Synopses & Reviews
An enthralling literary debut that evokes one of the most momentous events in history, the birth of printing in medieval Germany — a story of invention, intrigue, and betrayal.Youthful, ambitious Peter Schoeffer is on the verge of professional success as a scribe in Paris when his foster father, the wealthy merchant and bookseller Johann Fust, summons him home to corruption-riddled, feud-plagued Mainz to meet "a most amazing man."
Johann Gutenberg, a driven and caustic inventor, has devised a revolutionary — and, to some, blasphemous — method of bookmaking: a machine he calls a printing press. Fust is financing Gutenberg's workshop, and he orders Peter to become Gutenberg's apprentice. Resentful at having to abandon a prestigious career as a scribe, Peter begins his education in the "darkest art."
As his skill grows, so too does his admiration for Gutenberg and his dedication to their daring venture: printing copies of the Holy Bible. But when outside forces align against them, Peter finds himself torn between two father figures — the generous Fust and the brilliant, mercurial Gutenberg, who inspires Peter to achieve his own mastery.
Caught between the genius and the merchant, the old ways and the new, Peter and the men he admires must work together to prevail against overwhelming obstacles in a battle that will change history... and irrevocably transform them all.
Review
“I loved this novel! Alix Christie's debut is intensely observed, so much so that I felt myself in the dark rooms of history with the people laboring over the metal and words to bring us print, but also laboring over their own lives and love and survival.” Susan Straight, author of Highwire Moon, National Book Award Finalist
Review
“Schoeffer anchors the story, but Gutenberg flashes-megalomaniacal and duplicitous, with hair ‘wild and bristling to his shoulders…beard cascad[ing]…glinting here and there like twists of wire, and ‘glowing, canine eyes. Christie masterfully depicts the time and energy required to print the first Bibles….A bravura debut.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Review
“Gorgeously written...dramatizes the creation of the Gutenberg Bible in a story that devotees of book history and authentic historical fiction will relish....An inspiring tale of ambition, camaraderie, betrayal, and cultural transformation based on actual events and people, this wonderful novel fully inhabits its age.” Booklist (starred review)
Review
“Rich in historical detail…the story of the birth of the printing press is fascinating. Readers who enjoy historical fiction such as Tracy Chevalier's Remarkable Creatures will enjoy this.” Library Journal
Synopsis
An enthralling literary debut that evokes one of the most momentous events in history, the birth of printing in medieval Germany a story of invention, intrigue, and betrayal, rich in atmosphere and historical detail, told through the lives of the three men who made it possible.
Youthful, ambitious Peter Schoeffer is on the verge of professional success as a scribe in Paris when his foster father, wealthy merchant and bookseller Johann Fust, summons him home to corrupt, feud-plagued Mainz to meet a most amazing man.
Johann Gutenberg, a driven and caustic inventor, has devised a revolutionary and to some, blasphemous method of bookmaking: a machine he calls a printing press. Fust is financing Gutenberg s workshop and he orders Peter, his adopted son, to become Gutenberg s apprentice. Resentful at having to abandon a prestigious career as a scribe, Peter begins his education in the darkest art.
As his skill grows, so, too, does his admiration for Gutenberg and his dedication to their daring venture: copies of the Holy Bible. But mechanical difficulties and the crushing power of the Catholic Church threaten their work. As outside forces align against them, Peter finds himself torn between two father figures: the generous Fust, who saved him from poverty after his mother died; and the brilliant, mercurial Gutenberg, who inspires Peter to achieve his own mastery.
Caught between the genius and the merchant, the old ways and the new, Peter and the men he admires must work together to prevail against overwhelming obstacles a battle that will change history . . . and irrevocably transform them."
Video
About the Author
Alix Christie is an author, journalist, and letterpress printer. She learned the craft as an apprentice to two master California printers and owns and operates a 1910 Chandler & Price letterpress. She holds a master of fine arts degree from Saint Mary's College of California and currently lives in London, where she reviews books and arts for the Economist. Gutenberg's Apprentice is her first novel.