Rating: 
Summary: Send 101 critic back to 101
Review: Unfortunately, I cannot read the "Send Pears back to English 101" critic's review as I type this, or I would have handy reference to this reviewer's written screwups. Interesting. This reviewer griped about Pears' horrendous grammatical errors while committing errors of his or her own. You do not end a sentence with multiple question marks, or do you??? I don't know what style book you refer to, but mine frowns upon using an apostrophe in 1600's. You also failed to include commas in a number of appropriate places. Perhaps you should return to English 101 before you review your next book.
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Summary: four stars
Review: it is a very good book except for the long explanations for every detailed thought
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Summary: Outstanding murder mystery placed in 17th century England.
Review: Iain Pears' best work. An intriguing murder mystery told through the eyes of three different protagonists. Pears incorporates the science vs. religion theme and many of history's most famous scientist/philosophers of the 17th century. Well paced and never dull. Fabulous twist ending.
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Summary: About the truth
Review: Many other readers have compared this book (favorably and otherwise) with Umberto Eco's "Name of the Rose." However, this book rather reminded me of another Italian, Luigi Pirandello, and his theory about the truth being forever beyond our reach, because even hard evidence is unavoidably colored by the eye of the beholder. One Pirandello character says "I am what the others believe I am," another claims that before other people's eyes we are like beggars standing before a door that will be forever closed to us. So, whoever buys this book expecting a historical whodunit is bound to be disappointed, because we are not to know the truth: we have four different narratives about the same events, described by four different characters, one of whom lies outright (or does not tell the entire truth), whereas the others tell the truth as they understand it to be. Even Wood's narrative, which is purported to be the truth, is tinted by his own vision of the facts, so we are to treat it also as suspect. This book demands a good deal of attention: you have to read carefully and be ready to go back and read again whole passages often. The historical research is careful but unobstrusive (that is, the author is not tempted to flaunt his erudition all the time), and the narrative never tries to pander to modern sensitivities. A certain baroque coldness spoils a little the general effect, but as a whole this can be said to be, maybe not a great, but a pretty satisfying read.
Rating: 
Summary: Send Pears back to English 101!
Review: I just finished the book. I nearly threw it against the wall a few times because I was absolutely driven to distraction by the author's poor use of grammar, namely his misuse of the reflexive pronoun "myself". (used not only in place of "me" which is a common error in this day and age, but also in place of the word "I" which really hurts!) I encounter grammar problems in many books, but I am usually able to overlook them. But this particular grammar offence occurred on almost every page! It was especially irritating because the story was to have been written by four different people, but when each of the four makes the same grammatical error, you are constantly reminded that one person wrote the whole story. (Had it been just one of the four, I would have considered it a stroke of genius!) It is also a very contemporary error, one I doubt was in circulation in the 1600's, another distraction that kept reminding me that I was not traveling in time. (And I really wanted to do that!) Oh well. I was curious if any other readers had mentioned this glaring problem and sadly, only one other person (a reader from Marin County) mentioned it. In fact, many said how well-written it was. What's happening to the English language? Otherwise, it was indeed entertaining so I kept plowing along, wincing every fifteen minutes at the butchering of grammar, wishing it would go away. Didn't anyone else notice this????
Rating:
Summary: Interesting but ultimately unsatisfying
Review: This book is brilliant in its detailled reflection of Europe pulling itself out of the Dark Ages - the Middle Ages. It is also a masterful display of how different characters see the same events in totally different light, often only because of their preconceptions. Iain Pears can actually teach you a lesson if you are one of those people who never feel doubt. That said, this book becomes disappointing towards the end. Where is the big surprise or a resolution? The author doesn't fulfill his own promise - that a mistery will be solved - in any satisfying way. Disappointing.
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Summary: Ten times better than Eco's "Rose"
Review: This is the best book I've read so far this year. I think people compare it to The Name of The Rose because it's a mystery with great historical detail - but Fingerpost is a far more enjoyable read. Pears keeps the story going, interweaving the historical subtext rather than hitting the reader over the head with it. Yes, it's complex and you will stop numerous times to go back to a previous chapter. It's all part of the fun and well worth the extra time.
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Summary: A wonderful and thought-provoking world to be drawn into.
Review: I had read the only two Iain Pears art mystery stories published in paperback and enjoyed them very much - especially for their delicious humor and sense of place. I saved An Instance of the Fingerpost to read on a long flite home from Italy and was so captivated that I didn't want to get off the plane after over 24 hours, nor did I want to finish the book. I wanted to stay in 17th century Oxford. This is a book like Gone with the Wind, or War and Peace: It takes you into it and engulfs your world. But the reader has to love history first and mystery second. It is best to read this book without reading even the Amazon review. Really, just know that the year is 1663, Charles II is on the throne, in Oxford there is a murder and an old woman is dying. This is a roman a clef, you will meet and understand many famous people and all the while unbeknownst to the reader the subject is...well, I won't give it away. Best of all this book has a sly sense of humor which keeps the reader on his toes. You will also learn more than you ever wanted to know about 17th century medicine...fascinating stuff. And Oxford, Morse would be at home. Read this book.
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Summary: THE book I would take to an Island...
Review: I read the book in Dutch (Het Goud van de Waarheid) and I was overwhelmed by the story, about love, science, religion,... It really is a puzzle, which is only complete the very last pages. Every part (4) fits perfectly together, simply brilliant !
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Summary: Some words of advice on reading this incredible novel
Review: In addition to echoing the words of praise written by other reviewers, I implore you to heed a few words of advice: 1. DO NOT read too many reviews here! There are big spoilers below that will ruin your own experience of this novel. Once you're convinced to read this book, skip the rest of these reviews and come back when you're done! 2. Read a summary of the historical background of this period in English history and be ready to refer to it often. An encyclopedia would be handy for background on some of the historical figures. 3. Don't be in a rush. You'll be reading this for the first time only once; savor the details as you go. 4. I agree with an earlier reviewer: take notes. The book is simply too long and complex to keep everything straight in your head. Familiar names reappear in the story, events resurface, and a few notes about the characters and plot will help jog your memory. In this respect the novel reminds me greatly of Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. You'll miss a lot if you just plow through at top speed. Does all this sound like a lot to ask? It may be for some readers. But some of the best things in life require a little effort.
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