Customer Reviews

The Last Cato: A Novel

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

At first I resisted getting this book, because I thought it was another DaVinci Code knockoff - then I saw it was written BEFORE Dan Brown's hit novel, and got it. And boy, am I glad I did! Beware if you are interested in this book, not to look too hard at the book description printed on this book's Amazon computer page - it has a big plot spoiler in it - But the book is wonderful, and is the 3rd book I literally was upset to finish! (The first was Angels and Demons, the second was Carved in Bone)
As an English major, I was familiar with Dante's The Divine Comedy - not my favorite work - but Dante did for this quest what Leonardo did for Brown's book. The quest, dealing with pieces of the Holy Cross that Jesus was crucified on, takes us on a grand adventure in many wonderful cities - As a Greek Orthodox Christian, was glad there were many accurate descriptions of different sites and priests - even the Patriarch in Constantinople - Also my name is deals with Helen and Constantine, so I was more tweeked with curiosity . The only thing I didn't like, and this was due to translation issues, is they especially at the beginning kept calling our churches as temples - Some folks still think we worship Zeus in temples, and in the translation the word church was printed as temple - but if that's the greatest thing wrong with this book no prob. Also beware, the chapters are 40 pages+ or so - This is a wonderful book filled with adventure, history, romance, and just about everything that makes you pick up a book and read it - This is definitely worth reading!!!!!!!!!

Wasn't too sure about this one at first, and I went back and forth before I decided to buy it. It turned out to be one of those books you are actually dissapointed when it ends and there isn't a sequal. The charachters are fantastic! It's been a long time since I've read a book where the people in it were very real and alive. Asensi did a beautiful job in that. Regardless of the other reviews that complain about the translation, I had no problem whatsoever with it. It flowed and read like a well written novel should. The plot was gripping and the history and descriptions of all the places were so well done. The ending was just a bit, well, kind of sappy, so the 4 stars instead of 5, but that by no means took away any of the enjoyment I got from reading it. If you like history, travel and a good thriller, you will like this book.

Sister Ottavia Salina is a doctor of paleography, the director of the Vatican's Classified Archives, and a member of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She spends her days interpreting centuries-old documents only a handful of people have ever seen. When the body of an Ethiopian man covered with tattoos of crosses and Greek letters is discovered, the Vatican summons Dr. Salina to a private meeting. Given only the sparest of details about the events surrounding the Ethiopian man's death, Ottavia is ordered to discover the origins of and meaning behind the strange tattoos. There to help her with her interpretation are Captain Glauser-Röist ("The Rock," as Ottavia calls him, is the captain of the Vatican's elite Swiss Guard) and Farag Boswell, a half-English, half-Arabian archaeologist working in Alexandria.

It isn't long before the trio discovers that the strange tattoos of crosses and Greek letters link the corpse to the Staurofilakes, a secret brotherhood dedicated to protecting the "True Cross," the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. Over the years, fragments of the Cross have passed out of their reach, to churches all over Europe. Now, the Staurofilakes are stealing the fragments of the Cross back, using any means necessary to fulfill the long-ago oath they made to protect it. One of the Staurofilakes' most prominent members was Dante Alighieri, and Ottavia and her team soon realize that Dante hid secrets about the Staurofilakes in the text of 'The Divine Comedy,' his greatest work. These secrets will take Ottavia, The Rock, and Farag through the seven levels of Purgatory (each level representing one of the seven deadly sins) and to seven ancient cities in Europe (Rome, Pride; Ravenna, Envy; Jerusalem, Anger; Athens, Sloth; Constantinople, Greed; Alexandria, Gluttony; and Antioch, Lust). If they can survive the Staurofilakes' tests, they will earn entrance into the Earthly Paradise--and hopefully discover the whereabouts of the missing True Cross for the Vatican.

THE LAST CATO is the novel that very well could have inspired THE DAVINCI CODE; as previous reviewers here have mentioned, this book does for Dante what Brown's novel did for da Vinci. Unfortunately, many people who have grown tired of the biblical mystery theme will disregard this book as a knock-off when it really isn't; it was published in 2001 (in Spanish), two years before THE DAVINCI CODE. And THE LAST CATO is a very good book; it shouldn't be disregarded!

