An Instance of the Fingerpost: Explore the murky world of 17th-century Oxford in this iconic historical thriller

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Fortunately, they did not kill me; indeed, I acquitted myself well in the brawl thanks to the fees my father had paid to my fencing master, and I believe at least one bravo left the field in a worse state than I. But I took the warning for I thought that all I needed to do was make the short journey from the river to the office maintained by my father's agent, and all would be well. Fool that I was. I could not find di Pietro, and that wretched man John Manston

Disappointingly, the accounts don't always ring entirely true -- and not in the way Pears wants them not to (which is: deceptively) -- with Pears struggling some in making his voices sound sufficiently different, and falling short with parts (like Wallis' infatuation with a servant, whose death he comes to blame Cola for). If Eco's book was a sly demonstration of semiotics, the study of signs, Pear's is an exercise in theories of knowledge. Theological disputation, cryptography, religious dissent, medical experiments, moral philosophy, even the The accounts are written in the form of memoirs by each narrator many years after the events they describe, after Thomas Ken gained his Bishopric but before the death of Henry Bennet. This dates them to 1685, the last year of Charles' reign.It's a quite good read, but relies too much on the would-be clever four-fold unfolding of the story, which is accomplished, but, in its details, not quite good enough. to Venetians as English law is to Englishmen--and the hull and cargo provided some compensation for our losses. was some disarray in the London office, a letter told me, and he needed family to intervene: no one else could be trusted. Although I had little practical knowledge of trade, I was glad to be the obedient son, and so discharged my servant, Sarah Blundy figures prominently in Coal's account, but is much less significant figure in the next two -- only then to again be central in the final one. The odd mix of stakes here -- from petty-personal to matters of 'honor' (which can so easily seem like the ridiculous concern it is) to the (potentially) nothing less than world- and history-changing -- also ranges rather too wide, as Pears really stuffs everything into his novel.

verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ So much has been written about this seat of learning, and it has so little to do with my recital, that it suffices to say that I found and profited greatly from two professors of singular ability who lectured on anatomy and bodily economy. I also travelednot worth the money lost. The matter was reluctantly forgotten for two years, when we heard that one of Manston's boats had put into Trieste to sit out a storm. My family moved to have it seized--Venetian justice being as favorable are the stuff of publishers' dreams, and in Pears's novel they may have found a near-perfect example of the genre. It is literary -- if that means intelligent and well written -- and for the reader who likes to be teased, who She is also revealed to be a vessel of sorts, and also treated as such by Pears; somewhat disappointingly in the conclusion, she is essentially reduced to an object, handled by others rather than able to act on her own (as she had so powerfully for much of the novel); in this sense she is a flawed (novel-)character, a bit too obviously put to use by Pears rather than being her own person -- unlike, say, the slippery Cola, who functions much better as a cog in the complex machinery of the novel. No single story provides the frame for the others, and we jump between historical moments every other paragraph. There's a lot of movement, but very little progression. The breathless thrills of An Instance of the Fingerpost have been exchanged for a lengthy meditation on cultural history, with characters as pegs for thoughts. The plot has more in common with an academic treatise than with a thriller. In fact, there are more exciting PhD theses.

The term "fingerpost" is also an obscure synonym for prelate or priest, foreshadowing one of the book's main plot points. [3] It’s England in the 1660s, Charles II has been restored to the throne following years of civil war and Oliver Cromwell’s short-lived republic. Oxford is the intellectual seat of the country, a place of great scientific, religious, and political ferment. A fellow of New College is found dead in suspicious circumstances. A young woman is accused of his murder. At times the narrative does grow a bit wearisome, and not all the narrators' voices are entirely successful -- the middle two parts definitely feel strained at times -- but there is consistently enough to it to hold the reader's attention and interest. split his profit. As he once told me, it was a fair bargain: this John Manston was sly and dishonest, but possessed unrivaled knowledge of English tastes. More importantly, the English had passed a law to stop goods coming into their portsMy Lord Bacon, in his 'Novum Organus,' discusses this point, and investigates with his habitual brilliance the various categories of evidence, and finds them all flawed," says the only one of Pears' narrators

He was long past the time when he took a direct interest in his business, having already converted a portion of his capital into land on terra firma to prepare for admission to the Golden Book. Although a merchant himself, he intended his children to be gentlemen, and discouraged me from active participation in his business. I mention this as an indication of his goodness: he had noticed early on that I had little mind for trade, and encouraged me to turn my face against the life he led. He also knew that my sister's new husband was more fitted for ventures than I. Cola's rather straightforward account, by an outsider briefly among a community and in a nation in considerable turmoil which he would seem to have nothing to do with and little more than visiting interest in (beyond that rather hopeless-sounding business situation in London, which indeed he can do little about) seems, on its plain face, to be trustworthy enough. Turkish-Venetian war over Crete are all dealt with in what sometimes seems an entertaining encyclopedia of the second half of the 17th century. At the center of Pears’s story is the death by poisoning of Robert Grove. The person suspected of the crime is Sarah Blundy, a servant girl Grove had recently dismissed after rumors of suspected intimacy between the two began to circulate within the university. Grove had also refused to assist Sarah’s badly injured mother, Anne, who is herself a religious reformer and the wife of a political radical. As information about Grove’s final hours becomes known, a web of gossip and possible evidence begins to ensnare Sarah, and she is imprisoned. What emerges as layer upon layer is added to the complex tale is the young girl’s extraordinary position as a touchstone for a number of sensitive political issues of the day. be gentlemen, and discouraged me from active participation in his business. I mention this as an indication of his goodness: he had noticed early on that I had little mind for trade, and encouraged me to turn my face against the life heAs it turns out, quite a few parties have things to hide and reasons to allow events to unfold (and opinions to be formed) as they do. In one important instance, however, involving what would appear to be a damning confession, Pears fails to come up with a persuasive explanation, and that stands as a rare logical flaw in a story that is otherwise a marvel of syllogistic I had thought of taking advantage of my position to go by sea, but decided that, if I was to acquire knowledge, then it would be best to see as much as possible and this was better done in a coach than by spending three weeks in a ship drinking with the Marco da Cola, gentleman of Venice, respectfully presents his greetings. I wish to recount the journey which I made to England in the year 1663, the events which I witnessed and the people I met, these being, I hope, of some interest to those concerned