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Jan 23, 2008

Robert rated it:

Katherine Neville, The Eight (Ballantine, 1988)

This novel has achieved almost cult status in some circles, and many people consider it one of the best adventure novels ever written. It's a useful way to separate folks you know into two categories: those who are more interested in plot, and those who are more interested in writing.

The plot is pretty darn good, when it comes right down to it. The novel takes place in two parallel times, the first being 1972 and the second the y More...

1 comment like (16 people liked it)

Jul 16, 2008

Jamal rated it:

Three weeks ago I held a yard sale. To pass the time I picked up this book I'd never seen from a box of books none of which I'd ever read and none of which I remember buying.

Of the many surreal happenings of that day one of the most strange was when, immediately after reading the first page, a well-groomed homeless man or a poorly groomed homed man rode past on a bike. He looked over and upon seeing The Eight lurched off his bike stumbled to my gate and, grasping it with all the fo More...

2 comments like (17 people liked it)

Dec 17, 2009

Sarah rated it:

I've had The Eight on the TBR shelf next to my bed for two or three years. I got it right around the time I had just finished reading The Da Vinci Code and the blurb on the back compared it to Brown's book and the Bookcrosser who gave me the book had liked the intricacies of the plot.

This 600 page mystery involves a formula for an elixir of life, a rare chess set and some Cold War era espionage. The story jumps between the close of the 18th century and "modern day" 1972. T More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Jul 06, 2008

Ben rated it:

I read this book for the first time in 1992 when I was fourteen. I just finished rereading it. I dug up my copy when I moved to NYC 2 years ago and had been curious to pick it up again since then - partly because I had vague recollections of a couple of hot sex scenes, but largely because over a decade after I originally read it, there was a complete cultural explosion centering around another book featuring ancient secrets playing out amid high-paced modern day intrigue, namely The Da Vinci C More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Sep 12, 2008

LJ rated it:

The Eight - Ex
Kathleen Neville

The Montglane Service, an ornate, jeweled chess set given to Charlemagne by the Moors, is said to hold a code which when deciphered will bring great power. Nations and individuals have schemed to possess all the pieces. As the set is dispersed during the French Revolution, a young novice risks her life to safeguard it. Alternating with her story are the present-day efforts of a U.S. computer expert and a Russian chess master to assemble the set and More...

10 comments like (6 people liked it)

Jan 31, 2009

Diana rated it:

I was told by several people whose books tastes I generally respect that I would love this book - sadly, that wasn't the case. I found it tiresome, hard to follow, and the writing was almost impossible to slog through in several places. The characters were never fully developed, I never got invested in any of the characters, and I found the book to plot-driven to an irritating degree - with too many historical elements "dropped in" (almost like name dropping) in order to tie the even More...

2 comments like (7 people liked it)

Jun 26, 2008

Laura rated it:

The two more recent books that most closely resemble The Eight are The Da Vinci Code and Kate Mosse's The Labyrinth, but I found The Eight a more enjoyable read than either of them. The novel is utterly audacious in its (ab)use of historical characters, completely, joyfully implausible in its plotting, and I'm not certain whether the language of Romantic page-turners the author makes frequent use of ("dear reader, little did I know that in two hours' time I would be running for my life tryi More...

0 comments like (8 people liked it)

Jan 15, 2009

Ray rated it:

Sometimes you read a book and find yourself wishing it'll never end. If you want that, this is a book for you. I thought it'd never end, and I don't mean that in a good way. The book has been compared to the DaVinci Code, but I think that's an unfortunate comparison. The story alternates between the 1970's and the late 1700's, both periods linked by the individuals quest for lost ancient knowledge. To me, the action and dangers are contrived, as is the object of the search. If you can get More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jan 13, 2009

Gail rated it:

I was given this novel to read, as a similar level of enjoyment as The DaVinci Code.
I'm here to say, not even close.
It has all the hallmarks that lead to an enjoyable read for me - historical figures, layered storylines, small details that add to great importance as the story develops, and zzzzzz.....

