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An Instance of the Fingerpost Paperback – April 1, 2000

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 2,090 ratings

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A national bestseller and one of the New York Public Library's Books to Remember, An Instance of the Fingerpost is a thrilling historical mystery from Iain Pears.

"It is 1663, and England is wracked with intrigue and civil strife. When an Oxford don is murdered, it seems at first that the incident can have nothing to do with great matters of church and state....Yet, little is as it seems in this gripping novel, which dramatizes the ways in which witnesses can see the same events yet remember them falsely. Each of four narrators—a Venetian medical student, a young man intent on proving his late father innocent of treason, a cryptographer, and an archivist—fingers a different culprit...an erudite and entertaining tour de force." —
People

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The Dream of Scipio and The Portrait are also available from Riverhead Books.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“May well be the best ‘historical mystery’ ever written.”—The Sunday Boston Globe
 
“Ingenious.”—
The Philadelphia Inquirer
 
“[A] crafty, utterly mesmerizing intellectual thriller…Don’t miss it.” —
The Washington Post Book World
 
“If you liked Umberto Eco’s
The Name of the Rose, you should run to buy Iain Pears’s lavishly erudite historical mystery.” —The New York Times
 
“Fascinating…quite extraordinary…elevates the murder mystery to the category of high art.” —
Los Angeles
 
“Extraordinary…this thriller brings not merely a huge cast of characters but a whole century vividly to life.” —
Newsweek
 
“[A] novel that will have you sitting up all night and calling in sick the next day.  It’s that hard to put down.” —
Houston Chronicle
 
“Enthralling.” —
San Francisco Chronicle Book Review

From the Back Cover

"It is 1663, and England is wracked with intrigue and civil strife. When an Oxford don is murdered, it seems at first that the incident can have nothing to do with great matters of church and state. Who poured the arsenic into the victim's brandy? The evidence points to Sarah Blundy, a servant girl....She confesses to the crime and is sentenced to be hanged.

"Yet, little is as it seems in this gripping novel, which dramatizes the ways in which witnesses can see the same events yet remember them falsely. Each of four narrators -- a Venetian medical student, a young man intent on proving his late father innocent of treason, a cryptographer and an archivist -- fingers a different culprit... an erudite and entertaining tour de force". -- People

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Publishing Group (April 1, 2000)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 704 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1573227951
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1573227957
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.6 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.59 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 2,090 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
2,090 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the historical plot interesting and well-done. They appreciate the well-developed characters and clever storytelling. The book is described as a page-turner that keeps them engaged. However, some readers feel the book is too long and may not keep their attention. Opinions vary on the writing quality, with some finding it excellent and accessible, while others consider it plodding and difficult to read.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

81 customers mention "Plot"70 positive11 negative

Customers find the historical part of the book interesting. They appreciate the strong female characters and how the story weaves together a series of incidents from the perspectives of four different protagonists. The narrative immerses itself in 17th-century England before and during the Restoration, with the loose ends resolved in an intriguing way. The story is thought-provoking and the author does a good job depicting the historical period.

"...While a knowledge of English history is helpful, it isn't necessary for the enjoyment of the tale. More important is to read carefully...." Read more

"...the other reviewers--this book is one of the best written, most intricately plotted I've ever read--I have to confess--I skipped through the third..." Read more

"...But some mysteries are, in fact, solved. For me, they are solved in an intriguing, satisying way. Now, about that word "fingerpost."..." Read more

"...Reasons are given. His tale is entertaining. His story seems believable too, but has little to do with De Cola's except that somehow they both are..." Read more

17 customers mention "Character development"14 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the well-developed characters in the book. They find the story engaging, as they are able to piece together the characters' memories until no other possibility is left. The characters are convincingly portrayed, and the portrayal of subjectivity, hypocrisy, and prejudice is interesting. Readers appreciate the four narrators and the tale of love between Grove's maid and Sarah.

"...The last narrator, Wood, tells a fantastic tale of loving Sarah, Grove's maid, who confesses murdering the old man and is hung for it but "magically..." Read more

"...Cromwell's spymaster, all make appearances and all are convincingly portrayed...." Read more

"...The characters are fairly well developed. The structure of the novel is interesting and adds dimension. Now, the bad news...." Read more

"...The real beauty of this book is being able to piece together all the recollections of the characters until "No other possibility"..." Read more

13 customers mention "Creativity"13 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's creativity and imaginative writing style. They find it cleverly drawn, engaging, and easy to admire. The author brilliantly portrays social and intellectual life in 17th-century Oxford. The story is interesting and they enjoy the setting of the period.