Asensi does many things well in this, her first novel to be published in English. She's created an intriguing mystery that keeps you guessing until the last page, and she's used 'The Divinie Comedy' in really ingenious ways. THE LAST CATO is well-paced, well-researched, and intricate, and the ending is remarkably fulfilling.

However, there are some problems with the novel, and some of them are probably related to the translation from Spanish to English. The sentence structure is odd in many instances, and the novel is peppered with incorrect word usage and awkward phrasing which make reading it difficult at times. The historical information is often ponderous and lecture-y and the dialogue isn't realistic. Asensi's attempts to develop her characters feel forced; the romance that occurs late in the novel doesn't ring true AT ALL, and the scenes with Ottavia's family seem only to hinder the development of the story.

But the research is impeccable, and the puzzle is ingenious. THE LAST CATO is only mediocre in the writing department, but it's definitely an exciting, intelligent adventure. When a book inspires me to do my own research into a subject, like this one did, I know the reading has been worthwhile. If you're thinking about reading THE LAST CATO, I'd suggest going to the book's web site, which is what initially turned me on to the novel; the site's very well done.

THE LAST CATO is not perfect, but it's definitely worth a read.

You have one here. Documented, terribly imaginative, intriguing, with interesting and unusual main characters ... You will not find here another hyper-attractive and boring "Indiana Jones" man playing the principal role, but ... a nun !! And middle aged !!
But the best thing is that you will even like her, and will not be able to stop reading till the book is finished.
Just try. I have read 4 of Asensi's novels (all in spanish), and I think this one is the best of them. Recommended.

While I categorize this novel as a "fast-paced adventure/mystery," it doesn't start off quite that way; rather, it starts off slowly and just before you reach the half-way point(when the "tests" begin- I won't say anything more), the pace quickens and quickens until you find you just can't put it down. The character development and plot are finely crafted, and the historical, religious, geographical and Dante references/connections show the author clearly did an enormous amount of research.

In the aftermath of The Da Vinci Code's worldwide sucess, so many books today that happen to fall into a similar genre find themselves being comparred to Dan Brown's work, to their detriment. It doesn't do this work (and others for sure) justice to compare it to that novel, not only because this is an excellent novel that stands alone and has nothing to do with The Da Vinci Code, but also because it gives readers certain preconceived notions that may affect their enjoyment of the novel. Thus, please don't think this novel has anothing whatsoever to do with The Da Vinci Code- it is entirely different and shines alone.


While the ending is satisfying and extremely interesting, I simply didn't want it to end and like other reviewers, wish there was room for a sequel. Hopefully, more of Ms. Asensi's works will be translated into English, since she's a terrific and talented writer who completely enages her readers.

Interesting thriller based loosely on Dante's Inferno and a secret set of the Keepers of the True Cross. Good character development of main characters and wonderful landscapes painted in prose. I would have wanted more from the ending, however all in all, a delightful read.....full of both color and the historical background of Catholic churches where holy relics are kept.
If you like the type of suspense found in the DaVinci Code, you will enjoy this book.

3.5 STARS. Of all the many offshoots and permutations of Dan Browns "The DaVinci Code," ("The Secret Supper," "The Last Templar," "The Rule of Four," etc., etc.), Matilde Asensi's "The Last Cato" is the most interesting. To give the author credit, she did publish this mystery adventure novel, chock full of fascinating early Christian history and contemporary Vatican politics, in Spanish almost two years before Mr. Brown's mega-seller hit the markets. However, "The Last Cato" leaves much to be desired. Whether one agrees with Brown's premise or not, "The DaVinci Code" is truly unputdownable. The pacing is fast and furious, the writing is intelligent, the plot and action varied. It is certainly not a boring book! While I really enjoyed the historical information in "The Last Cato," the writing is frequently ponderous and the storyline quite contrived and repetitious. There is also a romantic element that I could really have done without...way too calculated to be convincing.

