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An Instance of the Fingerpost

An Instance of the Fingerpost

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: worth every moment
Review: Oh I admit it, there were times when I wanted the book to just end, for goodness sake. How could this bring about the ultimate payoff? Yet, in the end, all I can say is READ THIS BOOK. Keep notes. The entertwining of characters is almost overwhelming, almost to the point you want to put the book down. But don't. The end section is worth every second you spend. While the ending is far-fetched, it's no more far fetched than any other perspective in the book--each perspective has its own motives, and you'll be left contemplating the construction of truth, memory, and motivation. Sure there's a murder mystery, but this book is about so much more. You'll start questioning your own view of truth and your own notions of memory. Welcome to the postmodern world set in Restoration England. Can't go wrong with that.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: I should love it, but...
Review: Somehow, Iain Pears never quite lives up to my expectations. He evokes an historical context very well, but the story itself isn't as captivating as some of the other authors I compare him to (Eco, Palliser).

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Still Cannot Believe That Ending
Review: I want to say right off that I really resent this book. I resent it for stealing so much of my time and for promising so much, then delivering so little. I'll be fair; usually I loathe mysteries, but An Instance of the Fingerpost isn't really a mystery as much as it's an exploration of the meaning of truth, and, on that level at least, I think it succeeds.

Each of the narrators of An Instance of the Fingerpost is concerned with the same story, yet each narrative is strikingly different. The individuals concerned choose to concentrate on different aspects; to assign to themselves more importance then what they are due; to tell their story in the direction best benefitting themselves. Although objective truth certainly does exist, we have to ask ourselves if any one of us is truly capable of seeing it, or, is truth always colored by our own objective interpretation?

It's obvious that Pears did much meticulous research regarding this book. Being a lover of historical fiction, I appreciate that. I found the interpretations fascinating, both individually and collectively. So, where's the problem? Why do I resent this book so much?

As I said, An Instance of the Fingerpost is primarily a study of truth, however, it is also a story, a murder mystery to be more precise, and I think Pears lets us down abdominally in the end. The resolution of this story, and its ultimate truth are so far-fetched they're laughable. I wasn't laughing, however, when I read the baloney Pears attempts to force us to swallow. After the initial shock, my only reaction was that surely Pears could have thought of a better ending! Surely, we didn't read the whole book just to be let down in that way. It took a few minutes for me to realize that yes, that's exactly what we did.

If you can put up with a trite and unbelievable ending, the rest of this book isn't too bad. Just don't say you weren't warned.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Another View To A Kill
Review: I switched from scifi to mysteries a few years ago because my wife bought me a book of Christmas murder mysteries for (what else?) Christmas. Since then I have sampled widely. I quite liked John McDonald with his color mysteries - until I got to my fifth or sixth book and realized that ten pages into the story I knew exactly what would happen. I never had that problem with this book.

The story is set in a fascinating period - 1663 - and in an exciting setting - Oxford, England, during the Restoration. The plot revolves around the death of Dr. Grove, who is found dead by poisioning in his Oxford room. So far, so good. But the story is told from four different viewpoints by four very different characters. And none of them is exactly who or what they initially lead you, dear fellow reader to believe. Is the the Italian physician really so incredibly naive? The son of a traitor, the mathematician and cryptographer, Oxford antiquarian - each tells the same story, but each through their own very human view. And the title? I won't spoil the story if I say it is very apt. I have gone on from this book to read Iain Pears other works and become a real fan.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Tough going but worth it
Review: This massive historical novel is as much like a Kurosawa movie or a Stoppard play as it is the much-compared-to Name of the Rose. Using the devices of a different, unreliable narrators combined with the necessary re-fitting of the facts with each new narrative, the book changes as you turn each page. I like that kind of inventiveness. Now, there's also a whole lot of Restoration history here, too, with some real and some fictional folk. It's occasionally too detailed for easy reading, but by the conclusion, it's definitely worth it. Memorable.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Four sided story
Review: I'm not sure Mr. Pears knew whether he was writing a mystery, a historical fiction or a simple thriller. He has minor success in each genre but excels at none. Using the technique of the unreliable narrator he give 4 perspectives of the same events. Each perspective has it's own flavor and provides a nugget or two to keep you reading but frankly, the apparent mystery that we're looking to solve gets muddled in all the sub-plots the book examines. By the middle of the story I really didn't care who killed the old coot. However, there was ample incentive to keep reading and though it wasn't the atmospheric mystery I was looking for it was worth turning the nearly 700 pages to the end. I give it 4 stars but only because I like the historical mystery genre.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Long Instance
Review: In reading previous reviews here, it seems the catch-word is patience. I can't agree more. This is a 700+ page book anyway.

