The Historian
by Kostova, Elizabeth
- Used
- poor
- Paperback
- Condition
- Poor
- ISBN 10
- 0316067946
- ISBN 13
- 9780316067942
- Seller
-
Olympia, Washington, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Synopsis
To you, perceptive reader, I bequeath my history....Late one night, exploring her father's library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters. The letters are all addressed to "My dear and unfortunate successor," and they plunge her into a world she never dreamed of-a labyrinth where the secrets of her father's past and her mother's mysterious fate connect to an inconceivable evil hidden in the depths of history.The letters provide links to one of the darkest powers that humanity has ever known-and to a centuries-long quest to find the source of that darkness and wipe it out. It is a quest for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, the medieval ruler whose barbarous reign formed the basis of the legend of Dracula. Generations of historians have risked their reputations, their sanity, and even their lives to learn the truth about Vlad the Impaler and Dracula. Now one young woman must decide whether to take up this quest herself-to follow her father in a hunt that nearly brought him to ruin years ago, when he was a vibrant young scholar and her mother was still alive. What does the legend of Vlad the Impaler have to do with the modern world? Is it possible that the Dracula of myth truly existed-and that he has lived on, century after century, pursuing his own unknowable ends? The answers to these questions cross time and borders, as first the father and then the daughter search for clues, from dusty Ivy League libraries to Istanbul, Budapest, and the depths of Eastern Europe. In city after city, in monasteries and archives, in letters and in secret conversations, the horrible truth emerges about Vlad the Impaler's dark reign-and about a time-defying pact that may have kept his awful work alive down through the ages.Parsing obscure signs and hidden texts, reading codes worked into the fabric of medieval monastic traditions-and evading the unknown adversaries who will go to any lengths to conceal and protect Vlad's ancient powers-one woman comes ever closer to the secret of her own past and a confrontation with the very definition of evil. Elizabeth Kostova's debut novel is an adventure of monumental proportions, a relentless tale that blends fact and fantasy, history and the present, with an assurance that is almost unbearably suspenseful-and utterly unforgettable.
Reviews
Riding a bit on the coat tails of the Da Vinci Code and awfully similar in theme, but at least much better written with something approaching real-life dialogue.
Excellent fictional account of the mystery of Vlad Tepes.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Turtleman Used Books (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- ST00893
- Title
- The Historian
- Author
- Kostova, Elizabeth
- Book Condition
- Used - Poor
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN 10
- 0316067946
- ISBN 13
- 9780316067942
- Publisher
- Little, Brown and Company
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 2008
- Pages
- 909
- Size
- 10.3 cm x 19 cm x 4 cm
- Bookseller catalogs
- Young Adult; Historical Fiction; Horror;
Terms of Sale
Turtleman Used Books
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged. Buyer responsible for return postage. Due to recently enacted packaging rules, I cannot ship to Germany. (Too expensive.)
About the Seller
Turtleman Used Books
About Turtleman Used Books
Opened August 1st of 2022, Turtleman Used Books in Olympia, WA. Address is 108 22nd Ave SW, Olympia, WA 98501. Suite #4. This is a small shop, so some books may only be displayed online, others only displayed in the store. Come on by if you are in town. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Many of my books are oversized. Rather than ask for shipping adjustments at the time of purchase, the list price for heavier books includes the excess shipping cost. All of my photographs are of the actual product, taken by my trusty little Kindle Fire. Currently we have about 2900 books offered for sale online, with more being added daily. Check back frequently to see what's new. -----
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....