The Eight
by Katherine Neville
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Book Summary Information
Author: Katherine NevilleEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1990-01-14
ISBN: 0345366239
Number of pages: 624
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Book Reviews of The Eight
Book Review: A Grand Escape
Summary: 5 Stars
First, let me say that I have read this book several times and have enjoyed it each time more than the last. And, like another reviewer, I have lent copies out - more than once - never to see (and never EXPECTING to see) their return. That said, I was shocked at the intensity with which some reviewers reviled this novel. I am first assuming that these individuals have read numerous Harlequin romances (and apparently destroyed them quickly thereafter in fits of rage and disgust) as they seem to be familiar enough with the genre to draw comparisons. Never having read such literature myself and not really wishing to denigrate those who do, I have only to say that using such an obvious pop reference to elicit a gut reaction from those reading these reviews is fairly cheap; hardly evidence of the intelligence that these ersatz writers clearly believe they possess. The stories that are interwoven so cleverly in The Eight (those of a pair of young nuns attempting to keep safe the secret of their Abbey during the French Revolution AND that of an intelligent young woman in the 1970's being unwillingly pulled into a plot of international intrigue) are so complex and so deftly drawn that even if one should have quarrel with some plot points or the inclusion of certain scenes, I think that the overall intelligence of the writer can't be called into question. While its obvious that a novelist such as Eco, for instance, could have made this story into the intellectual and philological bonanza that some would apparently expect to be enjoyed by those of us that aren't pittering 12-year old girls or similar, LET'S BE HONEST! Most of us don't want to read with a dictionary and encyclopedia standing by. (And stop that smarmy smirking all ye college professors out there who probably have trouble keeping track of your own pants...) In fact, most of us enjoy the escape of stepping into the shoes of a heroine who is maybe a little more accomplished than us, yet still likes a roll in the hay with a mysterious Adonis. Most of us like to imagine (okay, believe) that the historical events and figures that we learned about in our most boring classes are but shadows cast on the wall of reality. Most of us have passion and imagination and longing inside that is strong enough to let us suspend our disbelief just long enough to enjoy a grand escape on the order of The Eight. Those of you that think otherwise - Hollywood-types, literary types, and the rest - you are entitled to your opinion, but you might consider letting some other people in on it. Somebody like J.K. Rowling, for instance. (She's been wasting her time!) But to the dreamers of dreams large and small, The Eight is for you. -P.S. I ain't no romance writer, ma, I'm just flowering it up enough to rile those Harlequin haters - yeeeee-ha!
Summary of The Eight
Computer expert Cat Velis is heading for a job to Algeria. Before she goes, a mysterious fortune teller warns her of danger, and an antique dealer asks her to search for pieces to a valuable chess set that has been missing for years...In the South of France in 1790 two convent girls hide valuable pieces of a chess set all over the world, because the game that can be played with them is too powerful....Katherine Neville's debut novel is a postmodern thriller set in 1972 ... and 1790. In the 20th century, Catherine Velis is a computer expert with a flair for music, painting, and chess who, on her way to Algeria at the behest of the accounting firm where she is employed, is invited to take a mysterious moonlighting assignment: recover the pieces of an old chess set missing for centuries.
In the midst of the French Revolution, a young novice discovers that her abbey is the hiding place of a chess set, once owned by the great Charlemagne, which allows those who play it to tap into incredible powers beyond the imagination. She eventually comes into contact with the major historical figures of the day, from Robespierre to Napoleon, each of whom has an agenda.
The Eight is a non-stop ride that recalls the swashbuckling adventures of Indiana Jones as well as the historical puzzles of Umberto Eco which, since its first publication in 1988, has gone on to acquire a substantial cult following.
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