Milan, 1497: Leonardo is completing his painting, The Last Supper. Pope Alexander VI is determined to execute him after realizing that the painting contains clues to a baffling and blasphemous message that he is driven to decode. The Holy Grail and the Eucharistic Bread are missing, there is no meat on the table, and the apostles, shockingly, are portraits of well-known heretics—and none of them are depicted with halos. And why has the artist painted himself into the scene with his back turned toward Jesus? The clues to Leonardo’s greatest puzzle are right before your eyes.
Full of misleading facts and controversies, The Secret Supper reveals the truth behind Da Vinci’s best-known Christian piece. After finishing the novel, you’ll never see The Last Supper in the same way again.
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"I liked this book better than the lady in blue. I think it helped that all of the characters were of the same time period so the relationships between the characters were more apparent and more engrossing. It was like reading a Dan Brown book, but this was taking place during the time period. "
— Carina (4 out of 5 stars)
“For fans of religious conspiracy and reinterpretations of religious history.”
— Washington Post“A fascinating yarn and very well told…Speaks volumes about Leonardo’s mastery with a brush.”
— San Francisco Chronicle“The combination of code breaking, secrecy, chicanery within the Catholic Church and a certain artist is by now a familiar one, but Sierra’s book, already a bestseller in Europe, is a fresh contribution to the da Vinci industry.”
— Publishers Weekly“No mere Da Vinci Code redux…Sierra’s breakneck plotting provides the novel’s juice, but its satisfying aftertaste comes from its erudite explaining of the art of the symbol…Sierra is a more sophisticated writer than Dan Brown, and he offers fresh perspective on the Renaissance mind.”
— Kirkus Reviews" just about any book pretaining to the last supper will get my attention. "
— Dimmy-jimmy, 2/17/2014" I liked it. Made a nice follow on to reading the DaVinci Code but it's nowhere near as gripping as Dan Brown's series of thrillers. "
— Ian, 2/17/2014" I probably would have liked this book much more if I had been able to really get into it instead of reading it in bits and pieces over a long time. "
— Frances, 2/12/2014" This was an interesting book. It wasn't a huge literary accomplishment, but it was entertaining. Much like DaVinci Code, so if you liked that, you would probably enjoy this. There isn't as much adventure, though. "
— Carolyn, 2/1/2014" This book is the amazing historical thriller of Leonardo da Vinci and his famous painting. "
— Alvi, 1/31/2014" couldn't even get past the first CD of this audio book "
— Lee, 1/10/2014" It took me awhile to become connected to this book but I ultimately enjoyed the intricacies of the tale. The verbage is a little odd, or stilted, to my ears due to the book being in Spanish in the original. The research is superb and the story satisfyingly suspenseful. "
— Kani, 1/9/2014" an interesting and intriguing look at the profiles of the models used in the painting...all alleged to be heretics "
— REDD, 1/2/2014" A book about Leonardo's last supper fresco in the midst of the inquisition. "
— Jennifer, 12/26/2013" Great premise, terribly written story. "
— Bambi, 12/22/2013" i got bored mid-way. wasn't really my cup of tea. "
— Muzie, 12/21/2013" I felt this book was very good with a suprising ending I strongly recommend it for someone that likes historical thrillers with a puzzle to figure out. "
— Lisette, 11/26/2013" This book is kinda Da Vinci Code - esq. It's a fun quick read and includes some real historical figures. A good read. "
— Becca, 11/20/2013" Disappointing, kind of like DiVinci Code but not nearly as good "
— Dick, 11/8/2013" I really enjoy historical fiction because it makes you look at at art or idea's or knowledge from a new angle. It put's history in context. This story was well told and engaging. "
— Liz, 8/9/2013" Loved it. Keeps you guessing throughout the whole book. And even when you think you have it all solved about 2/3 of the way into the book, there are still a few twists and turns left for you to discover. "
— Jacqueline, 7/23/2013" Just start reading.... "
