Friday February 18, 2005 The Rule of Four
The Rule of Four - Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason (2004)
*** (out of 5)
Based on the runaway success of The Da Vinci Code, a number of authors have decided to produce books in a similar vein - thrillers combining historical arcana and conspiracy. The Rule of Four is one such book. In this novel, a pair of Princeton students - Tom Sullivan and Paul Harris - are working on unraveling the steganographic mysteries of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, an enigmatic 15th century Italian text written in Latin, Italian, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, Chaldean and Egyptian hieroglyphics. The duo gain possession of a diary that promises to be an important key in this effort. Soon after the find, a fellow researcher is murdered and it dawns upon the two students that more is at stake than a thesis paper.
It is inevitable that readers and critics are comparing the Rule of Four with Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code. I found the Rule of Four to be a more thoughtful book and less guilty of factual errors and misrepresentations (interestingly, Caldwell and Thomason provided a set of authors' notes listing the intentional mistakes, inventions, and creative liberties that they included in the book). Like The Da Vinci Code, however, the book succeeds primarily on the strength of its plot rather than its characters and themes. In my opinion, the characters were flat and their relationships uninteresting.
All in all, The Rule of Four is a credible first attempt by the authors. Not a great book, certainly, but one worth giving a try.
Also Recommended:
- The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco (1983)
Don't Bother:
- Codex - Lev Grossman (2004)
( Feb 18 2005, 10:31:04 AM PST ) Permalink Comments [1]
Word of the Day
adjective - inclined to frequent and often pointless change : inconstant
( Feb 18 2005, 09:44:58 AM PST )
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