Vom Thema hatte mich dieses Buch zunächst angesprochen, allerdings hat es mich am Ende eher verwirrt zurückgelassen - mir schien einfach zu viel in dieses doch eher kurze Buch hineingepackt und so manche "überraschende Wendung" schien mir ein überzogener Versuch zu sein, die Spannung auf Kosten der Glaubwürdigkeit zu erhöhen.

Vielleicht schaue ich irgendwann noch einmal in ein weiteres Buch des Autors, das hier fand ich aber eher schwach. ( )

I enjoy historical novels especially when they involve mystery and intrigue. An Instance of the Fingerpost by Ian Pears comes to mind as a particular favorite. Bayard's novel is similar while adding a contemporary mystery with its counterpart set at the end of the Elizabethan era.

Henry Cavendish is a disgraced Elizabethan scholar, fooled by a forgery of a poem supposedly written by Walter Raleigh. As a result, Henry has chosen to turn to tutoring and odd jobs in Washington, D.C. As the story begins he has reconnected with Alonzo Wax, a college friend and a book collector. The eccentric Wax, perhaps the most interesting character in the novel, has purloined part of a letter that sheds light on the fabled "School of Night", a secret congregation of illustrious Elizabethan-era intellects like Raleigh, Christopher Marlowe and a brilliant but little-known scientist named Thomas Harriot. The school delved into theology, philosophy and science perhaps bordering on alchemy, in a manner thought traitorous and blasphemous. Wax apparently commits suicide, but he also reveals his discovery to Cavendish, and to Clarissa Dale, a woman Wax met at a lecture who claims psychic visions of Harriot, and to another antique book collector.

At Wax's memorial service, Henry is approached by the supposed owner of the letter, an English antiquities collector named Bernard Styles, and offered a handsome sum to find and return the letter. No sooner than he starts to inquire about this Wax's devoted assistant is murdered and Wax's collection is stolen. Henry and Clarissa uncover clues that lead them to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, near where Harriot studied Native Americans during the failed attempt to establish an English colony. There they find Wax in hiding, claiming the letter points to a treasure. Clues then lead the trio to Syon House in England, the ancestral seat of the Earl of Northumberland, where Harriot once lived.

Through all of the contemporary adventures there are flashbacks provided in interpolated chapters set in the historical Elizabethan era featuring Thomas Harriot and his love, Margaret Crookshanks. The combination of the ancient mystery, lost treasure, and suspenseful intrigue, make this an historical novel that I can recommend to all. ( )

Novelist Louis Bayard likes to build his fiction around real people (Edgar Allan Poe, Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln), although in “Mr. Timothy” he imagines a famous fictional character, Tiny Tim, all grown up. In his 2010 effort, “The School of Night,” his focus rests on Thomas Harriot, a prominent 17th century English scientist who is little remembered today, although a recent biography may help.

Harriot knew William Shakespeare, at least according to the novel, and was a pal of Sir Walter Ralegh (the novel includes an interesting discussion of why this spelling is favored here over the more familiar Raleigh). Harriot, Ralegh and other prominent men of the day used to meet at night to discuss topics frowned upon when discussed during the day, such as atheism. This they called the School of Night, which surprisingly has relatively little to do with Bayard’s plot.

It seems that Harriot has left behind a treasure map so vague that it isn’t even clear if the treasure, whatever it might be, is in the United States (he had once visited the colonies) or England. People die, or in some cases appear to die, while scholars compete to find the prize.

Bayard shifts his story back and forth from 2009, where the treasure hunt takes place, to 1603, where we find Harriot discovering love with a servant girl almost as brilliant as he is.

My enthusiasm for Bayard’s novel seemed to rise and fall as the pages turned. Sometimes it seemed wonderfully clever and other times contrived. ( )

A fun thriller centered around another gaggle of modern-day book hunters (Elizabethan and Shakespearean this time around) and their 17th-century quarry. The contemporary protagonist is Henry Cavendish, a likable and scholarly loser surrounded by friends who may or may not share his goals. And who may not be his friends at all, for that matter. The part of the story set in the early 1600s revolves around Thomas Harriot, a close friend of Walter Raleigh and beer buddy of Christopher Marlowe and that whole gang. Harriot has a servant girl who impresses him and becomes much more as he delves into his own research on the usual (for that group) topics of alchemy, astrology, paganism and the like. The contemporary story is a chase to nail down the provenance and legitimacy of a particular document which has all the makings of launching an all-out treasure hunt. How things are resolved is not at all given away prematurely, and lots of interesting twists take place in both timelines. I really, really liked the understated and subtle wit throughout, and the final plot turn on the contemporary front was especially good. Overall, a fun and very interesting read for fans of the book hunter theme and fans of that particular period of history. ( )

Fun contemporary-historic novel with crime noir elements. Lots of Elizabethan details for the history nut. My favorite parts were the Elizabethan "flashbacks." Loved learning about the "school of night" and about Thomas Harriot. I also enjoyed Margaret as a possible enlightened woman of that time. ( )