From the Bookshelf of Around the World in 80 Books…

As the Romanian translator says in his note from the end of the novel, this is one of those kind of books that is like a pyramid: all readers can identify with the apparent detective novel (Sherlock Holmes style) but it has a lot of other meanings and layers of interpretation. And each layer, as we move towards the top of the pyramid, is reached by less and less readers. Probably scholars of European Middle Ages and Late Antiquity will be the few ones reaching that top. Still, it has a multitude

As the Romanian translator says in his note from the end of the novel, this is one of those kind of books that is like a pyramid: all readers can identify with the apparent detective novel (Sherlock Holmes style) but it has a lot of other meanings and layers of interpretation. And each layer, as we move towards the top of the pyramid, is reached by less and less readers. Probably scholars of European Middle Ages and Late Antiquity will be the few ones reaching that top. Still, it has a multitude of senses that can be perceived if combined with other readings, especially the ones mentioned in the book.

For the deepness of meanings and the huge amount of research needed to write such a novel, I could not rate it otherwise except with a 5-star and have it among my favorite novels.

By the way, I have seen also the movie prior than reading the novel, several years ago. But this is only reflecting the 2-3 layers from the basis of the pyramid. So this is another example of books better than movies.