Comments on: The Geographer’s Library

By: The Oxford Murders » Bookgasm

The Oxford Murders » Bookgasm — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 12:32:56 +0000

[...] OXFORD has a lot going for it beyond its clever premise. Through Sonia Soto’s simple translation, Martínez paints a rich portrait of academic life in the UK. Its touch of newly adult angst amidst such a dangerous backdrop reminded me of Jon Fasman’s excellent THE GEOGRAPHER’S LIBRARY, minus the twin narratives and ever-wide scope. But the intricate trail of clues is there, along with the narrator falling for wounded women, and a climax that at first seems anticlimactic, but soon reveals more layers. [...]

By: Bookgasm » BOOKGASM’s Best (and Worst) of 2005

Bookgasm » BOOKGASM’s Best (and Worst) of 2005 — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 14:56:28 +0000

[...] 3 BEST BOOKS OF 2005 1. THE GEOGRAPHER’S LIBRARY by Jon Fasman – Overlooked and unfairly pegged as a DA VINCI CODE rip-off, Fasman’s debut is an expert mix of post-collegiate angst and decades-spanning adventure – a combo that, in theory, should mix as well as oil and water. [...]

By: Bookgasm » More DA VINCI wannabes in 2006

Bookgasm » More DA VINCI wannabes in 2006 — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 13:58:38 +0000

[...] Hope you liked THE DA VINCI CODE, because 2006 will be bringing you more of the same. USA Today reports that next year will see a flood of thrillers with strong historical/religious themes, continuing a wave created by the splash of Dan Brown’s megaseller that has given us similarly themed novels like THE RULE OF FOUR, CODEX, THE GEOGRAPHER’S LIBRARY and more. [...]

By: Bookgasm » The Darwin Conspiracy

Bookgasm » The Darwin Conspiracy — Mon, 07 Nov 2005 12:58:35 +0000

[...] Although the ending comes too quickly, Darnton has fashioned a brainy, absorbing why-he-dunit, more entertaining than educational. As alluring as the passages of the Darwin family are, it’s Hugh’s story that proves most seductive. I don’t know what it is about these mystery-thrillers set in the world of academia – THE GEOGRAPHER’S LIBRARY and THE RULE OF FOUR being recent examples – but I find them fascinating. True, my college experience was far from privileged as these Ivy Leaguer protagonists, but the themes of uncertainty are universal. THE DARWIN CONSPIRACY is another one, evoking nostalgia for those anxiety-racked years while crafting one hell of a historical mystery. [...]