The Rule of Four
by Dustin Thomason, Ian Caldwell
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Book Summary Information
Author: Dustin Thomason, Ian CaldwellEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-06-28
ISBN: 0440241359
Number of pages: 464
Publisher: Dell
Book Reviews of The Rule of Four
Book Review: A good Da Vince Code
Summary: 5 Stars
The Rule of Four is the story of how academic pursuits can become so all-encompassing as to lead to murder, mayhem, and assorted other violence. This book is of the same genre as the "Da Vinci Code" but in my opinion does a much better job of proposing ancient mysteries and the modern search for their origins. The basic premise is that a book was published in 1499 by the name of "Hypnerotomachia Poliphili"; there is no mention of who the author was and the book is surrounded by other mysteries. For instance, reading it, it is a very difficult text to decipher. For one, it is written in at least four different languages, for another, it seems to be a story of one man's love of a woman but it is very difficult to follow as the text takes all kinds of detours into descriptions of architecture, numerology and other topics that have nothing to do with romance. The mystery deepened when some one noticed that the first letter of every chapter, when listed together, form a sentence that describes someone else's love. So what is going on inside that book?
Generations of academics have tried to decipher it and they all fail. That is until three young men get together in Princeton and fall under the sway of the mystery. The three are academics and are very literate and they seem to make progress - however, they drift apart and go down different paths which also poisons their relationships. One - Vincent Taft, is a brilliant man who remains at Princeton in a role that allows him to research whatever he wishes ... but apparently his lack of progress on the book's origins unhinges him enough that he does nothing more than vent his bile at new and aspiring researchers. Another, Richard Curry, leaves academia altogether and becomes a successful art dealer. The third, is thwarted in his efforts by Taft and also leaves academia to become a book dealer in Columbus Ohio. A generation later, Sullivan's son - Tom - is finishing his undergrad studies in English Literature at Princeton as one of a group of four friends that have also fallen under the sway of the book.
The book is told from the point of view of Tom Sullivan. It is connected via threads in that every chapter tells the story either in the current timeframe of the four friends preparing for their graduation; or of episodes from the early lives of the three friends from the earlier generation; or from earlier in the time of the four friends' time in Princeton. These temporal dislocations make it hard to follow the book at times, but the reader gets used to it in time, and it even begins to make sense. Various discoveries and various events are explained together with what drove them to happen whether that was several hours, days, months, years, or decades before. We are also treated to Tom Sullivan's emotions and involvement with a female sophomore who is a major influence on his life and story.
As we follow the book's pages, we realize that there are multiple stories here. Only one of them is the resolution of the mysteries of the ancient books. Another storyline is Tom's love affair with Katie. Then, there is the story of the four friends and how they work together even though they are all different and will follow different paths once their college careers are over. Also told is the story of the three once-friends and how they came together and what drove them apart. And then, we have the academic infighting and treacheries that play such a big role in academia. Finally, this is both a mystery story and a growing up story.
Petty jealousies escalate into major feuds. Those feuds in turn escalate into violence. And before the book is done there are at least three dead bodies and other acts of violence. This seems disconcerting as all the action takes place on the campus of Princeton University which is a very bucolic and quiet setting. Those of us who have either lived recently in Princeton, or visited it at some point will rejoice in the telling of the story as it accurately depicts how the university looked in the late 1990's and up to about 2000. This is a special treat to those who know Princeton.
Since the mystery is unraveled in stages, it is hard to follow as well. However, by the end of the book, we are treated to an almost complete explanation of all the hidden meanings of the various texts, graphics, and alliterations that are found in the book. The ultimate secret is revealed and explanations are provided for the context in which it was written and what is hidden within its text. To me, although this part was clearly fictional, this was one of the most satisfying parts of the story. While The Da Vince Code was clearly abstracted fiction (can an American Professor solve mysteries that have stood the test of time for centuries in a handful of hours while being pursued by trained killers?), this story has more of the ring of truth to it with a group of brilliant students working diligently to resolve the various puzzles. These puzzles require different skills from each of them and each contributes his own genius to the ultimate solution. The violent sections of the book also have a believable air to them as generation old conflicts are resolved in a way that makes sense. By that I mean that the motives of those who commit the violence are sensible and logical within their own contexts. There are several twists and turns to the plot which keep you guessing as to what is really going on, but when the book is finished, I at least found it all to fit together well.
There is a lot of symbology embedded in the story. Those of you with a numerology background will immediately notice that a group of three is followed by a group of four who all interact to ultimately make a group of seven - all of which are meaningful numbers. Also to be found are many renaissance figures and concepts - all of which show that this was a deeply researched book. Some of the actions of the earlier generation of friends are better seen in context when the second generation of friends take over and the resolutions of the storyline take place. Etc.
In sum, I think very highly of this book and enjoyed reading it immensely. Unlike the contrived resolutions of other books in this genre, this book is very believable in its action, characterization, and resolutions. Highly recommended!
Summary of The Rule of Four
An ivy league murder, a mysterious coded manuscript, and the secrets of a Renaissance prince collide memorably in The Rule of Four?a brilliant work of fiction that weaves together suspense and scholarship, high art and unimaginable treachery.It's Easter at Princeton. Seniors are scrambling to finish their theses. And two students, Tom Sullivan and Paul Harris, are a hair's breadth from solving the mysteries of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili?a renowned text attributed to an Italian nobleman, a work that has baffled scholars since its publication in 1499. For Tom, their research has been a link to his family's past?and an obstacle to the woman he loves. For Paul, it has become an obsession, the very reason for living. But as their deadline looms, research has stalled?until a long-lost diary surfaces with a vital clue. And when a fellow researcher is murdered just hours later, Tom and Paul realize that they are not the first to glimpse the Hypnerotomachia 's secrets.
Suddenly the stakes are raised, and as the two friends sift through the codes and riddles at the heart of the text, they are beginnning to see the manuscript in a new light?not simply as a story of faith, eroticism and pedantry, but as a bizarre, coded mathematical maze. And as they come closer and closer to deciphering the final puzzle of a book that has shattered careers, friendships and families, they know that their own lives are in mortal danger. Because at least one person has been killed for knowing too much. And they know even more.
From the streets of fifteenth-century Rome to the rarified realm of the Ivy League, from a shocking 500 year-old murder scene to the drama of a young man's coming of age, The Rule of Four takes us on an entertaining, illuminating tour of history?as it builds to a pinnacle of nearly unbearable suspense.
From the Hardcover edition.
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