The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon

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Summary: interesting mix of mystery, religion and historical fiction.
Review: I read this earlier in the year (1999) and enjoyed it. I have a Brazillian friend who is descended from Portugese Jews who were forced to convert and later emigrated to Brazil. I am looking for a copy of this book in Portugese to give her.

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Summary: the book that can read into you
Review: I have read many reviews, but I have never read anything concerning this particular book.I am however very desappointed with what I have read since I consider this to be the book of my life.This is probably because I am Portuguese and because I live in Lisbon.For me it is not important whether you know or not who the killer is ,but rather to absorb the spirit and times of a close community living in Lisbon at that time. No doubt about it my favorite book.

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Summary: Great history- confusing story
Review: Just completed the Last Kabbalist of Lisbon and though fascinated with the history I found it a rather confusing who -done-it and why? But perhaps that's not really the point of the book, which is rich in history, poetry and texture. I thorougly enjoyed the book- even the very gruesome bits and I learnt alot.

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Summary: A question for the author
Review: To Richard Zimler: You begin your book with a foward in which you thank a number of people. Continuing with the first chapter you describe the discovery of a manuscript. Our book club just read your work and in our discussion we had quite a debate on whether or not the manuscript was truly a "discovery" or whether this was the author's liberty in a work of fiction. Is there any truth to the discovery of the manuscript?

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Summary: THE LAST KABBALIST OF LISBON is back in stock!
Review: The wait is over! THE LAST KABBALIST OF LISBON is now back in stock! Discover what readers have already hailed as "mystical and marvelous", and "the epitome of great historical fiction". Fans of Umberto Eco and Ellis Peters will not want to miss THE LAST KABBALIST OF LISBON, now in its third printing!

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Summary: Not recommended
Review: I was looking forward to reading this book because I enjoy historical mysteries like Eco's Name of the Rose and Pear's An Instance of the Fingerpost. This book was not successful, however. As history, it was a cartoon. The only bad Jews are the ones who have converted to Christianity and the only good Christians are the ones who, it turns out, are actually Jews. As far as the mystery is concerned, I found it incomprehensible. Having finished the book, I still have only the vaguest notion of who the killer is and no idea at all of the motive.

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Summary: Interesting plot but not well written
Review: It is As If the premise of this book licensed the author to write a book badly and with more As If's than humanly possible on one page. Unfortunately, I had recently completed "Where She Has Gone" by Nino Rici. It also suffers from the As If problem. One particular page of The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon contained over eight As If phrases. I found the author's lack of verbal imagination distressing. The plot is interesting and my need to know who did it kept me reading. I do wonder about the historical authenticity of nude and lascivious blacksmith's in the 1500's. Read "Tuesday's with Morrie" instead.

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Summary: Fascinating book of time, place, spiritual, temporal.
Review: With "Kabballah" being the buzz word of the '90's, I found this book an excellent and thrilling description of the spiritual journey of the hero to solve a very temporal matter. The horror of the Inquistion in Portugal, the bitter lives of the New Christians, the excuse of plague and drought to set in motion the 'auto de fe' all are depicted in a fast paced, poetic and elaborately descriptive style. I have one question for the author: The face of Haman is mentioned very often as appearing in the Hagaddah. Is this what the Migilah Esther was called in the 16th century?

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Summary: Richly insightful, descriptive account of crypto-Jewish life
Review: The circumstances in which Richard Zimler, the twentieth-century translator/redactor of this work, found the sixteenth-century manuscripts on which the book is based are as unique as this opportunity for us to read the eye-witness accounts of a secret Jew in Portugal during the era of anti-Jewish hysteria following the forced conversions of Jews in 1496-1497. As a Kabbalist, the narrator is constantly reflecting upon the possible meaning of the events which surround him. Like his ancestors who lived through the Golden Age of Jewish Iberia, the narrator selects stunningly beautiful metaphors to describe things he sees. History is brought alive, in detail that may verge on being too realistic for some. Yet the narration never dwells; it moves at an intense pace as the protagonist quests for knowledge and information. Almost too incredible to be true, the words are so insightful and detailed that they cannot be doubted on the whole. Zimler's ability to bring a haphazard collection of manuscripts to life and reawaken their author's most intimate voice must not go unacknowledged either. I highly recommend this book!

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Summary: Mystical and mysterious, a wonderful non-stop read
Review: This was certainly a book I could not let rest. Page after page turned corners in the plot and the way that Zimler can couple Kabbala with the historical setting of this novel is marvellous.