The Coffee Trader: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
by David Liss
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Book Summary Information
Author: David LissEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-02-03
ISBN: 0375760903
Number of pages: 432
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Book Reviews of The Coffee Trader: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
Book Review: A thriller that uses the mind, not dead bodies, to move the story forward
Summary: 5 Stars
One of my favourite genres is that of the historical novel, whether it be a romance or not. An author that I have recently discovered for myself is David Liss, who crafts intricate stories of family ties, betrayals, money and Judaism, all told with splendid research and an ability to draw the reader into the past.
This time, my excursion took place in the seventeenth century city of Amsterdam, where religious tolerance lives side by side with frantic trade. In this world is Miguel Lienzo, a Secret Jew (or converso) who has managed to escape the Inquisition in Portugal, and made a fortune in sugar futures, only to have them collapse and reduce him to poverty. Now he's living in his brother's basement, trying to evade his creditors, and rebuild his life.
Problem is, those creditors include a man intent on revenge, Joachim, who had been involved with Miguel's sugar scheme, and his own brother, Daniel, who is both jealous and contemptuous of Miguel. And then there is Solomon Parido, one of the Jewish community's leaders and a member of the Ma'amad, a council that oversees the behaviour and practices of the community. He too has a very personal connection with Miguel, and would enjoy nothing better to see him banished from the Jewish community and excommunicated under a sentence of cheder.
But Miguel also has allies, among them a moneylender named Alonzo Alferonda and a beautiful Dutchwoman named Geertruid. At the start of Geertruid is introducing Miguel to the delights of a new drink with its origins in the mid-East -- coffee. At first Miguel is disgusted by the taste and smell and sight -- it's a thick, ugly brew and nearly undrinkable. But quickly enough he's under its spell, and Geertruid tells him that with work on both of their parts, they're going to make their fortune. Miguel is skeptical, but Geertruid makes him a gift of a sack of coffee beans, and tells him to meet her again in a week or two to discuss the offer...
And so begins one of the best stories that I've read about finance, money, lust and religion. David Liss weaves in a multitude of plots in this story, and explores the world of Amsterdam at the high of its trading power in an entirely new way for me. Most of the novels set in this time have dealt with painters such as Vermeer and Rembrandt, or the craze over tulips, but this time, it's something very different.
It was the Dutch merchants who helped to create what we now think of as modern finance, where shares are sold in a company (at that time it was shares in a shipload of cargo), you could wager on the prices of various commodities going up or down (what we now call 'futures'), and where fortunes could be made or lost in a matter of minutes. But what is wonderful about David Liss's storytelling style is that he doesn't make the process at all boring -- quite different in fact. I was enthralled by all of the little details, and the emotions of the people involved -- given the current economic climate of 2009, I was both chilled and reassured that very little has change in human nature over the centuries.
Which leads me onwards to the other aspect of Liss's writing. His characters are very distinct and very human, every one of them a bold mixture of good and bad, and having to make decisions that not just have consequences on themselves, but also on everyone around them. Miguel is my favourite sort of character, a man who isn't perfect, and has plenty of flaws to himself, but also manages to be an honourable man with temptation all around him. But he isn't so perfect that it makes him boring -- the relationship that he has with Hannah, his brother's wife, is terrific to watch unfold. I won't reveal here what is involved, but it's a delight to read about.
Many of the scenes are drawn so vividly that I could easily imagine myself in the Amsterdam of that time, and for me, a novelist's ability to create such a vivid time and place in my head is one of the hallmarks of an enjoyable book for me. But what really amazed me was Liss's knowledge of Jewish law, and how he wove the religion into the story without it being preachy or dogmatic. It was very well done, and helped to make many of the characters' actions and emotions make sense.
Along with the narrative itself, the author has included a historical note, a lovely bibliography of sources that he used, an interview with Mark Haskell Smith and a series of questions for reader's groups. For those who are curious about further works by Liss, there is also an excerpt from the novel, A Spectacle of Corruption as well.
This book gets a handy five stars from me. It's the sort of book that I take great pleasure in reading and finding, and my only regret is that I can't rediscover it all over again. David Liss is turning into one of those writers that I will buy sight unseen, and I'm looking forward to more books about the Lienzo/Weaver family in the future.
Summary of The Coffee Trader: A Novel (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
Amsterdam, 1659: On the world?s first commodities exchange, fortunes are won and lost in an instant. Miguel Lienzo, a sharp-witted trader in the city?s close-knit community of Portuguese Jews, knows this only too well. Once among the city?s most envied merchants, Miguel has suddenly lost everything. Now, impoverished and humiliated, living in his younger brother?s canal-flooded basement, Miguel must find a way to restore his wealth and reputation.Miguel enters into a partnership with a seductive Dutchwoman who offers him one last chance at success?a daring plot to corner the market of an astonishing new commodity called ?coffee.? To succeed, Miguel must risk everything he values and face a powerful enemy who will stop at nothing to see him ruined. Miguel will learn that among Amsterdam?s ruthless businessmen, betrayal lurks everywhere, and even friends hide secret agendas.
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