#111 ~ The Lost Diary of Don Juan

October 21, 2008 at 8:03 am | Posted in Books, Historical Fiction, Reading | 14 Comments
Tags: book blog tour, Don Juan, Douglas Carlton Abrams, Inquisition, libertine, Pump Up Your Book Promotions, Seville, The Lost Diary of Don Juan

Today I am honored to host Douglas Carlton Abrams on his Pump Up Your Book Promotion blog tour.  Many thanks to the author and to Dorothy for inviting me to take part in this tour.

The Lost Diary of Don Juan by Douglas Carlton Abrams

The Inquisition is has definitely been at the forefront of my reading recently.  I stopped reading Melmoth the Wanderer when it was gearing up for the the Inquisition.  Immortal also focused on the topic as well.  The Lost Diary of Don Juan, which takes place in Spain in 1593, tells the story of Don Juan from the legend’s own standpoint.  His lifestyle and his initiation into passion made him a target of the powerful forces of the Inquisition in Seville.  This novel is by far the most enjoyable and satisfying of the books I’ve read dealing with this dark period of human history.

Don Juan is a legend that goes back to 1630.  He has been portrayed anywhere between a villain and a savior.  In Abrams’ novel, Don Juan sees himself as he writes in the diary he was given by the Marquis who took him under his wing and made him the man he was to become.  He sees himself as a man who gives lonely women the attention they need to know and understand their inner worth.  He enjoys his life and takes satisfaction in what he does for these woman, but he has no plans for marriage, even at the command of the King.  Because the women he seduces are generally overlooked wives or closely guarded virgins, Don Juan’s vocation often puts him in harm’s way, but it isn’t until he discovers that there is a woman who can save him that he is truly in danger.

Abrams wrote a delicious, swashbuckling, and sensual novel.  It contained just the right combination of levity and seriousness.  The tone kept the book from getting heavy.  Likewise, there was enough action to balance out Don Juan’s numerous libertine adventures.  As a result, Spain and Don Juan come to life in the pages and make this novel a most delightful read.

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To buy this novel, click here.