By Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason
If you like Dan Brown's books (
The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, Digital Fortress), you'll love this book too.
"Imagine, Paul said to me once, that the present is simply a reflection of the future. Imagine that we spend our whole lives staring into a mirror with the future at our back, seeing it only in the reflection of what is here and now. Some of us would begin to believe that we could see tomorrow better by turning around to look at it directly. But those who did, without realizing it, would've lost the key to the perspective they once had. For the one thing they would never be able to see in it was themselves..." (
The Rule of Four, p.513).
Set in Princeton,
The Rule of Four is a tale of obsession, mystery and friendship. It is also a story about the immense power of heritage, both personal and cultural, in a culture where the past is being progressively eroded by an ever speedier, shallower present.
The plot revolves around the efforts of the main characters, Tom Sullivan and his friend Paul, to unravel the message encoded in a Renaissance book, the
Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, a work of mysterious provenance that has baffled scholars for hundreds of years. The obsessive efforts of successive generations, including Tom's own father, to decipher the coded messages in the book, have resulted in casualties and tragedy in the past, and continue to do so in the present.
Tom struggles with the effects on himself and his mother of his father's dedication to this work, and attempts to distance himself from what he perceives as the dangers of becoming too immersed in this deciphering work. He is in love, and sees that his relationship with his girlfriend is also threatened by his scholarly partnership with Paul. As the story unfolds, however, Tom's understanding of his place in the family tradition undergoes a transformation through a process of severe testing. He and Paul complement each other as their search for the right clues to deciphering the text reaches a dramatic climax. His search for the meanings in the
Hypnerotomachia is echoed by his search for personal meaning and purpose in his own life. He comes to realize that the key to finding meaning and value in the future lies in the correct interpretation of the past.
A thoughtful novel as well as an accomplished mystery thriller,
The Rule of Four is greatly recommended.
Published by Arrow Books. Read or listen to extracts from the book on the publisher's excellent website
here, where you can also find a good companion volume,
The Real Rule of Four, by Joscelyn Godwin. Do take a look at their Ebook section while you are there. Many titles can be downloaded straight to your PC or laptop. To order printed books, or have them delivered to your door by Bookpost (UK):
email: bookshop@enterprise.net
Phone: 01624 677237
Post: Random House Books
c/o Bookpost, PO Box 29, Douglas, Isle of Man IM99 1BQ.
Cheques (payable to Bookpost) and credit cards accepted.
Have fun!
