Ian Caldwell & Dustin Thomason The Rule of Four

The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason is a book I picked up as one of the few who didn't read the Da Vinci Code, not liking the comments of soft minded people believing fiction to be truth when talking about faith. The Rule of Four is the first book written by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason, and it took them nearly 6 years to write. Although fictional, it interweaves real events into storyline, and hopefully would not make the easily led, believe it to be real.

The story is about a young man, Tom, at Princeton University, who's father died when they were both in a car accident. Throughout the book Tom tries to come to terms with his father's sacrifice of family life to work on the mysteries of a book, the Hypnerotomachia Polphili (500 years old and in several languages). Inevitably Tom becomes embroiled in these mysteries as well.

The first 200 pages of this book are a bore. Very much a pair of authors getting together and learning their craft, but unfortunately making it as a best seller. Perhaps that's a hard comment to make on something that took 6 years to write, but it's my opinion. There is in my mind immaturity running through the whole book, because these authors haven't yet experienced enough to write well enough. Once through those first 200 pages it picks up pace and becomes more enjoyable. But you'll not find any places where you'll laugh or cry, it's an adventure story, and one in some parts you don't want to put down. In others, if I'd had a fire I would have dropped it into, and wondered why had I spent so much time reading it. To tell the truth, if it's given to you, or picked up second hand and cheap, you'll think it a better read.