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WriteReason
Posted April 15, 2012
Somewhere Along the way I Simply Lost Interest. . .
David Liss is very discriptive in his writings. Having previously read the Whiskey Rebels and The Twelfth Enchantment (and completly enjoying them), I thought I was in for a real treat with The Coffee Trader. Unfortunately, this tale never took off for me. I was well into the book (pg 140), when I thought it would take off. Though slightly more interesting, I could not get into it. (Maybe it was me.) Very thorough; very discriptive; historically accurate; always well written, but this book, The Coffee Trader, just never caught my imagination or interest.
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Just As Good The Second Time
This is David Liss second novel, and once again it is a great read. Liss is very good at developing characters that are believable in their actions and perform the way you expect them to in each situation they face. His ability
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to place you in the time and setting of the novel is also very thorough. Before reading this book I knew little or nothing about Amsterdam of 1659. By the end I felt like I knew the city, it's customs, and people, as if I had first hand knowledge of them. His plotting also moves smoothly to a exciting,surprising,and very logical ending. An historical fiction that has a true literary sense to it. A step above just an historical novel a great read. -
LionheartRC
Posted February 21, 2010
Good To The Last Drop!
A great read from cover to cover. The character development was subtle with perfect timing. One got to know the characters personalities gradually and with better understanding as each one dealt with their own conflict.
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Anonymous
Posted February 20, 2010
Good Book
good book for book clubs
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fgm
Posted November 3, 2008
I Also Recommend:
Intrigruing I could smell the coffee!
This novel with the most interesting characters,plots and themes was good reading with my coffee!David Liss is a gifted author with a smooth style.The persona of Miguel wove a complicated individual. With the plots of his brother,Daniel,his threating relations with other colorful characters and the questionable innocence of Hannah it was a novel to hold my attention. The ending was somewhat surprising and not what I'd expected.
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Anonymous
Posted April 10, 2008
Liss is an Outstanding Writer
After reading Liss' first historical novel, I was impressed enough to go right out and get this one. I was not disappointed. This book pulls you into a time and place that most of us know very little about, which is the great fun of historical fiction. I've already bought his third novel and look forward to another romp through time.
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Anonymous
Posted January 18, 2008
An unexpected pleasure!
I was gifted this book as a bargain-bin find that my grandmother thought might interest me---not the most auspicious of recommendations, but I was intrigued enough by the premise to read it. I'm so glad I did, and I will definitely seek out more of his books. If you enjoy historical fiction such as Philippa Gregory or Carlos Ruiz Zafon, you will certainly enjoy the fast-paced plot of The Coffee Trader. Liss manages his complicated threads well, and despite lots of unexpected twists, he carries the reader along without confusion but also without giving away the end. A highly recommended read!
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Anonymous
Posted March 23, 2006
Coffee Anyone?
I could not put this book down. This is the first book of David Liss' that I read and when I finished it I ran out and bought The Conspiracy of paper and A Spectacle of Corruption. I absolutely Loved it!!
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Anonymous
Posted March 13, 2006
Great look into the genesis of both the stock market, and coffee.
Great characters and of course an even better storyline from Liss. Definitely recommend this book.
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Anonymous
Posted July 10, 2005
A Romp Through the Richest Stock Market?
In the 16-hundreds Amsterdam was the richest city in Europe. The exchange of paper representing commodities was advanced to near perfection, but the difficulties of keeping track of what was traded allowed for speculation to turn into conspiracy. Luckily for the readers, none of our money is at risk, but here lies a painles education in free trade. Is the story good? You bet. Coffee is being introduced in Europe, and trading in the beans is the hook for the story. All the characters are pulled about by there own flaws and by powers beyond their control. All the characters have to fight themselves lest kind motives cost themselves money, and all are as real as our own neighbors. The Jews of Amsterdam provide the immediate millieu, but the stage of action is the Amsterdam Excvhange at the height of power. A great read!
