Book Review: The Geographer's Library

Reviewed By: Cheryl - RAM

The Geographer's Library     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Jon Fasman
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Thriller

'The Geographer's Library' is a literary tale with threads running from the early Middle Ages to the present day; from the remoter parts of Europe to rural New England.

A young reporter on a small-town paper is assigned to write the obituary of an obscure elderly professor who has been murdered. As he learns more about the dead man, he begins to think he might turn the obituary into a story he can sell to a big city paper, thereby providing himself with the next step up on his career ladder.

Interspersed with his narration are the histories of an assortment of items related to alchemistry and comprising the geographer's library of the title. Eventually, the connections between the two tales are revealed.

While this book is very well-written and contains a wealth of geographical, historical and alchemical description, I found that the story tended to move rather slowly for my taste. Nevertheless, a reader who likes long-held historical secrets and a leisurely, elegant read will probably enjoy this book.

Cheryl - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Cheryl - RAM