Purity of Blood

Much of the appeal of the first Captain Alatriste book came from the fact it was throwback romantic adventure of the Alexandre Dumas mould, but Purity of Blood, the second book in the series, sees author Arturo Pérez-Reverte alter this winsome formula, with mixed results. Purity of Blood is rather darker, with its title and plot inspired by the persecution of Jews in the 17th-century Catholic Spain where the book is set. Anti-Semitism, mob hatred and the sadistic torture of the Inquisition are the dominant aspects of this Alatriste sequel.

It still works well enough, with Pérez-Reverte's quality of prose a high point of the book. The main characters remain interesting – though they scarcely develop – and the book improves as it show more progresses. The problem is that it doesn't align with that romantic adventure ethos that is the great charm of the series. The anti-Semitism and torture and public burnings are unpleasant to read, and while this serves the author's intention to educate us that this Golden Age of Spain was often "a venal world built upon hypocrisy and spurious manners" (pg. 241), it is fatal in that it spikes any triumph our characters might achieve in the plot. I felt that our hero, Alatriste, lost this battle. The good guys are thoroughly and painfully defeated, and the one bad guy to get his comeuppance gets it almost perfunctorily, in the epilogue.

When this is added to other about-turns in the plot, the lack of tension, and the narrator Íñigo's constant adoration over Angélica de Alquézar (who, with his full knowledge, tries to have him killed and tortured), one easily tires of Purity of Blood, and finds it a bit untidy. It's not enough to make the reader seek to wound the story, but it does give a worrying suggestion that this series may in the end not prove as good as it could be. show less

The fabulous Captain Alatriste is back, with his sword for hire and young Inigo by his side. This time, they are asked to help rescue a young nun from the clutches of a wicked priest.

And everything goes horribly wrong, so we get to see the Spanish Inquisition from the wrong side (if there is such a thing as a right side of the Spanish Inquisition), as our heroes' "purity of blood" is questioned. That is, might they have Jewish ancestors?

I found this one a bit uncomfortable, as for most of the book it is assumed that it is a bad thing to have Jewish ancestry - not that it makes you a bad person, however, just that it is a dangerous thing to be known in such a period of history. Always a theme that makes me a bit queasy, living after the show more Holocaust.

But it is good that there is no anachronistic feel to the novel, with our heroes leaping instantly to the conclusion that the Inquisition is bad simply because it persecutes the jewish faith.

And the usual smattering of poetry and asides about the state of Spain throughout, always a lovely touch. (And more hints of Inigo's future!) show less

What strength this book musters, comes about from the conflict between portraying the soldier of fortune as much admired while simultaneously deploring his actions and the society which motivates those actions. Otherwise it is a pretty straight violent series of inadequately prepared blundering about redeemed by a last minute help of friends. All very macho and male gaze.

Purity of Blood is the next adventure of Captain Diego Alatriste and his ward, Inigo Balboa. Written in 1997 but just translated last year - I suspect Perez-Reverte, or his publisher, is parceling the books out to ensure a steady audience. The beginning and denouement are a little dodgy, but there’s plenty of action, several of the previous novel’s villains reappear and are suitably thwarted by The Captain, and the breathtakingly beautiful but heartbreakingly evil Angélica de Alquézar continues to captivate Inigo. And, of course, there’s The Spanish Inquisition, which nobody expects. The “purity of blood” refers not to what leaks out when Alatriste perforates somebody with his rapier, but instead to the need to demonstrate show more that your family was not Jewish converts in order to achieve or maintain any sort of position in Spain. I like this novel better than the previous one - a little more atmospheric, perhaps. show less

Fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency, an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope ... Yes, you've guessed it, this second instalment of the Alatriste memoirs introduces the one element of Spanish history that no-one expects!

Good fun, but our narrator Inigo really needs to make his mind up whether he's Jim Hawkins the cabin boy, the young d'Artagnan, or a 20th century history professor. He can't be all three at once, however much Pérez-Reverte obviously wants him to be.

The 2nd in the Captain Alatriste series picks up the story not long after the the 1st with our heroic Spanish captain contemplating re-enlisting to avoid possible repercussions from his earlier adventure. But before he can his friend don Francisco de Quevedo, poet, swordsman and highly celebrated wit at court, requests his aid in another dangerous escapade. An acquaintance of Quevedo's has asked his help in rescuing his daughter from a convent where illicit practices are being performed by the priests. A daring rescue plan is set in motion but no sooner do they storm the convent but soldiers and agents of the Inquisition appear and it seems as though they have walked directly into a trap.

This tale is again narrated by Inigo Balboa, son show more of a dead wartime companion currently being cared for by Alatriste, and continues to be beset by the same problems as the earlier book. Told from after the event and including reference to future times any possible suspense to the outcome is rendered obsolete. Even when Inigo falls prey to the Inquisition you know that nothing too serious will happen to him otherwise he would be unable to fight in future battles that he recounts. The major plus continues to be the scene-setting where cultural excess is balanced by political disaster which will lead to Spain's downfall. I won't be averse to continuing the series but it's not one that I will go out of my way to pick up. show less

The second of Arturo Perez-Reverte's Captain Alatriste novels, Purity of Blood (U.S. edition by G. P. Putnam's, 2006) sees the enigmatic Captain taking on the familiares of the Holy Inquisition after his young ward (the narrator) is captured following an ambush. Sparely-written like its predecessor, Purity of Blood gives the reader just enough details to go on without a single superfluous sentence. Perez-Reverte's description of the Inquisition's power and mindset is brutal, and gripping.

That said, I found the plot of this one rather dull, and the ending was entirely expected. A good, straightforward story, but without the intellectual twists and turns with which Perez-Reverte's earlier works (The Club Dumas, The Seville Communion) show more sucked me into his world. I will keep reading the Alatriste series, but I'll also keep hoping for something more.

http://philobiblos.blogspot.com/2007/08/book-review-purity-of-blood.html show less