An unforgettable fresco of a golden age in fourteenth-century Barcelona, Cathedral of the Sea is a thrilling historical novel of friendship and revenge, plague and hope, love and war. Arnau Estanyol arrives in Barcelona to find a city dominated by the construction of the city’s great pride—the cathedral of Santa Maria del Mar—and by its shame, the deadly Inquisition. As a young man, Arnau joins … a young man, Arnau joins the powerful guild of stoneworkers and helps to build the church with his own hands, while his best friend and adopted brother Joanet studies to become a priest.
With time, Arnau prospers and falls secretly in love with a forbidden woman. But when he is betrayed and hauled before the Inquisitor, he finds himself face-to-face with Joanet. Will he lose his life just as his beloved Cathedral of the Sea is finally completed, or will his brother save him?
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one of my top ten books- worth re reading
I read this book just before visiting Barcelona Spain where this story takes place. It was fun to visit some of the settings described in this book. It made my visit to Barcelona more interesting!
Excellent book. Hear wrenching. Heart warming. I laughed. I cried. Great historically. Loved it. Highly recommend.
Spanish history comes alive with this historical novel. The Cathedral by the Sea provides a pictorial journey for those that have not had the opportunity to visit Spain.
When I started this book I was excited. I reminded me of Ken Follett’s “Pillars of the Earth.” Sadly, the further I read, the more tedious the vast amount of historical information drowned out the story to the point where I skimmed through pages until the whisper of the story resurfaced. The story itself took on a soap opera feel, with the weight of all that history resting unrealistically on the shoulders of the main character. He suffered one tragedy after another to illustrate the barbarity of the feudal system and the Spanish Inquisition.
I really enjoyed this book. It was sad in parts. I just had to keep reading to see how things worked out.
While telling compelling stories of several characters it was informarive. Just a bit of a struggle with some of the factual incidents.
Excellent reading I could not put the book down once I started it.
I’m so glad I read this. It’s beautifully written. Loved the setting of medieval Spain. It’s sad, it’s heartfelt, it’s tragic and suspenseful. Arnau is heroic. The other characters are intriguing as well. Great stuff.
An epic set in 14th century Barcelona, Spain, it follows the lives of a father and son facing and sometimes overcoming horrible obstacles. Lots of accurate details of life and some real history of the time. It is well plotted with many characters and everything is tied together in the end. A great story in my opinion.
An excellent historical 14th century novel of life in Barcelona. Very informative regarding the various social and cultural levels of society, and a reinforcement that Jews have always been disparaged and cast out by out members of society.
One of my favorites is Pillars of the Earth. This is similar, but not quite as good.
Too many charactors to follow.
This is exactly what historical fiction should be like! Well-written wth fully developed characters. The reader is fully transported to the setting of the novel where one easily begins to live the lives of the characters. The cathedral still stands today.
Excellent characters and story line. If you liked the PILLARS OF THE EARTH books, you’ Like this!
This book was interesting but I was so irritated by the characters; they just seemed to be so naive. None of the characters had any real depth to them. It could have been a great book but just too superficial.
The story kept me interested all the way up to the end. Every time I thought I knew what would happen next another turn of events would keep me guessing. What would happen next.
Simple writing style, characters.
Wonderful historical fiction. The entire book kept my interest.
I am glad I saw the movie first before I read the book which is a twist on what people usually say. A great tale and gives the reader a Truly realistic view of the time period in which this story took place. If you love history this is the book for you! Having seen the movie first gave me a foundation and visual in my mind for this particular time period and reading was a delight.
This is one of my favorite books of all time! The story, set in 14th century Barcelona, follows the life of Arnau, from birth to later life. The most remarkable part of this whole story is Arnau himself. He is such an honorable person throughout life. He befriends people of every color, creed and station. He trusts people and believes in the good of humanity. Through feast, famine, trial, tribulation, and exultation, Arnau pulls through it all, because he is respected and loved by all who know him, and he offers love and loyalty in return. An eternal fan of this story, Rita Rae