An Instance of the Fingerpost

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Summary: This is destined to rank among the true classics
Review: I can't remember the last time I was so captivated by a novel. The narrative is brilliantly researched and presented in a manner which not only tells a great story but provided an in depth look into the values of 17th century English society at a critical point in history. Pears did an extraordinary job of assuming four different characters with four different but overlapping stories which builds to a wonderful close. I've gone out of my way to recommend this book.

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Summary: Political, Moral and Religious Intrigue in a CunningDisguise
Review: A swirling trip through 17th Century England, An Instance of The Fingerpost manages to perfectly capture the political, religious and social turmoil of the time. Through four intriguing narratives (although I'm still not quite sure why we should trust the fourth any more than the preceeding three)Pears has sculpted a mystery - and I use that term in the loosest sense - that will challenge not only your detection skills but your intellect and ethics as well. Indeed, the solution, in as much as it is a solution, ends up paling into insignificance behind the extremely challenging moral issues raised within the book. I can almost guarantee that you will still be grappling with the issues long after you have finished reading the book. One of the best books written in the past 5 years (surpassed only by Andrew Miller's Ingenious Pain).

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Summary: Starts slow, but the last 15 pages make it all worthwhile.
Review: This story is about a mysterious death told by four individuals, each with their own perspective and agenda, during a very interesting time in England's history. And, although we all know that "the truth" can be subjective, the last narrator reveals just how thin the veneer can be.

Rating:
Summary: Gripping
Review: A can't put down. Extraordinarily well set in both time and location, the author combines a gripping plot with a thorough knowledge of Oxford and the events around Cromwells republic and the Restoration.

Rating:
Summary: Great read
Review: I almost didn't continue this book, after the first 20 pages because I had been misled by the marketing into thinking this was a historical mystery (emphasis on mystery). Rather, the emphasis is on the history. Pears takes you deeply into the time period, particularly the political, religious and scientific atmosphere of the times. It was fascinating and vivid enough that descriptions of then-current experimental practices caused me to feel a little green around the gills. By the end of the book, although I was moderately interested in whodunit, I realized that I was much more interested in why it was done in the context of the religio/political situation of the time. Wonderfully written, great characters, keeps you guessing about everything (who lied, why did they lie, who knows why they are lying, is _that_ person lying, can we really know the truth?!) Loved it. Gave it 4 stars because of the confusion over genre.

Rating:
Summary: Great book--history, intellectual thought,and mystery.
Review: The book is composed of four narratives describing the same set of events. The first narrative is by Marco da Cola, a venetian merchant's son, who is in England to take care of business. He ends up in Oxford and witnesses and participates in several scientific experiments and debates and describes a murder investigation, trial, and execution. Each successive narrative provides additional facts and opinions and brings new elements to the story. It is amazing how well Pears has brought real characters into this work, how he involves the reader in philosophical debate, manages not to add too much confusion by introducing many characters, and still weaves a good murder mystery.

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Summary: The plot twists leave you never knowing what is to come
Review: This book was the best I have read in a long time. Pears handles the plot marvelously, leaving you doubting every line you read. His historical prose and sixteenth century vernacular make you feel like you are amongst the characters. Also note that the book takes a novel approach to storytelling. It is told from he point of view of four different persons. Each one's story is different from the next. Until the end, you are not quit sure who to believe. A must read.

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Summary: Historical Mystery....or Mysterious History?
Review: I began reading this book with the wrong intentions. Thinking it was a historical mystery, (which it sort of is) I was thrown for a loop with its weighty historical diversions, often lasting for pages at a time. Having little prior knowledge of the 17th century British socio-political atmosphere, I found myself referring back to earlier passages a little too often. Had I known the true nature of this book, I am sure I would not have felt so bitterly disappointed at its conclusion. In retrospect, however, I find that as a book of subtle intrigue, *Fingerpost* succeeds quite well. As a bonafide mystery, however, (how it is publicized) Pears' lack of succintness takes the edge off of what might have been a tremendous literary coup.

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Summary: Interesting, rewarding reading but too slow and weighty
Review: Reading Pears' novel is a lot like eating an all-day sucker- the process is long and requires patience and perseverance, but the reward is sweetness. Nevertheless, Pears' narrative is too often distracted- the reader has to listen to the same story told, in slightly different variations, four times. While this is a unique and refreshing approach, it makes the novel difficult to follow at times. Pears' characters are colorful and well developed but he spends so much time probing their identities and philosophical dispositions that he has little time to actually write a murder mystery. In fact, this book is less a bona fide mystery as an account of political and religious turmoil. In that regard,however, it is a well crafted story and deserves to be savord.

Rating:
Summary: Gripping, exciting, and surprisingly sentimental.
Review: Iain Pears "An Instance of the Fingerpost" virtually demands the reader be familiar with the history of England in the 17th Century and to some degree the geography of Oxford in the era. His description of events and personalities unravel oh-so-slowly that the reader gets surprised at every turn. The four principal characters each provide an account of a complicated murder mystery. Each appears quite different in their own account versus the other 3 accounts. A fifth character, Sarah Blundy, seems to be the same in each account with only minor revelations provided, at least until the surprise ending. Pears' novel takes a strange twist into the supernatural at the end, but he keeps it clear as to why the twist occurs. Overall, powerfully written, an intellectual tour de force, similar to Eco's "Name of the Rose" and "Foucault's Pendulum."