As the story progresses we learn that Diego is perhaps far more noble in his realism than any of his predecessors were in their romanticism, in the game of swordsmanship. His rules of conduct, primarily - never stab anyone in the back, are attempts to hang on to the vestiges of honour he once adhered to. He has no illusions about what he does, and knows there is nothing noble or brave in being a hired killer.
We learn about Diego and his life from his former ward, Inigo. The son of a former comrade in arms, he had been sent by his mother at the age of thirteen to be page to the man who had sworn to see him into manhood. As this vow had been taken while Inigo's father was dying from musket ball wound, there could be no going back on it.
It is through Inigo's observations of the Captain that we find out about the demons that plague Diego. How he will on occasion sit up the whole night drinking, growing more and more silent in the quiet of their room, and sit staring at his sword and knife hung on the wall as if they were a curse.
It is through two sets of eyes that we see 17th-century Madrid. The wide-eyed, somewhat innocent eyes of a thirteen year old boy filled with illusions of heroism and grandeur; and those same eyes years older looking back on events, providing a filter of cynicism through which impressions are sieved.
In one breath, he will tell us about what a dashing figure the young King Phillip IV of Spain cuts in his youth, and then proceed to describe his future descent into ineffectualness and incompetence. Listen to Inigo's description of what was called Spain's golden age:
"And that infamous period was called the Siglo de Oro? What Golden Age, eh? The truth is that those of us who lived and suffered through it saw little gold and barely enough silver. Sterile sacrifice, glorious defeats, corruption, rogues, misery, and shame; that we had up to the eyebrows." Arturo Perez-Reverte, Captain Alatriste, Penguin Canada, 2005 p.108-109.
It is against this backdrop that our hero's adventure takes place. He is hired by mysterious masked men to frighten two English travelers. He and an accomplice are to accost them in a back alley, rob them of some papers, and let them go on their way.
Article comments
1 - Deano
Damn your nefarious ways Gypsyman!
Have you and the NSA been tapping my keyboard!
My planned Captain Alatriste review has now been skewered by your rapier-like wordy elegance! Curse you, you vocubulary-challenged fop and all your clumsy nouns and verbs...and those pointy little adverbs that are sprinkled across your prose like so much whimsy...
The gauntlet has now been thrown. You shall pay dearly for your literary transgressions, my friend.... I'll just have to pick up a copy of his next excellent book and review it ahead of you!
2 - me
Nice review. You have a way with words. I'm reading the second book now and really enjoyed the first. IMDb says movie comes out Dec. 06. Viggo Mortensen speaking Spanish for an hour and a half... oh my, how will I suffer through it? ;o)
3 - Raul Duran
Beautiful review, I completely agree with the points expressed as I am also a big fan of Alatriste and Reverte.
Reverte, being a great fan himself since his childhood, of swashbuckling adventures, admirer of Dumas and now, an avid book collector of any antique, strange and unique edition of "The Three
Musketeers" he can put his hands on, has finally made his dream come true and written a saga that will honor and delight his and each one of our inner children. And it is my humble opinion that he has done a wonderful job.
The only drawback I see in all this it is the translation. Being as accurate as it seems (from the little paragraph transcribed above, which I remember well in spanish) still there is so much you are losing in it.
The thing is that being an spanish author and this story based in the Spain of the XVIII century, Reverte has taken a great effort in replicate the mannerisms, grammar and slang of that "epoque" giving to the series a rich and colorful experience that have no alikeness in any other language.
Anyhow it is wonderful that many fellow readers as yourselves are being finally delighted with these editions which seem to have capture well the tone and rhythm of the story, so you fine gentlemen might not lose all the brilliance Reverte is capable of deliver. My kudos to the translators!.
I have the 4 books that have been published so far and I sincerely recommend each one of them. Also i recommend the "Fencing Master" which is in the same vein and which already has been adapted into a film by spanish director, Pedro Olea.
P.S. To my fellow readers which expressed concern about the book adaptation into the film called "Alatriste" I want to ease its worries.
The film has been adapted by Agustin Diaz-Yanes and fully aproved by Reverte himself and it is an Spanish production of 20 million of euros which make it the most costly cinematic experience ever done in the spanish filmography. It is to be released on September 2006 and it has generated great expectations.
Also one thing that not many know is that Viggo Mortensen lived for a long time in Argentina and the man speaks a wonderful spanish I can assure you.
As aparting gift here is a small "aperitif" for you to enjoy and, "On guard, hideputa!"
4 - Natalie Bennett
This article has been selected for syndication to Advance.net, which is affiliated with newspapers around the United States. Nice work!
5 - gypsyman
Raul,
One of the things I didn't mention in the review, was the language. The translator did her best to maintain the feel of the 17th century with her use of English, in the mannerisms and turns of phrase. Obviously she didn't use Jacobean or Elizabethean language, because that would have made it inaccesible to most of the english speaking world, but I believe her attempt was highly successful.
Obviously English lacks the ability for elaboration and flow that any of the Romance languages are capable of, but the spirit was there.
Thanks for your kind words, about the review and I'm eagerly awaiting translations of books 3 & 4, and am hopeful of seeing a review copy of book Purity of Blood cross my desk some time in the near future.
The only thing that worries me about the movie is what we end up with here in North America. I'd much rather see a subtitled movie than something dubbed, but I fear it will be treated as a "foriegn" movie and get limited distribution, especially here in Canada where we do not have the Spanish speaking market of the States. Oh well there's always DVD.
gypsyman
6 - thadious
the book, so far is ok, im not very far into the book and it's gradually getting better at grabbing my attention,i think i might look into the movie to see how well it is. your review was most helpful in understanding the book.
-thanks