Everything Under the Sky: A Novel - Hardcover

Asensi, Matilde

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0061458414 ISBN 13: 9780061458415

Publisher: Harper, 2008

Synopsis

Setting out for Shanghai to settle the affairs of her recently deceased husband, Spanish painter Elvira finds herself swept up in a centuries-old quest to find the lost treasure of China's first emperor, in a tale peppered with maps, codes, and riddles. By the author of The Last Cato. 50,000 first printing.

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Reviews

Straitlaced Spanish painter Elvira De Poulain confronts massive debt—and mortal danger—in freewheeling 1920s Shanghai in her efforts to sort out her murdered husband's messy affairs in this fast-paced if farfetched thriller from Asensi (The Last Cato). The only hope for Elvira and her sulky teenage niece, Fernanda, is to decipher the clues in an antique chest the killers failed to find, and to beat them to the mythic lost treasure buried 2,000 years earlier with China's first emperor. The desperate quest takes these improbable Indiana Janes on a cross-country race that showcases both the Spanish author's meticulous historical research and her skill at interweaving it into her suspenseful narrative. While the ladies' traveling companions, including an aristocratic Chinese antiquarian and a genius servant boy, lend interest, some readers may find the two protagonists, despite the personal growth gained as they rise to various challenges, less than fully engaging. (Oct.)
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An old-fashioned treasure hunt peppered with brainy challenges, Spanish writer Asensi’s second English-language thriller (The Last Cato, 2006) celebrates China’s multifaceted history and culture. In 1923 expatriate Spanish painter Elvira Aranda leaves France, her teenage niece Fernanda in tow, when word arrives of her husband’s death in Shanghai. Unfortunately, Rémy died horribly in debt, leaving Elvira destitute and in trouble. Then a mysterious chest concealing the location of the First Emperor’s treasure-laden secret tomb propels them on a madcap adventure, accompanied by a crafty antiquarian, an Irish journalist, and a gifted Chinese servant boy. Their grueling, fast-paced quest—thugs from Shanghai’s Mafia pursue them relentlessly—covers miles and centuries. Solving each progressive riddle (and avoiding booby traps) requires knowledge of the game of Go, Taoist philosophy, ancient dynasties, and other obscure, fascinating historical tidbits. Elvira’s unfamiliarity with China renders her a less-than-active intellectual participant, though her determination, sarcastic wit, and growing appreciation for her surroundings brighten her jaunty narrative. Exciting and unabashedly over-the-top, it should inspire readers to do more armchair adventuring in imperial China. --Sarah Johnson

Edition details

• Publisher: Harper
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0061458414
• ISBN 13: 9780061458415
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 400