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Grimpow #1
Grimpow: The Invisible Road
Grimpow had no idea who the dead man was, but hidden in his leather bag was a treasure that would change his life forever. Ruby- and emerald-encrusted daggers, silver coins, jewels, and a letter with a golden seal depicting a snake swallowing its own tail. And clutched in the man’s firm grip—a stone. A stone that will shape Grimpow’s destiny. For when he holds it, strange things begin to happen. Visions of places he’s never been fill his mind and he’s able to read the strange language in the letter, a message meant for someone else entirely.
So begins Grimpow’s journey with the stone—a centuries-long journey that has driven sane men crazy, turned peaceful men violent, and made strong men powerless. No man has ever unlocked its secrets. But no boy has ever tried.
So begins Grimpow’s journey with the stone—a centuries-long journey that has driven sane men crazy, turned peaceful men violent, and made strong men powerless. No man has ever unlocked its secrets. But no boy has ever tried.
493 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
66 people are currently reading
1,041 people want to read
About the author
Rafael Ábalos
16books60followersAs a teenager, Rafael Ábalos was an avid reader of adventure stories. A lawyer for many years, he discovered by accident that he loved to write these stories as well. His first book for young readers, Grimpow: The Invisible Road, will be published around the world in 27 countries. He lives and writes in southern Spain.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 201 reviews
December 17, 2018
Grimpow nos lleva a un mundo remoto, antiguo en el que las cosas no son como las conocemos. Una historia que esconde verdaderas joyas, quizá este hecho haga que la lectura sea algo confusa y tediosa al principio, pero al ir comprendiendo es cuando podemos notar la forma tan brillante en la que está escrita.
Pocas cosas me apasionan tanto como el auróboros y debo decir que aquí esta más que presente.
Los personajes al igual que la trama tienen muchas capas que es necesario desprender con el paso de las páginas para llegar a ese punto culminante que te deja con un maravilloso sabor de boca.
Rafael es un autor que vale la pena leer, y lo mejor es que es mexicano.
Pocas cosas me apasionan tanto como el auróboros y debo decir que aquí esta más que presente.
Los personajes al igual que la trama tienen muchas capas que es necesario desprender con el paso de las páginas para llegar a ese punto culminante que te deja con un maravilloso sabor de boca.
Rafael es un autor que vale la pena leer, y lo mejor es que es mexicano.
July 24, 2023
4,25 sterren Nederlandse hardcover
Op de achterkant staat vermeld " jeugd in de naam van de roos. "
Zelf vind ik het meer in de buurt van de grijze jager, spelend on de middeleeuwen met coole puzzels.
Vanaf 10 jaar.
Op de achterkant staat vermeld " jeugd in de naam van de roos. "
Zelf vind ik het meer in de buurt van de grijze jager, spelend on de middeleeuwen met coole puzzels.
Vanaf 10 jaar.
January 24, 2010
I was really looking forward to liking this book. It has all the right plot elements and interesting character sketches... but it didn't really do much for me.
Two things that sunk it for me were: First, the conflict between thinly veiled skeptic theory and black magic. One or the other would have been pretty cool - I'm all about smart books for kids that introduce thought-provoking ideas about philosophy and science. I'm also all about books that pull out the stops with magic and spells and dragons until you forget you're a muggle. But for some reason, the combination of the two, in this book, was disastrous. It was like, "and the Catholic faith is just a way to control the masses and keep them from Science, but say these magic words and all secrets will be revealed." It felt cheap. Like the author really wanted to write a novel that sold skepticism and science to kids, but realized that would go over like a lead balloon, threw in some magic to spice it up and sold his original intent up the river. Hm.
The second thing that sunk it for me was the long descriptions of real things. It read like a historical novel. "Bla bla bla Crusades, bla bla bla empiricism rules, kids!"
All that said, I probably would've liked it when I was 12. The bits about the Crusades would've been interesting, and the kid's relationships with the adults around him would've made sense to me. And I might've overlooked the fact that there was gross inconsistency between the skeptic message and the believe-in-magic message, and learned a whole lot about how to think about the world around me.
