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Search - The Historian
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The Historian Author: |
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Book Information
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Other Versions of this Book: Hardcover, Audio Cassette (Abridged), Audio CD (Abridged)
Book Description:
DESCRIPTION: In this riveting debut of breathtaking scope, a young girl discovers her father's darkest secret and embarks on a harrowing journey across Europe to complete the quest he never could -- to find history's most legendary fiend: Dracula. When a motherless American girl living in Europe finds a medieval book and a package of letters, all addressed ominously to "My dear and unfortunate successor..." she begins to unravel a thread that leads back to her father's past, his mentor's career, and an evil hidden in the depths of history. In those few quiet moments, she unwittingly assumes a quest she will discover is her birthright: a hunt that nearly brought her father to ruin and may have claimed the life of his adviser and dear friend, history professor Bartholomew Rossi. What does the legend of Vlad the Impaler, the historical Dracula, have to do with the 20th century? Is it possible that Dracula has lived on in the modern world? And why have a select few historians risked reputation, sanity, and even their lives to learn the answer? So begins an epic journey to unlock the secrets of the strange medieval book, an adventure that will carry our heroine across Europe and into the past -- not only to the times of Vlad's heinous reign, but to the days when her mother was alive and her father was still a vibrant young scholar. In the end, she uncovers the startling fate of Rossi, and comes face to face with the definition of evil-- to find, ultimately, that good may not always triumph.
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Top Member Book Reviews
Lori A. (
18 member(s) found this review helpful.
Absolutely wonderful book! I honestly could not put it down and missed sleep reading this book. Yes, the writing style is a little different than what you're used to but I think that may help with the overall mood of the book. If you like history, following clues and a touch of horrific tension you'll adore this book.
14 member(s) found this review helpful.
I really wanted to like this book. I got about halfway through it and could not finish. I loved the scenery descriptions and the writing, but the middle bogged down for me, and I could not finish it - as much as I wanted to. I have so many other books I could not wait to start, and once I did, I could not pick it back up.
Sherri H. (
12 member(s) found this review helpful.
Interesting take on the Dracula history. A little long though - I didn't finish it. Writer needed to get to the point quicker than she did.
(
10 member(s) found this review helpful.
I really enjoyed this book about one family's search through libraries, medieval documents, and beautiful historic cities for the tomb of a monster... Vlad the Impaler, the real man whose crimes and blood-thirsty life inspired the folk legends and Hollywood version of Dracula. The story is told through a woman's flashbacks to her teenager years as she listened to the stories her father told her and had her own experiences in the search. I think this book is very well written with many lively descriptions of people, places, and events. And there are several twist and turns in the story to keep you turning the pages until the very last. Will they be able to find Vlad's tomb? Will Vlad's body be in his tomb or will an empty sarcophagus reveal that the legends are true and he is undead?
Carolyn R. (
10 member(s) found this review helpful.
To me, the whole book was ludicrous. There were absolutely no likeable characters, the writing bored me to tears, and the plot was so silly as to be laughable. It takes some serious flaws for me to write a review like this.
Sharron A. (
9 member(s) found this review helpful.
At times while reading the first half of this book, I felt impatient for "the story" to begin. It felt like too much detail, too much background. Looking back, I can see that each twig of detail was important, and was carefully placed to build a roaring bonfire by the story's end. This was a remarkable book, in the development of the story from the point of view of several characters, the view of the past through many layers of stories and sources, and the gradual accumulation of a subtle awareness in the reader's imagination of what might be happening that wasn't quite mentioned, wasn't exactly described, but was only hinted at. This is a book I look forward to reading again in a year or two.
(
8 member(s) found this review helpful.
I really enjoyed the book. Sure it's long, but it's rich in details and atmosphere, very in-depth about the history of Dracula, adding up to a mysterious read. If an editor could have omitted parts, I believe it could read like "The DaVinci Code" for Dracula.
Charlie M. (
7 member(s) found this review helpful.
An interesting book in terms of premise and the characters are well drawn. But, for me, the flaw is that she is overly descriptive and the book drags because of it. As I reached toward the end I swore it was getting longer somehow.
6 member(s) found this review helpful.
A history, within a history, within a history. And Dracula.
I can't say enough good things about this book. It's enormous...always a plus. Research and libraries are main themes...awesome. I just couldn't put this down until I was finished.
Cynthia (
4 member(s) found this review helpful.
Was too slow and tedious. Couldn't get past all the sweeping descriptions about the scenery. A darn shame too because the summary sounded so promising. Maybe someday I'll give it another try but I'm sure if I do there will be some monumental passage skipping going on.
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Please Rate these Book Reviews
Well, I just finished reading this unbelievably long novel and I am proud that I stuck to it til the end. Don't get me wrong, this book is clever and well written but in my opinion 200 pages too long. The ending was worth the wait and if you are a lover of all things connected with Dracula then hang in there til the end.
I tried reading this book and got lost in the first couple chapters. Then I checked the audio book out from the library for a long, long car trip. I ended up loving this story. It was suspenseful and extremely interesting. Would highly recommend to those liking books that keep you wondering what's going to happen next.
Andrew F. (This is a incredibly well written tale of history and suspense. Yes it's kind of about Vampires which are the "In" thing right now. However the approach is unique and imminently readable. I rarely have a hard time putting a book down. This one was very hard to put down and I have read it twice.
It is similar to some of the popular books out today examining DiVinci the Templars etc in the way it is approached from a historical perspective. I am not a fan of anything by Dan Brown so saying it is better than his books is not a compliment from me but I think readers of his books will enjoy this one as well. The similarity is only in the style of narrative.
I would reccomend this to anyone that likes a good mystery or historical fiction. 5 Stars.
Crystal C. (I absolutely loved this book. I can read it many times over. Mostly because I loved the descriptive scenery, and I LOVE Anything having to do with Dracula or Vlad Tepes A.K.A. Vlad the Impaler. I wish there were more books like this one.
Jessica M. (The best book i have ever read. the journey and excitement kept me on the edge of my set and i would recommend this book to anyone i know. It does drag on in a lot of parts but just when you think you can't read anymore it gets very exciting. from 1-10 i would give this book a 100.
Amy K. (I was really disappointed in this book actually. Found it incredibly ponderous and lost interest in it about two-thirds of the way through it. :-(
Kim D. (good book! A little hard to read at times as it is very wordy but still very thought provoking and gave my bookclub a lot to discuss!!
Read All Book Reviews of "The Historian"
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