What would a lost Shakespeare play be worth? In Michael Gruber's The Book of Air and Shadows, the estimate is 150 million dollars. Now there's a treasure, and every good thriller needs a treasure hunt. To heighten the tension, some valuable, or invaluable, item must be at the center of the quest. The more valuable it is, the more people will want to get their hands on it first, or steal it from someone who manages to grab it first. It's a mad, mad, mad world after all. Michael Gruber elevates The Book of Air and Shadows above the usual "treasure hunt thriller" with an intriguing premise, interesting characters, and enough wit and erudition to entertain the reader all the way to the end.
The Book of Air and Shadows is told from three perspectives. Jake Mishkin tells the story in retrospect while hiding out at Mickey's lake house. Albert Crosetti's story is told i
n third-person as he struggles to understand the ciphers and find out what happened to Carolyn. Richard Bracegirdle tells his story through his letters, giving a peek into life in the 17th century and how he was hired to spy on William Shakespeare in an attempt to ruin the famous bard. The Book of Air and Shadows takes this treasure hunt and turns up the intensity. To protect their loved ones, Jake and Crosetti must find the missing play, although there is the possibility that if it even once existed, it may be lost to time forever. To make matters worse, there is evidence that it may all be a hoax. Bulstrode had already suffered a devastating career setback earlier when he authenticated forged Shakespeare documents. The Russian gangsters, and there appears to be more than one group involved, will settle for nothing less than the discovery of the missing play. Who they work for remains a mystery.
Michael Gruber keeps the pace of The Book of Air and Shadows moving at a suspenseful clip. There are double crosses, kidnappings, gun battles, the search for clues which might never be understood, and an ambiguous understanding of just where the truth lies. The truth is something different to Jake and Crosetti. At one point Jake explains that all a lawyer does it concoct a fiction that seems more realistic to a jury than the opposing counsel's fiction. Crosetti, who keeps seeing everything through a filmmaker's lens, sees reality created by the movies. He keeps predicting their enemies' next moves by what they would do if it were all a movie, since life imitates art.
Reviewed by Riswan Lintang
The Book of Air and Shadows is told from three perspectives. Jake Mishkin tells the story in retrospect while hiding out at Mickey's lake house. Albert Crosetti's story is told i
n third-person as he struggles to understand the ciphers and find out what happened to Carolyn. Richard Bracegirdle tells his story through his letters, giving a peek into life in the 17th century and how he was hired to spy on William Shakespeare in an attempt to ruin the famous bard. The Book of Air and Shadows takes this treasure hunt and turns up the intensity. To protect their loved ones, Jake and Crosetti must find the missing play, although there is the possibility that if it even once existed, it may be lost to time forever. To make matters worse, there is evidence that it may all be a hoax. Bulstrode had already suffered a devastating career setback earlier when he authenticated forged Shakespeare documents. The Russian gangsters, and there appears to be more than one group involved, will settle for nothing less than the discovery of the missing play. Who they work for remains a mystery.Michael Gruber keeps the pace of The Book of Air and Shadows moving at a suspenseful clip. There are double crosses, kidnappings, gun battles, the search for clues which might never be understood, and an ambiguous understanding of just where the truth lies. The truth is something different to Jake and Crosetti. At one point Jake explains that all a lawyer does it concoct a fiction that seems more realistic to a jury than the opposing counsel's fiction. Crosetti, who keeps seeing everything through a filmmaker's lens, sees reality created by the movies. He keeps predicting their enemies' next moves by what they would do if it were all a movie, since life imitates art.
Reviewed by Riswan Lintang
No comments:
Post a Comment