The Historian
Synopsis: “To you, perceptive reader, I bequeath my history…” Late one night, exploring her father’s library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letter s addressed ominously to “My dear and unfortunate successor”. Her discovery plunges her into a world she never dreamed of- a labryinth where the secrets of her father’s past and her mother’s mysterious fate connect ot an evil hidden in the depths of history.
First of all, this book was nearly my Waterloo when it comes to reading. I nearly gave up reading all together because of it. All because I spent more than 4 months reading it (not religiously reading a few pages everyday, duh). It’s such a bloody long book (ok, maybe not very long but it felt very long; 704 pages). And it’s not like it’s so draggy that I can skip pages; it’s actually a page-turner but I just don’t have the sort of time to sit down and read it while nursing an iced milked Earl Grey. I can only afford a few pages before bedtime, and even that is getting rare nowadays because I’m so busy with school work (yes, a first, Wanni busy with school work, now shush) I go to bed all tired and devoid of interest for that book sitting there.
Anyway, about the book. I guess I learnt more about Romania and Wallachia and ancient pilgrim monks guarding the head of Vlad Tepes (i.e. Vlad the Impaler i.e. Dracula) than I ever would. And the book is really enjoyable; more enjoyable than Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell if I must say. The plot is more propelling than that of Jonathan Strange, and it is told in the first person viewpoint most of the time, rather than third person in Jonathan Strange. I’m sure it’d be a very good read if you ever have the time to sit down and just read.
Now that I’ve gotten this book out of the way, perhaps it’s time I resume my job at book-leeching. But that’s if I manage to finish the 242741296778 plays I have to read, and the 39847298341 projects I have to complete.
