Synopsis

A mysterious coded manuscript, a violent Ivy League murder, and the secrets of a Renaissance prince collide in a labyrinth of betrayal, madness, and genius.

THE RULE OF FOUR

Princeton. Good Friday, 1999. On the eve of graduation, two students are a hairsbreadth from solving the mysteries of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili. Famous for its hypnotic power over those who study it, the five-hundred-year-old Hypnerotomachia may finally reveal its secrets -- to Tom Sullivan, whose father was obsessed with the book, and Paul Harris, whose future depends on it. As the deadline looms, research has stalled -- until an ancient diary surfaces. What Tom and Paul discover inside shocks even them: proof that the location of a hidden crypt has been ciphered within the pages of the obscure Renaissance text.

Armed with this final clue, the two friends delve into the bizarre world of the Hypnerotomachia -- a world of forgotten erudition, strange sexual appetites, and terrible violence. But just as they begin to realize the magnitude of their discovery, Princeton's snowy campus is rocked: a longtime student of the book is murdered, shot dead in the hushed halls of the history department.

A tale of timeless intrigue, dazzling scholarship, and great imaginative power, The Rule of Four is the story of a young man divided between the future's promise and the past's allure, guided only by friendship and love.
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paperback. My copy has a blue cover. This is an extra copy.

I'm sending this book to kiyoitsukikage as a replacement for a stalled bookring.

Wow that was quick! Thank you so much for sending in the replacement, carlissa!!!

This book is now an international bookray
This is a replacement for the bookray started originally by Quez45. That ray was stalled. Its journal is here.

Participants:
The list is subject to change at any given time.

# - name: location - shipping pref

1. kiyoitsukikage: Poland - EUR confirmed
2. RubyBlueLady: UK confirmed
3. Enidq: USAno reply
4. BigBlueMarble: USA - Intl confirmed
5. kidlitmp: USA confirmed
6. adah-price: USA no reply
7. babyimran: Malaysia - Asia/AUS/EUR confirmed

====FINISHED====

The book was interesting, though I hoped for something more along the lines of a thriller than a coming-of-age story. Sometimes it was hard to follow the changing time perspective.

RELEASE NOTES:

On to the next person!

This book arrived yesterday and I started reading it straightaway.

There's an astonishing amount of praise all over this New York bestseller, but I can't help wondering what the fuss was all about. I love the Renaissance, so the parts of the books that deal with the unlocking of the secrets of the Hypnerotomachia I enjoyed very much, but the parts that dealt with Tom's relationships with his various University friends bored me rather. I think if the book had stuck firmly with the Renaissance mystery I would've enjoyed it more.

I thought the ending was very good though and I'm glad I read the book. If you enjoyed this book, I recommend 'The Geographer's Library' by Jon Fasman.

Have pm'd the next person for their address.

Got this in the mail yesterday -- thanks RubyBlueLady!!

I liked this book, but I agree that following the changing time perspective was tough sometimes. Reading that the two authors have been best friends since they were 8 makes me wonder how many of the experiences the men in the book had actually were experienced by the authors. Have PM'd the next person for an address for forwarding on...

I have received and read the book. I found it interesting in several areas; historical, academic, and social. My mother saw it sitting on the cofee table and has hunted down a copy for herself. Though I enjoyed the read, I do think subsequent novels by the authors may improve. I am PMing the next reader now.

I have received this book two days ago. Only able to journal it today. I am glad to see that I won't keep anyone waiting for this book (but I may create a new ring/ray) for I may take a while to read it.

Sep 25 - time to open the book to be read. For the first ten pages, it look so familiar that I may have read it. Will know later.

Oct 5 - a bookclub member asked me what I thought about the book. Here is my reply to her:

If you are comparing with Da Vinci Code - it is on solving the 500 year old book (which I really love). That is true.

I think the RULE OF FOUR is more than that. It shows what an obsession can do to a person/relationship. I actually like that part where it is not only about the book. Da Vinci Code lacks on the relationship between the characters.

What I did not like about the RULE OF FOUR is that it was slow to capture me from the beginning. First, I thought I have seen the story about the two messengers some where else. Second, it was really slow in starting.

I should be able to complete it later tonight. Thinking of keeping the book but may pass it on during our November BC picnic meet up.