ENDPAPER
Read-alikes
PRADEEP SEBASTIAN
NETRA SHYAM
NOTHING is relished as singularly as a conspiracy thriller, and in the wake of you-know-which-book, readers of this column have been demanding to know if there are other books like it. There are. While they don't cover the exact same ground as the D book, they are about conspiracies, codes and alternate or hidden religious histories. They are what are termed read-alikes. The notion of the read-alike is a very dear and useful one to restless readers who search for books that resemble other books — what they want is a book that feels exactly like their favourite book.
But before I write briefly about six read-alikes of the D book, I want to caution you that they may not match Brown's book for sheer readability and excitement, even though they are better written! Brown's prose is — and always has been — pedestrian and serviceable, even inelegant. His genius lies in writing a lean, stripped down historical thriller that feels sensationally factual. He tells you exactly what you need (actually craving) to know, nothing more, nothing less. That is why it is so readable, not because it takes place in 24 hours or that it is ferociously paced or racy.
Accidental formula
Most historical thrillers, on the other hand, are plump and plagued by lengthy historical asides, layered description, and dense atmospherics. This stripped- down formula is something Brown has stumbled on with the D book, almost like a fantastic secret code for writing the perfect bestseller. Because, his earlier books don't have this precision. From Digital Fortress to Deception Point to Angels and Demons they are all typically overwritten and overloaded with information. I feel certain that the D book will be much imitated, even begin a new trend of the efficiently written conspiracy thriller — at least I hope such will be the case because if I want style and literary complexity, I can always turn to all those unread Booker prize winners. What I want in a thriller is to do just that: thrill me. The D book might look easy to imitate but it isn't. Even for its author, it's going to be a hard act to follow. In the days to come, many thrillers will carry blurbs like, "if you loved The D book, you'll love so and so". Beware.
Brimstone — Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs
BAFFLING ritual murders that leave traces of hoof prints signed into the floorboards and the smell of brimstone recall the legendary horror that befall those who make a pact with the devil. Pendergast, an FBI agent with the genius of a modern-day Sherlock Holmes and the impeccable taste of Hannibal Lecter, investigates a globe-spanning conspiracy with roots in Renaissance Florence. Preston and Childs' earlier books also deal with conspiracies and codes of one sort or the other from Reliquary to The Cabinet of Curiosities.
The Rule of Four — Ian Caldwell and Justin Thompson
THE most bespoke follow-up to the D book is yet to gather a global readership. Two Princeton students trying to solve the mysteries of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, a Renaissance text that eluded scholars for centuries, are thrown into a terrifying world of codes and secrets. Right before their graduation, an ancient diary surfaces that tells them that the location of a hidden crypt that has been ciphered within the pages of the Renaissance text.
The Book of Q — Jonathan Rabb
FATHER IAN PEARCE, a researcher at the Vatican library, finds an ancient heretical scroll that could destroy the Catholic Church. The Manicheans, a dangerous sect thought to be inactive, have resurfaced, and Pearce must stop them before harm is done. This is Rabb's follow up to his first conspiracy thriller, The Overseer.
The Prophetess — Barbara Wood
IN December 1999, archaeologist Catherine Alexander unearths six ancient papyrus scrolls written by a female leader of an early Christian church. A seventh scroll, containing the secrets of eternal life, is missing and Catherine begins a dangerous hunt for the missing scroll.
Codex — Lev Grossman
EDWARD WOZNY, a young banker, is asked to help one of his firm's most important clients with unpacking and organising a private library of rare books. Wozny realises that hidden in the library is a rare medieval codex. Margaret Napier, a medieval scholar, soon becomes involved in the search, and the strange history of the codex leads them to a fascinating adventure.
The Assassini — Thomas Gifford
This monumental, intriguing thriller examines what happens when the Catholic Church prepares to elect a new pope. Suddenly an old and deadly secret society becomes active again, killing a monsignor and an activist nun. The nun's brother, Ben Driskill, travels to Egypt, Paris, Ireland, and Rome to try to avenge her death, while uncovering dark secrets about the Church.
pradeepsebastian@hotmail.com
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