|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
|
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
A young investment banker burrows deep into a labyrinthine world of computer games and literary riddles in this captivating thriller by Time book critic Grossman (Warp). On a two-week vacation before he heads for a new post in London, 25-year-old golden boy Edward Wozny volunteers his services to the Wents, the duchess and duke of Bowmry, two of the firm's biggest clients. Since he assumes they require his financial expertise, he is exasperated—and then intrigued—to discover they wish him to catalogue a collection of ancient books in the attic of their New York apartment. Captivated by the library of rare manuscripts, Edward finds himself oddly content in this mystifying world of words. A special request adds extra urgency to the assignment: he is asked to find a possibly mythical codex by 14th-century monk Gervase of Langford, A Viage to the Contree of the Cimmerians. Most scholars believe that the text—which predicts the coming of the apocalypse and may conceal Went family secrets—never existed, and that view is shared by Margaret Napier, a hard-nosed graduate student whom Edward enlists to aid him in his daunting task. Fixated on locating the codex, Edward becomes equally preoccupied with MOMUS, an intricate, frighteningly vivid computer game. Cyberworld and real world are more connected than Edward realizes, and he gradually discovers that the game is intimately related to his literary sleuthing. A trip to England and a well-orchestrated final twist bring this intelligent, enjoyable novel to a fittingly understated conclusion. Author appearances in Boston, New York and Washington, D.C.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Grossman, book critic at Time, adds a new twist to the emerging bibliothriller subgenre by combining rare books with computer gaming (something old, something new). The book at the heart of the mystery is a medieval codex by one Gervase of Langford. Edward Wozny, a fast-track investment banker, is about to leave New York for a new job in London when he is asked for help by one of his firm's important clients, who wants him to catalog a collection of rare books. Edward is aghast: a banker asked to do librarian's work! Inevitably, though, he is drawn into the project and the multiple mysteries it holds, but there is another distraction: his computer-geek friend has hooked Edward on a bizarre, interactive computer game that may be more than it seems. There's a lot going on here, both online and in the library, and most of it is thoroughly fascinating. We never quite believe that banker Edward would so quickly become a biblio-detective-cum-computer-gamer, but we're glad he did. Pair this with Zafon's Shadow of the Wind [BKL Mr 1 04]. Bill Ott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence
EDWARD WOZNY STOOD squinting at the sun as crowds of people excused themselves past him in both directions. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
EDWARD WOZNY STOOD squinting at the sun as crowds of people excused themselves past him in both directions. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well written, complex and satisdying,
By David C Polk (Ottawa Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Codex: A Novel (Paperback)
Contrary to the previous reviewer, i can see the high quality in this fine literary thriller. It is intelligent and complex. The ending is appropraite. I'll grant you that it is a little far-fetched at times, but it is cleverly put together and a very satisfying read. It will appeal to intelliget readers, I think. Besides, you will learn a lot about medieval literature.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not Ready for Prime Time Reading,
By "darreninpa" (Downingtown, PA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Codex: A Novel (Hardcover)
As I read this book I kept turning each page feeling the potential that at some point I would become engaged in the story, but it never materialized. None the characters are ever fully developed. I never felt like I was rooting for Edward Wozny, the young investment banker turned medieval book sleuth, or developed any emotion against the antagonist, a super-wealthy aristocrat who everyone says is a jerk. The plot tends to drag on without any real drama, never hooking the reader in to the story. There is quite a story-line investment in Edward playing a dream-like computer game called MOMUS. I kept wondering how the game would tie into the rest of the story, but was left disappointed when it finally occurred. He never is given the chance to apply what he learns from the game about being a hero. Even Edward's love-interest comes across awkwardly and is never fully developed. As the reader limps into the ending, he or she is left with a bit of a hollow feeling that mirrors the development of the characters and the plot. Calling this a thriller is a bit of an exaggeration. Lev Grossman shows promise as a young author, but he should have taken one or two more stabs at the plot and characters to make this a more compelling novel.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
Snap... crackle... thud!,
By
This review is from: Codex: A Novel (Hardcover)
This books starts off with some great stuff that gets you hooked - and then goes nowhere with it. I finished this book, checked three times to be sure that I had really just read the last page, and then threw it down in disgust. After staying up three nights in a row very, very late and getting totally engrossed in the mystery that was developing, I was bitterly disappointed in the ending chapter. Nothing was resolved at all. On a positive note, the author's attention to detail is fascinating. He recounts vivid little things such as "trying to mate a pad of stickies together" rather than just saying he was "fiddling" with them. Or bothering to explain the exact soda he was drinking "Code Red Mountain Dew" rather than "soda". And the lovely descriptions of all the old books he and the love interest were cataloging were very nicely detailed. But it is not hard to tell this was a first novel. The story is clumsy in spots and I could almost hear the author thinking "what do they do next?" in some places. His attempts to weave the computer game together with the real-life mystery of the codex were comical. For example, his choice to bring a socially inept midget spirit guide into the story to tie it all together is laughable. And the end is unforgivable - what a letdown! The bio says this author is the book critic for Time magazine. I think he should stick to criticism and leave the writing to writers.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
Most recent customer reviews |
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