Dr. Ottavia Salina, a brilliant and noted paleographer is a nun, a member of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She holds a doctorate in paleography and art history along with numerous other academic titles and is the Director of the Vatican's Classified Archives. So she possesses quite a pedigree and is a spunky lady to boot. The powers that be in the Vatican, including the Pope, order Sister Ottavia to investigate a series of bizarre crimes and the details surrounding the episode(s).

A small rented Cessna had crashed into Mt. Helmos, on the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece. Among the dead is an Ethiopian passenger, Abi-Ruj Iyasus. The man's body is covered with tattoos, or scarifications, which include Greek letters, crosses and other symbols. Mr. Iyasus was apparently involved in the theft of priceless, sacred relics, pieces of the True Cross, and Dr. Salina is ordered to analyze and decipher the symbols found on his corpse. She is assigned to help solve the mystery of the theft and to recover the stolen relics. Assisting her is Captain Kaspar Glauser-Roist, a seemingly sinister type who is a member of the Swiss Guard and allegedly the Vatican's "black hand." He is also a hunk. Another expert involved in the investigation is Professor Farag Boswell, an atheist with a Coptic Christian background from the ancient city of Alexandria. He is the grandson of the man who discovered the Byzantine City of Oxirrinco, and an archeologist in his own right with academic credentials as noteworthy as the Sister's. Although eccentric, which makes for a better read, he is another a hottie. (All this sexiness...and in a book about religion too!!!)

Yes...a secret society is involved in the storyline - this one called The Staurofilakes, (not the Opus Dei this time around), which is headed by a "Cato." The trio of amateur sleuths discover that the key to finding the whereabouts of the Staurofilakes, the True Cross, or at least splinters of it, and to achieve "earthly paradise," lies within the text of Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy." The tests they must pass in order to move forward in their search is kind of like a board game, and like many board games the process becomes repetitious.

As I wrote above, the historical aspect of the novel is interesting. Character development is nil, but this is a plot driven historical mystery. I do wish writers would become inspired by another topic! This one is getting stale.
JANA

This book is certainly in the Name of the Rose / Da Vinci Code literary tradition. The clues here are to be found in Dante, and like the main character of the book, Ottavia, I found the reading of Dante to be slow going. However, the characterizations of Ottavia, Farag and Kaspar were excellent; it was easy to both picture and understand each individual. The tension built well as they solved each step of the puzzle, and the ending was certainly not what I would have expected. I won't spoil it further -- but I do recommend it.

Be watching for the big splash surrounding "The Last Cato" (http://www.thelastcato.com/) [out in March] a DaVinci Code knock-off that features a Vatican paleographer-nun, the Coptic archaeologist with whom she falls in love, and a high placed Swiss Guard with a dirty secret all plumbing the depths of the Staurofilakes (keepers of the True Cross) theft of holy relics by following the secrets hidden in Dante's "Purgatory".

Having just finished an advanced copy, while the storyline is on par with Brown's book as far as readability, the author's confusion over the relationships between classical, Koine, and Byzantine Greek is obvious. A few wild theological interpretations of New Testament history, theology, and early church events will also no doubt create a wide array of "The Truth Behind the Last Cato" books. Too, when the key historical text of the Stuarofilakes is found by our heroes in a basket of cast-off manuscripts ready to be burned at Santa Katrina a la Tischendorf, informed readers will chortle with delight.

Assuming the horrific errors in Greek case endings and orthography are edited out in the final edition (along with transliterated rather than translated geographic names from the Italian original), "The Last Cato" makes an enjoyable, although eye-rolling, late night read that will pump new life into Dante's flea-bitten soul.

The author did a lot of work on the facts and is obviously conversant with ancient and medieval Christian theology. That part was all well and good, but the personal relationship were cardboard. One dimensional. Unreal. The love story such as it was made me so uncomfortable because I don't know any human being that behave or speak like the two principles did. It was, to be kind, as superficial as possible, but the book still had merit and I didn't have to put effort into finishing it, only effort in skimming over the 'love story'. The ending was unusually well done and certainly the author should receive kudos for that as well as the scholarship that went into the writing of the book.