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More copies of this ISBNThis title in other editionseBook editionsThe Geographer's Libraryby Jon Fasman
Review-A-Day"[A] wonderfully cluttered debut novel....The Geographer's Library (as its title suggests) travels to far-flung locations, and its minor characters can be found in Sicily or Latvia, consorting with KGB men or retired Chinese gangsters. Fasman has in fact worked as a journalist in far-flung locations, yet the world of his novel reads strange and varied, like a place wildly imagined (as the title also might suggest) rather than documented." Anna Godbersen, Esquire (read the entire Esquire review) Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Jon Fasman's dizzyingly plotted intellectual thriller suggests a marriage between Dan Brown and Donna Tartt. When reporter Paul Tomm is assigned to investigate the mysterious death of a reclusive academic, he finds himself pursuing leads that date back to the twelfth century and the theft of alchemical instruments from the geographer of the Sicilian court. Now someone is trying to retrieve them. Interspersed with the present action are the stories of the men and women who came to possess those charmed — and sometimes cursed — artifacts, which have powers that go well beyond the transmutation of lead into gold. Deftly combining history, magic, suspense, and romance — and as handsomely illustrated as an ancient incunabulum — The Geographer's Library is irresistible. Review:"A young reporter is caught up in a deadly centuries-long treasure hunt in this puppyish but brainy debut, a thriller steeped in arcane lore and exotic history. When Paul Tomm, a reporter for the Lincoln Carrier, a small Connecticut newspaper, looks into the demise of Jaan Phapev, an elderly academic found dead in his cluttered house, nothing seems out of the ordinary — until the pathologist performing the autopsy is himself killed in a freak car accident. Various locals and acquaintances offer reminiscences of the late professor that suggest Phapev was an extremely complicated (and perhaps dangerous) character. Tomm's discoveries lead him to a lovely young woman, a network of international smugglers and hidden alchemical libraries. Appealing more to the intellect than to the emotions, the book is slowed by the catalogue-like descriptions of precious objects that close many chapters, while the protagonist, however likable, is often too nave to be entirely credible. Still, some deft plotting and lively writing bode well for the author's future literary endeavors." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:"Shades of Dan Brown, Edward Whittemore's Jerusalem Quartet, and Milorad Pavic's Dictionary of the Khazars: one of the year's most literate and absorbing entertainments." Kirkus Reviews Review:"Alchemy, Fasman tells us more than once, is the science of transformation. Good fiction aspires to the same lofty goal, and it is achieved in The Geographer's Library, a cabinet of wonders written by a novelist whose surname and sensibility fit comfortably on the shelf between Umberto Eco and John Fowles." Allen Kurzweil, Los Angeles Times Review:"[T]his debut tells a terrific story — it's gripping, intelligent, and beautifully wrought." Library Journal Review:"Fasman's fast-paced tale is almost all plot... These characters are better drawn than those in The Da Vinci Code." Newsweek Review:"Fasman has a strong descriptive touch and a feel for young adulthood that come to the rescue time and again, and together with the exotica, they make for a fun book." Chicago Tribune Review:"The Geographer's Library makes an effort to get readers off their intellectual duffs by presenting the artifacts in catalog format, separating them from the narrative and demanding that they be seen as elements of a puzzle rather than props in a set piece." Washington Post Synopsis:"Fasman's fast-paced tale is almost all plot... These characters are better drawn than those in The Da Vinci Code." Newsweek Jon Fasman's dizzyingly plotted intellectual thriller suggests a marriage between Dan Brown and Donna Tartt. When reporter Paul Tomm is assigned to investigate the mysterious death of a reclusive academic, he finds himself pursuing leads that date back to the twelfth century and the theft of alchemical instruments from the geographer of the Sicilian court. Now someone is trying to retrieve them. Interspersed with the present action are the stories of the men and women who came to possess those charmedand sometimes cursedartifacts, which have powers that go well beyond the transmutation of lead into gold. Deftly combining history, magic, suspense, and romanceand as handsomely illustrated as an ancient incunabulumThe Geographer's Library is irresistible. "A brainy noir . . . [a] winningly cryptic tale . . . a cabinet of wonders written by a novelist whose surname and sensibility fit comfortably on the shelf between Umberto Eco and John Fowles." Los Angeles Times "One of the year's most literate and absorbing entertainments." Kirkus Reviews Synopsis:This brilliant debut novel takes a young reporter from his small town paper to the heart of a centuries-old international smuggling ring that amasses the alchemical artifacts that lead to eternal life.
About the AuthorJon Fasman was born in Chicago in 1975 and grew up in Washington, D.C. He was educated at Brown and Oxford universities and has worked as a journalist in Washington, D.C., New York, Oxford, and Moscow. His writing has appeared in The Times Literary Supplement, Slate, Legal Affairs, the Moscow Times, and The Washington Post. He is now a writer and an editor for The Economist's Web site. What Our Readers Are SayingAdd a comment for a chance to win!Average customer rating based on 3 comments:  
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