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| Phone: 845-679-1002 | | FAX: 845-679-3874 | | Email: | | [email protected] | | US Mail: | | 84 Zena Road | | Kingston, NY 12401 |  |
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| The Rule of Four | | by Ian Caldwell, Dustin Thomason | | Dial Books |  | | | | List Price: | $24.00 | | Our Price: | $14.40 | | You Save: | $9.60 (40.00%) | | | Release Date: | 11 May, 2004 | | Media: | Hardcover | | ISBN: | 0385337116 | | | Availability: | Usually ships within 24 hours | | Average Review: | Based on 388 reviews. |
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| | | | | | Customer Reviews
| | | Average Customer Review: Based on 388 reviews. | |  Great potential
A fascinating book, perfect for a fast summer read. There are some very interesting moments built within it, in particular the history of Florence (much of which, unfortunately is fabricated and compressed, as revealed during the Acknowledgement section) toward the end of the book. This is not a mystery in which the reader is invited to play along, however. We must simply take, at faith, the conclusions that two of the primary characters, Paul and Tom, arrive at throughout the book. As a reader, I was somewhat frustrated upon finishing the book having absolutely no idea whether the riddles and mysteries described as being contained within the Hypnerotomachia are truly existent or if this is merely a fictional "what-if" conjured up by Caldwell and Thomason. And if those riddles are truly existent, to what degree are they existent? That is, just where does fiction diverge from fact?
But the two authors can certainly write. Given the subject matter, their pacing is quite good, they didn't overly-wallow in the love interest angle, and they had some interesting -- albeit, forced -- parallels between the action of the 15th century and the present day. In fact, their most effective parallel may ultimately have been unintentional: the one in which the rise of overly-zealous religious figures attempt to dominate humanists.
All in all, not a bad first novel. They guys may have the chops. Let's see what their follow-up book is like. After all, there does seem to be an opening for a sequel. | |  No Way Near The DaVinci Code!
I purchased this book because it was tauted as The DaVinci Code for 2004. NOT! Where the DaVinci Code engaged the reader in the problem solving and code breaking, in The Rule of Four, the reader is spoon-fed the answers. I was very satisfied with the DaVinci Code, esp. when I would get the answers to the cyphers correct. I am so disappointed in The Rule of Four, that maybe I will just set it on fire too, though I doubt anyone would martyr themselves rescuing it... | |  Not the Da Vinci Code! But still good
Do not expect to read a nail biting thriller. The comparisons to the Da Vinci Code are very few. They both deal with a historical mystery, end of comparison. This is a good book though. It is worth a look if you have an open mind. |
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