Customer Reviews

The Cavalier in the Yellow Doublet

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The terrific Captain Diego Alatriste series continues with "The Cavalier in the Yellow Doublet." For me, this was one of the best books in the string. Besides the expected informed commentary on the decline of the Spanish empire, 17th Century court politics and early Spanish literature, this novel has an unusually good plot, with enough uncertainty to keep the reader interested to the last page.

The Inigo Balboa narrator/character grows in voice and interest as his passion for one of Alatriste's arch enemies grows from puppy love to the real, carnal thing; and as he is accepted as a young adult by the rest of the cast of characters.

Author Perez-Reverte's great strength in these books (in my opinion) is his delivery of a range of characters that seem authentic, even in their extremes of heroism or villainy. The good guys are both principled and honorable (by their own standards) men and women, but have no compunction about killing or selling their virtue when duty, honor or upper mobility requires it. The black hats are also just acting according their own ends-justify-means standards.

"The Cavalaier in the Yellow Doublet" has plenty of snap and zing for any reader of action novels, and enough intelligence, wit and interesting social and political history to satisfy readers looking for something more complex. Excellent book. Recommended.

I first met the novels of Arturo Perez-Reverte at a local bookstore. I was looking at a novel by mystery writer Anne Perry, and right next to it was "The Flanders Panel." And reading the back cover pushed me into a whole new world. I read all of Perez-Reverte's works then in English, with "The Queen of the south" just published in hardback. And not too long thereafter came the Captain Alatriste novels.

Critics will likely compare these five novels of 17th century Spain to shoot-em-up westerns. But the rest of us won't care. Diego Alatriste, assisted by his young protégé Inigo Balboa, fights his way to and through survival, love, intrigue and conspiracy in the streets of Madrid and the battlefields of Holland. Along the way, the reader learns about life, literature, culture and politics in 17th century Spain.

In his latest adventure, "The Cavalier in the Yellow Doublet," Alatriste discovers that his current paramour, an actress currently wowing Madrid, has also caught the eye of King Philip IV. According to the mores of Spanish society, Alatriste must yield. Of course, Alatriste was never one for the mores of any society. As the tensions rise, Alatriste and Balboa trip over a conspiracy - a plot to assassinate the king.

The novel has all the hallmarks of a Perez-Reverte adventure - well researched history and culture; the sights, sounds and smells of 17th century Madrid; the leaning on playwrights and poets of the age to help tell the story through dialogue and verse; the use of real historical figures; heroes who are all too human; and romantic entanglements immersed in intrigue.

And while there's not really a sword fight one very street corner, it often seems that way. And what great scenes Perez-Reverte paints when the swordsmen clash.

I probably don't need to admit this here, but I never finished DON QUIXOTE. I started it in high school, I think. I had a tattered paperback copy that I salvaged from the wreck of my grandfather's library. If I remember correctly, it was a scholarly translation with lots of footnotes that would have made sense if I knew anything about the Spanish language in the medieval period. And that may have been why I never finished.

It wasn't because I didn't love Don Quixote or Sancho Panza (I did), and it wasn't because I didn't enjoy their adventures (I think I did at the time). It was more that the richness of the language and the depth of the references were well beyond me --- the weakness was not in Cervantes but in my inability to perceive his genius.

I mention all this because THE CAVALIER IN THE YELLOW DOUBLET comes from the same literary tradition, and Cervantes himself appears (albeit offstage) as a minor character. It is the fifth book to feature Captain Alatriste, a 17th-century Spanish rogue in an era when roguery was as common as japery is today. Alatriste carries a sword and uses it well enough to stay alive in trying circumstances. Unlike Cervantes's Quixote in his self-titled tale, the Captain is no idealistic madman, and the trouble that he gets in is not generated from his own imaginings. But the story is told in much the same manner, complete with the same poetic flourishes and baroque trappings.

