When Time Stands Still

As promised, my assessment of


Elizabeth Kostova - The Historian

The book starts off, as many a book does, with the introduction of the protagonist, a girl who remains nameless throughout the entire story. It starts like the gothic novels, by creating an atmosphere of dread, crampedness and the dusty, yet enticing, allure of libraries. As her father before her, she is studying history, through which she comes in to contact with a mysterious book, containing a wood cut print of an ornate dragon.
This is simply the prelude to what will encompass the greater part of the book: the travels of her father Paul and his search for his mentor Bartholomew Rossi, whom received a similar book. Along the way he is accompanied by Helen, an anthropology student and their trip takes them across the greater part of eastern Europe, to find his whereabouts. And all signs point towards the involvement of the Ordo Dracul, or at the least the one for whom they were named.
I will not spoil the plot any further, but as this could as well have been gleaned from reading the back cover, I do not think that any major revelations have been given.
The book is told in an epistolary fashion, through letters and diary entries, although the entire novel is more akin to a frame narrative, with the protagonist writing it as her memoirs, telling of her own travels in search of her father, the stories of her father and in turn the stories he learns from the people he meets and the letters and diaries he encounters.
It all makes for a very interesting adventure novel, which unfortunately, just like its inspiration, ends with a decidedly unsatisfactory ending. But then again, it is not a bad ending, just a little abrupt.
Should the book be bequeathed to you, do give it a read, you just might like it.


Cause in this world of troubles

More rehearsals, as always, this one decidedly less spectacular and moist than the last one. We jammed for the greater part of two hours, after which the brass section joined us for coordination of a new song. Unfortunately, this had them studying the notes for the rest of the session. We decided that we shall reconvene next Monday, to really get it together.
But it also heralded the renewal of my stint in music, as I decided, once I arrived back home, to pick up my dusty pile of scores and play some songs on my keyboard. Now if only I would rehearse the ones I am supposed to play.