Cub reporter Paul Tomm is working for a local newspaper in a sleepy Connecticut town when he's asked to write the obituary for an old Estonian history professor. This apparently routine assignment proves to be anything, but when Paul's investigation uncovers evidence suggesting not only that the professor was not exactly who he claimed to be, but also that his death might have involved a thousand-year-old mystery relating to fifteen arcane objects, once scattered across the globe and now missing. Clues and later threats begin to suggest that the truths Paul has always believed in might prove to be anything but certain. Yet the consequences of letting them go now could put his own life at terrible risk.
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Product Description
About the Author
Jon Fasman was born in Chicago in 1975. He has worked as a journalist in London, Oxford and Moscow, and he now lives in New York. This is his first book.
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First Sentence
For a journalist at a weekly paper, especially one as small as the Carrier, The Day the Paper Comes Out is a day of rest. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
For a journalist at a weekly paper, especially one as small as the Carrier, The Day the Paper Comes Out is a day of rest. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
I was quite excited at the prospect of reading this book. The storyline appeared fascinating and I quickly read the first hundred pages. After this, some tedium set in, caused by the fact that every other chapter is set in the present, in a story that makes some sense, whereas the intervening chapters are all set somewhere in the past, between 1000 years ago and recent past, and it is not clear on reading them how much detail one has to absorb.
For instance, many of the intervening stories involve new characters, unconnected with anything else, and it is too easy to regard them as just displaying one facet of the history of the objects at the core of the story. So, you disregard the details of the names of their characters and then realize later that perhaps one (or several) of these characters are still in the present (or are they? or are they all the same character??). Then, the real reason for the strange goings on in the present turns out to be only marginally relevant to the history of the objects in the Geographer's Library after all.
The ending of this novel is far from satisfying, and I was confused about what had actually happened. If there is a consistent story behind this novel then it has not been told very well. Compare this novel with "Shadow of the Wind", where a confusion of present and past is masterfully resolved, to see the difference between a fair and a great novel.
For instance, many of the intervening stories involve new characters, unconnected with anything else, and it is too easy to regard them as just displaying one facet of the history of the objects at the core of the story. So, you disregard the details of the names of their characters and then realize later that perhaps one (or several) of these characters are still in the present (or are they? or are they all the same character??). Then, the real reason for the strange goings on in the present turns out to be only marginally relevant to the history of the objects in the Geographer's Library after all.
The ending of this novel is far from satisfying, and I was confused about what had actually happened. If there is a consistent story behind this novel then it has not been told very well. Compare this novel with "Shadow of the Wind", where a confusion of present and past is masterfully resolved, to see the difference between a fair and a great novel.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Jon Fasman's first novel promised so much during the first two thirds. It was erudite and gripping through its simple plot. Much along the same lines as that over-trumpeted `The Rule of Four' where that sailed off into intellectual posturizing this kept neat and tidy plot lines, smooth charcterisation and understandable curiosity throughout its pages. It was a pity it ended with a whimper rather than a bang.
There is a single plot here, set in present day America that takes frequent stops (fifteen in all) to delve back into the past to explain the events surrounding the theft of fifteen objects from the geographer al-Idrisi of the court of King Roger of Sicily in 1154 and their last known whereabouts. These anecdotes all provide the immediate thrill of mystery as the objects last known owners meet an untimely end. In the meantime, we follow laconic Paul Tomm, recent graduate of Wickenden University and investigative reporter for the sleepy publication `Lincoln Carrier' as his interest is piqued and encouraged by his editor, Art Rolen, to follow the mysterious murder of the non-salaried and gun-toting Baltic history professor, Jaan Puhapev. During his small town travels he meets and falls for Hannah Rowe and then ends up investigating the subsequent death of `Panda', Dr Sunathipala.
The problem with the novel is that it needs a sense of the threatening to make it good and it just doesn't happen. From the run in with Eddie the Albanian to his fight with Puhapev's `brother' you get a sense of `it'll be alright on the night' rather than a creeping sense of fear that should pervade our hero's reactions. It's all so muted and is the key to reader dissatisfaction.... Read more ›
There is a single plot here, set in present day America that takes frequent stops (fifteen in all) to delve back into the past to explain the events surrounding the theft of fifteen objects from the geographer al-Idrisi of the court of King Roger of Sicily in 1154 and their last known whereabouts. These anecdotes all provide the immediate thrill of mystery as the objects last known owners meet an untimely end. In the meantime, we follow laconic Paul Tomm, recent graduate of Wickenden University and investigative reporter for the sleepy publication `Lincoln Carrier' as his interest is piqued and encouraged by his editor, Art Rolen, to follow the mysterious murder of the non-salaried and gun-toting Baltic history professor, Jaan Puhapev. During his small town travels he meets and falls for Hannah Rowe and then ends up investigating the subsequent death of `Panda', Dr Sunathipala.
The problem with the novel is that it needs a sense of the threatening to make it good and it just doesn't happen. From the run in with Eddie the Albanian to his fight with Puhapev's `brother' you get a sense of `it'll be alright on the night' rather than a creeping sense of fear that should pervade our hero's reactions. It's all so muted and is the key to reader dissatisfaction.... Read more ›
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
I was utterly disappointed in this book. It sounded like a good read but did not meet expectations. I found the chapters about the artefacts interesting but could not make a link to the main plot. I read to the end believing all would become clear but it did not.
