The Eight, Katherine Neville

The Eight by Katherine Neville is a book I picked up in response to a list of "best books."  I can't remember which list or why this one stuck out, but on some list somewhere this book is recommended.

Started:  6/23/2015

Completed: (stopped reading) 1/16/2016

Recommendation:  Not Recommended

Recommended By:  Some list, somewhere.

Words I sought help to understand:

macchia - An Italian word that literally means "stain or spot" but it is also a term in artwork that emphasizes a sketchy way of applying the initial color to a drawing or painting.  I think that within context  it was intended to emphasize a landscape with vigorous growth so verdant that the plants overlap and blur into a sense of color rather than a collection of individual plants.  Pretty cool.

Review:

Despite the occasional turn of phrase that was nice, this book was very difficult to read.  The series of premises required in order for it to be even near believable pressed my considerable ability to suspend disbelief.  I finally just gave up when the heroine in one time period ran into Napoleon after sleeping with Talleyrand.  Frankly, this is just too much.  The initial premise is weakly presented and the current day heroine is portrayed from moment to moment as courageous and weak and ineffectual.  I just finally reached a point where I had to realize that attempting to continue to read this book was more annoyance than pleasure.