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The Eight #1
The Eight
The riveting #1 international bestselling novel about the quest across centuries by two intrepid women in different eras to reunite the pieces of a powerful, ancient chess set
A fabulous, bejeweled chess set that belonged to Charlemagne has been buried in a Pyrenees abbey for a thousand years. As the bloody French Revolution rages in Paris, the nuns dig it up and scatter its pieces across the globe because, when united, the set contains a secret power that could topple civilizations. To keep the set from falling into the wrong hands, two novices, Valentine and Mireille, embark on an adventure that begins in the streets of Paris and leads to Russia, Egypt, Corsica, and into the heart of the Algerian Sahara.
Two hundred years later, while on assignment in Algeria, computer expert Catherine Velis finds herself drawn unwillingly into the deadly “Game” still swirling around the legendary chess set—a game that will require her to risk her life and match wits with diabolical forces.
This ebook features an illustrated biography of Katherine Neville including rare images from her life and travels.
A fabulous, bejeweled chess set that belonged to Charlemagne has been buried in a Pyrenees abbey for a thousand years. As the bloody French Revolution rages in Paris, the nuns dig it up and scatter its pieces across the globe because, when united, the set contains a secret power that could topple civilizations. To keep the set from falling into the wrong hands, two novices, Valentine and Mireille, embark on an adventure that begins in the streets of Paris and leads to Russia, Egypt, Corsica, and into the heart of the Algerian Sahara.
Two hundred years later, while on assignment in Algeria, computer expert Catherine Velis finds herself drawn unwillingly into the deadly “Game” still swirling around the legendary chess set—a game that will require her to risk her life and match wits with diabolical forces.
This ebook features an illustrated biography of Katherine Neville including rare images from her life and travels.
738 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 27, 1988
About the author
Katherine Neville
35 books1,419 followersKatherine Neville is an American author. Her novels include The Eight, A Calculated Risk, and The Magic Circle. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and she previously worked as a photographer, a model, a consultant at the Department of Energy, and a vice president of the local Bank of America.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,484 reviews
July 16, 2008
Three weeks ago I held a yard sale. To pass the time I picked up this book I'd never seen from a box of books none of which I'd ever read and none of which I remember buying.
Of the many surreal happenings of that day one of the most strange was when, immediately after reading the first page, a well-groomed homeless man or a poorly groomed homed man rode past on a bike. He looked over and upon seeing The Eight lurched off his bike stumbled to my gate and, grasping it with all the force and desperation of a kindergartener being left by mommy, bellowed, "That book! Man! That book, man, is the biggest fucking mind trip it's the best book you'll ever read. That woman [the author] used to be an executive at Bank of America until those Southern fuckers came in and they fired EVERY woman in the company. God damn mother fuckers! But man, she's beautiful too man, like a triple threat. And let tell you something..." and here he became quiet and conspiratorial, "....it'll never NEVER be made into a movie. I won't tell you why. 2/3 into the book BAM! [he yelled] it's a fucking bomb on your brain! She just fucking drops that bomb on your brain and it'll NEVER be a fucking movie!"
How could I do anything but read this book after such an endorsement?
It's pretty typical of the genre. A collection of mostly tropes -- the mysterious and reclusive genius somehow at the heart of the mystery; the one no-one including his co-commiserators can trust has a hidden agenda that has to do directly with the heroine? No way! After he takes a personal interest in her, we find out he's tall, handsome, devilishly charismatic, seductive and, wait, can't be completely trusted? Didn't see that one coming! -- including the drunken socialite, the clueless petty bourgeoisie, the quirky but lovable math/ computer whiz, the evil and menacing foreign intelligence agent, the surprisingly Western and enlightened foreign man incredibly open, and the revelation that the Other is actually more welcoming than We...to name a few. Anyway, this collection are interwoven into a story that touches on Charlemagne, OPEC, Chess, the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon among other things and which is mostly entertaining if much too long.
The double narrative serves an obvious purpose but makes the book cumbersome and unnecessarily obtuse. When one story line enthralls, Neville switches to the other forcing the reader to reinvest; a tiring exercise. It's an unfortunate thing really, because both narratives on their own are interesting and could have been fun, if forgettable adventure books on their own. Should have been. Very much should have been.
2/3 of the way through, the heroines of both narratives go to Algeria and meet tall, dark, handsome and capable men who save them from vile agents of the bad guys. There's also an Erich Von Daniken moment which is probably what the lurcher was talking about. It was a mind bomb about as much as the turn in the new Indiana Jones movie.
I am ambivalent about this book. I'd be more enthusiastic if it had been about one story or even one more so than the other.
Of the many surreal happenings of that day one of the most strange was when, immediately after reading the first page, a well-groomed homeless man or a poorly groomed homed man rode past on a bike. He looked over and upon seeing The Eight lurched off his bike stumbled to my gate and, grasping it with all the force and desperation of a kindergartener being left by mommy, bellowed, "That book! Man! That book, man, is the biggest fucking mind trip it's the best book you'll ever read. That woman [the author] used to be an executive at Bank of America until those Southern fuckers came in and they fired EVERY woman in the company. God damn mother fuckers! But man, she's beautiful too man, like a triple threat. And let tell you something..." and here he became quiet and conspiratorial, "....it'll never NEVER be made into a movie. I won't tell you why. 2/3 into the book BAM! [he yelled] it's a fucking bomb on your brain! She just fucking drops that bomb on your brain and it'll NEVER be a fucking movie!"
How could I do anything but read this book after such an endorsement?
It's pretty typical of the genre. A collection of mostly tropes -- the mysterious and reclusive genius somehow at the heart of the mystery; the one no-one including his co-commiserators can trust has a hidden agenda that has to do directly with the heroine? No way! After he takes a personal interest in her, we find out he's tall, handsome, devilishly charismatic, seductive and, wait, can't be completely trusted? Didn't see that one coming! -- including the drunken socialite, the clueless petty bourgeoisie, the quirky but lovable math/ computer whiz, the evil and menacing foreign intelligence agent, the surprisingly Western and enlightened foreign man incredibly open, and the revelation that the Other is actually more welcoming than We...to name a few. Anyway, this collection are interwoven into a story that touches on Charlemagne, OPEC, Chess, the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon among other things and which is mostly entertaining if much too long.
The double narrative serves an obvious purpose but makes the book cumbersome and unnecessarily obtuse. When one story line enthralls, Neville switches to the other forcing the reader to reinvest; a tiring exercise. It's an unfortunate thing really, because both narratives on their own are interesting and could have been fun, if forgettable adventure books on their own. Should have been. Very much should have been.
2/3 of the way through, the heroines of both narratives go to Algeria and meet tall, dark, handsome and capable men who save them from vile agents of the bad guys. There's also an Erich Von Daniken moment which is probably what the lurcher was talking about. It was a mind bomb about as much as the turn in the new Indiana Jones movie.
I am ambivalent about this book. I'd be more enthusiastic if it had been about one story or even one more so than the other.
August 17, 2010
This book was the first of its kind: a historical thriller/whodunnit/magical story that was published in 1988. In a way, all the similar books that have come after (Dan Brown, Kostova's The Historian) are following in Neville's footsteps. If you read it now, it may seem flat in comparison with these later works, which have taken a genre that in many ways Neville created and taken it to new levels. However, I'm giving it this rating because I still remember back more than two decades to my first encounter with the book and the sleepless nights that followed as I rushed to finish it!
