Scan barcode
reikista's review against another edition
2.0
A war photographer gives up photography to become something of a recluse and paint war scenes on the inside walls of an old tower, where he is found by a Croatian man he once photographed and whose life was inevitably altered by that single shot and who has come for his revenge.
The premise and some of the dialogues were intriguing in this exploration of the effect of the observer on the observed, but my attention wavered throughout and I frequently thought of quitting. I have read other books by this author, some of which I have thoroughly enjoyed, so I kept at it, but it wasn't satisfying.
The premise and some of the dialogues were intriguing in this exploration of the effect of the observer on the observed, but my attention wavered throughout and I frequently thought of quitting. I have read other books by this author, some of which I have thoroughly enjoyed, so I kept at it, but it wasn't satisfying.
boothby738's review against another edition
I *really* like a couple of Reverte's earlier novels (Flanders/Dumas). However POB moved so very slowly I just couldn't get into it. He does still paint such intricate & detailed scenes like few other authors can, but and I gave up about half way through.
clarkmj1's review
2.0
I’m a big fan of Perez-Reverte. But not all his works are created equal. And whilst some are awesome books I can read over and over - others are patchy and not of the same calibre. Of course it’s a matter of personal taste
I love him as a writer and recommend him as a writer. But not this book. It was a struggle from page one and at page 30 something I bailed. Simply not caring why or if the Croat killed the painter
I love him as a writer and recommend him as a writer. But not this book. It was a struggle from page one and at page 30 something I bailed. Simply not caring why or if the Croat killed the painter
alundeberg's review against another edition
3.0
A short novel with deep meditations of art, war, life, and humanity. It asks what are the responsibilities of those who photograph war-- are they merely bystanders or do they affect the action? And what of the results of the photos? What impact do they have? This also asks how we portray war in art-- what story are we telling. The author is a very learned man who makes many allusions to many works of art, wars, and literature. It got exhausting after awhile trying to keep up, and it didn't help that some of the paragraphs were pages long.
andreiapmartins's review against another edition
4.0
Uma leitura muito interessante do ponto de vista ético e filosófico sobre uma profissão fascinante, mas que aqui ganha um lado negro: o fotojornalismo. O autor escreve de forma magnífica e o início do livro é absolutamente arrebatador. Nos diálogos e nos pensamentos das personagens há várias reflexões importantes sobre a natureza do ser humano e a tendência milenar para procurar guerras e conflitos.
No entanto, penso que poderia ter umas 30 ou 50 páginas e ser um pouco mais curto. E é uma leitura mais complicada para os mais sensíveis a descrições violentas. Ainda assim, gostei muito e recomendo!
No entanto, penso que poderia ter umas 30 ou 50 páginas e ser um pouco mais curto. E é uma leitura mais complicada para os mais sensíveis a descrições violentas. Ainda assim, gostei muito e recomendo!
fernandoml's review against another edition
5.0
Uno de los mejores libros de historia moderna que he leído, te atrapa de principio a fin y realmente te hace ver lo que quiere mostrar.
lucy_qhuay's review against another edition
3.0
In a tower by the Mediterranean, Andrés Faulques, a former war photographer, paints a circular fresco - the immortal image of a battle - searching for that image he was never able to capture with his cameras.
Already tormented by his own thoughts, he is disturbed anew by the memory of the woman he was never able to forget and a mysterious man, who comes from his past, seeking retribution.
Having once made a living out of war, Faulques took, years before, a picture of this man, a former Croat soldier, and now he's back, claiming that small act ruined his life.
As the romance evolves, the stories of the artist and the soldier emerge, in an intricate web of war, love, hate, knowledge and, of course, art.
This book is a deep reflection about war, the consequences of our acts and the human nature.
'El Pintor De Batallas' was a very interesting work, however I don't think I was able to achieve everything I was supposed to achieve, intelectually speaking.
I am a very wordy individual. I don't have a drop of artistic blood in me, much to my disappointment, so I see everything in terms of words and not images, if you know what I mean.
In this book, Pérez-Reverte used a lot of artistic language, such as lines, curves, planes, geometry, the colours, etc, therefore I don't think I really understood what he was trying to show the reader.
And that's why I didn't give it a higher rating.
I do think other people will be able to understand better what the author meant, but even if that doesn't happen, I think it's worth the reading just because of the deep thoughts about the cruel nature of war and man himself.
catsneedhats's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25