The Lost Diary of Don Juan: An Account of the True Arts of Passion and the Perilous Adventure of Love by Douglas Carlton Abrams
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Title: The Lost Diary of Don Juan: An Account of the True Arts of Passion and the Perilous Adventure of Love
Author: Douglas Carlton Abrams
Published: May 1st 2007
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 307
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It was a time of discovery and decadence, when life became a gamble and the gold that poured endlessly into the port of Sevilla devalued money, marriage, and love itself. In the midst of these treacherous times, Juan Tenorio is born and then abandoned in the barn of a convent. Raised secretly by the nuns, he learns to love and worship all women and wants nothing more than to be a priest, until he falls in love with one of the sisters. When their affair is discovered, Juan leaves the Church forever. He is soon recruited to be a spy by the powerful Marquis de la Mota, who teaches him to become the world's greatest libertine and seducer of women. But when he crosses swords with the most powerful man in the Empire, Don Juan must escape the murderous fury of the Inquisitor who battles all forms of debauchery, deviance, and heresy.It is after knowing countless women that he is convinced by the Marquis to keep a diary, and it is here within its pages that Don Juan reveals his greatest adventures and the Arts of Passion he mastered. But what finally compels him to confess everything and risk losing his life, livelihood, and honor is the most perilous adventure of all -- the irresistible fall into the madness of love with the only woman who could ever make him forget all others.
My Review:
To give love to one who needs it is a far greater pleasure than to receive it.
Doug Abrams has delivered a fascinating, fast-paced adventure brimmed with passion, intrigue, and humanity. This book is a page-turner, cleverly crafted and researched, yet tightly written, you will find yourself torn between racing to find out what happens next and savoring every delicious detail. It tracks the life of Don Juan and relives many of his exploits. It also is very instructional as to his romantic style and understanding of a woman’s needs.
The characters are well drawn. From the cruel, ominous Inquisitor set on freeing Sevilla from the threat of pleasure; the reader will sense that treachery and betrayal are rampant in Don Juan’s world. Because of this, the trustworthy few, seem even more important and interesting as supporting characters.
One cannot help but fall in love with Don Juan and respect his journey from orphan to noble and his loyalty to the friends of his early days. We root for our hero as he deals with ethical, moral, and social questions, and we cheer him on as he performs touching, charming, and dangerous examples of chivalry, kindness, and friendship. Abrams has skillfully created a character who is complex and multi-layered. As I read the written pages of Don Juan’s diary, it was impossible not to be taken into his libertine life and the intrigues of the city of Seville in 1593.
The scenes describing Don Juan’s “conquests” were magnificent, tasteful, and respectfully written. The writing reveals a deep understanding of women and a beautiful view resolving the age-old questions about passion versus love, giving a recipe for both.
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