But I don't speak for historians or other such intellectuals. This is without a doubt a work aimed at their acceptance and criticism, but I'm just a guy who loves a good story. And this is a good story.

I'm a newbie to the historical fiction genre. I've read plenty of suspense books though, and this one has held my attention, divided nicely into four separate accounts of the same demise.

Four narrators. All telling the same story, from entirely different points of view. Well, that's something.

I like the language, or the tone of the separate narrators. It is hard to imagine life in the 1600's, but Mr. Pears not only tells the story well, but allows his individual characters to adopt a narrative language that distinguishes them. The suspense is big, but the story is so much larger, and the narrative reflects that.

This is a good time travel trip. And a conundrum of a mystery to boot. This is one of those stories that you feel like you have learned something afterwards.

Or maybe that's just the sense of self-congratulation after finishing a 735-page novel. Big 3 stars.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Very Intricate Mystery
Review: If you like a good mystery and have a lot of patience, pick up "Fingerpost". The narrative through all the different viewpoints was very interesting and Mr. Pears paints a very entertaining and descriptive picture of 17th century England. Writing how four different people pretty much in the same place at the same time can see the same thing so totally different was very nicely done.

It's downfall is that once you reach the fourth and final character, you can deduce who the "killer" is with still quite a bit of the book left to go. Having already read and disproven three different viewpoints, the climax to the book comes sooner than you'd like.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Mystery that Last Longer than an Instant
Review: Iain Pears' (there's not enough people in this world named Iain) novel is a good diversionary read. It is a history piece in the mid 17th century that combines a little science, a little bit of politics, a little bit of mysticism, and a lot of intellect, mystery, and sleuthing along the way. All of this sounds quite engaging but the format told from four different viewpoints became distracting and unnecessarily lengthened the tale. I really would give this a strong 3, but it didn't hold up to other books I've given a four-star to.

The format did provide some interesting reading, as the reader discovers that what he assumed before about characters and turn of events is based on wrong assumptions at the whim of a character's point of view. This was interesting with two characters, but by the fourth, I was looking for the story to end. If you have the book around, pick it up and give it a read. But I wouldn't call it an essential read. It probably would have good appeal though if you are into English history of that time or are a die-hard mystery addict.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Tour de Force!
Review: Peopled with many actual historical individuals, this erudite mystery is set against the backdrop of a very turbulent and unstable period in English history--that of the Restoration in the late 1600s. Author Iain Pears presents a glimpse into the scientific methodology of the time, together with the philosophy, theology, superstitions and prejudices (be they religious, ethnic, or gender) that intertwine to reflect the often competing mindsets of the 17th century man.

All of this is incorporated into what surely must be one of the most intricately complex, creative, and tightly-woven plots ever written. That there are no loose ends not only makes this novel a pleasure to read, but it is evidence of great care having been taken in planning this extraordinary story. For his efforts, Pears has without a doubt penned a masterpiece.

The novel takes the form of a series of manuscripts. Briefly (and without giving anything away), the tale is told through the eyes of four individuals whose social status, ideologies, backgrounds, personalities, and hence perspectives, are very different indeed. Their recollections are never repetitious; in some cases, there is actually very little overlap at all. Thread by thread, however, this tapestry of a story is skilfully and meticulously woven.

For those who enjoy being challenged and surprised by an exceptionally well-crafted and satisfying mystery, this is one of the best that I've come across. In fact, it is so full of twists and surprises that it is sure to please even the most jaded reader of mysteries.

This novel is sure to appeal to anyone who enjoys an intellectually stimulating read; it will, however, be of particular interest to aficionados of historical fiction, philosophy, theology, or historical scientific methods. Very highly recommended!


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