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 FOURPrinceton. 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, ...
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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 FOURPrinceton. 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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Add this copy of The Rule of Four to cart. $9.99, good condition, Sold by The Yard Sale Store rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Narrowsburg, NY, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Simon & Schuster Audioworks.
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Good. 9 AUDIO CASSETTES in the original printed box. Some shelf wear and edge wear to the box. The audio tapes sit inside, in individual slots, reliable and protected. EACH AUDIO CASSETTE is tested prior to shipping for quality of sound. Enjoy this audio performance!
Add this copy of The Rule of Four to cart. $25.68, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hialeah, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Simon & Schuster Audio.
If you liked Dan Brown"s "Da VInci Code":take note
I read this on the heels of re-reading "The DaVinci Code" by Dan Brown and I while I found this book a bit slow in the beginning, I soon found I wasn't disappointed in my choice of novels.
I am the type of person who will buy and read a series in the order its written which some times means a long wait between books and I was very, very happy to have this book in my bag as I travelled on buses for long rides into and out of New York City. I was sorry to have the tale end!
SeldomSeen
Oct 25, 2007
A Poor Dan Brown Imitation
The Rule of Four has a beginning and an end. In between, however, nothing much happens. The youth of the authors is evident as a bulk of the novel concerns itself with walking across campus, talking to professors, worrying about classes and hanging out with friends. There's an awkward, unconvincing romance, some immature relationships between roommates and, from time to time, a mystery involving an ancient book. Note to Dan Brown wannabes: it's okay if your hero's a student or professor, but they should actually leave campus at some point. Supposedly there's an ancient treasure at stake, but instead exploring the catacombs and back alleys of Italy, we get to explore the buildings and dormitories of Princeton. Sorry, the wishy-washy desires of the immature protagonist are not enough conflict to propel this story.
Ruah
Apr 3, 2007
Hypnerotomachia Code
Tom Sullivan is running away from the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili which he views as his father's mistress. He watched its hypnotic effect on his father before his father's death and doesn't want to be drawn in. But his friend Paul Harris, working on his culminating paper at the close of his senior year at Princeton, asks for his help anyway. Due to several fateful and fated circumstances, Tom finds himself drawn in despite his apprehension. The story draws one in like a spider dancing on a web. Each strand pulls the reader farther & farther into the center until one realizes that, just like Tom, its mystery is appealing. It's major drawback is also part of its appeal: each revealed passage is convoluted and cryptic enough so one needs the authors' interpretation to understand it.