January 2, 2016
4 stars to Katherine Neville's The Eight. I stumbled upon this one by hearing about book #2's release and had to start first from the beginning. I'm so glad I did.
Characters are well developed. Plot is intricate. Suspense is on target. Story-telling and narration are rich. I want a third book in the series!
It's all about a chess match. In theory. But in reality. Russian history. Clever moves and alliances. Family connections. Politics. Strong motivation. Good, thought provoking suspense.
Characters are well developed. Plot is intricate. Suspense is on target. Story-telling and narration are rich. I want a third book in the series!
It's all about a chess match. In theory. But in reality. Russian history. Clever moves and alliances. Family connections. Politics. Strong motivation. Good, thought provoking suspense.
January 1, 2009
I was told by several people whose books tastes I generally respect that I would love this book - sadly, that wasn't the case. I found it tiresome, hard to follow, and the writing was almost impossible to slog through in several places. The characters were never fully developed, I never got invested in any of the characters, and I found the book too plot-driven to an irritating degree - with too many historical elements "dropped in" (almost like name dropping) in order to tie the events to historical situations.
The only part of the book that I found remotely interesting and attention-holding was the very first chapter. It's a book that has reached something like cult status, but I found the plot hard to follow, lots of twists and turns that only confused me, and a very unsatisfying ending. I finished it only because I hate to leave a book unfinished if I've committed to reading it.
It just doesn't live up to its hype for me.
The only part of the book that I found remotely interesting and attention-holding was the very first chapter. It's a book that has reached something like cult status, but I found the plot hard to follow, lots of twists and turns that only confused me, and a very unsatisfying ending. I finished it only because I hate to leave a book unfinished if I've committed to reading it.
It just doesn't live up to its hype for me.
January 23, 2008
Katherine Neville, The Eight (Ballantine, 1988)
This novel has achieved almost cult status in some circles, and many people consider it one of the best adventure novels ever written. It's a useful way to separate folks you know into two categories: those who are more interested in plot, and those who are more interested in writing.
The plot is pretty darn good, when it comes right down to it. The novel takes place in two parallel times, the first being 1972 and the second the years during and after the French Revolution. Both plot lines center around the search for a mystical chess set and attempts to discover the human counterparts to various pieces (the hero and villain in each time line are the Black and White Queens, respectively; very nice little twist, that). The board, once complete, will supposedly impart unlimited power to he who possesses it, and thus leaders from Marat and Catherine the Great to Muammar Khaddafi run throughout the book, looking to get their hands on it. The pace is quick, the action almost nonstop (the present-day time line is quicker-paced and much more compelling, but the past ain't all that bad).
The writing, on the other hand, is almost painful in places. Neville descends in to the realm of cliché at least once per chapter, at times more than once per page. Clumsy attempts at foreshadowing (you know the type: "but I never thought, when I woke up in the morning, that this day would change my life forever!") are more commonplace here than in a whole shelf of novels by Bulwer-Lytton. It's possible that Ms. Neville took the nineteenth-century definition of "romance novel" a tad too seriously for being a twentieth-century writer. And this is certainly an unique experience in that regard; a classic nineteenth-century romance novel written, all too often, like a Harlequin circa 1985.
All in all, it is a fun little book requiring great suspension of disbelief. I'd have given it another star if part of my suspension of disbelief didn't have to be in the author's writing ability.
This novel has achieved almost cult status in some circles, and many people consider it one of the best adventure novels ever written. It's a useful way to separate folks you know into two categories: those who are more interested in plot, and those who are more interested in writing.
The plot is pretty darn good, when it comes right down to it. The novel takes place in two parallel times, the first being 1972 and the second the years during and after the French Revolution. Both plot lines center around the search for a mystical chess set and attempts to discover the human counterparts to various pieces (the hero and villain in each time line are the Black and White Queens, respectively; very nice little twist, that). The board, once complete, will supposedly impart unlimited power to he who possesses it, and thus leaders from Marat and Catherine the Great to Muammar Khaddafi run throughout the book, looking to get their hands on it. The pace is quick, the action almost nonstop (the present-day time line is quicker-paced and much more compelling, but the past ain't all that bad).
The writing, on the other hand, is almost painful in places. Neville descends in to the realm of cliché at least once per chapter, at times more than once per page. Clumsy attempts at foreshadowing (you know the type: "but I never thought, when I woke up in the morning, that this day would change my life forever!") are more commonplace here than in a whole shelf of novels by Bulwer-Lytton. It's possible that Ms. Neville took the nineteenth-century definition of "romance novel" a tad too seriously for being a twentieth-century writer. And this is certainly an unique experience in that regard; a classic nineteenth-century romance novel written, all too often, like a Harlequin circa 1985.
All in all, it is a fun little book requiring great suspension of disbelief. I'd have given it another star if part of my suspension of disbelief didn't have to be in the author's writing ability.
September 25, 2017
Sinceramente, me ha encantado!
March 19, 2014
FLASH! Definition of the word "thriller" changes. Now the word "thriller" can be deemed to include slow moving, overly convoluted stories that wander from point to point with little actual plot development or indeed plot involvment!
Yes we have another story here in the vein of The Da Vinci Code. (I have been informed that this book was written in '88. I had originally said it was "apparently inspired by said Da Vinci Code". My error. That said, it doesn't make the book any better.) Taking place in both the past and the future with "countless" number based clues, cues and proofs.
That's right the number.....8! FIGURES HEAVILY in the story, duh,duh,duh.
Beginning back in the time of Charlemagne (or....does it go further back?) our story revolves around an ornate chess set that is imbued (or possibly endowed) with some great and (possibly) evil power.
So...a cunning abbess In order to break up the threat sends off some nuns each of them carrying a single piece of the chess set, well except she also sends two novices off who haven't taken their vows yet. They go to the big city and become nude models... an interesting career choice, you know for would-be nuns.
Anyway we are also tracking things in the "present" as "powers" seek to find said chess set.
So with all this, plots, counter plots, conspiracies going on, how can this be one of the most boring, slow moving, stultifying books I've picked up in weeks?
I don't know. But it manages.
Can't recommend this one.
Yes we have another story here in the vein of The Da Vinci Code. (I have been informed that this book was written in '88. I had originally said it was "apparently inspired by said Da Vinci Code". My error. That said, it doesn't make the book any better.) Taking place in both the past and the future with "countless" number based clues, cues and proofs.
That's right the number.....8! FIGURES HEAVILY in the story, duh,duh,duh.
Beginning back in the time of Charlemagne (or....does it go further back?) our story revolves around an ornate chess set that is imbued (or possibly endowed) with some great and (possibly) evil power.
So...a cunning abbess In order to break up the threat sends off some nuns each of them carrying a single piece of the chess set, well except she also sends two novices off who haven't taken their vows yet. They go to the big city and become nude models... an interesting career choice, you know for would-be nuns.
Anyway we are also tracking things in the "present" as "powers" seek to find said chess set.
So with all this, plots, counter plots, conspiracies going on, how can this be one of the most boring, slow moving, stultifying books I've picked up in weeks?
I don't know. But it manages.
Can't recommend this one.
May 26, 2026
I love these fat 80s thrillers, they are the perfect books for trips, vacations, or feeling like you are on a trip or vacation while comfortably ensconced in your favorite chair. fall asleep in that chair, pretend you fell asleep on the beach or a plane, wake up and start reading again, you only have a million pages of twists & turns to go. it's a forever-adventure, it keeps on giving right until the last page. and it's not even the last page -naturally there's a sequel.
