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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"I am not really one for thriller or mystery novels but this book was very smartly written. I enjoyed the characters and the development. I read it cover to cover without putting it down. The balance of danger and desire complicated by the characters results in a fantastic entertaining read. " — Lori (4 out of 5 stars)
"I am not really one for thriller or mystery novels but this book was very smartly written. I enjoyed the characters and the development. I read it cover to cover without putting it down. The balance of danger and desire complicated by the characters results in a fantastic entertaining read. "
“Profoundly erudite…The ultimate puzzle-book.”
“Ingenious…The real treat here is the process of discovery.”
“A smart, swift, multitextured tale that both entertains and informs.”
“Compulsively readable.”
" I wasn't sure I was going to like this (it's part of that tricky "Ye Olde Times Conspiracy" genre) but I found it fun, trashy, good-for-the-commute read. Except for the fact that it takes place at Princeton. Boo! "
" Like watching molasses pour at 30 below. The idea for this book was great, at times even interesting to read, but there was so much wasted text that the book dragged and ultimately was tedious to read. "
" Better than the Davinci Code, natch. But it suffers from the association. "
" This was billed as a great story if you enjoyed The Davinci Code - I disagree. I enjoyed TDC but found The Rule of Four to be a bit tedious and at times hard to follow. Lots of sub-plots and lots of twists and turns. It was okay but I probably won't pick up anything else by this author. "
" Took a few chapters to get into but overall an okay read. Not one I would read over again though. "
" You know it isn't really a good book when you can't remember you even read it! The plot was too confused and never fully worked itself out. "
" Puzzling but not that interesting. "
" mine has a blue cover.. thrilling.. "
" Along the lines of the DaVinci Code. "
" Would have been rated higher had I not read it following The Davinci Code. Same basic premise, but still a good story. "
" 4.5. Intelligent novel set at Princeton about college students. Similar to Dan Brown type books. "
" A great book! If you like/read Brimstone by Preston, read this... "
" Robin told me this is one of her favorite books. I'm waiting? "
" Reminds me of the Da Vinci Code. "
" I thought it was interesting and a good read "
" If you like The DaVinci Code (but like a little better writing), this book is a good one. "
" I loved the feel of entering the world of academia and how intelligently it was written. I didn't love the end- it went too far to be believable. "
" This is the rare book that I started reading and it was TERRIBLE! I stopped reading after 80 pages and threw the book away. Pretentious nonsense. "
" An interesting book- it was well laid out with twists and turns. Very like Dan brown, with a predictable ending but neither of those things affected the quality. "
" I was listening to this....it nearly put me to sleep. YAWN. Boring and pretentious, and filled with weird descriptions.mind you, I only got half way through the second CD. It was more than enough. "
" This is by far the worst book i have ever read.....nothing happens "
" Really interesting idea, although the actual writing isn't stellar. "
" If you liked "The Da Vinci Code", you'll like this book. "
" Good book. Very well researched. Good for people who like history. Of my friends, Michael might enjoy this one. "
" A more intellectually based Da Vinci Code, with a whirlwind of thesis papers, college antics, and way more romance. A very nicely crafted book, enjoyable for the mystery as well. "
" Interesting but too much specific information about the Renaissance. You would need to have a PhD in Renaissance Art, Italian History, Greek History, Greek and Roman Mythology and on and on to understand the riddles and puzzles in this book. "
" There is a good book struggling to get out. Good ingredients for a book, not great execution though "
" Quite enjoyed this, intriguing at times. at other times read like a campus guide to Princton. But the idea was intriguing. Old (real) book the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili is presumed to contain hidden meanings. Various scholars compete to solve them, with tragic results "
" Read this one a long time ago, but it was very reminiscent of "The Davinci Code" by Dan Brown. If you liked that book, you will love this one. "
" It was overall a very well written book. It was suspenseful in all the right places and very engaging. If anything, at times, the characters were a bit difficult to deal with. Not a book in which the characters stand out (for me), but the plot is spectacular. "
" I picked this book up at my in-laws house, and I couldn't put it down. Although it is very reminiscent of the DaVinci Code, it is a good story in it's own right. I believe that it is an excellent collaboration, and I would read others from this duo should there be any. "
Ian Caldwell is a writer and coauthor of the thriller, The Rule of Four, which spent forty-nine weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and sold nearly two million copies in North America. He was raised in Virginia and graduated from Princeton University in 1998 with a degree in history.
Dustin Thomason graduated from Harvard College and received his MD from Columbia University. He is the co-author of the international bestseller The Rule of Four, and has written and produced several television series, including Lie to Me. He lives in Venice Beach, California.
Jeff Woodman is an actor and narrator. He is a winner of the prestigious Audie Award and a six-time finalist. He has received twenty Earphones Awards and was named the 2008 Best Voice in Fiction & Classics, as well as one of the Fifty Greatest Voices of the Century by AudioFile magazine. As an actor, he originated the title role in Tennessee Williams’ The Notebook of Trigorin and won the S. F. Critics’ Circle Award for his performance in An Ideal Husband. In addition to numerous theater credits on and off Broadway, his television work includes Sex and the City, Law & Order, and Cosby.
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