And this is by no means a bad thing. Arturo Perez-Reverte does masterful work here in recreating Madrid in the fading hours of the Spanish Golden Age, and he populates his work with such memorable characters as Alatriste's love-struck squire (who doubles as narrator), a flattering court poet, scheming hidalgos, and an Italian desperado who serves as Alatriste's nemesis. The plotting is deft and intricate where it has to be, and the action scenes are as sharp and intricate as the Captain's sword.

But when the swashbuckling is over and the swords (often red with the blood of an unlucky opponent) are sheathed, Perez-Reverte returns, over and again, to a more poetic form. And when he does --- well, one wouldn't want it said of oneself, mind you, but one can imagine a typical sort of modern American reader, one not enamored of classical Spanish poetry, who might be tempted to say something such as "Oh, for the love of El Cid, what's with all the poetry?" (This subset of readers may include those who have read and enjoyed THE QUEEN OF THE SOUTH, in which Perez-Reverte writes about the thoroughly modern topic of Mexican drug cartels and features the more contemporary poetry of the narcocorridos, the folk songs of the drug runners.)

To such a reader (which is to say to most readers), I can only counsel the virtues of patience and persistence. THE CAVALIER IN THE YELLOW DOUBLET may read like Cervantes, but Perez-Reverte's heroes are far closer to Dumas and Hope in spirit. The sword fighting is frequent, and coupled with hearty portions of romance and high-level intrigue. And Captain Alatriste, if you have not encountered him, is definitely worth your acquaintance --- he is rugged and daring with a stubborn, fatalistic streak. I may not have finished DON QUIXOTE, but I'll gladly spend time with Perez-Reverte when I can.

--- Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds

From the title of this review, needless to say, if you were not a big fan of the slower paced Alatriste book that took place during the siege of Breda, I suspect you'll not be overly happy with this one. Significant stretches of description in the first half of the book finally give way to a tight, action paced story in the second half of the book.

There are a lot of reviewers with whom I agree so I will confine my comments to one thing that was continually distracting: the Inigo's ability to know what Alatriste was thinking at any given time in the story; the two are separated so much, I would have preferred more of a "Alatriste told me that at this time, as he was being dragged along by the ruffians, he thought of...." as opposed to "'I must find a way,' he thought." It was distracting and pulled me away from being immersed in the story.

Now, admittedly, it may be due to some discrepancies in the translation that what worked in Spanish was more cumbersome in English, and thus not the fault of Perez-Reverte, but readers should know that there are moments in the book where you will find yourself abruptly pulled away from the fictive reverie.

That aside, if you are enjoying the Alatriste series - and can't wait to buy/rent the Spanish "Alatriste" movie - this is a worthy fifth book in the series, and worth every penny.

In the seventh century Captain Diego Alariste, his loyal protégé Inigo Balboa Aguirre and their friend author Francisco de Quevedo are in Madrid, a city known for its duality. On the one hand there are numerous wonderful theaters and exquisite palaces while on the other hand there are duels seemingly over nothing affronts.

Diego is setting up a tryst with the lovely but married actress Maria de Costa only to learn so is King Philip IV amongst other salivating suitors. The mercenary blades-man walks a line thinner than his sword as the monarch is his only source of revenue since the Hundred Years War ended too soon for him. As he ignores threats to his life and his purse, Inigo pursues Angelica de Alquezar, who maneuvers the young man to do her bidding. However, Diego and Inigo soon find themselves caught in a brilliant scheme to assassinate the king; whether successful or not means the gallows for the mentor and his apprentice; all because they both thought with their wrong blade.

The latest CAPTAIN ALARISTE saga is filled with the usual terrific daring do, great sword play (in and out of the boudoir), and over the top of the Pyrenees escapes and escapades as the hero and his now ready for prime time apprentice land in one problem after another, because each was led by their respective wrong heard. The story line is fast-paced and filled with action; a trademark of the entire saga as historical Spain comes alive in this tale and previous translations like THE KING'S GOLD and THE SUN OVER BREDA.

