Customer Reviews

Instance Of The Fingerpost

5 star:		(148)
4 star:		(55)
3 star:		(32)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(21)

 

 

One of the other customer reviewers of this book complained that the murder was solved summarily a hundred pages before the end and wondered if critics who call this a classic had skimmed the end to meet review deadlines. Such comments make me wonder if that reviewer did not, like so many of the characters in this book, miss the fingerposts.
For this book is not primarily a story about the solving of a murder. The murder itself serves more as plot device to bring the four narrators (and others) together in a certain time and place, allowing them to interact with each other and present their widely diverging views of events, actions, and consequences. Indeed, for three of the four narrators the murder is almost incidental to their narratives, only two of them are actually concerned (or even desirous) that justice be done, and none of them is especially sorrowful about the death of the murder victim. Rather, for each of them the murder is really only significant for the part it plays in their own narrative and what they believe it indicates in terms of their interpretation of events. The driving idea behind the novel is not the solution of a murder, but how different people can see the same facts, or parts thereof, and draw differing conclusions - particularly when those conclusions serve to reinforce preconceived notions; and the more some people believe in the rightness of their preconceptions, the more willing they become to pervert truth to suit their ends.
This extraordinary novel is really a masterpiece of crafting. The use of the first-person narrative allows each narrator to present a depiction of himself (and his motives) very different from the way others see him, which has the effect of causing the reader to rethink and re-examine opinions formed along the way. In particular, the chilling, almost unwitting portrayal by two of the narrators of their own destructive, delusive obsessions is worthy of Patricia Highsmith at her best. "An Instance of the Fingerpost" is by turns amusing, infuriating, puzzling, informative, and even heartbreaking. It also goes a long way toward evoking the uncertainty, chaos and duplicity of the era (so very different from today's era of open and transparent government).
I should say that although I enjoy a good, intriguing mystery, I'm not particularly a fan of the "mystery" genre; I'm more partial to books that provoke reflection on the human condition. This is one of a very few books I've bought based on the recommendation, and I can honestly state that I was totally unprepared for the level of quality I found in it. I can think of few works of fiction that have moved me quite as much as this one.
As some schools of thought insist that every critique must perforce call attention to shortcomings, I suppose I should include a few for form's sake. I could mention a couple of niggling instances of grammatical lapse by men purportedly of education, such as the use of the objective pronoun in a comparison (i.e. "older than me"); for some reason this error always grates on my nerves (although it seems to be almost a prerequisite for translators), but the occurrences were far too few to impact my overall opinion. The only real complaints I can muster are two: first, that this book deprived me of much sleep during the time I took to read it; and second, that it left me at a loss as to what to read next.

I picked up this book on a whim from a used book store. I decided to buy it because of the unique title. Now, this is one of my favorite books of all time. I love hearing the story from 4 different perspectives, and the ending is so unexpected. After each section, I was so sure I had determined the identity of the murderer, only to discover that I was wrong every time. The history is so interesting, and all of the characters well-developed. I have to concede that the book is LONG, but I do feel that the story benefits from all of the richly descriptive text. I have loaned the book to a friend, but I'm going to read it again when she returns it. I'm sure I will love it even more the second time.

I have just read many reviews. Two people gave the book 1 star after not even finishing the book!! On just any book, this would be a crime. For this book, it is a travesty. This book patiently sets up the great finally and these people are missing it. The end puts the other parts of the book into perspective. When you read it the second time, everything makes much more sense; so please at least read the whole book before reviewing it.

I must confess to some bias in regard to this book: I live in the oxford college in which much of it is set. Being a historian into the bargain, it held a certain excitement, evoking places and names that really mean something to me.
Nonetheless, it is an enjoyable book, regardless of my personal affections. It is compelling - I couldn't stop reading it - and provides and intellectual murder mystery without becoming stuffy.
It is not, though, brilliant. The several stories of which it is composed do not mesh quite well enough for my taste; the final, pseudo-religious conclusion is at the same time quite unsurprising and inadequately foreshadowed in the text.
An excellent read - but certainly not great literature.

