Blurb
Just a few years earlier Jews living in Portugal were dragged to the baptismal font and forced to convert to Christianity Many of these New Christians persevered in their Jewish prayers and rituals in secret and at great risk the hidden arcane practices of the kabbalists a mystical sect of Jews continued as well One such secret Jew was Berekiah Zarco an intelligent young manuscript illuminator Inflamed by love and revenge he searches in the crucible of the raging pogrom for the killer of his beloved uncle Abraham a renowned kabbalist and manuscript illuminator discovered murdered in a hidden synagogue along with a young girl in dishabille Risking his life in streets seething with mayhem Berekiah tracks down answers among Christians New Christians Jews and the fellow kabbalists of his uncle whose secret language and codes by turns light and obscure the way to the truth he seeks A marvelous story a challenging mystery and a telling tale of the evils of intolerance The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon both compels and entertains
First Published
1998
English
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Endovelico
How to rate this book? It would be unfair to criticize technical aspects like writing style or character depth since the reader hardly knows where Zarco ends and Zimler begins. To make matters worse the book was supposedly written centuries ago; Oh and it's autobiographical-ish. Nonetheless and bearing that in mind, this book happens to portrait a pretty interesting and unspoken time and place, mainly, Inquisitorial Lisbon. Were it not for the slow pace and (honestly) plain average and linear mystery narrative this book would have captured atleast a few extra start in the final rating. What this book blatantly fails at in my opinion, is at playing it's major trumph right, and that is the historical immersion which would come with a detailed account of such a fascinating era. Immersive, rich and interesting at times. Bearable at others. Still most valuable for a peep at the Sephardic jews plight and the mostly untouched topic of the Portuguese Inquisition era.
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