Oh be warned my cyber-friends! I actually got some sleep last night (the first time in three days) therefore I fear that this book review is going to be longer and more ADD than you could ever expect!
Before I get to the book, because I always never get to the book right away, the reason why I have not gotten any sleep in the last three days is that my daughter gave birth to our first grandchild - Kaydynn Elizabeth - late on Thursday night. Mommy and baby are doing awesome and Kaydynn is absolutely adorable! I thought all along that the idea of being a grandparent at the age of 37 would really bother me but Kaydynn is way too cute, so it makes it all better :)
Needless to say with all of the going on's that have happened in the last 72 hours, the book reading train has slowed down a bit however I did find the time to finish the current book I have been working on: "The Rule of Four". Whist Kym was in labor and I was bored, I was trying to read the book and kept getting questions from the other family members that were at the hospital. "What's 'The Rule of Four'?", "Why don't you know?", "You know how to read?" and on and on.I don't know exactly how that part relates to anything but I am still kind of err at a few of them so I felt the need to vent - sorry.
Oh yeah book, sorry. Before I get into the book I need to make another interruption but I promise that it is related back story. So every since I read the book "This Side of Paradise" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I have been obsessed with the idea of going to Princeton. I mean, not so much as to actually study and apply, but if I had a choice of going to school anywhere it would be Princeton. Why you may ask? That's a good question! Let me expound if you will....
Princeton, from all of the stories and movies I have exposed to, has such a romantic/nostalgic nature to it. Einstein taught there when he came to America, John Nash ("A Beautiful Mind" for those who need a reference) won the Nobel Prize while teaching at Princeton for his work on Game Theory, Fitzgerald was an alumnus of the school, Harold and Kumar went there looking for drugs in their adventure to White Castle (and I do love White Castle!), and on and on. So if you were going to pick an Ivy league school to attend, Princeton has to be your first choice. Now I know a few of you who watch more than football during your day might argue that there are some better Ivy league schools out there but you would be wrong. Harvard is always brought up because of people like Bill Gates or Mark Zuckenberg and whatnot. I concede that some famous and successful people have graduated from Harvard. In addition it is located in the Boston area which sounds like a blast. Although my next degree will be from Harvard (and it will, I have this all figured out and would tell you but you all would run right out and enroll and it would dilute my awesomeness so I'm keeping that secret to myself) its still not Princeton. Yale - who goes to Yale anymore? University of Pennsylvania - great business school but its in Philadelphia (ick!). Brown, Cornell, Columbia, Dartmouth? Bleh I say! None of them hold a candle to Princeton. Harvard is close but they will always be Princeton's little sister.
Ok so we have determined that I am obsessed with Princeton. Guess what??? The book is set at Princeton!!!! I honestly was so excited, it took the birth of my granddaughter for me not to read this book. This is a book I am not going to ruin for you but even if you take out my sick obsession with Princeton, its awesome. The New York times called it "Profoundly Erudite". I did not know what that meant so I had to look it up (hey...that wasn't on the MENSA test so :p). It basically means "really smart", and I agree with them. The story centers on these 4 roommates at Princeton (yay Princeton!) and their lives during the second half of their senior year and how they get involved in trying to solve a 500 year old puzzle contained in the book "Hypnerotomachia Poliphili". Puzzles are solved, relationships fall apart, friends fight, people die, it's at Princeton! - awesome book.
There is a saying that "there are many roads to Rome" and I agree with the first part of that statement however in my reading adventure - apparently there are many roads that lead to15th century Florence, for once again that is where the mystery book originates. If you had any interest in the book I reviewed "The Birth of Venus" (why I don't know), you definitely can skip that now because "The Rule of Four" goes over the exact same historical information about the late 1400's in Florence that the "Birth of Venus" did - and does it in about 5 pages versus 300+ (and its set at Princeton! Yay Princeton!).
I saw as I was looking up the photo for this review that they are even making a movie coming out in 2011!! Awesome!!!
Ergo, I give "The Rule of Four" a rating of:
Vroom, Vroom, Vroom, Vroom, Vro (4 1/2 Vroom's on the motorcycle scale of awesomeness)
Next up: I have two choices: one is sci-fi fantasy which I am scared of and the other is about the secret service. I have not decided just yet but I will let you all know!
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