Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Mar 2004
368 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
About to depart on his first vacation in years, Edward Wozny, a hot-shot young investment banker, is sent to help one of his firm's most important and mysterious clients. When asked to uncrate and organize a personal library of rare books, Edward's indignation turns to intrigue as he realizes that there may be a unique medieval codex hidden among the volumes, a treasure kept locked away for many years and for many reasons. As friends draw Edward into a peculiar and addictive computer game, his obsession deepens as he discovers surprising parallels between the game's virtual reality and the mystery of the codex. An accomplished and entertaining thriller, Codex explores the mysterious power of books in the medieval and modern ages.
"Codex takes its place on the shelf of self-referential, bibliophilic page turners like The Name of the Rose, Possession and A Case of Curiosities, and it's as entertaining as any of them." - New York Times
"...well-orchestrated... intelligent [and] enjoyable" - Publishers Weekly
"Alluring and meticulous. Replete with a sexy duchess, a jaded academic ... and a shadowy programmer." - Entertainment Weekly
"A genuine treat with its sneaky plot and richly-textured storytelling. Moves so fast you won't realize how smart it is." - San Francisco Journal
"A wealth of diverting book lore and fanciful arcana conveyed in engaging, accessible prose helps to make this an engrossing, if ultimately unsatisfying, read." - Library Journal
"As in cyberfantasy, there are side trips and narrow escapes and dwarfish types with helpful tips, and if Time book critic Grossman weren't so smooth and dry, one might think about hitting esc. Sophisticated, scholarly fun and games." - Kirkus Reviews
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Lev Grossman - Elena Siebert
Lev Grossman is a senior writer and book critic for TIME magazine and author of the international bestselling novel Codex. He has written for The New York Times, Wired, Salon.com, Lingua Franca, Entertainment Weekly, Time Out New York, The Wall Street Journal, and The Village Voice. He has served as a member of the board of directors of the National Book Critics Circleand as the chair of the Fiction Awards Panel. He is also the creator of the Time blog Nerd World.
His other works include Warp, The Magicians, The Magician King, and The Magician's Land.
Grossman holds degrees in comparative literature from Harvard and Yale. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.
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