Rating: 
Summary: A Dishonest Novel
Review: I am almost wholly convinced that this is a modern novel and that the stuff re finding the MSS is, at best a literary conceit, and more likely a marketing ploy. Because:1) It just reads modern. I can't argue for this well .. it just does. I mean I've not read any authentically 16th C Iberian Jewish novels (the nearest to that I've read is early Gothic novels and Tom Jones - yeah and I only read that as a teenager looking for mucky bits). 2) Nothing in the biographical stuff re. Richard Zimler suggests he was educated in such a way as to be a possible translator for the alleged found MSS. 3) if such MSS had been discovered, then
a) There would have announcement and articles on it in scholarly journals, yet there are no references given to such in the book.
b) There would be some mention of the museum or institution in which the MSS are now lodged. 4) On p48 there is a ref to the Jews enslaved by the Egyptians building pyramids. Now according to Exodus the Jews were making bricks with which to build two store cities; there is no mention in it of pyramids and anyway the pyramids were not built with bricks. The date of the exodus from Egypt was c. 1270 BCE, having been enslaved for c. 370 years, The Old Kingdom, during which were built the pyramids ended c. 2200 BCE. So this reference to pyramids could not have occurred in MSS written in the early 16th C. Now, in general the fact that a novel is prefaced by a statement, purportedly not part of the novel, stating that the novel was written at a time other than that in which it really was written need not affect the worth of that novel. But in this case it seems to me that the pyramid reference is such an anachronism as to cast doubt on the authenticity of its account of Jewish life in Lisbon at that time. Suppose we came across a novel, supposedly written in Shakespeare's time which had him visiting Glamis Castle shortly after the events in Macbeth ?! It seems to me that Zimler in writing re. The passover celebration thought: 'Jews in Egypt' --> 'Egypt' --> 'pyramids' --> 'Jews building pyramids'. This is a thought which might occur to someone writing re the Passover who was not part of that tradition, but it would not have come from someone in that tradition. This suggests to me not just that the novel is modern and not in any way based on the source which it claims to be based on, but that Zimmler's research is sloppy and/or his empathy with the culture of which he writes is very shallow. This seems to me to be a novel written for a supposed audience. Several have compared it with *The Name of the Rose* - I think that comparison was intended by the author. All the stuff about the Kabbala was written with the intention of pushing the buttons of literary theory buffs re reading and intertextuality and so on and so on. The stuff at the end re. Jews having no future in Europe and having to move to a Moslem land is either a piece of Zionist propaganda or a piece of black anti-Zionist propaganda. This novel has no soul, it has no authenticity. I was reminded of a quest in a computer game.
Rating: 
Summary: Not so bad, but not so good
Review: The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon was neither a thriller, nor very educational about the history of Lisbon's Jews, nor was it very much about kabbalah. Rather, it scratched the surface of all three. My advice is, read a book about kabbalah, a book about the History of Jews in Europe, and a book by Agatha Christie or someone. While it might take you three times as long to get through the books, one would learn 10 times as much. Dont get me wrong, The Last Kabbalist is not garbage, but you wont find yourself thinking about the story while day dreaming on the elevator.
Rating: 
Summary: Our lives in parallel
Review: Zimler's fascinating story is set in 1506, during the massacre of Jews in Lisbon. Berekiah Zarco is one of the New Christians, those Jews forced to convert to Christianity, but Zarco and his family and friends also secretly practice the Jewish faith. As the massacre overwhelms the city, Zarco discovers his uncle and an unknown woman murdered in the family cellar, locked from the inside. Obsessed with finding those responsible, Zarco, along with his former lover Farid, risks his safety hunting for clues. The two also brave the maelstrom of atrocities to find their missing relatives and friends. I found it difficult to connect with the characters at the beginning, but as the story wound itself into patterns, the book became hard to put down. I was rather surprised at the untrumpeted homosexuality of Farid, which is mentioned a few times in the book. It's treated as part of the texture of his personality and nothing more, which is as it ought to be. I think it's a great book overall, although the parallels to the Holocaust and other instances of intolerance aren't as poignant and clearcut as one would think. Still, it's highly recommended, especially for its historical detailings.
Rating:
Summary: Reads Like An Adventure Game
Review: This was an excellent book and unusual in its premise and historical perspective, a group of recovered manuscripts written by a Jewish Kabbalist, Berekiah Zarco, in 1506 Lisbon. The book is remarkable in its ability to make the reader feel as though they have traveled back in time. The historical context of Jewish history and the gruesome results of Old Christian persecution upon the Jews of Portugal were both chilling and exceptionally well written. Unfortunately, there is a fundamental element in the book that reveals a deep, persistent flaw. The main character, Berekiah Zarco, wanders Lisbon and its outskirts in search of his uncle's killer. His quest reads exactly like a role playing electronic game along the lines of The Legend of Zelda or Dungeons & Dragons. In so doing, the significance of the book is seriously lessened and renders it more a trifle than an important contribution to Jewish history.
