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A review by katevane
The Siege by Frank Wynne, Arturo Pérez-Reverte
3.0
I couldn’t wait to read this book. I’ve read and enjoyed a number of Pérez-Reverte’s novels. I love history and I love Spain. Cádiz is one of my favourite cities. Yet, even though it’s won the CWA International Dagger, it didn’t really work for me.
The book follows a number of characters caught up in the siege of Cádiz. They are all somehow affected by the conflict, from a French officer tasked with bombing the city into submission, to a wealthy woman shipowner who is trying to maintain her family’s business. One of the main characters is a detective, Tizón, who is confronted by a horrific series of crimes – young women who are found horribly murdered, always apparently at the site of a recent bombing.
It is the crime element of the story which I found most problematic. This book feels like an intriguing piece of social history with a rather silly murder plot tacked on. Tizón agonises about the murders. There are no clues but that is probably because he doesn’t actually investigate the crimes. His superiors have decided to keep the crimes secret for fear they will inflame the besieged city. Presumably a city at war would be shocked by the idea of people getting killed.
The murderer has a strange fascination for Tizón. Inevitably there is a young girl in his past. He wonders if there is some affinity between him and the murderer. He is so obsessed that he muses repeatedly about the crimes in a coffee house with his intellectual companion, and resorts to extended metaphors about chess. Then it gets a bit sillier.
The other difficulty I had is the extensive technical detail which is included. If you are intrigued by the differences between mortars and howitzers, nineteenth-century continental measuring systems and calculating trajectories during windy conditions, this is the book for you. If that’s not technical enough, try the nautical sections of the book. Even the translator acknowledges he had to turn to a maritime historian for assistance. Of course these details give authenticity, but they trip up the general reader and make it hard to feel involved in the story.
The book is at its best when it focuses on the everyday. Cádiz is a magical city, and Cádiz under siege is portrayed as a fascinating mix, earthy and ethereal, principled and pragmatic. Each of the main characters has different means and motivation for making it through the siege, from simple survival to conviction to intellectual curiosity. The book offers great insights into the social and political culture of the time, and the roles of the various governments and factions. Just a shame about the crime.
The book follows a number of characters caught up in the siege of Cádiz. They are all somehow affected by the conflict, from a French officer tasked with bombing the city into submission, to a wealthy woman shipowner who is trying to maintain her family’s business. One of the main characters is a detective, Tizón, who is confronted by a horrific series of crimes – young women who are found horribly murdered, always apparently at the site of a recent bombing.
It is the crime element of the story which I found most problematic. This book feels like an intriguing piece of social history with a rather silly murder plot tacked on. Tizón agonises about the murders. There are no clues but that is probably because he doesn’t actually investigate the crimes. His superiors have decided to keep the crimes secret for fear they will inflame the besieged city. Presumably a city at war would be shocked by the idea of people getting killed.
The murderer has a strange fascination for Tizón. Inevitably there is a young girl in his past. He wonders if there is some affinity between him and the murderer. He is so obsessed that he muses repeatedly about the crimes in a coffee house with his intellectual companion, and resorts to extended metaphors about chess. Then it gets a bit sillier.
The other difficulty I had is the extensive technical detail which is included. If you are intrigued by the differences between mortars and howitzers, nineteenth-century continental measuring systems and calculating trajectories during windy conditions, this is the book for you. If that’s not technical enough, try the nautical sections of the book. Even the translator acknowledges he had to turn to a maritime historian for assistance. Of course these details give authenticity, but they trip up the general reader and make it hard to feel involved in the story.
The book is at its best when it focuses on the everyday. Cádiz is a magical city, and Cádiz under siege is portrayed as a fascinating mix, earthy and ethereal, principled and pragmatic. Each of the main characters has different means and motivation for making it through the siege, from simple survival to conviction to intellectual curiosity. The book offers great insights into the social and political culture of the time, and the roles of the various governments and factions. Just a shame about the crime.