The Eight is very Dan Brown Da Vinci Code, all sorts of similar ideas and themes, except that I've never read that novel so what would I know, I mean why would I. this came out a decade and a half prior, so I guess Da Vinci Code is actually very The Eight. derivative Dan Brown, smh. the book is also very feminist in an 80s way, which I guess means to me (because, as established, what do I know) that the feminism isn't explicitly stated, it's just the whole environment that the world of the book lives in; our very strong leads are mainly women, they deal with irritating sexist assholes all the time, they swear vengeance, they kick ass, they do all the moving and shaking and the whole fate of the world rests on their varied abilities. per the 80s: women rule, sometimes literally, they are made for quests and adventures and being computer experts, chess experts, scheming experts, rock climbing experts, etc. but the book also makes clear that women don't make great nuns: two of our heroines are ex-nuns and there's an abbess who's more of a long-game strategist than a Bride of Christ. romance is somewhat present but no one is mooning over anyone; the main protagonist only realizes she's into one of the male characters after about 500 pages, with about 50 pages left to finally seal the deal (repeatedly, while on a windswept boat sailing across the Atlantic against all odds, of course).
the book is All History All The Time. which I loved. there are two parallel timelines, one that take place in modern times (the U.S. and Algeria) and the other in Revolutionary France, so we get a lot of New York, Algeria, France, and a little Russia, and a lot of additional flashbacks with even more historical characters. quasi-heroic characters include Talleyrand (*swoon*), Madame de Staël, a young Napoleon, and in flashbacks, Voltaire and Isaac Newton; quasi- or outright villains include Marat, Robespierre, Catherine Grand (quite a deep cut there), Catherine the Great (?!?), her son Peter, the ghost of Cardinal Richelieu, and um Rousseau (!?!?!). Benedict Arnold and Casanova also have cameos. there are so many others that I haven't even mentioned!
the book is super fun but also absurd. it's an airport book, what do you expect. the writing is definitely competent but the plot zigs and zags and is so breathless at times that it is hard not to laugh. just one of many examples: sometime in the last third of the book, our two modern-day heroines see a checkpoint ahead that they assume was set up by their enemies, turn off into a fishing village to avoid it, go into the village dive bar, uh oh one of the prime villains ('The White King' because this book is all about people given chess titles) is waiting there for them, and then who should show up but the suave head of the Algerian secret police (another villain), the two flee the bar after physically attacking the secret police (with the help of their dog), one of them makes it into the ocean (along with the dog and her bag of treasure) with a hail of bullets above her, swims to another shore with both dog and treasure, comes across a couple of befuddled policeman on the shore, tricks them into thinking that despite being soaking wet she's very late to an important OPEC conference happening nearby, they escort her to her hotel to get changed, half an hour later she's showered and dressed and ready to appear at the conference, where she trades loaded quips with various dignitaries, catching the eye of evil, ill-fated Libyan prime minister Muammar Gaddafi in a wtf cameo, then sneaks out of the conference with an ally to attempt the rescue of the friend she left behind, who is now in the hands of the nefarious Algerian secret police. the rescue is successful, mainly thanks to the dog. all of this happens across maybe 20 pages.
all in all, a good time. this would make a great miniseries or big-budget movie. I'm thinking Leonardo diCaprio and Robert Downey Jr. as the two modern leads, and in the flashback sequences, Timothée Chalamet as the ex-nun?
per the brief bio on the last page, Katherine Neville apparently was a BofA executive, computer expert, painter, photographer, and model. because of course she was. ❤️
The Eight is very Dan Brown Da Vinci Code, all sorts of similar ideas and themes, except that I've never read that novel so what would I know, I mean why would I. this came out a decade and a half prior, so I guess Da Vinci Code is actually very The Eight. derivative Dan Brown, smh. the book is also very feminist in an 80s way, which I guess means to me (because, as established, what do I know) that the feminism isn't explicitly stated, it's just the whole environment that the world of the book lives in; our very strong leads are mainly women, they deal with irritating sexist assholes all the time, they swear vengeance, they kick ass, they do all the moving and shaking and the whole fate of the world rests on their varied abilities. per the 80s: women rule, sometimes literally, they are made for quests and adventures and being computer experts, chess experts, scheming experts, rock climbing experts, etc. but the book also makes clear that women don't make great nuns: two of our heroines are ex-nuns and there's an abbess who's more of a long-game strategist than a Bride of Christ. romance is somewhat present but no one is mooning over anyone; the main protagonist only realizes she's into one of the male characters after about 500 pages, with about 50 pages left to finally seal the deal (repeatedly, while on a windswept boat sailing across the Atlantic against all odds, of course).
the book is All History All The Time. which I loved. there are two parallel timelines, one that take place in modern times (the U.S. and Algeria) and the other in Revolutionary France, so we get a lot of New York, Algeria, France, and a little Russia, and a lot of additional flashbacks with even more historical characters. quasi-heroic characters include Talleyrand (*swoon*), Madame de Staël, a young Napoleon, and in flashbacks, Voltaire and Isaac Newton; quasi- or outright villains include Marat, Robespierre, Catherine Grand (quite a deep cut there), Catherine the Great (?!?), her son Peter, the ghost of Cardinal Richelieu, and um Rousseau (!?!?!). Benedict Arnold and Casanova also have cameos. there are so many others that I haven't even mentioned!
the book is super fun but also absurd. it's an airport book, what do you expect. the writing is definitely competent but the plot zigs and zags and is so breathless at times that it is hard not to laugh. just one of many examples: sometime in the last third of the book, our two modern-day heroines see a checkpoint ahead that they assume was set up by their enemies, turn off into a fishing village to avoid it, go into the village dive bar, uh oh one of the prime villains ('The White King' because this book is all about people given chess titles) is waiting there for them, and then who should show up but the suave head of the Algerian secret police (another villain), the two flee the bar after physically attacking the secret police (with the help of their dog), one of them makes it into the ocean (along with the dog and her bag of treasure) with a hail of bullets above her, swims to another shore with both dog and treasure, comes across a couple of befuddled policeman on the shore, tricks them into thinking that despite being soaking wet she's very late to an important OPEC conference happening nearby, they escort her to her hotel to get changed, half an hour later she's showered and dressed and ready to appear at the conference, where she trades loaded quips with various dignitaries, catching the eye of evil, ill-fated Libyan prime minister Muammar Gaddafi in a wtf cameo, then sneaks out of the conference with an ally to attempt the rescue of the friend she left behind, who is now in the hands of the nefarious Algerian secret police. the rescue is successful, mainly thanks to the dog. all of this happens across maybe 20 pages.
all in all, a good time. this would make a great miniseries or big-budget movie. I'm thinking Leonardo diCaprio and Robert Downey Jr. as the two modern leads, and in the flashback sequences, Timothée Chalamet as the ex-nun?
per the brief bio on the last page, Katherine Neville apparently was a BofA executive, computer expert, painter, photographer, and model. because of course she was. ❤️
June 7, 2008
The two more recent books that most closely resemble The Eight are The Da Vinci Code and Kate Mosse's The Labyrinth, but I found The Eight a more enjoyable read than either of them. The novel is utterly audacious in its (ab)use of historical characters, completely, joyfully implausible in its plotting, and I'm not certain whether the language of Romantic page-turners the author makes frequent use of ("dear reader, little did I know that in two hours' time I would be running for my life trying to escape a KGB killer") is ironic or not. However, I found the book hugely enjoyable as it is - I don't know anything about chess, the basic conceit of the book, but any novel in which Jean-Jacques Rousseau figures as one of the bad guys, J.S. Bach as one of the good guys, and female solidarity is an important theme has a good chance of winning my heart.
