The Rule of Four

By: Ian Caldwell, Dustin Thomason

Narrated by: Jeff Woodman

Length: 12 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

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 500-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.

Critic reviews

"The authors, best friends since childhood, have made an impressive debut, a coming-of-age novel in the guise of a thriller, packed with history (real and invented) and intellectual excitement." (Booklist)
"A smart, swift, multitextured tale that both entertains and informs." (San Francisco Chronicle)
"[An] intriguing intellectual suspense novel." (Publishers Weekly)

Excellent Read

I found this book for the most point fast moving. It is one that you become involved in and don't want to move away from. The ending was very moving.

Worth sticking with

I bought this book because I enjoyed The Fifth Gospel by Ian Caldwell so much. However, in the first quarter of this book, I almost quit reading. It was very slow and filled with so many details of campus life and past events that it dragged the story down. There was something there though because I couldn't stop, but even after reading 75% of the book, I had those moments of "oh, come on, get on with it!" Now that I have finished though, I have to say it was worth the trip. The mystery of the central plot and mystery was compelling, and I learned and re-learned so much about the Renaissance. Also, in my opinion, the book was a beautiful coming of age story. If it had been more succinct, I would have definitely given it 5 stars.

Satisfying listen

I understand the criticism that this book tries to be too much (a coming of age story, as well as a thriller) but it didn't stop me from listening to it in record time. It's a good story and the narrator is also good.

Not really my thing

If i had wanted to read a book about a group of students writing a thesis, I would have reread Dead Poets Society.
The narrator’s voice was energetic, but grated on my nerves. Perhaps if
I had slowed down the tempo, I could have endured the story but then it would have taken longer..
In all fairness, I should have read the review notes. I’m just way “too over “ my college experience to be interested in this plot. My bad.

A bit of a plodder...

Not a bad book, but not one I would recommend when there are so many other good ones available. I completely agree with the other reviewers that say it tries to do too much. It never succeeds in being a historical fiction, a coming of age story, or a thriller. It makes an attempt at each and becomes muddled. The sudden changes in style were frustrating, like watching two television shows, switching from one to the other on commercial breaks.

The ending is wholly unsatsfying. I got the feeling the authors got tired of writing and fashioned a movie style ending that seems substandard. The majority of the book was so intelligent, I have to give it a 3 out of 5. It is a shame, because there were the makings of at least two very good books in this one.

Don't give up on this great novel.

The Rule of Four is a fantastic book, well researched and well written. It is true that at some points in the story it appears to slow down or even stop, the authors are merely deepening their character development to enrich the plot. Those who dislike this book must be fans of fast-paced novels that do all the thinking for you. They have their place, but the depth this story had for me, especially the surprising ending caused me to spend considerable time pondering the story and wondering if I had missed some foreshadowing. I would definately recommend this great work.

Da Vinci's Distant Cousin

Of course, you have to draw comparisons with The Da Vinci Code, since the premises are fairly similar. This book is much less sinister and ruthless since the setting feels more academic than political, more individual competition, less conspiracy theory. With that said, there's still murder and mayhem as people's life long obsessions with a literary work unravel and the mysteries imbedded in the book become clear. And of course, there's a payoff for whoever can solve the mystery at the end so stakes are high. Not a great deal of suspense, but fairly good character development and some good twists and turns.

great listen

i loved this book. it was said that only if you followed the crowd, would you enjoy this book. i am definitely a crowd follower. i thought the characters came to life early on, and i enjoyed the plot lines. a big 5 stars.

not my favorite book. hard to get into

hard to get into this book. the it ends without any answers or followup. Sadly i won't recommend it.

Good light listen.

This book was enjoyable and light. A good listen for someone who is looking for a good distraction on a free weekend.

I did feel like the characters were overly developed, almost into to the point of lecture. I felt I was being force fed wisdom that I could have been gently guided to.