When Matthew Pearl Writes, I Read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            I would never miss a Matthew Pearl book, and this one is no exception.  "The Dante Club," his first, is by far the best, but I was unexpectedly blown away with fascination by his last, novel, "The Technologies."   His latest falls somewhere between the earlier works, "The Poe Shadow," and "The Last Dickens," and fares better than those.

                                              The word "bookaneer," is, of course, a play on the word "buccaneer."  It is a tale of piracy--but the literary kind--in the 19th century, involving a trip to Samoa, Robert Louis Stevenson, references to his works as to "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley, wrapped up in a suspense mystery involving trying to lay hands on a rare Stevenson manuscript.

                                                Pearl's blend of fact and fiction is seamless, and he seems to have a flair for adventure not seen before, recalling H. Rider Haggard.  It really is an ingenious book, if not the equal of my two favorites. But who cares, when it is Matthew Pearl writing.  The reader is always guaranteed both entertainment and quality.

                                                  All with exquisite, literary skill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                  It will also tempt the reader into reading, or rereading, Stevenson or Mary Shelley. I had that feeling as I made way through novel, considering putting my Summer Reading Project on hold.

                                                   But I can always do it later. Stevenson and Shelley are better suited to cold, Winter weather.  Not unlike the Brontes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!