16 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The genre of the intellectual thriller has received a big fillip in the last few years with the success of Dan Brown's Dan Vinci code. What a pleasure to read now a modern thriller about a dead and mysterious history professor that contains whimsical scholarship without exaggeratedly thrilling sleuthing; as our bashful hero Paul Tomm tries to find out the circumstances surrounding the death of an Estonian academic, one finds oneself distracted by the beautifully written historical sections based around the geographer al-Idrisi. These sections on alchemical objects are tantalisingly fragmented, beautiful vignettes of different cultures, from Soviet Russia to twelth-century Arabia. There are moment of subtle beauty - as the 'shivering words' which, falling in ice shards from the mouth of a Siberian zek, are held captive in a box for ever....One of those books that you pasue to read, to take in the elegance of the ideas and the limpid, placid prose. Wonderful. What kind of second book can this debut writer produce?
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
'The Geographer's Library' is a novel with two threads. Every other chapter follows the story of Paul Tomm, a newspaper reporter in modern-day America investigating the mysterious death of an old university professor; the alternate chapters describe the origins of fifteen arcane objects thought to hold the key to eternal life. So this is a present-day adventure with strong historical influences, and as such has inevitably attracted comparisons with best-sellers like 'The Da Vinci Code'. These associations are largely misplaced; this story is not what I would call a thriller, nor is it especially adventurous. Rather, it is a sophisticated and placid tale designed to appeal more to the reader's intelligence than the senses.
I wouldn't describe Fasman as an outstanding writer, and some of the exposition feels a little clumsy; but once the introductions are out of the way, the prose boasts some uncommonly beautiful descriptions which seem demonstrative of incredible skill. The characterisation, structure and dialogue are, for the most part, impossible to fault. The author is excellent at evoking atmospheres and emotions with just a few sentences. The obvious criticism is that relatively little actually happens. There are no exhilarating chases and few violent scenes; even the central romance between Paul and a local schoolteacher, Hannah, comes to little more than a kiss. Despite this, I never found myself losing interest in the story; the final third, in particular, had me anxiously turning the pages to reach the conclusion.
The novel is thoughtful rather than thrilling, intellectual rather than action-packed; but I certainly wouldn't say this makes it uninteresting, and the gradually revealed twist in the tail means it would easily warrant a re-reading.... Read more ›
I wouldn't describe Fasman as an outstanding writer, and some of the exposition feels a little clumsy; but once the introductions are out of the way, the prose boasts some uncommonly beautiful descriptions which seem demonstrative of incredible skill. The characterisation, structure and dialogue are, for the most part, impossible to fault. The author is excellent at evoking atmospheres and emotions with just a few sentences. The obvious criticism is that relatively little actually happens. There are no exhilarating chases and few violent scenes; even the central romance between Paul and a local schoolteacher, Hannah, comes to little more than a kiss. Despite this, I never found myself losing interest in the story; the final third, in particular, had me anxiously turning the pages to reach the conclusion.
The novel is thoughtful rather than thrilling, intellectual rather than action-packed; but I certainly wouldn't say this makes it uninteresting, and the gradually revealed twist in the tail means it would easily warrant a re-reading.... Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
I'd actually like to give it another half star.
Like some of the previous reviewers, I was a little disappointed by the ending of the book. But just a "little". I'm not sure how else Fasman would have ended it, though. Read more
Published on 17 Mar 2010 by Jill Meyer
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disjointed
Like others, I found the present-day sections of this story readable. The main character is likeable and the mystery he's investigating is initially intriguing, but this fizzles... Read more
Published on 14 Oct 2009 by Reader 11
2.0 out of 5 stars
The Geographer's Library
As other people have reported, the book's cover and blurb made me believe I was in for an excellent read. Unfortunately it does not live up to expectations.
Published on 17 Sep 2009 by Harriet
3.0 out of 5 stars
The Geographer's Library by Jon Fasman
The storyline of a thriller, but very long winded & disjointed, views echoed by previous readers of the book ring I was on. Read more
Published on 24 Sep 2007 by Anglers Rest
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great inventiveness and imagination
I was overwhelmed with admiration for this writer and enjoyed every page. Paul Tomm is an unusual "hero", I found him very believable and human. Read more
Published on 24 Jun 2007 by D. Mccann
2.0 out of 5 stars
Good, until you finish it.
The book would be excellent, but it doesn't feel finished. You are over half way through the book, and you look at the remaining pages and think "There must be another book to... Read more
Published on 10 Sep 2006 by S. Williams
3.0 out of 5 stars
What Thriller?
Having read so many good reviews about this book I have now read it and have come out rather disappointed. Read more
Published on 15 Aug 2006 by Salomon
2.0 out of 5 stars
Really quite disappointing.
The blurb dangles a tantalizing carrot offering an intellectual thriller with a gripping story line fluctuating between present day America and latter day Europe, USSR and the... Read more
Published on 9 Jun 2006 by Doward
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