The Secret Supper: A Novel
by Javier Sierra
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Book Summary Information
Author: Javier SierraTranslator: Alberto Manguel
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-03-20
ISBN: 0743287657
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780743287654
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of The Secret Supper: A Novel
Book Review: Very engaging, intelligent read
Summary: 5 Stars
I really enjoyed this book, but I should preface with my pre-read disposition to help potential readers decide if they want to read it. First, I am a nut for religious history, but am not in any way affiliated with, nor will i be, organized western religion, particularly not catholicism. I am highly spiritual, but the institution of the catholic church simply does not work for me (thank you 12 years of catholic educ). However, I do find the history absolutely fascinating in every way, and am particularly fond of alternate histories. One of my favorite books of all time is Eco's The Name of the Rose. The Secret Supper is similar to Eco's; it involves a fair amount of logical problem solving harking to the ancient thought leaders, and interesting interpretations of the symbolism in the Last Supper painting. If you're a staunch Catholic, you'd likely not enjoy this book. However, if you have an at least somewhat malleable approach to interpreting religious evolution and enjoy an engaging read, dig in. It is certainly not as intellectually stimulating as the Name of the Rose, but it is leaps beyond (not surprise) the DaVinci code and the Kate Moss books.
Summary of The Secret Supper: A Novel
Milan, 1497: Leonardo da Vinci is completing his masterpiece, The Last Supper. Pope Alexander VI is determined to execute him after realizing that the painting contains clues to a baffling -- and blasphemous -- message, which he is determined to decode. The Holy Grail and the Eucharistic Bread are missing, there is no meat on the table and, shockingly, the apostles are portraits of well-known heretics -- none of them depicted with halos. And why has the artist painted himself into the scene with his back turned toward Jesus? The clues to Leonardo's greatest puzzle are right before your eyes....The Da Vinci juggernaut rolls on, this time in the capable hands of a bestselling author in the Spanish-speaking world. The Secret Supper has been ably translated by Alberto Manguel, author of A History of Reading, that delightful revelation that squiggles on a page are words, and words make stories. Set in 1497 Milan, at the time of the painting of the Cenacolo, or The Last Supper, in the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Sierra has created a tale of religious fanaticism, betrayal, murder, Church politics, artistic chicanery and mystery to confound the reader.
Fra Agostino Leyre, a Papal Inquisitor, is sent to Milan to confirm--or not--the messages of the "Soothsayer," who alleges that Leonardo Da Vinci is a heretic and has hidden heretical messages in his painting of The Last Supper. Leonardo is a figure larger than life, literally. A blue-eyed, tall, handsome man, always dressed in white, he is surrounded by faithful students and friends who are his acolytes. His brilliant mind, ranging over a multitude of ideas, has gained him a reputation for "hiding heterodox ideas in paintings apparently pious."
What Father Agostino follows is a labyrinthine path through alliances and rivalries, differences of opinion about Leonardo and a discussion of the heresy of the Cathars. They are a fascinating sect, more extra-Christianity than Christian heretics. Their practices are based on a belief that certain deprivations--primarily food and sex--will purify and make them worthy. Sierra is a very fine guide, taking the reader through palaces and monasteries rife with intrigue and typical of the flowering of intellect that came after the Dark Ages. It is a time when "Suddenly, from one day to the next, Plato's Greece, Cleopatra's Egypt and even the extravagant curiosities of the Chinese Empire that Marco Polo discovered seemed to deserve greater praise than our own Scriptural stories." Dangerous for the incumbency.
A compelling case is made that Leonardo's heretical beliefs are there for all to see in The Last Supper, if only we know how to find them. Sierra gives us the key--and keeps the suspense going right up to the end of the book. It isn't necessary to believe any of it, or even care if it's true, to enjoy this pilgrimage through another time and place. --Valerie Ryan
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