Two things that sunk it for me were: First, the conflict between thinly veiled skeptic theory and black magic. One or the other would have been pretty cool - I'm all about smart books for kids that introduce thought-provoking ideas about philosophy and science. I'm also all about books that pull out the stops with magic and spells and dragons until you forget you're a muggle. But for some reason, the combination of the two, in this book, was disastrous. It was like, "and the Catholic faith is just a way to control the masses and keep them from Science, but say these magic words and all secrets will be revealed." It felt cheap. Like the author really wanted to write a novel that sold skepticism and science to kids, but realized that would go over like a lead balloon, threw in some magic to spice it up and sold his original intent up the river. Hm.
The second thing that sunk it for me was the long descriptions of real things. It read like a historical novel. "Bla bla bla Crusades, bla bla bla empiricism rules, kids!"
All that said, I probably would've liked it when I was 12. The bits about the Crusades would've been interesting, and the kid's relationships with the adults around him would've made sense to me. And I might've overlooked the fact that there was gross inconsistency between the skeptic message and the believe-in-magic message, and learned a whole lot about how to think about the world around me.
May 14, 2016
Grimpow is a young boy. When he discovers a dead Templar knight in the snowy mountains where he lives, he and his thief friend Durlib go back to investigate the mysterious items left on his person. It is only when they arrive to the Abbey of Brinkdum that Grimpow's adventure truly begin. Can the boy finish the mission that the knight failed to do himself? Read on and find out for yourself.
This was a pretty good debut novel from Spain author Rafael Abalos that I got for a $1 at a Liquidation store a few months back. Though it is a first of a series, I decided to read it as a stand-alone. If you enjoy fantasy novels, definitely check this book out. It is available wherever books are sold.
This was a pretty good debut novel from Spain author Rafael Abalos that I got for a $1 at a Liquidation store a few months back. Though it is a first of a series, I decided to read it as a stand-alone. If you enjoy fantasy novels, definitely check this book out. It is available wherever books are sold.
March 26, 2016
Najbardziej irytuje fakt, że książka jest po prostu infantylna.
Zagadki do złudzenia przypominają te z etykietek Kubusia. Przykład? Żeby uświadomić sobie, że 'KSERKET' to anagram słowa 'SEKRET' oraz litery 'K', główny bohater musiał się przespać z tym jakże ogromnym problemem. Dla porównania znajoma zauważyła to od razu w chwili, kiedy jej ten anagram przeczytałam. Niech Was również nie zwiedzie objętość książki (ok. 500 stron żywego tekstu). Autor bowiem co pewien czas zadaje te same pytania retoryczne, co po pewnym czasie wyprowadza czytelnika z równowagi. Dodatkowo nie wiem, czy jest winą autora, czy też może tłumacza, ciągłe zaczynanie zdań od tych samych słów. Brniemy przez tak koszmarne akapity, jak: "Grimpow miał nadzieję, że (...). Grimpow od samego początku domyślał się, że (...). Grimpow wiedział, że (...). Urocze, prawda? Rozkosz dla oka i umysłu. Żeby zwieńczyć dzieło, autor okrasił całość banalnymi stwierdzeniami ("Być może śmierć jest tylko wiecznym spokojnym snem?") oraz mdłymi, papierowymi postaciami.
Ładna okładka, odwoływanie się do klasyki literatury pięknej i nagromadzenie mnóstwa atrakcji (symbole, alchemicy, klasztory i turnieje) nie gwarantują tego, że książka będzie ciekawa. "Grimpow" bowiem nie był taki na pewno. Ejmen.
