top at times (though this is mostly because I couldn't care less about the romantic sub plots, of which there were many), and was more intrigued by the simple daily life scenarios.
The setting is a richly immersive portrayal of medieval Barcelona, and follows the story of an unlikely hero who gets dragged through plot points both harrowing and dull. We follow him from childhood right through to his last days, and as a result this book feels very complete and satisfying.
Sometimes the book goes on a bit of a side tangent to describe what some King or Lord or other is doing or what war is happening about something somewhere. These tangents usually felt a bit rambling despite being interesting. I found they were something of an acquired taste; I came to appreciate these tidbits of background info.
A great read overall, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning something about this time period or simply immersing themselves in a sweeping historical epic.
The setting is a richly immersive portrayal of medieval Barcelona, and follows the story of an unlikely hero who gets dragged through plot points both harrowing and dull. We follow him from childhood right through to his last days, and as a result this book feels very complete and satisfying.
Sometimes the book goes on a bit of a side tangent to describe what some King or Lord or other is doing or what war is happening about something somewhere. These tangents usually felt a bit rambling despite being interesting. I found they were something of an acquired taste; I came to appreciate these tidbits of background info.
A great read overall, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning something about this time period or simply immersing themselves in a sweeping historical epic.
friendofgosig's review
2.75
This was a very slow, frustrating read. There were a lot of interesting historical context, but I am not convinced it was realistic that EVERYTHING would happen to the one character. The exposition was clunky at best, and I didn’t find any of the characters relatable or believable. And rape was used as a plot device WAY to much.
forfatter_torben_mathiassen's review against another edition
5.0
Hvis du er til historiske romaner, med et solidt persongalleri, spænding, uretfærdighededer, historiske informationer og meget andet, så er Havets katedral ikke til at komme udenom. En af de absolut bedste bøger jeg nogensinde har læst.
stevie_blue's review against another edition
3.0
I tried. I got over 300 pages in when I gave up. Reading the back of the book I was not expecting a whole biography of some guys life. Judging from the back it should've been 300 pages shorter at least
dmahanty's review against another edition
4.0
Set in Barcelona (14th century), this is a family saga. Reminds me of the Ken Follet series.