The Rule of Four
by Dustin Thomason, Ian Caldwell
|
List Price: Our Price: $1.13 You Save: $6.86 (86%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of The Rule of Four
Book Review: Fails on several levels
Summary: 2 Stars
Every time I have a long flight awaiting, I succumb to the cover sirens flashing a "NO 1 BEST SELLER" at the airport's book stores and I give out some euros for a flight read. Alas, this book fails on several levels.
In the first place, technique. The writers are no Nabokov and this book is no Lolita. They should know better than using a first person POV, full of literal references. Tom Sullivan [to be sure this is the hero's name, I had to excavate the book from under the sofa, where it should decay for a few geological eras] is about 9 to 10 orders of magnitude less luminous than Humbert Humbert. Also, Nabokov's allusive nooks and crannies blend harmoniously with his writing style, whereas Rule of Four is a universal first in the history of printing : all literary references (hundreds!) are immediately explained in the book and not in an annotated edition. But technique can be shown clemency, given this is the writers' first attempt.
The real big sin of the book, is that it fails on scope. What starts as 4 guys among 4 walls, drags for so many chapters with 4 guys among 4 walls and finally ends with 3 guys among 4 walls. Given the promise of the interesting concept, the book should have taken off from Princeton air space, no later than page 50, never to return. It should take us to the lost Sophocleus tragedies and everyting else in the crypt in nanoseconds. And this is where the real thriller story should develop. Because, as it is, the thriller in the university almost cracks the reader's head in two pieces from extensive yawning. Somee say that this is "literature" by Americans for Americans. Wrong. This is "literature" by Princeton Americans for Princeton Americans.
The book also fails on the plot conventions. I may suspend my disbelief, when an kid, 20, decodes in a few days, something that the greatest scholars in history could not do in 172.000 days. But I am not going to suspend my disbelief when a very convenient fire, destroys good and evil alike. And I make a pledge, here at the Amazon reviews page, that I am not going to buy the sequel I saw ready to burst from the Botticelli amniotic sac on the last page.
If you are like me, reading books at 36.000 feet in order to forget the odors, turbulances, and crying babies, skip that book. Try classical Penguin novels, or even Curious George, and enjoy your flight.
Still 2 stars for the idea.
Book Review: I really wanted to like this book!
Summary: 2 Stars
This is a book by young, first-time authors who had recently graduated from college and supposedly spent years creating it. It features a mystery based in Renaissance history as well as a story on friendships and coming of age along with some family issues, and the action takes place on a college campus. A lot of promising elements here.
And with all these elements going for it, it truly falls flat, flat. I wasn't as disappointed as some other readers by the fact that this wasn't an action-packed page turner a la The Da Vinci Code. Well maybe I was, because that is the way the book is advertised. The reviews printed on the book's cover are total false advertising, and that's kind of upsetting. Having said that, I could have gotten over that initial disappointment had the characters been even mildly interesting or had the relationships between them been developed with some depth. Unfortunately, the book also fails in both of these respects. There are too many ideas in this book that are built upon and elaborated far too poorly. Just to mention two more: 1) Tom being haunted by the memory of his father, and 2) the book's supposed power to cast a spell on those who study it. Please. And the result is just boring, pretentious, and sadly simplistic. Also, the solutions to the puzzles/riddles ended up being so technical, they were BORING. To take a mystery surrounding Florence during the Renaissance and render such a boring story is ... just wrong!
Sometimes one of the characters would say "Tom ..." and I'd find myself saying, "Wait, who was Tom again? Oh right, the main character!" Seriously. And I'm pretty sure this wasn't just due to the fact that I can be absentminded from time to time; it just never grabbed me or held my attention or interest!
Not all of us are looking for that action-packed page turner every time, but please, at least make the characters and relationships on the one hand, or the historical backdrop on the other, somewhat INTERESTING. At least develop ONE of these things enough to make it interesting. If the authors had done this, I suspect a few of us readers could have forgiven some of the other stuff being so poorly presented. The action picks up a bit toward the end. Here I was hoping that after finishing the book, I wouldn't find it a total disappointment. Unfortunately, it still was. So sad. It had so much potential!
Book Review: Excellent Book
Summary: 5 Stars
This book has been compared to Da Vinci Code, The Secret History and Name Of The Rose. Having real all three, I can say that in the case of Da Vinci code, The Rule of four is better written by far, with characters who are much more than just a name and a description of their clothes. In the second case, again, the book is superior because the plot is deeply interconnected with history, not superficially as Donna Tartt's. And finally, although Name Of The Rose is better is every way, the Rule Of Four offers a solid research into the Renaissance, giving the reader more than a fleeting image of what the period was all about, and why it matters so much.
Having said that, the book stands very well on its own, without comparison to others. What I liked particularly is that it was very carefully constructed - as the plot develops, slowly and steadily, so do the characters. They are "unveiled" as they face a variety of challenges and tribulations. We are given a fascinating glimpse into university life with all its politics and intrigues - as if the authors have lifted the roofs of Princeton and exposed some of the unedifying things that take place within its walls.