"...And that's good because he is smitten with her incredible beauty, even though the other men describe her as evil incarnate or childishly..." Read more

"...A very imaginative read." Read more

"...At the end of this very cleverly drawn book, I was longing for more, including more information beyond the dramatis personae entries on the main..." Read more

"Elegant and clever as usual, the author starts his novel from the end...." Read more

5 customers mention "Page turner"5 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's engaging prose that keeps them turning the pages. They find it thought-provoking and refreshing to read, even during slower parts.

"...A book to be savored. No page turner; rather, a thought provoking historical novel set in 1663 England, just after the restoration...." Read more

"A Master at work on every page. What a refreshing book this was to read...." Read more

"And Pears has become a favorite author. Excellent prose that keeps you turning pages, even during slower periods...." Read more

"Loved this book. Page turner." Read more

62 customers mention "Writing quality"32 positive30 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality. Some find the prose engaging and accessible to modern readers, with good language and facts. Others find it a long, difficult read with unengaging characters and unreliable narration.

"...More important is to read carefully. The novel may be long, but nothing is wasted." Read more

"...He was so disagreeable, following an equally disagreeable second narrator (that's half of this 725 page book), and I was so exhausted with surely..." Read more

"...But the appearance is an illusion. The prose is easily accessible to the modern reader...." Read more

"The writing is good. The historical background is excellent, both in the details and the broad issues. The characters are fairly well developed...." Read more

16 customers mention "Enthralling"7 positive9 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book. Some find it informative and educational, saying they learn a lot from it. Others consider it dull and too long, with an unsatisfying conclusion.

"...They are all unreliable, something I've never liked in a book...." Read more

"I enjoyed reading this book and learned a lot from it. The story is interesting and I enjoyed the 17th century setting...." Read more

"...I’ve ever encountered in a novel, although the ultimate reason is a bit disappointing...." Read more

"...It teaches while entertaining on a grand scale...." Read more

16 customers mention "Length"0 positive16 negative

Customers find the book too long. They say it's about 400 pages too long and may not keep their attention.

"...More important is to read carefully. The novel may be long, but nothing is wasted." Read more

"...two flaws in this book the first being simply, as I said, that it is TOO LONG!!..." Read more

"...Although I liked "Fingerpost", it is a long and difficult read...." Read more

"...It is long also so have to be very committted to see it through. I am not sure I’ll get there." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2001
    The time was 1663. The place, England. The monarchy had been restored only three years before, and Charles II's crown rested uneasy on his head, in a country still divided by the effects of the civil war of Cromwell's time, and the bitter division between Protestant and Catholic.
    And in Oxford, at the time the home of the likes of John Locke, Richard Lower, and Robert Boyle (all of whom play a part in the story), a gentle Oxford Don was murdered, and his sometime servant was accused of the crime, confessed to it, and was hanged.
    Now, at some unspecified time in the future, four people who were involved in the affair have set down their versions of the story. This multiple-narrator mystery has (not unjustifiably) been compared with Umberto Eco's novel _In The Name of the Rose_, and it has elements in common with the film _Roshomon_ as well. But you may well see it as more like the Dickens novel Dickens never got around to. Those familiar with the works of the contemporary novelist Peter Ackroyd may also discern some parallels.
    Most of the characters, down to the apothocary who makes an appearance in the first segement, actually existed (there's a list of them in the back). But the story is Pears's own, and it gets increasingly complicated as each chronicler, the fictional da Cola and Prestcott, followed by the real John Wallis and Anthony Wood, supply their own take on the sad events of the hanging of Sarah Blundy (fictional) and offer their opinions on why she did confess to the crime she clearly did not commit. Each of the narrators is not quite what he seems to be, and each one adds more facts to the tale until at the end, the entire events are apparently revealed.
    While a knowledge of English history is helpful, it isn't necessary for the enjoyment of the tale. More important is to read carefully. The novel may be long, but nothing is wasted.
    11 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2013
    For all that I agree with the other reviewers--this book is one of the best written, most intricately plotted I've ever read--I have to confess--I skipped through the third section (character). He was so disagreeable, following an equally disagreeable second narrator (that's half of this 725 page book), and I was so exhausted with surely the most densely historically detailed book I've ever picked up, with the equally difficult task of keeping all the characters straight. (I do wish I'd known of the character index at the end of the text.) I'm sure I missed important details, but I simply couldn't sustain attention. Since I liked the fourth narrator, I engaged again at that point and am grateful I did as here was the, new word, "fingerpost", and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. It is here that the true mystery is revealed, and I'm left with amazement and wonder. Has Pears simply invented this story or is there truth to it? (I mustn't reveal what "it" is.) I'm fascinated and must do further research (!) on my own to discover the answer.
    But this points to the second of the two flaws in this book the first being simply, as I said, that it is TOO LONG!! (Surely we could have been spared SOME of the details of the 17th century.)
    The second is that the actual kernel of intrigue is hidden so cleverly that one is not illumined ENOUGH regarding it. Surely it's of more importance than all the political intrigues, yet is given relatively little exploration. He's buried the lead, I think, which deflates it.
    I will admit this lack is what leaves the book lingering and teasing at my imagination.
    Surely many kudos to the interwoven intrigues and tidiness of plotting accomplished by Mr. Pears, not to mention the research. I've read many of his books, and I admire him greatly. Just....you know....edit a LITTLE bit out of the 17th century, please.
    12 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2009
    Others have given plenty of good reasons why this is a wonderful book. Nonetheless, here's one more.

