- Mass Market Paperback
- Publisher: Ballantine Books (April 1994)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0345901339
- ISBN-13: 978-0345901330
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (244 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
Katherine Neville's debut novel is a postmodern thriller set in 1972 ... and 1790. In the 20th century, Catherine Velis is a computer expert with a flair for music, painting, and chess who, on her way to Algeria at the behest of the accounting firm where she is employed, is invited to take a mysterious moonlighting assignment: recover the pieces of an old chess set missing for centuries.
In the midst of the French Revolution, a young novice discovers that her abbey is the hiding place of a chess set, once owned by the great Charlemagne, which allows those who play it to tap into incredible powers beyond the imagination. She eventually comes into contact with the major historical figures of the day, from Robespierre to Napoleon, each of whom has an agenda.
The Eight is a non-stop ride that recalls the swashbuckling adventures of Indiana Jones as well as the historical puzzles of Umberto Eco which, since its first publication in 1988, has gone on to acquire a substantial cult following. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
From Publishers Weekly
Nearly 20 years after it was first published, Neville's debut novel finally arrives on audio. Its combination of historical references, conspiracy theory and action/thriller format have earned it cult status over the years and may have paved the way for books like The Da Vinci Code. Imposing a new format on a classic can be a tall order and a daunting task for a performer; fortunately, Susan Denaker's talents are level to the material. The book offers a full variety of challenges to a reader: over 60 characters, young and old, male and female, with accents from around the world. None of these pose any obstacle to Denaker, who deftly sculpts a voice for every one, including several famous historical characters. The Monteglane Service, a bejeweled chess set that holds great power, has been buried in an obscure abbey in the French countryside and later scattered throughout Europe to keep it out of the wrong hands. The tale takes place both in the 1790s and the 1970s, when it may finally fall into evil hands. Denaker is able to emphasize the appropriate speech nuances of each century with subtlety and deftness by adding the cadence of the aural to the mix. Perhaps the audio book, too, will reach cult status. A Ballantine paperback (Reviews, Nov. 4, 1988). (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
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First Sentence
A FLOCK OF NUNS CROSSED THE ROAD, THEIR CRISP WIMPLES FLUTtering about their heads like the wings of large sea birds. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
A FLOCK OF NUNS CROSSED THE ROAD, THEIR CRISP WIMPLES FLUTtering about their heads like the wings of large sea birds. Read the first page
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Concordance
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great start...then fell flat...,
This review is from: The Eight: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)
In the beginning I couldn't put this book down. Then it just sort of fell apart. I agree with the sentiment of others here that the whole "he's the rook, she's the queen" idea was absolutely pointless and made an otherwise intriguing book seem amateurish. There were too many characters involved, and it almost got to be a joke of guessing which famous person would become part of the story next. The ending is pretty disappointing, though definitely not predictable - where the heck did all of that come from?I don't regret reading the novel, and I may even read another work of Neville's simply because I think she has neat ideas, but the execution is sloppy and this book is not worth five stars.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
A decent book,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Eight: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)
This is a decent book. Neville is a talented writer and she has a wonderful idea. I'd give this 3.5 stars if Amazon let me. The reviews are all over the map, though they average out to the plus side, where it belongs. Despite what others say, however, let me be perfectly clear: This book is no masterpiece. The difference in reviews can be explained best by (1) the reader's expectations and (2) what the reader looks for in a book. First, big expectations will lead to disappointment. Many disappointed reviewers scoff at the comparison to Eco's "Name of the Rose." I agree with that sentiment. So if you picked this up because of this comparison on the cover, you'll be disappointed. I've enjoyed many books (and movies) where I didn't know what to expect, though I've hated many equally good books where my expectations were high. If you expect an average novel, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Second, if you read very little, you'll complain about what you get out of 598 pages. It would be a tragedy for someone who reads only a few books a year (and has read few classics) to read this one. On the other hand, if the size doesn't scare you and you read a lot, this is worth reading. Similarly, if you try only to read the very best books, skip this one. If you read a lot, this is another good book. It's an intelligent book with historical fiction, but it went too far -- almost as if the author was paid by the historical reference. This novel is well researched and the style is good. The character development is average to good. Unfortunately, Neville spent too much time (words) on the wrong things. I would have liked more character development and more detail in the characters' environment and I felt the major action scenes went by too quickly -- before you even had a chance to start worrying about the characters. The worst part about this book is its unmet potential. The two-tiered novel (in time) is an excellent idea and the chess game (or tournament) played through the ages piqued my interest as I love chess and unique ideas. However, the chess theme fell flat. The significance of who played which piece made no sense to me. What did it matter who was a rook and who was a Bishop or a Knight? What did their moves (in life) have to do with chess? Perhaps I missed it, but I tend to agree with another reviewer who said it may as well have been checkers. If you're scared away from this book because you don't know anything about chess, don't worry. And if you are attracted to this book because of the chess theme, forget it -- it will dissapoint you. In sum, a good book -- but don't expect too much.
5.0 out of 5 stars
My FAvorite Book!!!!!!,
By Ontariobooks "BookLover1970" (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Eight: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)
I read a book a day on average and really hate to reread anything...but KN's books I reread every year ..they're excellent!! The Eight is my all time favorite book and I recomend it to anyone and everyone!!!
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