The Book of Skulls
by Robert Silverberg
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Book Summary Information
Author: Robert SilverbergEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-01-31
ISBN: 0345471385
Number of pages: 232
Publisher: Del Rey
Book Reviews of The Book of Skulls
Book Review: A Masterwork of Fiction
Summary: 5 Stars
I found this book among some SF and Fantasy books being thrown out for trash and am really glad I saved it. Though presented and packaged as a dime novel mass market popular paperback, the work is deserving of high literary merit and probably should be taught in literature classes where character study and symbolism are main themes.
Silverberg's scharacter developement of the four college boys who have discovered directions to an Arizona cult that can grant immortality is astounding. Parts of the story are told from the first person viewpoints of each of the four questers, and as in Faulkner's "The Sound and the Fury" each section has a distinct style and train of thought in order to effectively describe the different personalities of each of them. Knowing that in order to complete the ritual, one of the companions must be murdered and another must commit suicide, the thought processes of the companions become exceedingly intricate as the story unfolds.
The most obvious symbolism in the book is stated by analogy when the tracking of a wild beast by primitive hunters is described. The four companions are, essentially, a War Chief, a Political Chief, a Witchdoctor, and a Court Jester. They are tracking a wild beast across a vast landscape, and this beast is symbolic not only of immortality but also of an ideal civilization. The interaction between the four adventurers is an analogy to the relationship, communication, and strife between different factions of government.
Incredibly profound, hypnotically interesting, and with an ending that will blindside even the most astute reader, The Book of Skulls is indeed a novel worthy of cannonization. I am exceedingly happy to see it back in print!
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