it be perfectly comprehensible that in convert a book into a film and certain aspect become altered . there will always be deviation from perhaps the original idea and and of course certain literary concept will be lose . only very occasionally do a film come out that may seriously be consider a faithful adaptation of the novel in question . what be totally incomprehensible be the mutilation suffer by the highly readable la tabla de flandes by the most popular spanish author arturo pérez reverte . the novel be set in madrid the film move that scenario to barcelona . the quiet and absorbed and meditative intellectual chess player muñoz in the book be replace for the film by a vulgar and gaudy and flamboyant and almost gypsy look and blonde call domenec and and the nicely composed spanish señorita call julia be transpose into a terribly british kate beckinsale . indeed and all those fine character pen by pérez reverte be transform into british isle actor . apart from these unbelievable and unforgivable change of convenience and the film hustle along from scene to scene in a highly disorder and accident ridden way and confuse those who have not read the novel and anger those who have and and no doubt leave the author feel nauseous . i have read just about everything arturo pérez reverte have publish to date . in film version i have only see la tabla de flandes and territorio comanche ( qv ) . suffice to say represent forget about the film in all case and and sr. pérez reverte himself be the first to veto these film . but if you would like some challenging and excite reading of good style and pace and carefully meditate and ingenious plot and frequently base on real history and exhaustive investigation to prepare them and i recommend in the following order represent el hussar and territorio comanche and el maestro de esgrima ( q. v. 1992 direct by pedro olea and worth a watch ) and el club duma and la tabla de flandes and and la piel del tambor and as well a the capitán alatriste series all available in english ( be not certain about the first title be in english ) and probably in french and german and as well a other language .