Whereas The Da Vinci Code makes clear from the outset what its question/mystery is, Labyrinth fails to do the same. But not until the very end was I able to truly understand the point of the plot. What was the mystery? Clearly it involved the Grail and a labyrinth symbol, and yes there were some unidentified skeletons in a cave. Of course, a good mystery should keep its answer hidden until the narrative’s climax – but Labyrinth failed to establish what question it was asking. For me, it was unclear what the mystery was supposed to be. Yet there was something central missing here. It certainly contains all of the elements that you would ask for in a thriller – mystery, deception, and the inevitable confrontation with death. I slogged my way through all 694 pages, willing it to get better. So, what is my verdict? Sadly, I really did not love this book, and not for want of trying. Kidnapping, murder, and the search for power drive this plot, as both Alais and Alice fight to the same end. Alice eventually realises that, like Alais, her destiny is inseparable from that of the Grail.
After Alice happens upon a cave containing skeletons and an altar, whilst on an archeological dig in the French Pyrenees, she starts in motion a series of events that pose a threat to the security and secrecy of the Grail. Alice finds herself dreaming of Alais’s existence in Carcassonne as she attempts to protect the labyrinth’s secrets, against the backdrop of French Crusaders coming to Carcassonne to rid the land of ‘heretics’. The narratives are tied together by the unravelling of the mysteries of the ‘true’ Grail, which is written and bound in three volumes, and the symbol of the labyrinth. Labyrinth tells two stories simultaneously: that of 17 year old Alais in 13th century southern France, and that of the academic Alice Tanner in 2005.
Promising a Da Vinci Code-like plot, premised on historical mystery, it did not take a huge amount of effort on the part of Waterstones to secure my purchase (although the multi-buy sale certainly helped). Having steered clear of the recent TV serialisation, I will admit that the ads had me intrigued. After already tackling The President’s Hat (see my review here), I decided it was time to wade into the 694 page epic, Labyrinth. You may remember my excitement a couple of weeks ago at having rooted out some new purchases from Waterstones.
0 kommentar(er)