April 20, 2021
Leído por primera vez en 2004. Le puse un ocho (no es coña)
Leído por segunda vez en 2013. Se quedó en 6/10.
Pues eso, que recordaba que me había gustado mucho por el rollo de misterio & ajedrez, salió en un Club de Lectura y lo re-leí. Otro fracaso en relecturas (¡Y luego me decís que por qué no re-leo!)
Mejor ni cuento nada sobre el libro (todos ya lo conocéis) ni, por supuesto, vuelvo a abrir sus páginas. No sea que siga bajando la nota.
Leído por segunda vez en 2013. Se quedó en 6/10.
Pues eso, que recordaba que me había gustado mucho por el rollo de misterio & ajedrez, salió en un Club de Lectura y lo re-leí. Otro fracaso en relecturas (¡Y luego me decís que por qué no re-leo!)
Mejor ni cuento nada sobre el libro (todos ya lo conocéis) ni, por supuesto, vuelvo a abrir sus páginas. No sea que siga bajando la nota.
December 14, 2018
Me gusta el ajedrez + me gustan los misteros = me encanta El ocho.
Es indispensable entrar a fondo en la trama ya que hay momentos que no son precisamente fáciles de seguir, pero a poco que te impliques y acompañes de la mano a lo personajes a lo largo de las dos historias, conseguirás que esas piezas de ajedrez tan especiales también te atrapen captando toda tu atención.
Un 8 (sobre 10) para El Ocho.
Jaque mate.
Es indispensable entrar a fondo en la trama ya que hay momentos que no son precisamente fáciles de seguir, pero a poco que te impliques y acompañes de la mano a lo personajes a lo largo de las dos historias, conseguirás que esas piezas de ajedrez tan especiales también te atrapen captando toda tu atención.
Un 8 (sobre 10) para El Ocho.
Jaque mate.
March 24, 2021
В общем, это как если бы Дэн Браун решил написать «Ход королевы», но по дороге вспомнил, что он все-таки Дэн Браун.
В итоге получилась книжка о том, что вот уже много тысяч лет мы живем не слишком хорошо, потому что все видные политики и деятели искусства вместо того, чтобы заниматься политикой и искусством, собирают волшебные шахматы, дарующие то ли вечную жизнь, то ли вечную власть, никто толком не знает, но шахматы по ходу хорошие и надо брать, и вот уже и Наполеон идет на Россию, потому что в Зимнем дворце, говорят, Екатерина Вторая шахматную доску под половицами упрятала, (нет, серьезно, в принципе-то в Россию ехать больше не за чем).
И в целом там примерно все такое, и русские крестьяне в дирндлях глядят на все происходящее темным взглядом прямиком из глубин загадочной нашей души, а советский шахматист побеждает всех, потому что за ним стоит Дворец Пионеров, единственное, как замечает автор, продвинутое учреждение, где штампуют шахматных чемпионов, и, короче, прилетает Илон Маск на Марс, а там наши с кружка робототехники сидят, и тишина.
В итоге получилась книжка о том, что вот уже много тысяч лет мы живем не слишком хорошо, потому что все видные политики и деятели искусства вместо того, чтобы заниматься политикой и искусством, собирают волшебные шахматы, дарующие то ли вечную жизнь, то ли вечную власть, никто толком не знает, но шахматы по ходу хорошие и надо брать, и вот уже и Наполеон идет на Россию, потому что в Зимнем дворце, говорят, Екатерина Вторая шахматную доску под половицами упрятала, (нет, серьезно, в принципе-то в Россию ехать больше не за чем).
И в целом там примерно все такое, и русские крестьяне в дирндлях глядят на все происходящее темным взглядом прямиком из глубин загадочной нашей души, а советский шахматист побеждает всех, потому что за ним стоит Дворец Пионеров, единственное, как замечает автор, продвинутое учреждение, где штампуют шахматных чемпионов, и, короче, прилетает Илон Маск на Марс, а там наши с кружка робототехники сидят, и тишина.
January 30, 2017
"En el juego de la vida, los peones son el alma del ajedrez. Hasta un humilde peón puede cambiar de vestimenta. Alguien que amas cambiará el curso de las cosas. La mujer que la devuelva al rail cortará los vínculos conocidos y provocará el fin presagiado."
¡En mi lista de favoritos! Lo he recomendado y prestado entre mis amistades.
Katherine Neville nos regala una historia, entre los años 1790 y 1970, siendo un legendario y maldito ajedrez tallado en oro, plata y diamantes por los moros como regalo para el emperador Carlomagno, el escenario sobre el que se mueven los protagonistas.
El ocho es una novela que combina la fantasía y la historia, mucha historia. Muy bien ambientada, muy bien narrada y con exquisito nivel de detalle de los lugares donde se desarrolla.
Narrada entre dos líneas de tiempo, el presente y el pasado de dos protagonistas femeninas que la autora ha sabido entrelazar a la perfección con hechos reales (utilizados según la conveniencia y la necesidad). Resulta un libro envolvente. Considero un acierto esta forma de narrativa para un libro histórico tan denso, haciendo saltos en el tiempo, resulta mucho menos pesado asimilar la cantidad ingente de personajes, pues todos tienen relevante importancia en la historia y sus hechos la conducen de forma trascendental.
100% recomendado
¡En mi lista de favoritos! Lo he recomendado y prestado entre mis amistades.
Katherine Neville nos regala una historia, entre los años 1790 y 1970, siendo un legendario y maldito ajedrez tallado en oro, plata y diamantes por los moros como regalo para el emperador Carlomagno, el escenario sobre el que se mueven los protagonistas.
El ocho es una novela que combina la fantasía y la historia, mucha historia. Muy bien ambientada, muy bien narrada y con exquisito nivel de detalle de los lugares donde se desarrolla.
Narrada entre dos líneas de tiempo, el presente y el pasado de dos protagonistas femeninas que la autora ha sabido entrelazar a la perfección con hechos reales (utilizados según la conveniencia y la necesidad). Resulta un libro envolvente. Considero un acierto esta forma de narrativa para un libro histórico tan denso, haciendo saltos en el tiempo, resulta mucho menos pesado asimilar la cantidad ingente de personajes, pues todos tienen relevante importancia en la historia y sus hechos la conducen de forma trascendental.
100% recomendado
January 5, 2017
Iskreno, ne znam koju bih ocenu dao sad da je pročitam al te godine, kada mi je dopala šaka, knjiga me je toliko raspametila tako da sam joj se vraćao još dva puta. Pa stoga pet zvezdica.
Za Ketrin Nevil možemo slobodno reći da je preteča Den Brauna, a njena priča o tajanstvenoj šahovskoj garnituri Karla Velikog zaista je bila "iskustvo" kojeg se još uvek sećam.
Za Ketrin Nevil možemo slobodno reći da je preteča Den Brauna, a njena priča o tajanstvenoj šahovskoj garnituri Karla Velikog zaista je bila "iskustvo" kojeg se još uvek sećam.
April 21, 2009
The absolute worst. Intolerable.
The kind of endless, deluded, humorless, self-satisfied, tone-deaf, utterly witless manuscript that I'm sure publishers find in the mail all the time but must NEVER EVER PUBLISH. Picked it up hoping for approximately the literary equivalent of "National Treasure," instead got the literary equivalent of diarrhea. That this is beloved by anyone anywhere, and that it ever elicited the press quotes inside the front cover, absolutely boggles my mind. There is NO dimension of this that meets any standard of entertainment; not even as "just a big stupid mess but who cares" is this acceptable. It is far worse and more painful than that.