Zagadki do złudzenia przypominają te z etykietek Kubusia. Przykład? Żeby uświadomić sobie, że 'KSERKET' to anagram słowa 'SEKRET' oraz litery 'K', główny bohater musiał się przespać z tym jakże ogromnym problemem. Dla porównania znajoma zauważyła to od razu w chwili, kiedy jej ten anagram przeczytałam. Niech Was również nie zwiedzie objętość książki (ok. 500 stron żywego tekstu). Autor bowiem co pewien czas zadaje te same pytania retoryczne, co po pewnym czasie wyprowadza czytelnika z równowagi. Dodatkowo nie wiem, czy jest winą autora, czy też może tłumacza, ciągłe zaczynanie zdań od tych samych słów. Brniemy przez tak koszmarne akapity, jak: "Grimpow miał nadzieję, że (...). Grimpow od samego początku domyślał się, że (...). Grimpow wiedział, że (...). Urocze, prawda? Rozkosz dla oka i umysłu. Żeby zwieńczyć dzieło, autor okrasił całość banalnymi stwierdzeniami ("Być może śmierć jest tylko wiecznym spokojnym snem?") oraz mdłymi, papierowymi postaciami.
Ładna okładka, odwoływanie się do klasyki literatury pięknej i nagromadzenie mnóstwa atrakcji (symbole, alchemicy, klasztory i turnieje) nie gwarantują tego, że książka będzie ciekawa. "Grimpow" bowiem nie był taki na pewno. Ejmen.
October 29, 2017
This has to be the longest book at over 13 hours that I have listened to as an audiobook. We actually started this book on vacation a year ago, but it took me a while to find the time to listen to the last half of it.
It’s a fantasy, of a sort, and it’s historical fiction, of a sort. Other people compare it to The DaVinci Code, but since I haven’t read that, I don’t know.
Grimpow is off on a quest to find the secret of a mysterious stone owned by a dead knight. It’s a thoughtful story, with more thinking than action, but that is probably what I like best in a fantasy.
A 1001 Children’s Book You Must Read
It’s a fantasy, of a sort, and it’s historical fiction, of a sort. Other people compare it to The DaVinci Code, but since I haven’t read that, I don’t know.
Grimpow is off on a quest to find the secret of a mysterious stone owned by a dead knight. It’s a thoughtful story, with more thinking than action, but that is probably what I like best in a fantasy.
A 1001 Children’s Book You Must Read
January 1, 2014
Grimpow: The Invisible Road, initially written by Rafael Abalos, has a great plot set up. Sadly, I did not finish this book due to a lack of quality writing.
The writing is sub-par and the character development is weak. Sentences that spoke of Grimpow’s thoughts, and then outright described his “feelings� must be connected to the stone, made this book unbearable. The wording is just terrible.
That said, it is important to note that the original author did not translate to the English version. Therefore, I am not sure if the author is to blame for the writing, or if the translator was simply horrible. Either way, it annoyed me so much that although I wanted to finish because of the plot, the unrealistic thought-process of the characters and poor writing made me put the book down.
If you are a stickler about well-written books, you might want to avoid this one (or at least this translation). If you're young and don't mind or won't notice, the plot may pull you in.
The writing is sub-par and the character development is weak. Sentences that spoke of Grimpow’s thoughts, and then outright described his “feelings� must be connected to the stone, made this book unbearable. The wording is just terrible.
That said, it is important to note that the original author did not translate to the English version. Therefore, I am not sure if the author is to blame for the writing, or if the translator was simply horrible. Either way, it annoyed me so much that although I wanted to finish because of the plot, the unrealistic thought-process of the characters and poor writing made me put the book down.
If you are a stickler about well-written books, you might want to avoid this one (or at least this translation). If you're young and don't mind or won't notice, the plot may pull you in.
April 7, 2009
I visited the library before a long trip and grabbed this book for my eleven year old son. He didn't read it, and it was laying around the house. So when I got sick, I picked it up and read it. The story had a really good premise, but poor execution. Instead of driving us forward into the plot, the story meandered and left us feeling listless. When things finally started happening, there didn't seem to be a meaning for most of it, and when we got clues to solve, they were solved way too quickly, and then they didn't deliver anything really worthwhile. When we finally get to the end of the story, we feel like we might as well arrived there on page 10 and have been done with it. Really, what was the point? I'm hoping that this one gets made into a movie, because it has all the right elements. It just needs someone who knows his craft to put it all together.
November 13, 2012
Una scintillante presa per il culo, per grandi e piccini.