— Rowland, 7/14/2013" interesting, fascinating but just not exciting... but if you go about it as a magazine article detailing the Last Supper, makes you really look at the work of art in a different light. "
— Annette, 7/2/2013" Great .... "
— Julian, 4/3/2013" super like...just like dan brown, the author (javier sierra) knows what a great story is. "
— Alfonso, 3/24/2013" This is a serious book with lots of things to think about. It is about the Savior and his life here. It is a very heavy book to read and it has so many innunedos to think about. "
— Maureen, 10/27/2012" leaves you wondering often times...is this fact or fiction?? :) "
— Jessica, 7/30/2012" Seems that this secrets-hidden-in-artwork mystery is based more on history, which made it slightly more interesting, but I found it to be a dull version of abother Dan Brown type book. "
— Katie, 4/21/2012" Less complex than "The Da Vinci Code", but still satisfying. Listened as a Book on CD, reader unfortunately not distinct enough in his rendering of characters. "
— Daniel, 12/15/2011" Maybe it was because the audio book was abridged but I was kind of disappointed. Some parts were really intriguing and made me want to do further research but some parts were deathly boring. "
— Devon, 10/21/2011" Clever and entertaining. This book is less surreal Da Vinci Code. The theories are very interesting and some of them can even sound authentic at moments. I am not crazy about his writing, but was worth the read. "
— Mae, 8/16/2011" I found this book to be a bit confusing. A lot of characters, sometimes difficult to keep track of. Although I LOVED the premise of the story, I found myself wishing that the author spent more time developing and confirming the mysteries presented in the novel. "
— Krista, 7/2/2011" Great plot, could have been a super read, a bit of a meander though. "
— Leanne, 5/18/2011" Loved this one. Excellent translation and made DaVinci Code look lamely researched. "
— Jacque, 5/17/2011" Strains of Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose" are played throughout this book. One could say it is a combination between the thinking man's Dan Brown and the common man's Eco. If you like a more cerebral mystery set against a (fairly accurate) historical backdrop, check this one out. "
— Jennifer, 4/7/2011" The story of Leonardo DaVinci's Last supper as an image of a heretical (to the Vatican) religion based on the Agnostic gospels. Great plot told by a thoughtful, consciencious Inquisitor with character of all things. I learned a lot about this famous painting. "
— Mom, 4/1/2011" entah terjemahannya yang kurang enak, atau gw yg lemot baca ini yah ?? gak terlalu mudeng soalnya. Masih enakan dan brown atau ressurection, misteri kain kafan yesus dll nya... "
— Indira, 3/31/2011" This is a fantastic read! It was hard to set down because it was so intriguing. The storyline is smooth and well-developed! I would recommend this to people who are interested in historical fiction that likes to solve puzzles. "
— Eleanor, 3/21/2011" I listen to this on CD and I think it will be one of the ones I will go back and read because there is so much history that I had a hard time not wanting to look up facts as the story went along. "
— Krista, 3/16/2011" I really enjoy historical fiction because it makes you look at at art or idea's or knowledge from a new angle. It put's history in context. This story was well told and engaging. "
— Liz, 3/3/2011" Ottimo <br/>Non è lo scopiazzamento del Codice da Vinci. Lavora bene Sierra che si rifà molto alla storia. Meno fantasy più realtà , una lettura che appassiona e quindi consiglio di comprarlo o farselo prestare. "
— Nilo, 2/3/2011" I enjoyed this book not what i was expecting or had in mind but it was ok "
— Valerie, 1/30/2011" .. nicely written and easy to follow ... a good read .. and interesting thoughts "
— Dan, 1/8/2011" Strains of Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose" are played throughout this book. One could say it is a combination between the thinking man's Dan Brown and the common man's Eco. If you like a more cerebral mystery set against a (fairly accurate) historical backdrop, check this one out. "
— Aaron, 12/26/2010Javier Sierra is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Secret Supper and Lady in Blue. He is extremely well known in his native Spain and has contributed frequently to both radio and television broadcasts. A native of Teruel, Spain, Sierra currently lives in Madrid.