Solely recommended for those who do not plan to pay much attention to the story, or the characters, or god help you the words on the page - and just choose their reading based on a checklist of genre elements. Apparently there are many such people. Ugh. Even they should just get off on the back cover and move on.
That all said - yes, I did read this to completion. Because I am insane. Do not do this. You might think you are suffering through the prose for the story, but you are not. You are suffering through both the prose and the story, and plenty more besides. Most of all you are suffering the author herself, whose literary company I have grown to loathe and resent. May this bilious review rid me of her forever. Amen.
The kind of endless, deluded, humorless, self-satisfied, tone-deaf, utterly witless manuscript that I'm sure publishers find in the mail all the time but must NEVER EVER PUBLISH. Picked it up hoping for approximately the literary equivalent of "National Treasure," instead got the literary equivalent of diarrhea. That this is beloved by anyone anywhere, and that it ever elicited the press quotes inside the front cover, absolutely boggles my mind. There is NO dimension of this that meets any standard of entertainment; not even as "just a big stupid mess but who cares" is this acceptable. It is far worse and more painful than that.
Solely recommended for those who do not plan to pay much attention to the story, or the characters, or god help you the words on the page - and just choose their reading based on a checklist of genre elements. Apparently there are many such people. Ugh. Even they should just get off on the back cover and move on.
That all said - yes, I did read this to completion. Because I am insane. Do not do this. You might think you are suffering through the prose for the story, but you are not. You are suffering through both the prose and the story, and plenty more besides. Most of all you are suffering the author herself, whose literary company I have grown to loathe and resent. May this bilious review rid me of her forever. Amen.
December 19, 2007
The Eight - Ex
Kathleen Neville
The Montglane Service, an ornate, jeweled chess set given to Charlemagne by the Moors, is said to hold a code which when deciphered will bring great power. Nations and individuals have schemed to possess all the pieces. As the set is dispersed during the French Revolution, a young novice risks her life to safeguard it. Alternating with her story are the present-day efforts of a U.S. computer expert and a Russian chess master to assemble the set and solve its mystery. Studying the code involves musical notation, chess strategy, Fibonacci numbers, and mysticism.
I loved this book and have re-read it a couple times. Fans seem to gravitate either to the story in the past or the contemporary story. I'm on the contemporary side. I loved the character Cat and Cat's romance, albeit a small part of the story, with the Russian, and her friend Lily with the Rolls, and the poodle. Overall, it was a captivating adventure and a great read.
Kathleen Neville
The Montglane Service, an ornate, jeweled chess set given to Charlemagne by the Moors, is said to hold a code which when deciphered will bring great power. Nations and individuals have schemed to possess all the pieces. As the set is dispersed during the French Revolution, a young novice risks her life to safeguard it. Alternating with her story are the present-day efforts of a U.S. computer expert and a Russian chess master to assemble the set and solve its mystery. Studying the code involves musical notation, chess strategy, Fibonacci numbers, and mysticism.
I loved this book and have re-read it a couple times. Fans seem to gravitate either to the story in the past or the contemporary story. I'm on the contemporary side. I loved the character Cat and Cat's romance, albeit a small part of the story, with the Russian, and her friend Lily with the Rolls, and the poodle. Overall, it was a captivating adventure and a great read.
January 14, 2009
Sometimes you read a book and find yourself wishing it'll never end. If you want that, this is a book for you. I thought it'd never end, and I don't mean that in a good way. The book has been compared to the DaVinci Code, but I think that's an unfortunate comparison. The story alternates between the 1970's and the late 1700's, both periods linked by the individuals quest for lost ancient knowledge. To me, the action and dangers are contrived, as is the object of the search. If you can get caught up in pure fantasy, and not get too concerned about logic or believability, you may enjoy this book, but if you want something more believable, as I do, it's hard to stay engaged in this long book.
April 11, 2024
Puntuación por disfrute: 5 ⭐
Puntuación objetiva: 3,5 ⭐
He disfrutado la lectura de este libro como pocas veces. El enganche ha sido tremendo, especialmente habiendo llegado a la segunda mitad no podía parar de leer. Pero vamos a ser francos.
Yo escuché que esta historia mezclaba ajedrez y matemáticas, y se podría decir que sí pero no. Hay elementos matemáticos, por supuesto, e incluso se menciona algún matemático del pasado que fue muy importante en dicha ciencia, pero no profundiza mucho en el tema. Se habla del número áureo, del cuadrado mágico y alguna que otra cosa más. También se habla del ajedrez, pero más concretamente del tablero de ajedrez que es el eje principal de la trama, del mundo que se crea alrededor de dicho juego y de cuanta importancia llegó a tener en la década de los 70.
Seguiremos dos líneas temporales que van a ir intercalando capítulos de forma regular, lo que hará que en ningún momento pierdas el hilo. El ritmo es muy bueno, no para, y a veces tenemos escenas de pura adrenalina y acción, especialmente hacia el final.
Los personajes son muy carismáticos y hasta les acabas cogiendo cariño a algunos. También me parece que las dosis de información que te va dando la autora está bien medida, y eso hace que quieras seguir leyendo.
Pero la historia tiene escenas que son innecesarias para la trama, a veces se nos narran sucesos de la línea temporal antigua que no son relevantes. Y nuestra protagonista principal tiene momentos en los que parece que da tumbos por el mundo sin rumbo fijo, pero acaba dando con la solución de alguna manera, llámalo suerte o destino, pero no parecía del todo creíble. Incluso cuando llegamos al final y todas las piezas empiezan a encajar en su sitio, hay algunos datos que no sabemos bien cómo ni por qué, son importantes para la resolución final.
Me parece una historia entretenida y con cierto toque de originalidad (como he dicho al principio me lo he gozado enterito), por el contrario tiene varios peros que si no estás inmerso en la historia te la harán algo menos disfrutable.
Puntuación objetiva: 3,5 ⭐
He disfrutado la lectura de este libro como pocas veces. El enganche ha sido tremendo, especialmente habiendo llegado a la segunda mitad no podía parar de leer. Pero vamos a ser francos.
Yo escuché que esta historia mezclaba ajedrez y matemáticas, y se podría decir que sí pero no. Hay elementos matemáticos, por supuesto, e incluso se menciona algún matemático del pasado que fue muy importante en dicha ciencia, pero no profundiza mucho en el tema. Se habla del número áureo, del cuadrado mágico y alguna que otra cosa más. También se habla del ajedrez, pero más concretamente del tablero de ajedrez que es el eje principal de la trama, del mundo que se crea alrededor de dicho juego y de cuanta importancia llegó a tener en la década de los 70.
Seguiremos dos líneas temporales que van a ir intercalando capítulos de forma regular, lo que hará que en ningún momento pierdas el hilo. El ritmo es muy bueno, no para, y a veces tenemos escenas de pura adrenalina y acción, especialmente hacia el final.
Los personajes son muy carismáticos y hasta les acabas cogiendo cariño a algunos. También me parece que las dosis de información que te va dando la autora está bien medida, y eso hace que quieras seguir leyendo.