Harriet Klausner

It is 1626 and after adventures in Flanders and Sevilla, Diego Alatriste and his young companion Inigo Balboa are once again walking the streets of Madrid. They have returned to their precarious lives as unemployed soldiers and blades for hire. Although their fortunes may be in temporary decline, they are nevertheless privileged to be living in a city experiencing a "Golden Age" of literature and theater. While it may be a priveleged time for the writers, poets and dramatists, this is still Spain and there will always be a need for a clever man with a quick blade and refined sense of honor.

"The Cavalier in the Yellow Dublet" is the fifth book in Arturo Perez Reverte's Captain Alatriste series. These stories are set in Spain's Golden Age, a time in which Spain suffered a steep decline in its economic and political fortunes while at the same time experiencing a period of great artistic and literary achievement. In each of previous novels, Perez Reverte reveals different aspects of the Age. Through Captain Alatriste's adventures, readers have had the opportunity to see up close the battlefields of Flanders, the torture chambers of the Dominican Inquisitors and and the hidden quarters of the Sevillan underworld. In this novel, Perez Reverte takes his readers to the intersection of court intrigue and popular theater. As readers, we get to see deadly plots swirling around the King while at the same time being able to rub elbows with the likes of playwrite Lope de Vega and poet Francisco de Quevedo.

For those of us who grew up loving the adventures of D'Artagnan, Sir Percy Blakeney, Scaramouche and Dr. Peter Blood, we are fortunate to have Arturo Perez Reverte producing such well written adventure stories. There are four more Diego Alatriste novels planned for the series. With any luck at this time next year, we will have the opportunity to explore the world of Neopolitan corsairs. I can't wait.

I was a big fan of Perez-Reverte, enjoying The Flanders Panel, The Seville Communion, the Club Dumas etc. I have now read at least four of the Captain Alatriste novels and I have to say that I'm finished with the series. They're too similar, too self-consciously poetic and frankly, boring. Sorry to have to write this about an author I've enjoyed but I believe we've parted company for the moment. Perhaps he'll get back to writing other novels. I hope so.

I was hooked on this series from the beginning, but found the last couple volumes increasingly interesting and satisfying stories. the author seems less subtle with the history lessons, which I don't mind since I wasn't that familiar with Spain.

Readers of this series have probably waited a long time for this one because here, finally, the invincible Diego Alatriste actually steps into it. Intent on pursuing a beautiful actress who has granted him access to her bed for no recompense, unheard of in this lovely's simultaneous career as stage performer and high priced courtesan, the captain finds himself in competition with his sovereign lord, the ever randy if reserved King Philip IV of early 17th century Spain. Warned off the chase by his friends in the king's inner circle, Captain Alatriste stubbornly refuses to give way, leading to an inevitable breach with his friends at court and with the king himself, which only provides cover for a group of plotters keen to take the king's life and replace him on the throne with a more pliable monarch. Who better to put the blame on than the persistent Alatriste who will not acknowledge the king's superior right to his lady's favors?

As in the earlier books, the events are recounted by the captain's young protege, Inigo Balboa, now come into his own as a respectable swordsman and veteran of war and other bloody actions. Inigo, of course, continues to be besotted by the ever present object of his admiration and lust, the beautiful child-woman Angelica de Alcazar, niece of a high court official. While the captain obstinately persists in bestowing his attentions on the lovely actress, Inigo cannot wrench himself away from his passion for Angelica, even after she recruits him for certain escapades in the back streets of Madrid which come to no good end. Despite being betrayed by her again and again, Inigo can't help going back for more until, near the end of the tale, the beautiful lady entices him to her bed for purposes which can only bode ill for his mentor, Alatriste, gone missing just when he was set to report to the king's close companions the details of a plot against the king's life.

