The Rule of Four

By: Ian Caldwell, Dustin Thomason

Narrated by: Josh Hamilton

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.©2004 Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason; (P)2004 Simon & Schuster Inc. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster Inc.

Pompous and plotless

I was disappointed by this title, though I admit that it makes good trashy-novel-on-vacation reading. The authors flaunt their erudition at a pedantic adolescent "see what I know" level. The plot focuses far too much on perceptions of glamour and privilege at an ivy league university, and the criminal plot turns are entirely unbelievable. It is fun if you are in search of light reading with a puzzle plot, but you will need to tolerate the self-conscious writing.

Contrived, so-so at best

The Rule of Four was interesting but it seemed a bit contrived to me.

The contemporary murder mystery plot seemed to be pasted around the solution to the riddle of the Hypneratomachia, rather than being believably intertwined as one. Of course, this might have been due to the abridgment. Too bad the unabridged edition was not available--perhaps it would have appeared a better integrated whole.

And the plot wasn't nearly as exciting as was the plot of the Da Vinci Code--which I liked a whole lot more than The Rule of Four. I'm glad I "read" The Rule of Four, but it isn't one of my favorites.

Over rated

Sorry to say I was disappointed! Rule of four was being compared to Dan Brown?s Da Vinci Code, which I find incorrect. The nerve in Dan Brown?s book never emrges in Rule of four. So - buy it but don?t expect it to be as great as the Da Vinci Code is my advice.

Has Potential

This book just fell short of being a great book. You got the feeling they simply ran out of steam as they approached the end of their story. Yet, it still made for a good read. I hope they do a sequal, I would bet the next one will be better.

Hard to follow

I got caught up trying to follow the book - mostly because it didn't capture my attention until it was about three quarters of the way over. I would recommend reading it, though - if anything, the brushing up on the Renaissance was good for me! In the end, I'm glad I listened to it but would suggest either paying better attention or just not worrying about it and realizing that it will come together (for the most part) in the end.