Pero la historia tiene escenas que son innecesarias para la trama, a veces se nos narran sucesos de la línea temporal antigua que no son relevantes. Y nuestra protagonista principal tiene momentos en los que parece que da tumbos por el mundo sin rumbo fijo, pero acaba dando con la solución de alguna manera, llámalo suerte o destino, pero no parecía del todo creíble. Incluso cuando llegamos al final y todas las piezas empiezan a encajar en su sitio, hay algunos datos que no sabemos bien cómo ni por qué, son importantes para la resolución final.
Me parece una historia entretenida y con cierto toque de originalidad (como he dicho al principio me lo he gozado enterito), por el contrario tiene varios peros que si no estás inmerso en la historia te la harán algo menos disfrutable.
March 23, 2019
an amazing book, especially in the end! the last 100 pages were a real page-turner!!!!
May 20, 2020
* I work hard on these pieces and dislike empty like button clicks. Comments from friends and readers are my reward. *
“The Eight”, 1988, was an enchanting second-hand bargain about 20 years ago. When I felt adventurous, I ignored a peer who low-balls books I revere. Instinct prevailed! This is a masterpiece! Katherine Neville aced essential elements and remarkably, turned traits I avoid on their heads.
I know the bare basics of chess and no chemistry.
I am neither keen on historical fiction, nor on split narration.
If there must be dual timelines, I am always antsy to resume the modern story.
No matter how well I enjoy books, I am usually relieved to see my pages progress.
In a very modern 1972, my year, Cat Velis rattles chauvinist colleagues, who exile her to head a gas company tracking project in Algeria. She is asked to buy valuable chess pieces for the uncle of Cat’s friend, Lily. There is something freaky about the tournament they watch of a Russian champion and intrigue falls into their laps before leaving New York.
In 1790, teenaged cousins Mireille and Valentine, novices of Montglane Abbey, are charged with urgency. The Abbess closes everything before France revolts, where Charlemagne’s game was stored for 1000 years. Everyone takes pieces to different countries. Friend and foe redevelop unpredictably and the visible growth of characters is breathtaking! Brave women drive both centuries.
A true mystery quest is bigger than detective nonsense. 600 pages yield questions and some imperfections but this novel couldn’t get much more magnifique. Multiple plots connect with historic personages, outstandingly original and atmospherically enthralling! I was riveted to every era equally! I am inspired to know historic figures better but nothing impeded an inch of loving these two continent racing missions! These mind-stimulating pages are double what I usually read and they finished quickly! I felt like I had shared years with all of the characters.
“The Eight”, 1988, was an enchanting second-hand bargain about 20 years ago. When I felt adventurous, I ignored a peer who low-balls books I revere. Instinct prevailed! This is a masterpiece! Katherine Neville aced essential elements and remarkably, turned traits I avoid on their heads.
I know the bare basics of chess and no chemistry.
I am neither keen on historical fiction, nor on split narration.
If there must be dual timelines, I am always antsy to resume the modern story.
No matter how well I enjoy books, I am usually relieved to see my pages progress.
In a very modern 1972, my year, Cat Velis rattles chauvinist colleagues, who exile her to head a gas company tracking project in Algeria. She is asked to buy valuable chess pieces for the uncle of Cat’s friend, Lily. There is something freaky about the tournament they watch of a Russian champion and intrigue falls into their laps before leaving New York.
In 1790, teenaged cousins Mireille and Valentine, novices of Montglane Abbey, are charged with urgency. The Abbess closes everything before France revolts, where Charlemagne’s game was stored for 1000 years. Everyone takes pieces to different countries. Friend and foe redevelop unpredictably and the visible growth of characters is breathtaking! Brave women drive both centuries.
A true mystery quest is bigger than detective nonsense. 600 pages yield questions and some imperfections but this novel couldn’t get much more magnifique. Multiple plots connect with historic personages, outstandingly original and atmospherically enthralling! I was riveted to every era equally! I am inspired to know historic figures better but nothing impeded an inch of loving these two continent racing missions! These mind-stimulating pages are double what I usually read and they finished quickly! I felt like I had shared years with all of the characters.
June 3, 2007
"The Eight" reads like a student attempting to wow her professor by using as many similies as she can (irony intended). I think Neville chose the name "The Eight," because there are roughly eight sentences per chapter that don't contain a forced, awkward similie.
At least that was true for the first 90% of the novel, which was almost Dickensien in its detail. For the last 10%, it is writen more like a short story, with months of time being skiped and important, climactic scenes being rushed into one or two pages. Neither pacing was appropriate, and the juxstaposition of the two was jarring.
Too many characters and clumsy, pointless chess metaphors riddled the narrative. It took me months to finish this book. I'm really not sure why I kept reading it. I suppose the much-hyped secret that would be revealed at the end kept me going; an ending that ultimately failed to satisfy, as it has been done before.
At least that was true for the first 90% of the novel, which was almost Dickensien in its detail. For the last 10%, it is writen more like a short story, with months of time being skiped and important, climactic scenes being rushed into one or two pages. Neither pacing was appropriate, and the juxstaposition of the two was jarring.
Too many characters and clumsy, pointless chess metaphors riddled the narrative. It took me months to finish this book. I'm really not sure why I kept reading it. I suppose the much-hyped secret that would be revealed at the end kept me going; an ending that ultimately failed to satisfy, as it has been done before.
January 5, 2022
This is my second reading of The Eight by Katherine Neville. I previously read it a dozen years ago and thought I would give it another try in case I had missed something here. But I cannot tell a lie. I found it to be such a tedious read because I could not maintain interest in the storyline or the characters. I did add one more star to be fair as the author obviously spent a very long time in writing and researching The Eight. This is only one opinion and I realize that most would enjoy this book.
October 24, 2014
Καλό κι ενδιαφέρον βιβλίο όπου ... μονομαχούσε η αγωνία με την γνώση. Χωρίς να είναι αριστούργημα, μου άρεσε....
ΞΑΝΑΔΙΑΒΑΣΜΑ. Έσβησα ένα αστεράκι, έπεσε στο 3. Ολο αυτό το μίγμα ιστορικών προσώπων με συνωμοσιολογίες και οι εξεζητημένοι χαρακτήρες μάλλον με κούρασαν παρά με ευχαρίστησαν. Ίσως πέρασε η εποχή βιβλίων τέτοιας φιλοσοφίας και δομής....
ΞΑΝΑΔΙΑΒΑΣΜΑ. Έσβησα ένα αστεράκι, έπεσε στο 3. Ολο αυτό το μίγμα ιστορικών προσώπων με συνωμοσιολογίες και οι εξεζητημένοι χαρακτήρες μάλλον με κούρασαν παρά με ευχαρίστησαν. Ίσως πέρασε η εποχή βιβλίων τέτοιας φιλοσοφίας και δομής....
September 25, 2018
Σαν την ατμόσφαιρα δεν έχει ... η Neville γράφει για ένα κυνήγι θησαυρού γκουχου γκουχου πιο νωρίς από τον κύριο Brown ... στο οποίο πρέπει να λερωθεις για να φτάσεις στο τέλος του. Παράλληλα μας πάει πίσω στην γαλλική επανάσταση για να μας διηγηθεί την φανταστική εκδοχή μιας πραγματικής δολοφονίας.
Αν και κάπως αργό στην εξέλιξη (πολλές φορές οι ήρωες βολοδέρνουν άσκοπα) το μυστήριο είναι ακόμα εκεί και εκτυλίσσεται γύρω μια μαγική σκακιέρα ( και πανάκριβη ... άνετα σκότωμα στο eBay) . Ήταν το πρώτο βιβλίο αυτής της κατηγορίας που διάβασα και με μύησε σε αυτό το είδος.