November 18, 2021
Dit was een langzaam, maar ontzettend leuk boek!
June 10, 2020
Leí Grinpow por primera vez cuando era adolescente. Hoy lo leo a los 27 años. Recordaba que en su momento me había gustado mucho, de hecho me había gustado tanto que me atreví a contactar a Rafael Ábalos para contarle lo mucho que me había gustado, y felizmente en su momento él me respondió. Quise releerlo entonces para recordar por qué me había gustado.
Por supuesto, los escenarios son distintos, y la experiencia de lectura por lo tanto también es distinta. Pero me llevé una grata sorpresa al comprobar que a pesar de los años lo seguía disfrutando.
Grimpow es una lectura ágil, y es difícil parar una vez la empiezas. Si bien puedes encontrar sobretodo aventuras, que para una o un adolescente es muy atractivo, también te lleva a reflexionar sobre quienes somos, el mundo que habitamos y por qué estamos aquí. O al menos eso fue lo que ahora como lectora adulta pude rescatar. De esta forma, a pesar de que la historia trascurra durante la edad media, las problemáticas siguen haciendo eco en nosotros, como la búsqueda de la sabiduría y nuestra lucha contra la ignorancia.
Tal como dice Rafael Ábalos en Grimpow: "Priva a los seres humanos de los sueños y de la imaginación, y tendrás ante ti al más torpe, desvalido y primitivo animal de la Tierra.
Por supuesto, los escenarios son distintos, y la experiencia de lectura por lo tanto también es distinta. Pero me llevé una grata sorpresa al comprobar que a pesar de los años lo seguía disfrutando.
Grimpow es una lectura ágil, y es difícil parar una vez la empiezas. Si bien puedes encontrar sobretodo aventuras, que para una o un adolescente es muy atractivo, también te lleva a reflexionar sobre quienes somos, el mundo que habitamos y por qué estamos aquí. O al menos eso fue lo que ahora como lectora adulta pude rescatar. De esta forma, a pesar de que la historia trascurra durante la edad media, las problemáticas siguen haciendo eco en nosotros, como la búsqueda de la sabiduría y nuestra lucha contra la ignorancia.
Tal como dice Rafael Ábalos en Grimpow: "Priva a los seres humanos de los sueños y de la imaginación, y tendrás ante ti al más torpe, desvalido y primitivo animal de la Tierra.
November 26, 2012
I'm a huge fan of historical fiction. I often like the books written for young adults a lot better than the ones written for adults because there usually isn't so much trash. Grimpow is part of the 1001 childrens books list and I was really looking forward to it.
The setting sounded really good: a monastry in the middle ages, a library and lots of riddles. Of course I immediately thought of The Name of the Rose which I adore.
But Grimpow turned out not to be my cup of tea: it turned out to be about the Knights Templar and the philosopher's stone. This is a topic I'm so sick of reading. It has been chewn through so much in the past ten years that I really can't hear it anymore. The riddles were also pretty obvious and often not really riddles at all. I also didn't like the supernatural elements and the end was, well, not so good.
I liked the language, though, and it's the only reason I rated the book 3 stars and not just two. I read through it quite qickly but was glad to finish it anyway. Definitely not a book I would widely recommend.
The setting sounded really good: a monastry in the middle ages, a library and lots of riddles. Of course I immediately thought of The Name of the Rose which I adore.
But Grimpow turned out not to be my cup of tea: it turned out to be about the Knights Templar and the philosopher's stone. This is a topic I'm so sick of reading. It has been chewn through so much in the past ten years that I really can't hear it anymore. The riddles were also pretty obvious and often not really riddles at all. I also didn't like the supernatural elements and the end was, well, not so good.
I liked the language, though, and it's the only reason I rated the book 3 stars and not just two. I read through it quite qickly but was glad to finish it anyway. Definitely not a book I would widely recommend.
August 13, 2022
4 sterren - Nederlandse paperback
Grimpow is de internationale bestseller van Rafael Ábalos. Grimpow is De naam van de roos voor de jeugd. Ook voor jonge De Da Vinci Code-lezers.
