Reviewer: NANCI MILAM
Book THE RULE OF FOUR
(Indianapolis, IN)
wc - 460

CONSPIRACY OF DUNCES

The novel, THE RULE OF FOUR, is a phenomenon, not because it's a terrific effort from first time authors (it isn't), but because so many readers have been led into buying it. Most professional writers, having made similar first-time mistakes as Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason, will recognize the lack of conviction by the authors as they fail to commit to any single element of their work.

While there is some character development as we go along, the principle players remain fuzzy in the mind's eye. What attempts are made to tap into the angst of the protagonist, Tom, fall short with writing that has the depth of understanding of an Ivy League silverspooner attempting to give gravitas to soul-searching while checking his Rolex. The pivotal soul search here is whether to continue on with history making research that will rock the art world (and reap a windfall of personal riches), or go to the equivalent of the Princeton Prom. Gosh, tough choice for a brilliant mind.

Our hero, Tom, is tepidly torn between love for sophomore Katie and obsession with the mystery locked within the pages of the Renaissance work, Hypnerotomachia Poliphili. According to the logic of The Rule of Four, Einstein and his family would have been the better off if he hadn't been obsessed with quantum mechanics. As either hero or antihero Tom appears too weak in character to be of much interest to the reader. His true love, Katie, is superficial in the demand that Tom choose between research on the book (and best friend's life) or cozy dates with his honey. In the world of serious academics, in this case, at Princeton, it's hard to imagine students, male or female, putting much weight on a formal dance as being more than an if-time-allows
diversion from the rigors of studying.

The Frankenstein Fitzgerald character of Gil is more caricature than character; Paul, however, is
drawn with merit and one wouldn't object to meeting him in a sequel. While hoping to capture the brilliant intellect of the players in this all too familiar drama, we are left wondering why, as brainy people, four roommates fall victim to so many ill-planned courses of action. The story line of intrigue has some fine moments, but few surprises and the ending could have been scripted by a third-grader.

Surely Princeton is not filled with many vacuous students as portrayed here, but one thinks, perhaps, our authors belong to a secret society similar to Skull and Bones at Yale. That this novel is all the rage and selling like hotcakes can only be attributed to a conspiracy of rich and
powerful good ol' boys, not in politics, but in the publishing business.

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