Rachel's Reviews > The Rule of Four

After listening to me complain about the terrible writing in The Da Vinci Code, my roommate recommended this book as a more satisfying read that blends art history with a murder mystery. I liked it (and greatly preferred the authors' style over that hack Dan Brown's), but I didn't love it.

Nearly as interesting as the book itself is the story of the two young authors, Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason, childhood friends and recent college graduates, who collaborated for years to write The Rule of Four and endured several rejections before finding a publisher who took a shine to their manuscript. In a Washington Post interview from May 2004, Thomason said "I don't know what it would be like to write alone." I rely on editors and proofreaders to help me shape my thoughts into prose that conveys its intended message, but I can't imagine dividing the nitty gritty task of writing with a partner. I stand in awe of teams who can share the spotlight graciously and trust in each other's talents.