In de winter van 1313 verandert het leven van de jonge Grimpow voorgoed wanneer hij in de sneeuw een lijk aantreft. In de bevroren hand van de overledene vindt hij een magische steen. Daarmee begint een wonderbaarlijk avontuur door de mysteries van de middeleeuwen.
Tempelierlegendes, raadselachtige genootschappen, de steen der wijzen en de heilige graal, nobelen, alchemisten, monniken en bandieten, krijgers en kroegbazen bewonen de pagina's van deze adembenemende everseller voor jong en oud.
Ik dacht dat het op "brief voor de koning" zou lijken, maar buiten het gegeven van ridders en een jongeman, heeft het zijn eigen verhaal waar ik zeer van heb genoten.
Ik denk dat dit zeker een cross-over/young adult boek is.
Grimpow is de internationale bestseller van Rafael Ábalos. Grimpow is De naam van de roos voor de jeugd. Ook voor jonge De Da Vinci Code-lezers.
In de winter van 1313 verandert het leven van de jonge Grimpow voorgoed wanneer hij in de sneeuw een lijk aantreft. In de bevroren hand van de overledene vindt hij een magische steen. Daarmee begint een wonderbaarlijk avontuur door de mysteries van de middeleeuwen.
Tempelierlegendes, raadselachtige genootschappen, de steen der wijzen en de heilige graal, nobelen, alchemisten, monniken en bandieten, krijgers en kroegbazen bewonen de pagina's van deze adembenemende everseller voor jong en oud.
Ik dacht dat het op "brief voor de koning" zou lijken, maar buiten het gegeven van ridders en een jongeman, heeft het zijn eigen verhaal waar ik zeer van heb genoten.
Ik denk dat dit zeker een cross-over/young adult boek is.
December 10, 2021
Tradimentoh ai templari
Tortuosi gombloddi medievaleggianti ed escalation di indovinelli che il lettore stesso dovrà anticipare prima degli inebetiti personaggi sulla scena (molto pochi, per fortuna).
Classica lettura con temi cuciti su misura per la massa e pronta per esser venduta a quintali nelle librerie.
Tortuosi gombloddi medievaleggianti ed escalation di indovinelli che il lettore stesso dovrà anticipare prima degli inebetiti personaggi sulla scena (molto pochi, per fortuna).
Classica lettura con temi cuciti su misura per la massa e pronta per esser venduta a quintali nelle librerie.
August 8, 2023
Este libro marcó un antes y un después para mí. Lo leí de pequeña y me impactó mucho, gracias a él me aficioné a las novelas históricas, los templarios, etc. Lo he releído con cariño varias veces. Tuve la suerte de conocer a Rafael Ábalos en una firma de libros, ya con 13 años y fue muy atento y amable.
July 7, 2017
I actually stopped reading this book near the end. The word that describes the story is "tedious."
Read
February 22, 2020It hath been ditched. I’m reading fourth grade Spanish books now. I might pick up this again if I have an English copy so I can know what’s going on.
But from what I can gather it’s pretty interesting but not the most fast paced fantasy book out there.
But from what I can gather it’s pretty interesting but not the most fast paced fantasy book out there.
August 4, 2023
Grimpow est un livre passionnant et intéressant qui regorge de très bonnes énigmes et d’anagrammes (surtout a la fin) meme si celui-ci contient des fois des moments peu intéressant voir ”ennuyeux� .
Ça reste quand même un bon livre 👍🏻,
Ça reste quand même un bon livre 👍🏻,
December 21, 2019
Great book
January 15, 2023
Le salva las 3 estrellas que al final coge algo de ritmo.
March 2, 2023
� 4,5 stars
This is so magical and heartwarming 💝
i had never read anything like this and i was so pleasantly surprised!!
i loved the historical setting and the riddles, as well as the three main characters 😍
This is so magical and heartwarming 💝
i had never read anything like this and i was so pleasantly surprised!!
i loved the historical setting and the riddles, as well as the three main characters 😍
August 2, 2020
En general el libro es entretenido y envolvente, pero llegando hacia la parte final esa chispa inicial se va apagando, hasta quedar con un agridulce desenlace.
