Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason: The Rule Of Four

Reviewed by MARGIE THOMSON

Literally a literary thriller, this takes us on an intriguing romp through the
convolutions of Renaissance literature and history in the company of two young, modern-day scholars entrenched in the equally arcane and secretive world of late-20th century Princeton University.

Our two heroes, Tom (narrator) and Paul, are senior students obsessed with the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, a strange 15th-century text written in multiple languages. "It is the world's longest book about a man having a dream," Tom explains, "and it makes Marcel Proust, who wrote the world's longest book about a man eating a piece of cake, look like Ernest Hemingway."

Paul and Tom are close to cracking the text's several codes and unlocking the mysteries within, which may lead to a well-stocked vault somewhere beneath Rome. But as the young men get closer to solving the mystery, the body count starts to rise as both ancient and more recent deadly feuds are revealed.

Actually, the thriller side of the story is rather predictable, but the mystery, the obsessive, suspenseful unlocking of the historical "what if", is really gripping. It's been described as a more intellectual companion to Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, and it's certainly tapped into the present enthusiasm for enigma and cryptic codes. In its first month it was reprinted 15 times in the United States.

Its authors are a story in themselves: best friends since they were 8 years old, they're still just 28 and collaborated for four years to write the book. Their youth shows somewhat on the pages, mostly in their earnestness about certain coming-of-age matters, the social stereotypes and a laughably pretentious attention to bookish detail (they could kick themselves for not realising that "tenterhooks" comes from Tobias Smollett). Nevertheless, it's an enjoyable diversion.

Century, $34.95