Inigo continues to editorialize, offering us an ongoing commentary on the deteriorating conditions in the Spain of his time -- a world power bestriding the globe but beset at every turn by upstart nations seeking a piece of the action at Spain's expense. And it is a Spain whose populace has, we are told, ceased to concern itself with industry and effort and where every effort is bent toward achieving a life of ease based on royal and other favors bestowed from on high. When no one strives to achieve anything but his own pleasure, corruption and lethargy flourish, we are told by our peerless narrator, Inigo, as he unfolds the adventure that nearly killed Alatriste -- and the king.

Old favorites appear here, as they always do in this series, including poets and courtiers and a certain slimy assassin of Italian heritage who may at last get his comeuppance (or not as there's still room for yet another miraculous escape for the whistling killer by book's end). And the lovely if duplicitous Angelica, who finally grants young Inigo what he pines for (albeit for her own machievellian reasons), finally discovers some backbone in our young hero, to her own chagrin and, considering the knife she has purloined from him, his.

The first part of this book is slow going, as is often the case with Alatriste's tales, but it really picks up in the second half when events begin to unwind at breakneck pace. The poetry continues to intrude every few pages though and the lengthy digressions contribute to the slower pace at the outset. But if you stick with this one, you'll find that the captain has finally found his human side -- and it almost gets him killed.

Stuart W. Mirsky
author of The King of Vinland's Saga

Diego Alatriste, the jaded but principled hero of four previous novels by Spanish author Arturo Pérez-Reverte, returns in "The Cavalier in the Yellow Doublet." But this time, Alatriste, a weary army veteran and swordsman for hire in 17th-century Spain, may find himself up against an opponent far too dangerous even for him.

Madrid, with its dark streets, abandoned alleys, dingy taverns and glittering palaces, is as much a character here as Alatriste and his protégé, the young narrator Inigo Balboa, who is infatuated with the dangerous Angélica de Alquézar, a lady in waiting to the queen.

For his part, Alatriste is smitten by Maria de Castro, a beautiful actress who, unfortunately for him, also has caught the eye of Philip IV, the king of Spain. When Alatriste is implicated in a plot to assassinate the king, his problems mount and the novel gallops to its dramatic conclusion.

The American reader is at a bit of a disadvantage here because "The Cavalier in the Yellow Doublet" introduces us to real-life historical figures who are far more familiar to Spaniards than to Americans, such as poets Félix Lope de Vega and Francisco Gomez de Quevedo and Gaspar de Guzman y Acevedo, the prime minister under Philip IV.

But that is a small hurdle, easily overcome. Pérez-Reverte's graceful style transports the reader to Spain's golden age. It is a world that combines the power of empire, the elegance of the royal court, the arrogance of "hidalgos" and "grandees," the riches of the Americas and the intolerance of the Inquisition.

This is a place where sword and dagger are as much a part of a man's costume as a cloak and a wide-brimmed hat, the better to protect him from a chilly fog and shield his face from prying eyes.

To borrow a phrase from Elvis Costello, who uses it in an entirely different context in one of his songs, Alatriste's world is awash in "complicated shadows."

If this conjures up images of The Three Musketeers, the comparison is inevitable, and appropriate. The time period is the same, although Alexandre Dumas' musketeers swagger their way through France, not Spain, In both cases, though, 17th-century concepts of honor, duty and machismo shepherd the protagonists through a world filled with treachery and deceit.

The fictional Alatriste is one of Spain's greatest swordsmen, so there is no shortage of clashing steel in "The Cavalier in the Yellow Doublet." By page 70, for example, Alatriste has survived two sword fights, in the process wounding at least two men and possibly killing a third.

Still, it would be misleading to suggest that "The Cavalier in the Yellow Doublet" is all swashbuckling and swordplay. There is a brooding quality to the Alatriste novels, and this latest effort is no exception.

Pérez-Reverte offers a convincing portrait of 17th-century Spain, in part by sprinkling the text with snippets of poetry that provide an evocative sense of time and place. This is fine stuff, well-written and nicely plotted.

If you're new to the series, I'd suggest reading the novels in the order in which they were published, as they proceed chronologically. The first in the series is Captain Alatriste.