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The Rule of Four
Product Group: Book
Publisher: The Dial Press (2004-05-11)
ISBN: 0385337116
EAN: 9780385337113
Dewey Decimal #: 813.6
Binding/Media: Hardcover - 384 pages
Edition: 1st
Release Date: 2004-05-11
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
An ivy league murder, a mysterious coded manuscript, and the secrets of a Renaissance prince collide memorably in The Rule of Four—a brilliant work of fiction that weaves together suspense and scholarship, high art and unimaginable treachery.
It's Easter at Princeton. Seniors are scrambling to finish their theses. And two students, Tom Sullivan and Paul Harris, are a hair's breadth from solving the mysteries of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili—a renowned text attributed to an Italian nobleman, a work that has baffled scholars since its publication in 1499. For Tom, their research has been a link to his family's past—and an obstacle to the woman he loves. For Paul, it has become an obsession, the very reason for living. But as their deadline looms, research has stalled—until a long-lost diary surfaces with a vital clue. And when a fellow researcher is murdered just hours later, Tom and Paul realize that they are not the first to glimpse the Hypnerotomachia 's secrets.
Suddenly the stakes are raised, and as the two friends sift through the codes and riddles at the heart of the text, they are beginnning to see the manuscript in a new light—not simply as a story of faith, eroticism and pedantry, but as a bizarre, coded mathematical maze. And as they come closer and closer to deciphering the final puzzle of a book that has shattered careers, friendships and families, they know that their own lives are in mortal danger. Because at least one person has been killed for knowing too much. And they know even more.
From the streets of fifteenth-century Rome to the rarified realm of the Ivy League, from a shocking 500 year-old murder scene to the drama of a young man's coming of age, The Rule of Four takes us on an entertaining, illuminating tour of history—as it builds to a pinnacle of nearly unbearable suspense.
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Customer Reviews
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WOW!!! WHAT A BEAR!!!
Rating  (1)
Date: 2010-08-19
THE FIRST HALF WAS BARELY DOABLE.
THE SECOND HALF WAS A TAD BETTER---STILL A BEAR THO!!!
THE WHOLE TOM & PAUL THING---SORRY---I CANNOT BELIEVE THESE TWO ?? 22 ??
YEAR OLDS CAN SOLVE THE RIDDLES----THE WAY THAT THEY DID---WHEN AFTER
500 YEARS, NO ONE ELSE COULD SOLVE THEM??????????? I DON'T THINK SO.
AND TOM---HOW PATHETIC----HE CAN SOLVE THESE BEEZARR RIDDLES---BUT---
HE CAN'T DEAL WITH HIS CURRENT GIRLFRIEND!!! YIKES!!!
TOTALLY UNBELIEVABLE
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Not worth reading
Rating  (2)
Date: 2010-08-11
I had a hard time finishing this book. The premise was weak: trying to be a DaVinci code type book. The transition to different times: Renaissance, two months ago, present were rough and messed with the flow of the book. The writing is weak. And, the book didn't manage to pull you in, despite suspenseful moments, because the author would pause to describe uninteresting details in the midst of what should have a been a frantic chase scene. I don't like to give up before the last page, so I hung in there, but it was like wading through very muddy water.
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Intriguing Premise, Choppy Execution
Rating  (3)
Date: 2010-07-13
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
I am an avid fan of both mystery and historical literature, so I was curious by the premise of the Rule of Four, which attempts to combine the genres.
The book's setting is Princeton University and the authors' descriptions of the characters and settings appear to be authentic. The main characters are well-written and the places are described in vivid detail. Straight away, I found myself involved in the action.
The main storyline revolves around an ancient book written in the 1500's, the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, a book that is linked to murder, theft, deceit, and betrayal is also said to contain coded, concealed directions to an ancient, treasure-filled tomb that has been doomed to be demolished.
Four college students attempt to locate and decode the book soon discover that the Hypnerotomachia takes over their entire lives. Their frantic and dangerous search for this ancient book fills the story with excitement and intrigue.
I found the ending to be unsatisfactory; the build up was far more compelling that the resolution and the characters fell flat at the end. However, I would recommend this book as an interesting and easy read.
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an underrated book
Rating  (4)
Date: 2010-06-19
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
it's great, lighthearted fun with information included that can lead the reader to more serious books, if they are so inclined. if not, it's a lovely chance to spend some time at Princeton University in the present and in Italy in the past and present. be willing to suspend disbelief occasionally, the ride will be worth it.
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Codes, secret meanings, and literary puzzles are what I liked best about this book
Rating  (5)
Date: 2010-06-11
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
If you liked The Da Vinci Code, this book is for you. Codes, secret meanings, and literary puzzles are what I liked best about this book. It doesn't have as much action as The Da Vinci Code; instead it focuses more on the relationship of four college friends who are trying to solve an ancient mystery.
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Retail Price: $24.00
Amazon.com's Price:$0.01
That's 100% Off!
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