March 31, 2009
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT .
Grimpow: The Invisible Road was written for young adults by Spanish lawyer Rafael Abalos and translated to English after its success in Europe. The story is a medieval mystery/historical fantasy set in early 14th century Europe.
Grimpow is an illiterate orphan who stumbles upon the dead body of one of the last of the Knights Templar who was on a quest to secure the philosopher's stone from the grasp of King Philip IV and Pope Clement V. The king and pope, in order to get control of the stone and its promise of wealth and wisdom, had accused the Knights of heresy and were in the process of eliminating them. On the dead knight, Grimpow finds a letter, a seal, and a magical stone which gives him the ability to understand written languages and the desire to find wisdom. He takes up the search for wisdom while trying to keep the stone out of the hands of King Philip's inquisitor.
The book's pace is slow at first, while Grimpow spends a lot of time in an abbey reading forbidden scientific manuscripts and questioning the monks. There's a lot of reading and talking going on, and not much action. I got the impression that Abalos was using this as "teaching time" and we get a few mini-lectures on history, astronomy, mythology, geometry, mathematics, architecture, the arts, alchemy, and the nature of God and wisdom. There's a lot of name-dropping going on here, too: Aristotle, Socrates, Pythagoras, Ptolemy, Plato, etc.
Things pick up when Grimpow, who has become very wise by this time, decides it's time to leave to search for wisdom. So he becomes the squire of an Italian knight who, though Grimpow doesn't know it yet, has some connections with the Templars and the sages who discovered the stone centuries before. Eventually they join up with a beautiful woman who is also involved in the search for wisdom. The three of them work together to solve a series of clues and riddles during their search.
Overall, the writing is very good (no worries about the translation), except that the dialogue is often stilted and formal ("There is a fire in the village of Cornhill. And I think the wind is dragging the screams of battle and laments of death. Let's go and see what's happening."), there are a few tired similes ("Durlib knew that hostile snow-covered region like the back of his hand."), and we are often told the motivation behind speeches or questions: someone is pretending, joking, flattering, feigning confusion, or expressing anger. Also, there was little description of what the main characters looked like, and the beautiful lady, who was instrumental in solving clues, had the personality of a pancake.
I thought some of the characters had unrealistic reactions after learning that Grimpow was carrying the famed philosopher's stone. I mean, if I met a kid with the philosopher's stone, I'd at least say "can I see it?" but Grimpow's allies didn't. But what bugged me most were the huge logical leaps in puzzle and riddle solving. Grimpow and the pretty pancake lady came up with these outrageous solutions to riddles that turned out to be correct. I can't give examples, or that will ruin the story, but let me just say that the riddle solutions are so far-fetched that it's no use to try to figure them out for yourself.
But, I remind myself that this story was written for middle school kids, and I'm thirty something. This is a well-told and well-written story with an interesting historical background and likable characters, and the stuff I rolled my eyes at might be fun and exciting for a youngster.
One caution for Christian parents: This story deals with the corruption of the Catholic church in the middle ages, and this is done mostly accurately (except, of course for the fantasy elements such as the philosopher's stone). However, at the end of the novel, it is suggested that humans reach the pinnacle of wisdom when we become equal to God. Parents who consider this heresy will want to discuss that with their kids.
I listened to Grimpow on audio. The reader does a good job, except that one character sounds like a mobster and another has an inexplicable German accent. But, if you can suppress your giggles, the audio version works well for this story.
.
Grimpow: The Invisible Road was written for young adults by Spanish lawyer Rafael Abalos and translated to English after its success in Europe. The story is a medieval mystery/historical fantasy set in early 14th century Europe.
Grimpow is an illiterate orphan who stumbles upon the dead body of one of the last of the Knights Templar who was on a quest to secure the philosopher's stone from the grasp of King Philip IV and Pope Clement V. The king and pope, in order to get control of the stone and its promise of wealth and wisdom, had accused the Knights of heresy and were in the process of eliminating them. On the dead knight, Grimpow finds a letter, a seal, and a magical stone which gives him the ability to understand written languages and the desire to find wisdom. He takes up the search for wisdom while trying to keep the stone out of the hands of King Philip's inquisitor.