Let me state that I enjoy playing chess. However, reading about it is something of a completely different nature. Figures, playing methodologies, inside references, et al jus More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Nov 25, 2008

Barry rated it:

The story was not bad, although quite contrived and some interesting twists. The style was laborious - I wish someone could just walk into a room instead of entering the room lit by the amber glow of an oversized fireplace, in front of it were arrayed couches in a floral fabric and overstuffed pillows strewn on an leather ottoman. I mean sometimes you just walk into a room. The excessive floral and overstuffed language got in the way of the plot. And I was waiting for the Velis = Lives anagr More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Apr 17, 2007

ruzmarì rated it:

The Eight accomplishes what Da Vinci Code aims for - a sweeping, quasi-religious collaboration between historical, supernatural and scientific forces. The novel traces the history of chess, and uses the game as an allegory of sorts for the modern (and anient, and postmodern) world. Not terribly believable, as plotlines go, it is nonetheless a gripping page-turner of a book, a wild ride through history and mystery, from the desert of Algeria to the cobblestone courtyards of Paris. More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 27, 2011

Harmonybites rated it:

Blurbs on the cover compare this to The DaVinci Code, although it was written well-before, in 1988. I can see the resemblance. Like The DaVinci Code there are various kinds of puzzles involved--crosswords, cryptograms and mathematical puzzles. Like The DaVinci Code there is a mystery of great historical import and a sinister conspiracy. The book shuttled between Revolutionary France and contemporary times to tell the story of a chess set owned by Charlemagne whose owner could change the world.
More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 26, 2009

Anastazija rated it:

I think this book worth reading it. And it is as worth it as the Da Vinci Code does. Or even more. The only questionable side of the book is that too many well known things are put together into this pot - almost all famous historical persons, events etc. When you meet more than two of them on one page you start to suspect that you are reading something unreal. And it this contradicts with one of the main feature, from my point of view, of the so called "intellectual detective".People More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

May 23, 2008

Adam rated it:

If you liked The Da Vinci Code type of international/historical mystery then this book is for you. Although it is far from The Da Vinci Code, it's interesting enough as it jumps between 1973 and the 1790's while centering on the mystery and quest for an ancient chess service that once belonged to Charlemagne. If you like chess, then you'll probably love this book.

But Neville's writing style turned me off from really getting into the story. While I appreciated the depth and detail of More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 16, 2009

Keith rated it:

"The Eight" reads like a student attempting to wow her professor by using as many similies as she can (irony intended). I think Neville chose the name "The Eight," because there are roughly eight sentences per chapter that don't contain a forced, awkward similie.

At least that was true for the first 90% of the novel, which was almost Dickensien in its detail. For the last 10%, it is writen more like a short story, with months of time being skiped and important, c More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 17, 2009

Deda added it

This book is a lovely read. It actually uses flashbacks very effectively, and the author is a genius - she did her research very very well to be able to involve almost every major thing that has happened in the world in the story. The fibonacci number series, The Egyptian Pyramids, The French Revolution, Napoleon's rise and fall, Bach and other famous composers and many more. Name it, its in there, and its all linked to the present. Now. I could not put it down, and after all this time I still r More...

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

Apr 20, 2010

Joyce rated it:

Published in 1988, the same year as Umberto Eco s Foucault s Pendulum, which is more or less in the same genre, The Eight was a forerunner of thrillers such as The Da Vinci Code. It is set in two time frames the historical present, meaning 1972, and at the time of the French Revolution, during the Terror, in 1790 and beyond. The plot, which revolves around a mysterious, fabulous chess set that once belonged to the Emperor Charlemagne and which is credited with unknown but terrifying pow More...

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Mar 04, 2009

Debbie rated it:

The first time I read this was back in the early 90s. It was actually an assigned reading book for my Modern European History class. I have to say I am so glad we had to read it because it became one of my favorite books of all time. I’ve re-read it so many times my copy is near falling apart and I just bought a replacement copy.

I loved both the story lines although I have to say following Cat’s story was my favorite. She along with the help of a friend, Lily Rad, and the handsom More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 01, 2012

Φλεγύας rated it:

I do love Neville's writing. It's griping, there's always something happening, the plot is always pulling me in, everything seems perfect. However, the "the Eight" was not as enjoyable as the "a Calculated Risk" was.
The reason for that? Too many characters, too many historical events intertwined, in general, too much going on to keep track of and recall. Not that the reader will get confused about what's going on. That's perfectly clear. But, if the reader is like me, r More...

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Jan 20, 2012

Indiana rated it:

Enjoyed it!! I somehow missed hearing about this book when it first came out. Then last summer someone I know mentioned it and I thought it sounded interesting so I picked it up. This is a fun fast paced book that weaves back and forth between the 1970s and the 1790s. There are many characters both real and fictional and I think the real have been woven pretty seamlessly into the fiction without bastardizing their real characters…with one exception. The story revolves around a chess set that onc More...