Rating:
Summary: Very good but not as much as "The name of the rose"
Review: Pros: A good historical and mystery novel teinted by the threat and blood of religious persecutions. Full of emotions, colors and parfums, one can picture, if not yet known the sepharadic word. Cons: The constraints of the initial manuscript itself which chalenged as much the writer as his readers (who can sometimes loose track). The end is pending, as in "The name of the rose"(Umberto Eco) but doesn't really makes sense. Conclusion: The curiosity makes us want to read the original document, but this would take away the fiction from the story.
Rating:
Summary: Starts well but fades towards the end.
Review: I looked forward to reading "The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon" by Richard Zimler, since the blurbs on the back of the book were glowing. I have read many fictional accounts of the Inquisition in Portugal, and I am always moved by the suffering of the Jews who lived during this terrible time. Zimler's book starts out well. I found the characters, especially Abraham Zarco (brilliant mystic, manuscript illuminator and leader of his community) fascinating. Twenty-year-old Berekiah Zarco, Abraham's nephew, is an enthusiastic and vivid narrator. However, after Berekiah stops being an observer and starts becoming a sleuth, the book loses its momentum. In a repetitious series of vignettes, Berekiah wanders around the neighborhood interviewing a variety of people, as he tries to find out who murdered his uncle. Zimler presents us with a dizzying array of characters who flow in and out of the novel. After a while, I lost track of the characters and I lost interest, as well. What a shame, since Zimler does have a gift for describing this horrible chapter in the history of European Jewry.
Rating: 
Summary: A fine meal
Review: Much of what I read may be described as a light snack: briefly satisfying, pleasant flavour, but gone almost instantly. Anything by John Grisham, for instance, would be as satisfying as a thin gruel. James Patterson - perhaps one-third of a broken piece of a potato chip? Bernard Cornwell: a hearty meat and potato read; something that sticks to the ribs. The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon: a superb five course gourmet meal, with more trimmings than a festive turkey. Let's start with the hors d'oeuvres. Tapas, I think: varied, sharp. And that's Zimler's writing - fine, scalpel-sharp. This book is a pleasure to read, and would be even if it was a treatise on suet making. Zimler is an elegant writer. Bravo! Then the soup. Ah, yes: a hearty beef broth, rich and satisfying... these are the characters. Each one lives on the pages, and makes him or herself known to the reader in a multi-layered, many-faceted way. The characters peopling this book are real. Main course - An exquisite Paella (OK. I know I'm in Spain with the meal, rather than Portugal, but there is a fair bit of cross-over. Thanks for the lee-way.) Something that's complex, yet simple. Something with a number of ingredients, held together with one main theme. That's the Kabbalist's plot. A joy to read, a pleasure to experience. Dessert is a light sorbet.. and that's the physical feel of the book. My edition is beautifully bound, and simply feels good in the hand. Port and cigars, anyone? Because this is a meal which will last. I read The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon nearly a year ago - and every now and then the sting of Lisbon's dust and smoke invades my nostrils, and reminds me that I have enjoyed a sumptuous meal... and truly memorable book. Thankyou, Mr Zimler.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book -- Fictional Author
Review: I thought this was an interesting read. What is more interesting is that Amazon lists the fictional protagonist (and writer of the fictional preface) of the book (Berekiah Zarco) as a co-author!
Rating:
Summary: The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon
Review: After reading all of Chaim Potok's books, I decided this book would give another perspective on study of Kabbalah. Because many Jewish scholars have opposed study through the centuries of these mystical writings, it was fun to return to 1506 when visions and talismans were commonly believed to work. The vivid descriptive language used throughout this story can be gruesome at times, but it puts the reader in Lisbon at the time of the forced conversions of Jews. The mystery is fun to watch unfold, but the characters are a challenge to track. Because they have both Jewish names and New Christian names, it can be challenging to remember which member of the group had the scar where and what his two names are . . . If you're tired of John Grisham's predictability, try a new environment, an historical setting, and a mystical culture for the setting of a good mystery.
Rating:
Summary: A lovely, horrible, tragic, spiritual, graphic, moving novel
Review: This manages to be a novel after all... with a murder mystery woven into the threads of the fabric. It was hard to get into at first, but once I caught the cadence of the dialogue, I was hooked. The book was very thought-provoking, enjoyable, at times it was horrible to endure the graphic imagery of the violence against the "New Christians" ---with tears in my eyes. There was deep, spiritual love. So much violence and hatred also. But the author handled it realistically in that the aftermath the "Old Christians" seemed to sugarcoat what they had done to be able to deal with the atrocity of their actions.
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