The book's pace is slow at first, while Grimpow spends a lot of time in an abbey reading forbidden scientific manuscripts and questioning the monks. There's a lot of reading and talking going on, and not much action. I got the impression that Abalos was using this as "teaching time" and we get a few mini-lectures on history, astronomy, mythology, geometry, mathematics, architecture, the arts, alchemy, and the nature of God and wisdom. There's a lot of name-dropping going on here, too: Aristotle, Socrates, Pythagoras, Ptolemy, Plato, etc.
Things pick up when Grimpow, who has become very wise by this time, decides it's time to leave to search for wisdom. So he becomes the squire of an Italian knight who, though Grimpow doesn't know it yet, has some connections with the Templars and the sages who discovered the stone centuries before. Eventually they join up with a beautiful woman who is also involved in the search for wisdom. The three of them work together to solve a series of clues and riddles during their search.
Overall, the writing is very good (no worries about the translation), except that the dialogue is often stilted and formal ("There is a fire in the village of Cornhill. And I think the wind is dragging the screams of battle and laments of death. Let's go and see what's happening."), there are a few tired similes ("Durlib knew that hostile snow-covered region like the back of his hand."), and we are often told the motivation behind speeches or questions: someone is pretending, joking, flattering, feigning confusion, or expressing anger. Also, there was little description of what the main characters looked like, and the beautiful lady, who was instrumental in solving clues, had the personality of a pancake.
I thought some of the characters had unrealistic reactions after learning that Grimpow was carrying the famed philosopher's stone. I mean, if I met a kid with the philosopher's stone, I'd at least say "can I see it?" but Grimpow's allies didn't. But what bugged me most were the huge logical leaps in puzzle and riddle solving. Grimpow and the pretty pancake lady came up with these outrageous solutions to riddles that turned out to be correct. I can't give examples, or that will ruin the story, but let me just say that the riddle solutions are so far-fetched that it's no use to try to figure them out for yourself.
But, I remind myself that this story was written for middle school kids, and I'm thirty something. This is a well-told and well-written story with an interesting historical background and likable characters, and the stuff I rolled my eyes at might be fun and exciting for a youngster.
One caution for Christian parents: This story deals with the corruption of the Catholic church in the middle ages, and this is done mostly accurately (except, of course for the fantasy elements such as the philosopher's stone). However, at the end of the novel, it is suggested that humans reach the pinnacle of wisdom when we become equal to God. Parents who consider this heresy will want to discuss that with their kids.
I listened to Grimpow on audio. The reader does a good job, except that one character sounds like a mobster and another has an inexplicable German accent. But, if you can suppress your giggles, the audio version works well for this story.
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November 28, 2007
Very interesting story set in 1313 France, about a teen boy, Grimpow, raised by a thief, who finds a magical stone and sets out on a journey of a lifetime to uncover long hidden secrets of the Knights of the Templars. He meets an Italian knight and becomes his squire, helping him in a tournament, and travels all over France solving puzzles and finding clues to this "secret of the wise." I thought that the clues and puzzles were a little overexplained sometimes, just to make sure you really got it, but overall it was a really clever mystery and a neat tour of medieval France. Very little fantasy, just the mysterious stone that let Grimpow suddenly know how to read not only French but Latin and Greek and other languages too! And it has other magical properties that are discovered along the way.
August 10, 2016
The book was a kind of book I have never read before.
I have enjoyed reading the book, but I really had to take time reading it.
To me it wasn't a book I could rush through, because not every part was as exciting as the other.
Throuh the pages it really got me very curious to the denouement of the filosopher stone, and that was I think very reasonable. It was not as thrilling as I thought it would have been.
But all together it was a good read.
I have enjoyed reading the book, but I really had to take time reading it.
To me it wasn't a book I could rush through, because not every part was as exciting as the other.
Throuh the pages it really got me very curious to the denouement of the filosopher stone, and that was I think very reasonable. It was not as thrilling as I thought it would have been.
