A gripping, chilling tale, based on one of the most awe-inspiring characters in world history and literature, the Dracula, or Vlad, the Impaler. In THE HISTORIAN, Elizabeth Kostova expertly weaves history and mystery to give us a book that is a compelling must-read. Based on eight years of research, the book reflects the author’s hard work and passion for a subject that has inspired many a folklores and many researchers.
Kostova’s own passion for the central character in this book is almost contagious, and the avid reader with the love of history, geography, fantasy and occult, will find it hard to keep this book down without reading it from cover to cover. Poignant in its expression of the father-daughter relationship; spine-chilling in the unveiling of the mysterious tale of the supernatural; breathtaking in its scenic description, and scholastic in the portrayal of history, customs, politics and the academic fraternity across global boundaries.
The writing style is so convincing and the facts and fiction woven so intricately, that as the patterns in the book evolve, the reader is persuaded that the story is true and alive. This book is a masterpiece of a debut novel, especially as the author effortlessly weaves through the past and the present, through characters, geographies and situations, not giving the female protagonist a name… until the end…
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From the Back Cover
“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 letters. The letters are all addressed to “My dear and unfortunate successor,” and they plunge her into a world she never dreamed of-a labyrinth where the secrets of her father’s past and her mother’s mysterious fate connect to an inconceivable evil hidden in the depths of history. The letters provide links to one of the darkest powers that humanity has ever known-and to a centuries-long quest to find the source of that darkness and wipe it out. It is a quest for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval ruler whose barbarous reign formed the basis of the legend of Dracula. Generations of historians have risked their reputations, their sanity, and even their lives to learn the truth about Vlad the Impaler and Dracula. Now one young woman must decide whether to take up this quest herself-to follow her father in a hunt that nearly brought him to ruin years ago, when he was a vibrant young scholar and her mother was still alive.
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Amit Gupta Says:
August 23rd, 2008 at 11:59 AMAnother historical fiction you can checkout is “The Religion”. I read some good reviews about it, though haven’t started on it yet as I’m reading another book at present. So if you want you can borrow my copy to read!
felinemusings Says:
August 23rd, 2008 at 5:25 PM@Amit, will check out the review of The Religion and let you know if I want to borrow your copy
I can ofcourse lend you “the Historian”
Amit Gupta Says:
August 23rd, 2008 at 7:03 PMSure, check reviews of “The Religion” & decide. Or you can borrow any other book you want from me. You can check out my book shelf to see which ones I have. “River God” is another historical fiction which I finished last week & its a good one.
And I can also recommend “Seven Ancient Wonders” & “Temple”, though “Seven Ancient Wonders” is better than “Temple”.