Αν και κάπως αργό στην εξέλιξη (πολλές φορές οι ήρωες βολοδέρνουν άσκοπα) το μυστήριο είναι ακόμα εκεί και εκτυλίσσεται γύρω μια μαγική σκακιέρα ( και πανάκριβη ... άνετα σκότωμα στο eBay) . Ήταν το πρώτο βιβλίο αυτής της κατηγορίας που διάβασα και με μύησε σε αυτό το είδος.
May 1, 2013
I would give this book more than 5 stars if I could. The plot Katherine Neville created with The Eight is incredible, intertwined with history and myth and science. Her characters are wonderful, and she does a great job of keeping us wondering until the end who is really on the "good" side. As a writer, I am truly stunned by the intricacy of this plot. Anyone who enjoyed The Da Vinci Code should enjoy The Eight, and it is a better book, in my opinion. A must read, especially for writers learning craft!
March 26, 2014
FLASH! Definition of the word "thriller" changes. Now the word "thriller" can be deemed to include slow moving, overly convoluted stories that wander from point to point with little actual plot covered!
Yes we have another story here in the vein of The Da Vinci Code. (I have been informed that this book was written in '88. I had originally said it was "apparently inspired by said Da Vinci Code". My error. That said, it doesn't make the book any better.) Taking place in both the past and the future with "countless" number based clues, cues and proofs.
That's right the number.....8! FIGURES HEAVILY in the story, duh,duh,duh.
Beginning back in the time of Charlemagne (or....does it go further back?) our story revolves around an ornate chess set that is imbued (or possibly endowed) with some great and (possibly) evil power.
So...a cunning abbess sends off some nuns each of them carrying a single piece of the chess set (well she sends two novices off who haven't taken their vows yet and they go to the big city and become nude models... an interesting career choice, you know for would-be nuns).
We are also tracking things in the "present" as "powers" seek to find said chess set.
So with all this, plots, counter plots, conspiracies going on, how can this be one of the most boring, slow moving, stultifying books I've picked up in weeks?
I don't know. But it manages.
Can't recommend this one.
Yes we have another story here in the vein of The Da Vinci Code. (I have been informed that this book was written in '88. I had originally said it was "apparently inspired by said Da Vinci Code". My error. That said, it doesn't make the book any better.) Taking place in both the past and the future with "countless" number based clues, cues and proofs.
That's right the number.....8! FIGURES HEAVILY in the story, duh,duh,duh.
Beginning back in the time of Charlemagne (or....does it go further back?) our story revolves around an ornate chess set that is imbued (or possibly endowed) with some great and (possibly) evil power.
So...a cunning abbess sends off some nuns each of them carrying a single piece of the chess set (well she sends two novices off who haven't taken their vows yet and they go to the big city and become nude models... an interesting career choice, you know for would-be nuns).
We are also tracking things in the "present" as "powers" seek to find said chess set.
So with all this, plots, counter plots, conspiracies going on, how can this be one of the most boring, slow moving, stultifying books I've picked up in weeks?
I don't know. But it manages.
Can't recommend this one.
August 3, 2020
"Οχτώ" 3. 7 / 5
Ένα ταξίδι που συνυφαίνει η συγγραφέας μεταξύ ιστορίας και επιστήμης, φυσικής, μαθηματικών, αρχαιολογίας. Βασιλείς, αξιωματικοί, ηγέτες που κατέκτησαν εδάφη, πόλεις κ χώρες μπλέκονται σε ενα παιχνίδι αναζήτησης της αλήθειας κ ενός μυστικού που σε αλλάζει.
Αυτό το στοιχείο που αναζητά όλη η ανθρωπότητα ανά τους αιώνες προσπαθώντας να καταρρίψει τη φυσική εξέλιξη...
Ήταν ωραία η προσέγγιση όσον αφορά τα ιστορικά γεγονότα. Είχε αγωνία, μυστήριο κ ανθρωποκυνηγητό αλλά οι πολυάριθμες λεπτομέρειες σε ορισμένα σημεία σε κούραζαν. Επίσης, το τέλος το περίμενα πιο ανατρεπτικό. Νομίζω πως το τέλος ενός βιβλίου 767 σελίδων δε με αποζημίωσε. Παρ' όλα αυτά αξίζει μια αναγνωστική προσπάθεια για τους λάτρεις του είδους.
Ένα ταξίδι που συνυφαίνει η συγγραφέας μεταξύ ιστορίας και επιστήμης, φυσικής, μαθηματικών, αρχαιολογίας. Βασιλείς, αξιωματικοί, ηγέτες που κατέκτησαν εδάφη, πόλεις κ χώρες μπλέκονται σε ενα παιχνίδι αναζήτησης της αλήθειας κ ενός μυστικού που σε αλλάζει.
Αυτό το στοιχείο που αναζητά όλη η ανθρωπότητα ανά τους αιώνες προσπαθώντας να καταρρίψει τη φυσική εξέλιξη...
Ήταν ωραία η προσέγγιση όσον αφορά τα ιστορικά γεγονότα. Είχε αγωνία, μυστήριο κ ανθρωποκυνηγητό αλλά οι πολυάριθμες λεπτομέρειες σε ορισμένα σημεία σε κούραζαν. Επίσης, το τέλος το περίμενα πιο ανατρεπτικό. Νομίζω πως το τέλος ενός βιβλίου 767 σελίδων δε με αποζημίωσε. Παρ' όλα αυτά αξίζει μια αναγνωστική προσπάθεια για τους λάτρεις του είδους.
November 30, 2018
7/10
Δεύτερη ανάγνωση μετά από πολλά χρόνια. Την πρώτη φορά μου είχε φανεί πάρα πάρα πολύ καλό. Πλέον έχω διαβάσει πολλά ακόμα παρόμοια οπότε εκείνο το αρχικό το ''Ουάου'' ξέφτισε. Μου φάνηκε και να πλατειάζει λίγο σε κάποια σημεία (όχι τρομερά πράγματα). Εξακολουθώ όμως να το θεωρώ ένα καλό βιβλίο, από αυτά που αξίζει να διαβάσει κανείς. Θυμόμουν και πολλά σημεία του καθαρά, το οποίο είναι ένα ακόμα θετικό σημάδι.
Δεν θα αναφέρω κάτι συγκεκριμένα για το βιβλίο, πλέον υπάρχουν τόσες κριτικές που η μία περισσότερη δεν έχει καμία αξία.
Δεύτερη ανάγνωση μετά από πολλά χρόνια. Την πρώτη φορά μου είχε φανεί πάρα πάρα πολύ καλό. Πλέον έχω διαβάσει πολλά ακόμα παρόμοια οπότε εκείνο το αρχικό το ''Ουάου'' ξέφτισε. Μου φάνηκε και να πλατειάζει λίγο σε κάποια σημεία (όχι τρομερά πράγματα). Εξακολουθώ όμως να το θεωρώ ένα καλό βιβλίο, από αυτά που αξίζει να διαβάσει κανείς. Θυμόμουν και πολλά σημεία του καθαρά, το οποίο είναι ένα ακόμα θετικό σημάδι.
Δεν θα αναφέρω κάτι συγκεκριμένα για το βιβλίο, πλέον υπάρχουν τόσες κριτικές που η μία περισσότερη δεν έχει καμία αξία.
August 21, 2015
Read on the WondrousBooks blog.
Long story short: I got this book from NetGalley and I was unbelievably excited about it. In the end, it took me entirely too many weeks to finish it and now I have to send it to the "mediocre at best" shelf.