But all together it was a good read.
May 29, 2013
El libro no estaba mal por lo que recuerdo, pero tampoco me hizo furor. Es uno de esos libros que para poder releerlo tienen que pasar los años para que se te olvide la trama y te vuelva a sorprender.
September 27, 2017
Il mio primo vero libro amato alla follia.
August 3, 2011
BOARING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 19, 2018
This book wasn't exactly what I expected it to be going in. I had thought that it would be a high fantasy novel when in reality it was historical fantasy, set in France in the (I believe) 1200's. That being said, it had a similar atmosphere to your stereotypical high fantasy setting, what with knights and castles and whatnot, so I suppose this difference in genre didn't significantly affect the story as a whole. The general idea was pretty interesting, but it didn't hold my attention as well as I would have thought, and I'm not exactly sure why. It involves fantasy elements and riddles that the main characters have to solve, and usually I'm all over stories that involve solving riddles and puzzles, but for some reason, there were a lot of times when I had to reread pages because I found that I had zoned out and stopped paying attention to what I was reading. Part of the problem may have been that we got very little description of the characters, so they all kind of blurred together, and I was never even completely sure how old our main protagonist, Grimpow, was. A lot of the characters generally seemed too nice to Grimpow, also. For example, he becomes a squire to a knight, but the knight is very kind to him and treats him like an equal from the get-go, which felt strange. Later, you find out he's not quite who he seems, which explains it a little better, but then you find out he's not who he said he was (again), which made me question his kindness some more. The characters also didn't really have distinctive personalities, for the most part. This story could have been epic, but in the end it just seemed to be going through the motions and didn't really have a lot of excitement and emotion in it to keep my attention.
May 8, 2017
In Rafael Abalos� historical fiction novel, Grimpow, a young boy named Grimpow lives with his outlaw friend in the Alps. They live a simple life next to an abbey, hunting in order to survive. However, during a routine hunting trip, Grimpow finds a mysterious body lying in the snow, along with a strange necklace and a small fortune. Confused and excited, Grimpow tells Durlib and together they loot the body. They are unsure what to do about the body and what it means, but life goes on.
Durlib convinces Grimpow to stay in the local Abbey for a while and learn from the monks. There, Grimpow meets a peculiar monk named Uberto who teaches him astronomy and other fascinating subjects. Uberto also teaches Grimpow about the Templars, a secret society who supposedly had achieved massive amounts of wealth and knowledge from the famed Philosopher’s stone.
Grimpow eagerly learns about the many secrets life holds, but his life is soon shook by the arrival of an inquisitor who claims to be hunting a runaway Templar. The arrival of the inquisitor creates a problem for Grimpow’s friend, Durlib, because the inquisitor would not hesitate to arrest a common outlaw such as him. Thus Grimpow and Durlib attempt to escape the abbey and head to the city of Strasbourg. However, what happens next changes Grimpow’s life forever.
This book is full of action and mysteries. There are tons of intriguing riddles to uncover along with dangers around every corner! I’d recommend this book for anyone interested in riddles, fantasy, and or history.
Durlib convinces Grimpow to stay in the local Abbey for a while and learn from the monks. There, Grimpow meets a peculiar monk named Uberto who teaches him astronomy and other fascinating subjects. Uberto also teaches Grimpow about the Templars, a secret society who supposedly had achieved massive amounts of wealth and knowledge from the famed Philosopher’s stone.
Grimpow eagerly learns about the many secrets life holds, but his life is soon shook by the arrival of an inquisitor who claims to be hunting a runaway Templar. The arrival of the inquisitor creates a problem for Grimpow’s friend, Durlib, because the inquisitor would not hesitate to arrest a common outlaw such as him. Thus Grimpow and Durlib attempt to escape the abbey and head to the city of Strasbourg. However, what happens next changes Grimpow’s life forever.
This book is full of action and mysteries. There are tons of intriguing riddles to uncover along with dangers around every corner! I’d recommend this book for anyone interested in riddles, fantasy, and or history.
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