adapostrophe's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
malink1199's review against another edition
5.0
Ildefonso Falcones es uno de mis autores favoritos, y ya iba siendo hora de leer la que creo es su novela mas famosa. La historia de Arnau Estanyol, desde su nacimiento hasta su vejez, es también la historia de Barcelona y buena parte de Cataluña en el siglo XIV. El autor cuenta las aventuras de la vida del protagonista a la vez que describe los sucesos históricos importantes, la vida de la gente hasta entonces, nombres ilustres de nobles y calles, y una descripción muy buena de la ciudad de la época. Con todo esto no solo lees las aventuras de un hombre de la época, sino que sientes que formas parte de su mundo, y lo vives con él. Paralelamente también recorre la construcción de la Catedral del Mar, uniendo la vida de Arnau a esta en todo momento, desde su epoca como bastaix hasta su etapa de riqueza, siempre fiel a su Virgen. Una historia llena de alegrías, tristezas, problemas, bondad, culpa, rencor, amor. Un recorrido precioso por Barcelona, a la que ahora veré con ojos nuevos.
miralnso's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
lischa3000's review against another edition
2.0
I my opinion, too predictable and also a little boring
megea's review against another edition
2.0
The best I can say for Cathedral of the Sea is that it goes quickly enough. The prose is so simple and didactic, it reads as if it's written for a child. (Which it clearly isn't, given some of the content...) There’s just too much explication. Of the characters, of their state of mind, of the historical background. The latter is especially intrusive (and much of the time isn't even necessary to understand the action at hand). Either the 3rd person narrator or one of the characters themselves is constantly pausing to explain the social or political reasons behind things, whether or not it’s appropriate for them to even have that knowledge. And that isn’t the only aspect of the characters that isn’t credible. The bad characters are wholly bad, the good ones wholly good, sickeningly so. To make matters worse, the plot didn’t interest me enough to overcome my distaste for everything else.
hgranger's review against another edition
4.0
Read Danish translation. Sad and brutal but beautiful saga.
anna_lit's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
leyma_01's review against another edition
3.0
Realmente, la trama del libro me ha gustado bastante,no obstante hechos como la mala caracterización de los personajes (más que mala diría plana) no me hacen ponerle 5 estrellas.
juniperbranches's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This absolute brick of a book is a gorgeous window into feudal Spain. Arnau is only an infant when his father Bernat is forced to take the child and hide in the city of Barcelona as a runaway serf. According to the laws of the land, if the two can survive a year and a day in Barcelona they both become free men, no longer indentured to their feudal lord. This is the beginning of Arnau’s life and sorrows in the city of Barcelona. The plague, the Spanish Inquisition, heart break, starvation and more dog Arnau’s heels persistently, but his dedication to the people of his adopted city and his love of the Virgin Mary displayed in the Santa Maria church get him through.
I read this as an introduction to the city of Barcelona as we will be landing there in 3 days and I wanted to get a feel for the city and it’s history. In that respect it’s an amazing book. In terms of pacing, characterization and story telling it has its slow moments. The author occasionally gets carried away with the history and the dialogue can get clunky, but overall I enjoyed it. I feel like I know the city a little bit and I’m very excited to visit Santa Maria while we are there!!
I read this as an introduction to the city of Barcelona as we will be landing there in 3 days and I wanted to get a feel for the city and it’s history. In that respect it’s an amazing book. In terms of pacing, characterization and story telling it has its slow moments. The author occasionally gets carried away with the history and the dialogue can get clunky, but overall I enjoyed it. I feel like I know the city a little bit and I’m very excited to visit Santa Maria while we are there!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, and Rape
gindergrill93's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0