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Oct 19, 2011

Joanna rated it:

Full video review: http://mysterythriller.tv/the-eight-kath...
The Eight is the story of the Montglane Abbey service, a chess set belonging to Charlemagne that carries a secret and a curse. There is a code embedded in the board and the pieces which must be scattered to prevent anyone from discovering the hidden power.

In the past, we follow two nuns from Montglane Abbey, cousins Mireille and Valentine, as they are sent away with some of the chess pieces to Paris to live with their g More...

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May 12, 2011

Ms.pegasus rated it:

Elements for a intense thriller: A fortune-teller's warnings, numerology, unwritten secrets so old some believe them only to be myths, coded texts and a convergence of coincidence. All of these and more are skillfully interwoven with historical currents linking Charlemagne, the French Revolution, and Middle Eastern intrigue in THE EIGHT by Katherine Neville. Each link is mobilized into a spiral of associations. The number eight squared enumerates the positions on a chessboard; each player ha More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 04, 2011

William rated it:

A friend of mine recommended this book because he knows I like chess, history, computers, math, etc. I decided to give it a read because it encompassed so many different areas of interest to me. It was impressive the amount of historical figures and information Katherine Neville included in this novel but the overall plot was rather simplistic and the writing leaves something to be desired. Historical characters such as Newton, Talleyrand, Napoleon, Katherine the Great, Pythagoras, Alexander I, More...

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Feb 23, 2011

Sonam rated it:

Katherine Neville's book, holds an interesting mixture, of mystery, history, chess fundamentals, and romance.
You are taken back and forth between the past and the present, the history of the game and the history being created.
The past main character(Mireille) and the present main character(Catherine), are both thrown into a game of cat and mouse, except that they are actually living pieces of a chess game being played by one of an elite secret society. They travel around the world wh More...

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Sep 22, 2010

Tony rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Sep 11, 2010

Susan rated it:

The only book I can remember hating as much or more than this is that goddamn piece of trash, waste of paper, and rape of the English language that is Dan Brown's DaVinci Code. Man, that was a really bad book. This one isn't quite that god-awful-- the writing is slightly better-- but for me, I was an insanely angry and irritated reader when I FINALLY finished plowing through it. It has been compared to Umberto Eco (whose Name of the Rose IS a great beach read), but damn, that's a pretty big i More...

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Jun 16, 2010

Tyler rated it:

I have never written anything beyond a few pages so am utterly unqualified to make this statement, but this book is not good.

The story itself is interesting and makes a decent effort to be enjoyable, but the storytelling does everything it can to keep that from happening. The writing lacks character and detail: story just happen, location is no more than where, suspense and urgency feel absent. It just wasn't fun to read.

Add to that an intertwining past and present story line More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Nov 25, 2009

Bella rated it:

Fantastic Read (4 out of 5 stars)

The Eight is an incredible debut novel for Katherine Neville! It is a meaty, complex, heart-stopping read. The novel follows two storylines (Mireille, a nun at Montglane Abbey during the beginning of the French Revolution, and Catherine Velis, a 1970s computer expert and auditor) that eventually converge into a mind-blowing ending.

The plot revolves around the Montglane Service, a mystical chess set made by the Moors and given to Charlema More...

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Oct 02, 2009

Lynda rated it:

The Eight is about a powerful chess service of questionable origin. Through the years, it was passed on as a gift to Charlemagne who felt a strong sense of evil when he played it. He decided this service was too powerful to be kept around and had it buried at a monastery in Montglane. From then on it was known as the Montglane Service.

During the beginning sparks of the French Revolution, all the monasteries were being turned upside down and the abess in charge of protecting the Servi More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 30, 2009

Reinhold rated it:

Als jemand der sich etwas für Schach interessiert, kam ich auf das Buch, weil es als ein interessantes Werk gilt das sich mit Schach beschäftigt. Diese beiden Attribute treffen auch tatsächlich zu. Die Story ist interessant und es geht um Schach. Viel mehr Positives gibt es aber auch schon nicht mehr zu berichten. Die Sprache kann man noch zu den neutralen Seiten des Buches rechnen, sie ist nicht schlecht aber auch nicht wirklich überzeugend.

Handlung: Karl dem Großen wird ein Schachs More...

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