jayn
10-26-2008, 09:52 AM
After half a century, the mysteries of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (which in Latin means “Poliphilo’s Struggle for Love in a Dream”), a Renaissance text that has baffled scholars for centuries, may finally be solved. Three men started their quest to unravel the mysteries behind the Hypnerotomachia only to find themselves being thrown into the oblivion of obsession that they cannot escape. Their differences drove them apart and before long, each went their separate ways not wanting to get involved with the other, yet the Hypnerotomachia’s grasp on them never ceased. However, one of them died in an accident before he could finish it.
Years passed and in Princeton, by a little twist of fate, the lives of four guys – Tom Corelli Sullivan, Paul Harris, Charlie Freeman, and Preston Gilmore Rankin – were intertwined. One of them was the son of the dead man. After the death of his father, Tom Sullivan had tried to distance himself from the Hypnerotomachia because he had seen what it did to his family. But, Paul Harris, an orphan who idolized Tom’s father was adamant that Tom should settle his father’s unfinished business.
On the eve of graduation, both guys were racing with time to finish Paul’s final year thesis when a chilling cycle of deaths and revelations began; starting with the murder of Bill Stein, a librarian who had been assisting Paul in his research. As more and more mysteries of the ancient book unfold, those who had been involved in the madness of trying to decipher its meaning found their lives being compromised when greed and lust took over.
The authors Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason began writing The Rule of Four after graduating from the university. For a first novel, I find this book really irresistible and hard-to-put-down. If you had enjoyed Da Vinci’s Code, I’m sure you’ll find this book a pleasant read although I had hoped for more suspense. Anyway, as New York Times put it, “the real treat here is the process of discovery.” Readers may also find themselves cracking their skull trying to solve the puzzle together with Tom and Paul. A thriller with just a touch of romance and friendship, the book is a story about passion just like the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili itself.
Years passed and in Princeton, by a little twist of fate, the lives of four guys – Tom Corelli Sullivan, Paul Harris, Charlie Freeman, and Preston Gilmore Rankin – were intertwined. One of them was the son of the dead man. After the death of his father, Tom Sullivan had tried to distance himself from the Hypnerotomachia because he had seen what it did to his family. But, Paul Harris, an orphan who idolized Tom’s father was adamant that Tom should settle his father’s unfinished business.
On the eve of graduation, both guys were racing with time to finish Paul’s final year thesis when a chilling cycle of deaths and revelations began; starting with the murder of Bill Stein, a librarian who had been assisting Paul in his research. As more and more mysteries of the ancient book unfold, those who had been involved in the madness of trying to decipher its meaning found their lives being compromised when greed and lust took over.
The authors Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason began writing The Rule of Four after graduating from the university. For a first novel, I find this book really irresistible and hard-to-put-down. If you had enjoyed Da Vinci’s Code, I’m sure you’ll find this book a pleasant read although I had hoped for more suspense. Anyway, as New York Times put it, “the real treat here is the process of discovery.” Readers may also find themselves cracking their skull trying to solve the puzzle together with Tom and Paul. A thriller with just a touch of romance and friendship, the book is a story about passion just like the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili itself.