Zen Garden > Book Review - The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

My initial interest in this book was sparked by a radio interview that I listened to. I was inspired so much by what I heard that I could hardly wait to rush out and get this novel. You see, I heard during the interview that this book was Dracula's version of the Da Vinci Code. Like wow! I have always been interested in vampires. Maybe Count Vlad's offspring are still walking among us. Maybe that guy down the road with the long teeth... Anyway, I just had to find out...

I immediately went to my nearest book-store only to be told that they had no copies in stock and that I was the third person in the last hour who had enquired. I guess that proves the power of radio interviews.

Well, I wanted that book right away so off I went to two other book-stores only to get the same result. I returned to the closest store and placed an order for it.

I waited about a week before it arrived. Naturally, I went the same day to pick it up.

After the first 50 or so pages I was primed to keep going. You see, I heard during the interview that this book was Dracula's version of the Da Vinci Code. I'd already read that book and, while not totally enthralled by it like others were, found it to be entertaining.

Let me say right now that the parallel between Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code" and this book, the Historian, is false.

I kept reading, waiting and waiting for something decent to happen but it never really did. Only in the last few chapters did Vlad himself appear. I found that really disappointing after having been teased throughout the book. For the rest of this vast story all we are really treated to is a massive hunt undertaken by the Rossi family who traipse across endless countryside settings in Eastern Europe and various libraries from Oxford to Istanbul and Budapest.

The story was a major disappointment for me. Maybe I was just expecting too much after listening to Kostova's interview. Now, I expect that all she was doing was hanging onto the coat-tails of a massively successful Da Vinci campaign.

I also found the huge collection of letters from one of the main characters, Bartholomew Rossi distracting, repetitive and largely unnecessary. Many times I wondered how much time this character must have had on his hands while he was supposed to be hunting the legend of Count Dracula.

No doubt other people will have far better opinions of Elizabeth Kostova's first novel but for me, I rated it a dismal 1.5 out of 10. In my opinion it was a waste of money - a major disappointment. Then again I regularly spoil myself with the brilliant works of Nelson deMille, Lee Child and Michael Connelly. It's all a matter of individual taste, I guess.

I found the Historian tedious and boring and it certainly did not live up to the author's interview that I listened to.

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Gary Simpson is the author of nine books covering a diverse range of subjects such as motivation, self esteem, affirmations, self defense, wealth creation and much more. His many motivation and success articles appear all over the web.

Gary Simpson is a 7th Dan karate master who teaches self defense, motivation, self help and wealth building to students around the world through home study courses. You may reprint this article as you include this author credit and an active link to his web site. Finance - Self Help - Motivation - Self Defense - Personal Growth MotivationSelfEsteem.com