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Anonymous
Posted April 14, 2005
Another Great One
David Liss is widely recognized as one of the great new authors on the literary scene, and this book does nothing to tarnish the reputation. Liss's engrossing character development and suspenseful plots leave the reader begging for more. All of Liss's books are treats, and this one may be the best of all.
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Anonymous
Posted May 3, 2005
Rough start
This book was really hard for me to get into. It was slow, boring and had absolutely no suspense. If you have a lot of time on your hands, go for it. But if you are checking it out from the library, you might as well just take it back because you probably won't get through it before it's due.
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Anonymous
Posted December 18, 2004
Couldn't Get Through It!
Not at all what I expected...put it down half way through - no desire whatsoever to finish this book.
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Anonymous
Posted May 26, 2004
Disappointing
It was very hard to picture a Commodities exchange plot in the 17 th century with Converso Jews. The way the story is told is not engageing, it is 100% betrayal, 0% suspense, and with all characters being wicked and deceiving how can you have romance? There is not enough research of that Circa's historical facts. The character descriptions through out the book are repetitive, the part of the story that tells about the coffe trade business is predictable as well as the fate of the characters. I have read other well researched fictional novels based on historical facts about Converso Jews and Catholics living in Europe through those difficult centuries trying to make a living and exposed to wicked events that are far better.
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Anonymous
Posted March 24, 2004
Where Coffee and Trading emerged
With the setting in 17th Century Amsterdam, David Liss employs the inevitable emergence of coffee on the commodities exchange to explore the intriguing interplay between those who would seek to find their fortune in trading by whatever means necessary. The plot delves deep into the hidden goals and subterfuge used by the market players to outplay, outwit, and outlast each other toward attaining wealth and status. Such rich character expose proclaims their humanity and tenuous destiny. A fun read of historical fiction and a challenging trip back to the origins of coffee traded on world markets.
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Anonymous
Posted January 1, 2004
intrigue and betrayl
This is a very fine read. David Liss has written an historical novel about coffee's beginnings in Europe, the Jewish community in tolerant Amsterdam, and woven a web of mystery and deceit, wherein the reader, and also the central character, is not sure what is true and what is false. What the author does here is much more, however. He presents aspects of human nature which we do not readily face; that the view others have of us does not match that which we have constructed of ourselves, and that we acquire what we can at the expense of others. The characterizations are vivid, and there are surprises at the end of the book. This is the second book I have read by David Liss, and while I thoroughly enjoyed 'A Conspiracy of Paper', I would rate this book even higher. Strongly recommended!
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Anonymous
Posted August 4, 2003
Read it in two days
A fascinating look at Jewish life and business during the seventeenth century. I read Conspiracy of Paper (the author's first novel) and could not wait to get my hands on this book. In the age of Starbucks, it was interesting to read about a time where most people had never heard of coffee. Great characters and plot.
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Anonymous
Posted June 13, 2003
Great book!
The was a great book from beginning to end!
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Anonymous
Posted March 26, 2003
a reader
I did not think that David Liss could top A Conspiracy of Paper. Boy, was I wrong !! The Coffee Trader is just one of the best books I have ever read.
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Anonymous
Posted April 4, 2003
Before Starbucks There Was...
The Coffee Trader immediately engages the reader in a vibrant world of intrigue and high-stakes speculation in an unlikely but wonderfully exotic setting-- Amsterdam in the middle of the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century. It is a story of loyality vs. betrayal, honesty vs. duplicity, familial battles and unpredictable alliiances. David Liss has managed to capture the colorful world of Sephardic Jews, who having escaped the inferno of the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisition, struggle to find their identity in their New Jerusalem, the sometimes not-so-tolerant Dutch Republic. The story centers around Miguel Lienzo, a Jewish commodities trader who hatches a plan to corner the market in a newly discovered commodity--coffee--and become rich overnight. His challenge is to keep his plan a secret from those who would scheme against him, including members of his own family and community. The Coffee Trader serves not only as a primer on the history of the coffee trade, but a lesson on the mechanics of trading techniques on the first modern commodities exchange-- the Bourse in Amsterdam. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of the Dutch Republic, Sephardic Jewry; coffee lovers and futures traders.'
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