Now let me elaborate.
The story of The Eight seemed very compelling: a mysterious chess set, a game that has been going on for ages, two female characters going on the same quest, set apart by 200 years of chasing, a giant battle of good and evil including history's biggest names.
However, what we had was:
The Writing
Silly and childish. The characters have the tendency of becoming pale, very pale, deadly pale etc. in every five sentences. There's a lot of name-throwing, even though all of the big names have little actual impact on the story. What I hated the most about the book was the cheap drama technique, stolen right from Indian/Mexican soap operas. Every chapter ends with something so dramatic it's utterly laughable. It sort of looks like this:
In the book there was no regard, whatsoever, about the time-frame. The events were happening in the course of so many years, but the narrative continued as if nothing has important or of any value has happened in the missing time. I specifically mean Mireille's story. Can anyone really explain to me how these characters were so mobile in an age when the steam boat was barely a thing? Because the characters were crossing seas and oceans, traveling from America to Russia like it was the 21st century. Nine months pregnant Mireille was traveling between Algeria and France, crossing seas and deserts, climbing steep mountains like it was a walk down the street. Even in the "present", which was actually 1973, the characters were almost teleporting from one destination to another.
This, of course, brings us to
The Characters
Who were so unbelievable that even the author started joking with them at some point, in my opinion. I mean, come on... Really, 18th century underage French nun-to-be-but-not-really who speaks fluent English, learns Arabic, Russian and God knows what else, travels half the globe and manages to give birth to two children before turning 30? A man who supposedly rules France behind the curtains, who is a described as terrifying and evil, and then all of a sudden turns out to be a spineless plaything in the hands of Mireille and is on team Good. Or how about Cat, the first female to become a computer expert, and that, before turning 25, not to mention that alongside her unbelievable expertise, she is also fluent in a couple of languages and knows everything, from music, to computers, to physics, to mythology.
And of course, all of these characters also happen to be chosen to play the game, but how and through what criteria and how did they even get noticed? Figure that out for yourselves. And if there is something that can be considered a plausible explanation about some of the chess prodigies, there certainly isn't one about Cat, who seems to come from nowhere. I don't even thing there was much in the way of a back-story about her.
Insta-love
I didn't expect it and it made me even more annoyed with the book. I'm not going to elaborate, because it's too spoiler-y, but there's insta-love, folks. And a very lame one at that.
What I did like about the story, though, was
The Plot
In the hands of a better writer, this book could have been amazing. The idea about the chess set is very original. The other thing which I really liked was the information of many topics, which flowed through the narrative. The mix of fictional and real personages and histories was deeply appreciated, especially in comparison to everything else in the book. If the famous people which are randomly mentioned just to shock the reader, had any actual role in the book, it might have been much more interesting. But as a whole, I can't ignore the fact that from informational point of view, I learned some things and I enjoyed it.
The Weird Part
At the end of the book, there was a detailed biography of the writer. I guess that could be considered somewhat normal, even though I don't think I've seen it done for anyone but proven authors and ones who have died a long time ago at that.
But putting a gallery of headshots of the author in the book... Well, that's plain strange. Not to be rude, but what do old modeling pictures of a book's author have to do with the book itself? If I'm interested, I can Google the author. I don't really see a need for that self-promotion to be shoved down the reader's throat. Huh?
Long story short: I got this book from NetGalley and I was unbelievably excited about it. In the end, it took me entirely too many weeks to finish it and now I have to send it to the "mediocre at best" shelf.
Now let me elaborate.
The story of The Eight seemed very compelling: a mysterious chess set, a game that has been going on for ages, two female characters going on the same quest, set apart by 200 years of chasing, a giant battle of good and evil including history's biggest names.
However, what we had was:
The Writing
Silly and childish. The characters have the tendency of becoming pale, very pale, deadly pale etc. in every five sentences. There's a lot of name-throwing, even though all of the big names have little actual impact on the story. What I hated the most about the book was the cheap drama technique, stolen right from Indian/Mexican soap operas. Every chapter ends with something so dramatic it's utterly laughable. It sort of looks like this:
Three bunnies who were friends were taking a stroll in the forest. One of the bunnies decided to pick flowers. The other two were discussing the nice weather. A birdie was soaring the sky. A bee saw the bunnies from afar and decided to join them on the walk, only it was flying, naturally. Suddenly a dark cloud appeared. The three bunnies got worried because they didn't have an umbrella. While they were thinking about what to do and how to escape the possible storm, one of the bunnies turned and told the other two: "I'm actually your father." The bee, shocked, replied: "It's not possible because I'm actually their fraternal aunt."
Five days later the three bunnies were taking another stroll. The weather was a bit chilly.
In the book there was no regard, whatsoever, about the time-frame. The events were happening in the course of so many years, but the narrative continued as if nothing has important or of any value has happened in the missing time. I specifically mean Mireille's story. Can anyone really explain to me how these characters were so mobile in an age when the steam boat was barely a thing? Because the characters were crossing seas and oceans, traveling from America to Russia like it was the 21st century. Nine months pregnant Mireille was traveling between Algeria and France, crossing seas and deserts, climbing steep mountains like it was a walk down the street. Even in the "present", which was actually 1973, the characters were almost teleporting from one destination to another.
This, of course, brings us to
The Characters
Who were so unbelievable that even the author started joking with them at some point, in my opinion. I mean, come on... Really, 18th century underage French nun-to-be-but-not-really who speaks fluent English, learns Arabic, Russian and God knows what else, travels half the globe and manages to give birth to two children before turning 30? A man who supposedly rules France behind the curtains, who is a described as terrifying and evil, and then all of a sudden turns out to be a spineless plaything in the hands of Mireille and is on team Good. Or how about Cat, the first female to become a computer expert, and that, before turning 25, not to mention that alongside her unbelievable expertise, she is also fluent in a couple of languages and knows everything, from music, to computers, to physics, to mythology.
And of course, all of these characters also happen to be chosen to play the game, but how and through what criteria and how did they even get noticed? Figure that out for yourselves. And if there is something that can be considered a plausible explanation about some of the chess prodigies, there certainly isn't one about Cat, who seems to come from nowhere. I don't even thing there was much in the way of a back-story about her.
Insta-love
I didn't expect it and it made me even more annoyed with the book. I'm not going to elaborate, because it's too spoiler-y, but there's insta-love, folks. And a very lame one at that.
What I did like about the story, though, was
The Plot
In the hands of a better writer, this book could have been amazing. The idea about the chess set is very original. The other thing which I really liked was the information of many topics, which flowed through the narrative. The mix of fictional and real personages and histories was deeply appreciated, especially in comparison to everything else in the book. If the famous people which are randomly mentioned just to shock the reader, had any actual role in the book, it might have been much more interesting. But as a whole, I can't ignore the fact that from informational point of view, I learned some things and I enjoyed it.
The Weird Part
At the end of the book, there was a detailed biography of the writer. I guess that could be considered somewhat normal, even though I don't think I've seen it done for anyone but proven authors and ones who have died a long time ago at that.
But putting a gallery of headshots of the author in the book... Well, that's plain strange. Not to be rude, but what do old modeling pictures of a book's author have to do with the book itself? If I'm interested, I can Google the author. I don't really see a need for that self-promotion to be shoved down the reader's throat. Huh?
December 29, 2016
Malo me smeta besmisleni misticizam ali mi se autoričin stil pisanja jako sviđa. zato slabija četvorka.
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