The Secret Supper
by Javier Sierra
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Book Reviews of The Secret Supper
Book Review: You think Da Vinci was mysterious, this book will make you wonder if you ever underestimated him
Summary: 5 Stars
This book, with all Italian medieval characters, starts off slowly but gradually transforms itself into one brilliant narrative. Despite its not so frantic pace, I was gripped by this book all the way to the end.
Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code is responsible for spawning a lot of Da Vinci inspired thrillers, most of them are just plain ignorable. "The Da Vinci Code" was brilliant in raising intriguing questions, but I thought it failed to conclude the intrigues at the same level. "The Secret Supper" however is tightly woven around Da Vinci's famous fresco. Their are riddles and historical enigmas combined with some fairly interesting Dominican and Cathar characters, all based on a setting in 1495 Milan, when Da Vinci was almost in the process of finishing his masterpiece. And you get to have Leonardo starring as himself in the novel.
I agree that characters were not totally developed, but maybe all the verbose Italian names kind of made me a bit less sympethatic to the characters. But this book has one of the most brilliant conclusions to all the mysteries that I have ever read. You have to read it to believe it.
And by the way, does any one have any knowledge how authentic is the code uncovered in this book.
Book Review: Not a clone of the DaVinci code!
Summary: 4 Stars
I admit I bought this book because of the flap about the DaVinci Code lawsuit. But this book is quite different and stands on its own. The only thing is shares with the DaVinci Code is the idea that Leonardo was not an orthodox Christian and used his art work to convey hidden messages. The emphasis in this book is more on Catharism and nature of heresy and less on Mary Magdalene per se. Orthodox Christianity (at least the Roman Church of that era) comes off looking bad. I've visited Milan and have seen some of the places mentioned in the book, including The Last Supper, which definitely enhanced my appreciation of this book. But I don't think it is necessary to get into the story. The only disappointment was that I figured out the secret as soon as the message was revealed, so the rest of the book was somewhat anticlimatic for me. But the conclusions the author draws about the painting are believable. The book left me wanting to know more about Leonardo, The Last Supper (I couldn't see some of the details mentioned in the text in the copy of the painting on the endpapers), Catharism, and the origins of Tarot cards. I consider it a mark of a successful book if it leaves the reader wanting to know more.Book Review: Good Story, But Remember It's Fiction
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a novel set in Milan in the year 1497. It is basically an analysis of Leonardo Da Vinci's masterpiece, 'The Last Supper.' Told through a fictional narrator - Friar Agostino Leyre, the book analyses parts of the painting to see if the story of the Last Supper is really represented fairly, or is it part of a bigger conspiracy against the church.
At one level this is a book on real mysteries involved with a Christian artifact, Leonardo's painting. Why, for instance is the bread and wine, so important in today's religions not on the table?
At an entirely different level, this is a book on the society of the time. A fairly exciting (I guess that's the word) time in Italy when religion and political power were closely entwined. (Which eventually led to the separation of church and state in the US constitution.) It was a time when the Church had the power to torture, imprison, or even to kill.
The only caution I'll give: Remember, even the author says that this is a novel. These are people that he made up, doing things as he directed. We don't need more protests, although I guess that they would help to sell the book.
Book Review: Three stars for the plot, but four stars for the historical content, so actually a 3.5 star rating.
Summary: 3 Stars
The Secret Supper has a wealth of inredibily interesting and historically accurate interpretations and and observations abouot the Last Supper, but the problem is that it is all contained within the sub-par plot of the book. It took a little bit of effort to make myself focus on the beginnings of the book and the plot introduction because it simply wasn't very interesting or cohesive until Leonardo and the Last Supper are brought up and delved into. All in all, if you can get through the first several dozen pages of intorduction and in all truth, boredom, there is a lot of really interesting information about Leonardo, his beliefs, and his incorporation of those beliefs in his art work (and most of what Sierra says about representations in the Last Supper in this book is actually accepted among some rather prominent academics).
If you're looking for a religious conspiracy/mystery thriller, I recommend the Last Cato by Matilde Asensi, but if you're looking for a little more elaboration on what Dan Brown was talking about in reference to the messages within the Last Supper in the Da Vinci Code, then you should check this book out.
Book Review: I liked it better than The Da Vinci Code!
Summary: 4 Stars
The Secret Supper by Javier Sierra is a thriller based on Da Vinci's painting, The Last Supper. It has probably come to the attention of readers because of the success of The Da Vinci Code.
Set in the late fifteenth century, The Last Supper overflows with religious intrigue. Pope Alexander is intent on executing Da Vinci when he realizes that the painting of the last supper contains a blasphemous message in the form of clues. It is the job of a Dominican Monk, Father Leyre, to break the code.
The novel is well written, the characters are interesting but not all are fully developed.
I prefer Sierra's book to Brown's. If you want a good read that explores the "mystery" of Da Vinci's famous painting, The Secret Supper will fit the bill. The premise is in opposition to Christian beliefs and should be read with that in mind.
Armchair Interviews says: The novel is exciting and differentiates itself from The Da Vinci Code in many ways, including the fifteenth century setting.