Interesting read, plot not very plausible.
According to the NY times: 'an ingenious novel' and "profoundly erudite"

If you regretted finishing the Da Vinci Code, you'll want to read this.
Since I'm planning on starting a bookring with this book (if anyone is interested), I'll elaborate a bit on its contents.

From the cover:
Tom Sullivan, about to graduate from Princeton, is haunted by the violent death of his father, an academic who devoted his life to one of the rarest, most complex books in the world. Coded in seven languages, the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, an intricate mathematical mystery and a tale of love and arcane brutality, has baffled scholars since 1499.
Tom's friend Paul is similarly obsessed and when a long-lost diary surfaces they finally seem to make a breakthrough. But only hours later, a fellow researcher is murdered and the two friends suddenly find themselves in great danger. Working desperately to expose the book's secret, they slowly uncover a Renaissance tale of passion and blood, a hidden crypt and a secret worth dying to protect.......

"One part Da vinci code, one part Name of the rose...a blazingly good yarn"
"An assured peice of fiction that weaves together the past and the present seamlessly...I enjoyed it tremendously"

My take:
In the name of the rose is way better in terms of literature (more depth of character above all), this book is more on a parr with the Da vinci code. But there really is some interesting stuff on Renaissance culture and its a gripping read.

This book is an international bookring. It has just been sent to wyldewomin (9th of august) so it'll arrive in the USA in about two weeks.... Here's the list of members:

Wyldewomin (USA)
Luintaurien (USA)
EFS300 (USA)
Gran ducato (Chile)
Gerducky (Germany)
Scarlett17 (UK)
Yvonnep (Netherlands)
Dutch flybaby (NL)
Tiny bear (NL)
Nefersand (Portugal)
Jessi626 (Germany)
and back to me, who'll then release it upon a non-suspecting friend of mine, to inspire her to join BC....

The rules: read, journal and send on, preferably within a month's time
(shipping time excluded of course) AND ENJOY!

Arrived today. Very fast shipping!

I am mortified that I am doing this but I can not finish this book. I have slogged my way through 150 pages hoping that something would click but nothing did. The absence of descrpition in some place and over in other, seemingly trivial spot, made me crazy. The final straw was the "parable" about the dog that only pissed me off. I am really disappointed as I loved the DaVinci Code and Name of the Rose.

Sending it off to Luintaurien. Hope see likes it more.

Got it today. Thank you. Will reaad and pass on ASAP.

Couldn't get into it so passing it on.

RELEASE NOTES:

The Rule of Four arrived safe and sound in New Hampshire. Am reading another book right at the moment so this one will be at the top of my TBR pile.

I finished "The Rule of Four" this morning. I was determined to finish this book after reading the last two ring journal entries. But it was a challenge. For me it did not get somewhat 'interesting' until somewhere in the 250-300 page range. So overall this book did not 'click' with me and certainly did not have the pace of "The DaVinci Code" which the publisher obviously want it compared. The concept behind the book was interesting but the results were just fair. So I am giving it a rating of 6. It is all packaged up to send to Gran-ducato and I will mail it on the way to work this morning. It will be interesting to see what the rest of the readers on this ring think of this book.

Shipped 12/1/05 - US Customs label# LC580662891US

This book could perfectly has 100 pages and that is. I mean there's a lot of things that shouldn't be there, too many personal things that make you wonder if really is a good book or not. Thanks for sending it anyway. I'll ship it as soon ai get the next reader's address.

I didn't get an answer by the next in the list so I skipped him and ask for the next on it, I hope to have her address soon, I'm waiting for scarlett17's name and address to send her the book ASAP

Sent to Yvonnep in Holland, Have a good reading

The book arrived here safe and sound! Thank you very much Gran-Ducato. And thank you very much for the very beautiful cards you send with the book. My husband is a mountain lover and he oh-ed and ah-ed at your picture of the Torres del Paine... I especially loved the colours of the desert. If the book is just half as exciting....

Yes, I found the book... it got lost in my moving from one house to the other. We finally have enough space for all our books and unpacked bookboxes. Of course, in the last one... I'll pm Tinybear, because DutchFlyBabe has a copy of her own in the meantime.