Helpful Score: 3
Very well written, but somewhat disappointing.
Lydia is asked by her on/off-boyfriend Cameron to finish a book his mother was working on all her life: A biography of sorts of Isaac Newton with emphasis on his alchemist endeavors. Lydia moves into the cottage where Cameron's mother, Elizabeth, was living and writing, and soon encounters some strange phenomena. Lights that seem to have no origin and visions of a mysterious figure. By going through Elizabeth's records she soon figures out her theory that either Newton himself or one of his alchemist friends committed murder in order to get him into the coveted Lucasian chair at Oxford. In her present-day life, Lydia also notices a disturbing pattern of deaths that seem to mirror what happened over three hundred years ago, and which seem connected to Cameron's job.
There is some suspense in here, but it all rather fizzles out. I was also expecting a few more historical facts. Instead, the novel places the reader in a dreamlike state, because one enters Lydia's mind. There are some very interesting historical facts about the glass-making industry in the 17th century, and about Newton, but there is no definite theory, because the main documents fingering Newton (or his friends) were acquired by Elizabeth in a rather unusual way, which makes everything written suspect. So in my mind, I was wondering what the purpose of this book is.
Lydia is asked by her on/off-boyfriend Cameron to finish a book his mother was working on all her life: A biography of sorts of Isaac Newton with emphasis on his alchemist endeavors. Lydia moves into the cottage where Cameron's mother, Elizabeth, was living and writing, and soon encounters some strange phenomena. Lights that seem to have no origin and visions of a mysterious figure. By going through Elizabeth's records she soon figures out her theory that either Newton himself or one of his alchemist friends committed murder in order to get him into the coveted Lucasian chair at Oxford. In her present-day life, Lydia also notices a disturbing pattern of deaths that seem to mirror what happened over three hundred years ago, and which seem connected to Cameron's job.
There is some suspense in here, but it all rather fizzles out. I was also expecting a few more historical facts. Instead, the novel places the reader in a dreamlike state, because one enters Lydia's mind. There are some very interesting historical facts about the glass-making industry in the 17th century, and about Newton, but there is no definite theory, because the main documents fingering Newton (or his friends) were acquired by Elizabeth in a rather unusual way, which makes everything written suspect. So in my mind, I was wondering what the purpose of this book is.
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