    As someone already mentioned, An Instance of the Fingerpost is reminiscent of Rashoman. But there's an important difference. Rashoman is the Japanese movie that tells the same story from multiple points of view. Usually, the lesson of it is that truth is elusive--the question is "whose truth."

    Similarly, An Instance of the Fingerpost tells the same story from different perspectives. But it doesn't try to convince you that truth doesn't exist. Instead, it shows you that people have a hard time figuring out--or accepting--what is true, depending on their beliefs and interests. Some points of view are just wrong. You'll have to decide for yourself whether or not you are ever given the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But some mysteries are, in fact, solved. For me, they are solved in an intriguing, satisying way.

    Now, about that word "fingerpost." A fingerpost is one of those tall road markers with narrow, arrow-like signs at the top. The title of the book comes from a Francis Bacon quotation. If you delve into it, I suppose the title is appropriate. I'd prefer that Pears had called the book something less inscrutable, like "The Short, Happy Life of Sarah Blundy."

    On the other hand, when you can write a book like this, you get to call it whatever you want!
    7 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • M. Garchet
    3.0 out of 5 stars Interessante mas…
    Reviewed in Brazil on March 27, 2023
    O tema é bastante interessante. No entanto apesar de um início empolgante, vai se tornando maçante, talvez pela extensão do livro. Uma época de grandes descobertas na medicina , de experimentação e desafios. Mas, justamente a descrição tão detalhada de tantas experiências acaba tornando o livro cansativo.
  • theduke2906
    5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book
    Reviewed in Italy on December 20, 2022
    Very different from the dumb art mysteries Pears has written - I've bought this book as a gift many many times! Murder written from the perspectives of four different people. Superb book. Would be an awesome movie. Wish he'd write another one!
  • Alex
    5.0 out of 5 stars 100%
    Reviewed in Spain on January 3, 2022
    Compré esto porque recibí otra de las palabras del autor, Arcadia, como regalo y había sido el primer volteador de páginas adictivo y completamente absorbente que había leído en un tiempo, pero esa es una reseña diferente. Como Arcadia fue uno de esos libros que te dejan desprovisto cuando terminan, busqué más del mismo autor y ordené An Instance of the Fingerpost. Mientras que la novela anterior me tenía adicto y buscaba excusas para salir del trabajo, la crianza de los hijos, etc. para escabullirme y obtener una solución rápida de la página 1, este me atrapó más lentamente al principio, pero la vertiginosa historia de varias capas creció a niveles de obsesión nuevamente. El lector se dedica a tratar de precisar la verdad, o lo más cercano a la verdad, a través de cuatro narraciones diferentes de los mismos eventos por parte de los cuatro narradores diferentes, y la claridad total siempre parece estar un paso por delante de usted. Al principio parece que estás leyendo una novela, luego otra hasta que poco a poco la comprensión se da cuenta en todo su esplendor. En las dos novelas que he leído, el autor abarca conceptos enormes y corre con ellos haciendo buenas lecturas intelectualmente estimulantes y juguetones.
  • Christine
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brillant exposé historique nous apprenant que l'histoire a plusieurs versions
    Reviewed in France on September 22, 2020
    L'analyse historique est telle qu'il faut la plus grande analyse pour en tirer les bonnes conclusions et qu'il existe plusieurs versions, plusieurs chemins et que seul le recul et l'analyse a permis et permet toujours aux historiens de découvrir la réalité. À lire absolument.
  • I.J.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Auch ohne Geschichtskenntnisse lohnenswert
    Reviewed in Germany on May 2, 2020
    Mit Geschichtskenntnissen versteht man die Zusammenhänge sicher besser, aber es ist lesenswert, weil die Ereignisse aus sehr unterschiedlichen Perspektiven geschildert werden.