Product Description

'Even more compelling than the detective plot is the novel's portrayal of the harrowing lives of its historical characters. Brooks is a compassionate writer. "People of the Book" is a powerful account of individual resistance to intolerance and the precious value of history. It is also a gripping story.'

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #184001 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 356 pages

Independent on Sunday
'This illuminating novel, like its predecessor, is well worthy of both Pulitzer and prime-time approbation.'

Scotsman
'Brooks's extensive research is evident throughout.'

Times Literary Supplement
'Compelling..."People of the Book" is a powerful account of individual resistance...It is also a gripping story.'

Customer Reviews

Read and see...
Well I enjoyed it a lot. Read it yourself to find out. Reviews are odd since they try to say what the book is about without saying what it is about. Best read it yourself to see.

CSI for Librarians
I was lucky enough to read this book for free, it wasn't the type of book I would give a second glance to in the bookshop. It consists of two separate stories, the story of the book its self and the story of its rescue and preservation by the main character. The book is quite in depth, the sections written on book preserving are very detailed and (to me anyway) very interesting. It tells the story of how the history of the book is unraveled by the items which fall from the binding of the book. each section tells of how the main character discoveres that the book has been in a certain place by the insect wing that falls from it or the hair that she finds in the pages. Interspersed between these is the "actual" story of how the items got there.

The book makes interesting reading and s very well researched, the writing is engaging and absorbing. The historical sections are very detailed and the threading together of the compenents to illustrate the journey of the book is very clever in deed. The book does have a few harsh passages where it deals with issues of religion and persecution but they are well handleed.

All in all I enjoyed this very much, the only criticsim I have and it is a small one - is that the writer peppers the book with Jewish phrases and names which I had to keep going to look up - it does not however detract from the overall enjoyment of the book.

A book that needs quality time set aside for it
There are different kinds of novels, those you read and can't put down, those you wish you'd never started, and those where you think you should be enjoying it more but can't decide if that's down to the book or you.
So when I say I didn't much care for this book I'm afraid it comes with a caveat: it says more about me than it does about the book.
In fact, this is one of those rare occasions where I've decided I'm going to put the book away until later in the year and give it another go. The fact I'm going to do that should say a lot, I hope. I have a feeling it's worth giving another shot but that this is certainly a book that needs time and attention - not a beach read by any stretch of the imagination, nor is it a bedtime 'few pages each evening' read. Instead, it needs several hours over a weekend and I hope that's taken as praise.

There aren't many books that make you question yourself as a reader, and this is one of them! I'll revise this review when I've had another shot.