Book reviews

Pérez-Reverte has a way of creating a rich and effective atmosphere when he is at the top of his form, an atmosphere that here impels the reader to inhale the breath of old leather book bindings, dusty pages of first editions, all the accoutrements of bibliophiles who truly, truly love old books.

Atmosphere and an intriguing double-set of mysteries lift this mystery thriller from the average. Lucas Corso, a book detective without too many scruples, is hired by antiquarian Flavio LaPorte on behalf of an unnamed client to authenticate a hand-written chapter left by the side of a bibliophile who hanged himself. The chapter is apparently by Alexandre Dumas (of the Three Musketeers fame), and the novel heads off into an investigation that proceeds in anything but a straightforward fashion.

Somehow Corso also becomes caught up in the mystery of another book called The Book of the Nine Doors of the Kingdom of Shadows, written by Aristide Torchia during the time of the Inquisition – a book which resulted in his being burned alive on the Campo di Fiori. What was it about this book that was so iniquitous? Apparently, the Book of the Nine Doors, of which only three copies are extant (the rest having been burnt or destroyed in some way), contains the secret of summoning up the Devil. What is the relationship between this book and the mysterious events that are pursuing Corso? Spoiler Everyone with whom he gets in touch in his quest to authenticate the Dumas seems to be killed, including a sympathetically drawn booklover whose only remaining joy, even as he sits in his fast-decaying villa amidst the ruins of his fortune, is his love for his precious books. Is there a connection between the secret Dumas Club of which Corso hears rumours and this rather odd and very rare Torchia book?

As Corso is driven from country to country in his quest, it becomes more than a job to him. The presence of a mysterious beauty who seems more than mortal adds further excitement to the pursuit of the clues within the Book of the Nine Doors. Most strangely, the illustrations inside each copy differ from each other by some small details. Pérez-Reverte's use of occult symbols and mysterious hints draws on the reader with an ever-increasing sense of urgency.

It's a pity – but I found the actual resolution of the book to be disappointing. I expected a twist, but received instead exactly what the book indicated would happen. This was particularly a letdown in view of the interesting twists that occurred earlier in the book, and I felt that Pérez-Reverte's weakness really is a good ending. Spoiler The novel's finale – with the owner of the third copy of the Book of the Nine Doors revealed to be the mysterious client who wishes to have the secret of the book revealed to him, also revealed to be desirous of calling up the Devil in order to gain great power, only to find that calling up the Devil is deadly for him – is pedestrian fare, and reveals nothing unexpected at all.

In spite of that, the book is worth reading. Some may have seen the film The Ninth Gate, which was loosely based upon the book. Rest assured, the book is better – for one thing, the film focused entirely upon the secondary strand in the story, dropping entirely its major storyline. The book is more complex, and more rewarding, except for its ending.

Recommended for reasonably light reading.