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The Book of Air and Shadows
The Book of Air and Shadows
Author: Michael Gruber
A distinguished Shakespearean scholar found tortured to death . . . — A lost manuscript and its secrets buried for centuries . . . — An encrypted map that leads to incalculable wealth . . . — Tap-tapping the keys and out come the words on this little screen, and who will read them I hardly know. I could be dead by the time anyone actually gets to r...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780061456572
ISBN-10: 0061456578
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 496
Rating:
  • Currently 3.1/5 Stars.
 119

3.1 stars, based on 119 ratings
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

WhidbeyIslander avatar reviewed The Book of Air and Shadows on + 713 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 15
This is a review of the first 56 pages only -- that's where I gave up. Way too wordy and too many side trips into anecdotes that don't seem to matter (and the narrator constantly reminds us are extraneous.)

Phooey. Worth the price I paid here at PaperbackSwap.
BaileysBooks avatar reviewed The Book of Air and Shadows on + 491 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 14
What an absolutely deplorable waste of my time. Only because I am stubborn about finishing books did I continue to read it.

There are 3 main voices that narrate the book.
1. Jake: He is the main narrator and writes in a first-person, random, stream-of-consciousness style that reads like an internet blog. He rambles. He veers off point and then tells you about how he veered off point. He is also a completely unlikable character.

2. Bracegirdle: His contribution are letters from the 1600s written entirely in Jacobean shorthand, ie: really hard to read Olde English. For example: If you enjoye reedinge thys sentynce theen you myte bee able too get throu the multyple paiges of letters that are spreade throuowte thys booke.

3. Another group of characters is followed in semi-omniscient third person. Their stories are slightly more interesting just as they are only slightly more likable.

There is also a surprising amount of sex in this book, expressed both in thought and in deed to the point of being gratuitous. I found that I cared absolutely nothing for any of the characters, the suspense of the plot was weak at best, and the entire story was, for the most part, unbelievable and unconvincing.

If you have not read this book yet, please save your time, money, and/or credit. It is not worth the hype nor the time you will have to spend reading it.
reviewed The Book of Air and Shadows on + 53 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 12
This was not nearly as good as I had hoped or as the critic's reviews had led me to believe. I had many of the plot points figured out halfway through the book and had to plow through another 200 pages to have all my suspicions confirmed. Gruber's use of language is often self-consciously over-intellectualized. Not a joy to read. Better than "DaVinci Code"? Just my opinion, but no.
reviewed The Book of Air and Shadows on + 149 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
While this book is somewhat difficult reading due to every other chapter being written in the old English style, I found it was worth the effort. It was a great mystery with adventure and romance thrown in. The ending had a satisfying twist as well. If you're into books that you can breeze through without much thought or effort, this one isn't for you. I usually devour a book in a day or two and this one took a good week.
reviewed The Book of Air and Shadows on + 3 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
My husband could not finish this book. And he always finishes books. He says page 70 is a good page because it was the last one he read.
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reviewed The Book of Air and Shadows on + 115 more book reviews
This author is in love with words and tried to use as many as he could going off on meaningless tangents into everything but the plot of the book. I tried to get interested, but decided there had to be good books I could be reading instead of this waste of paper.
reviewed The Book of Air and Shadows on + 6 more book reviews
slow reading, though interesting content
artsncrafts avatar reviewed The Book of Air and Shadows on + 52 more book reviews
Really excellent book with interweaving stories. A mysterious historical document is the catalyst for all the action, with many a deeply flawed character participating. Very entertaining, unusual and imaginative plot with twists and turns so I did not see the next plot move coming at any point. Highly recommended.


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