It is also about relationships between friends, the different dynamics that challenge and transform it; between teacher and pupil; between father and son; between rival scholars; between lovers and last but central to the story - between the research and researcher. It is a disguised warning that obsession, no matter how justified, can ruin lives.
Finally, and most importantly, it is a book about a tantalizing historical mystery which is "unraveled" before the reader's eyes as the book progresses. The solution to the puzzle may be fictional but is so convincingly written that you will completely overlook this fact and get pulled into the story. The philosophical ramblings in the book tend to be a little obscure at times, but less challenging than Umberto Eco's, making the book highly readable. Some people may complain about their shallowness, but let's not forget this is not Dostoyevsky or Hugo. The ending of the story comes as a complete surprise, which is a really nice touch.
The writing style is quite accomplished, and even though not always consistent, is highly satisfying for someone looking for quality in a book.
Enjoy!
Book Review: An Enjoyable Thriller
Summary: 4 Stars
In 2003, Matthew Pearl published THE DANTE CLUB. Pearl is a young Ivy Leaguer (Harvard undergrad, Yale grad) and created a thriller that was historically accurate and challenged the reader intellectually by creating murder mystery based on Dante's INFERNO. Maybe he started a trend. Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason, also young Ivy League graduates (Caldwell is a Princeton grad, Thoamson like Pearl is a Harvard grad) created an intellectual thriller but based it not on a well known literary work but a lesser known Renaissance writing THE HYPNEROTOMACHIA POLIPHII (for this review I'll use the nickname the book club I belong to gave it-the HP). The setting is contemporary and takes place at Princeton but the authors traverse back and forth in history.
Thrillers need to be based first of all on action and the ability to capture the reader's attention and Caldwell and Thomason generally do a good job at both, though as some other commentators have noted, the book can get bogged in details. This is understandable since most readers are not familiars with the HP and explanations are necessary. Readers who enjoyed THE DANTE CLUB or Dan Brown's THE DA VINCI CODE have mentioned this fault, but readers need to keep in mind most people have read at least portions of THE INFERNO and THE LAST SUPPER is one of the world's best known paintings so Pearl and Brown didn't need to the explaining Caldwell and Thomason did.
However what kept me interested was not the story alone. The characters were riveting people. Protagonist Tom Sullivan still had to deal with the tragic death of his father. Paul Harris has to deal with his life's losses as well. We understand why Katie, Tom's girlfriend feels slighted. We feel like we're in college dorms and even if the characters are gifted with intelligence and motivation, they are, at heart, college kids. College life is accurately depicted, and based on what some Ivy League graduates have told me, recreates Princeton rather well.
THE RULE OF FOUR is worth the read. Its characters are endearing, its plot is clever, and we learn a bit about history too. However, we may have to wait a while for a follow up novel by these two young writers. It took the childhood friends six years to write this book and both seem to have active professional lives, so it may be a while.
Book Review: Intriguing read, but no "Da Vinci Code"
Summary: 4 Stars
I say "Rule of Four" is "no 'Da Vinci Code'" in the most neutral way possible. Dan Brown's overhyped "Da Vinci Code" is neither better nor worse than "Rule of Four"--the two books simply can't be adequately compared, no matter how hard Caldwell and Thomason's publishers have tried. The only real similarity is that both involve a Renaissance work and its potential hidden meaning.
So, before I even start my review of "Rule of Four" itself, let me caution you: if you're a "Da Vinci Code" fan looking for a carbon-copy of DVC, you won't find it here.
"Rule of Four" takes place almost exclusively on the Princeton campus (no wild goose chases around the world in this book). The action centers around two seniors, Paul and Tom, who are trying to decipher the hidden meaning of a little-understood Renaissance text, the "Hypnerotomachia Poliphili," which is called "a dream vision of love" by its enigmatic author. Tom is torn by his interest in the book, fearing it will tear him apart from his girlfriend as it tore away his father from his mother (and Tom himself). Paul must figure out the secrets because his academic future depends on it.
Together with their two closest friends, Paul and Tom begin to decipher the mysterious Hypnerotomachia. While under the spell of the text, Paul and Tom gain and lose friendships and other relationships; reflect on the past, present, and future; and come to terms with themselves. This aspect of "Rule of Four" elevates it past simple "thriller" and into a more complex personality study and coming-of-age story.
The text, codes, and revealed meanings are intriguing, albeit sometimes difficult to process. The whole idea of deciphering such a text will appeal to any student of literature or history. The big secret of the text is also interesting, although it pales in comparison to the character development that occurs throughout the novel.
In the end, then, "Rule of Four" is more about the process of learning and uncovering mysteries--not just about the world around us but also about ourselves, our families, and our friends--than about a thrilling plot to tease out a definitive answer from a work of art. While "Rule of Four" stumbles occasionally, it ultimately achieves its goal of arousing curiosity and encouraging analysis as well as introspection.