First and foremost, this book is an excellent murder mystery. I picked it up because of the blurb on the cover by PD James and was not disappointed. As a student of Renaissance England, the setting in the book is outside my period; however, this did not stop me from enjoying and learning from this absorbing novel. I am studying at Oxford and recognized many of the places Pears describes. I think his novel enriched my understanding of both the place and its history. While another person who has a clearer grasp of the period and its moods might suggest otherwise, I feel that Pears has created a genuine portrait of the time and people who lived through the interregnum and the restoration.

An Instance of the Fingerpost tells of the same event from the point of view of four different people. Each person has his own obsessions and knows only part of the truth. As you read, you become fascinated by the characters and the story, the political and religious intrigue, and the beliefs of the times. And of course you want to understand the truth of the incident. It is one of few historical novels where the details ring completely true. A really great book!

Sometimes, a work of art comes along that completely captivates all who experience it. This is one of those cases. One is transportation back to Medieval England with its rich language, customs, the prejudices and way of life. We are caught in the midst of superstition, religious mania, utter poverty and the beginning of the Renaissance. Without a doubt, this is one of the best historical novels ever written.

The writing mesmerizes as it breathes across the page. The tale is told from the point of view of four individuals, each of whom is entertaining in their own way. The language is idiomatic and no false clues are given. The main characters, particularly the poor servant girl and the first narrator, attract our attention almost from the beginning. The ending is supremely successful as we sail away into the open sea to life in the New World. All in all, a brilliant job!

The plot of AN INSTANCE OF THE FINGERPOST involves interesting history in an international setting, consistent with the "art history mysteries" of the same author, despite that it occurs some 300 years earlier, soon after the restoration of the British monarchy after Cromwell. The time period involves tumultuous change. The plot mixes Italian merchants, French science, the budding British university system, the search for religious freedom in the American colonies, and the first shy steps of experimental science at the beginning of the Renaissance. The novel's holistic reach into life in England in the late 17th century reaches even to the legal system and the clash of its outdated nature with social attitudes that become increasingly modern.

The very unusual surroundings become familiar to the reader through a triple narration. The events are described by three different persons, each providing a very different perspective. Rather than interweaving the three voices, each description is a separate part of the book. Astonishingly, reading the same story for a second and then a third time is not at all boring. The narrators' backgrounds is sufficiently different to make each story interesting and unexpected.

In such a fascinating setting, a boring novel would be hard to write. The mystery is indeed gripping as it unfolds. The ending, however, disappoints. Rather than a logical solution, the author invokes the mystical. This seems contradictory given that the body of the book appeals to reason.

This book was a snoozer!! The narrators drone on and on to a point of tedium one rarely gets to experience in life.

But for those who didn't like the ending I think you are missing a major point. The last narrator THINKS the woman has supernatural powers, but that doesn't mean she does. His narrative is not intended to be any more accurate in an absolute sense than any of the others. So, his "take" on this character is just that: HIS TAKE. It's not the horrible unbelievable ending it's being played as by some since a man in the 1600s may very well have held such beliefs.

Still, the book could lose a few pounds of wasted words and maybe with those wasted words missing it would have been decent. Otherwise, it's just an experience you could end up resenting as you throw good money after bad.

This book was a snoozer!! The narrators drone on and on to a point of tedium one rarely gets to experience in life.

But for those who didn't like the ending I think you are missing a major point. The last narrator THINKS the woman has supernatural powers, but that doesn't mean she does. His narrative is not intended to be any more accurate in an absolute sense than any of the others. So, his "take" on this character is just that: HIS TAKE. It's not the horrible unbelievable ending it's being played as by some since a man in the 1600s may very well have held such beliefs.

Still, the book could lose a few pounds of wasted words and maybe with those wasted words missing it would have been decent. Otherwise, it's just an experience you could end up resenting as you throw good money after bad.