NOTE:Because of lack of space, I have moved the newest readers' comments to another page.
Number of entries: 156
(NOTE: if more than one character gets the same number of votes, the
characters will be listed alphabetically).
From Marlene Kondelik ([email protected]): From reviews and because
she is a favorite of my daughter!
From [email protected]: by chance at the local library
From Noelle ([email protected]): My best friend in high school
read the Eight and nearly forced it down my throat. it only took about 3
pages though before i was totally hooked.
From [email protected]: Bookstore
From John Kondelik ([email protected]): My daughter encouraged me to
read it.
From Joy ([email protected]): my Neices husband bought her the book
The Eight and she gave it to me to read first, so far that one copy has
been read by at least 6 different people and at least 16 times between my
neice and I We would love to see the Eight made into a movie,
From [email protected]: Recommended book by bookstore employee
From Rachel Cooper ([email protected]): My friend
gave me a whole pile of books and among them was The Eight. Needless to
say, it was the best in the whole pile!
From [email protected]: By accident at the library when I picked up
a copy of The Eight
From Kim Young ([email protected]): Read review of Eight - ordered it in
hardcover
From Aleks ([email protected]): I saw the book in a Bookshop.
From Debora Martinez ([email protected]): By accident, in used book
store, about 4 or 5 years ago.
From JT (John) Schramm ([email protected]): Just saw it in the
bookstore, and thought it looked good. It is still one of my favorite
books.
From Debbie ([email protected]): The head librarian in a library in North
Carolina told me about her. At that time, THE EIGHT was her only book.
Since then, I have bought 2 copies, both of which I have loaned and loaned
and finally, given away. I can't count the number of people that have
read this book, most of which sat up all night to read it.
From Jodi ([email protected]): I was given an uncorrected proof
copy of the eight whilst working in a bookshop. The sales rep just said
to me 'here, you read a bit. read this, it's going to be big' And it
was! In full on bogan filled western suburb, where most of the customers
think danielle steele is just the best and there should be more mills and
boons! I sold 80% of the stock ordered in HARDCOVER in a little over
three weeks!
From Marc ([email protected]): The Eight was recommended to me by a
friend
From Mary Horst ([email protected]): I think I discovered the book at a
used book store but it turned out that two or three other people in my
office were reading it around the same time.
From Jose Dominguez ([email protected]): a friend told me about
"the Eight".
From [email protected]: i am a afficionado of the number 8. i was in a
book store one day and i saw a book called "The Eight", well of course i
had to have it. It's been my bible ever since.
From Libby ([email protected]): I was working at Waldenbooks
and needed a good book to read over Christmas break. A fellow employee
recommended The Eight and I ended up reading the book in two days. I've
read it several times, at least once a year since 1990.
From Toby Raymond ([email protected]): Working at a bookstore while
attending college, I couldn't afford to buy books so I would read
"on-duty," and save my place using the jacket. By the time I got halfway
through "The Eight" - in two evenings - I decided I needed it! I have
been a fan since.
From Priscila ([email protected]): A friend told me I had to read
The Eight, since I play chess. So I did, and I loved it
From Asa Olsson ([email protected]): I bought The Eight since I wanted something to read during the summer, and I REALLY LOVED IT!! It's the only book that I have read more than once, 6-7 times actually....
From Deborah Black ([email protected]): I was in Moe's Bookstore in Berkeley, going through the used Mystery section. A Little Old Lady was doing the same thing. I offered her a bag of used mysteries Moes had rejected, and she pointed out The Eight to me.
From Jim ([email protected]): Picked up "The Eight" because of the cover art. The mobius intrigued me. Best reading decision I have ever made.
From Petra ([email protected]): My housemistress was reading The Eight when i was still at school, i read the back, and hounded her till she finished it.
From Ken Friedman ([email protected]): From spouse
From Amaya ([email protected]): I bought "The Eight because I liked the plot. After reading it, I bought "The Magic Circle".
From Cathi Pominski ([email protected]): I found the book at my ex-inlaw's house, needed something to read myself to sleep with....wrong book to try to go to sleep by!!!
From Paula ([email protected]): My mom read The Eight in high school, and I was bored, so she gave it to me.
From Ava ([email protected]): A friend gave me the book "The Eight" and I was hooked!
From Karen ([email protected]): a friend recommended The Eight as one of the best books he had ever read and he gave me a copy - I have now passed along the wealth to anyone and everyone who is willing to listen to me.
From Michael Smith: from an review i read on the eight in 1989. bought the book and in the 10 years it has been out i read the book five times
From JT Banfield ([email protected]): The Eight: In Singapore airport, looking for a book to get me back to Australia. It looked the right thickness and when I read the blurb I couldn't believe my luck!
From Shonagh ([email protected]): Reading Mum's books!
From Jason ([email protected]): The 8 looked interesting and I bought it.
From Socorro ([email protected]): One day one of my friends said to me: "I have an incredible book. Do you want to read it?". And I read The Eight. Almost four years afther other of my friends, give me My book of The Eigth.
From Judit ([email protected]): I receive the Eight from a very close friend of mine, a spanish journalist and writer who went to interview Mrs. Neville husband, Karl Pribram, for a spanish magazine, at that time it was 5 or six years ago, he got to know Katherine Neville ( lucky him ) and received the book from her as a present. Since that moment that he lent me the book, i got fascinated, as you said, my favorite book.
From Anne Kiehl Friedman ([email protected]): The Eight was assigned summer reading for my sister in high school, and it looked interesting so I read it.
From Kim Albert ([email protected]): My Bosses friend lent him THE EIGHT so I saw it and after an afternoon of boredom picked it up and started reading.
From Dario ([email protected]): A friend lent me The Eight
From Nicole van Dam ([email protected]): I was doing an independent study for english two years ago and my dynamo of a teacher told me to read it... and she was so excited when I did, too =)
From Elspeth Grafton ([email protected]): Having come down with the flu, I went to the local supermarket to pick up some fluff to read, little did I know the adventure I would be embarking on when 'The Eight' ended up in my shopping bag. I have now purchased my 6th copy of the book, as every time I lend it to someone, it mysteriously goes A.W.O.L... Hmmm. Wonder why.
From Marlene Kondelik ([email protected]): Great escape, and you can
learn things, too!
From [email protected]: they are smart, well written and well
researched
From Noelle ([email protected]): the intertwining of historical
(and rather esoteric!) ideas and modernity.
From [email protected]: Adventure mystery, intelligent female
heroine
From John Kondelik ([email protected]): The historical background
and the development of characters.
From Joy ([email protected]): The history, and the chess game her
characters are all great buy the men of mystery are the best, Nim is my
all time favorite man character
From [email protected]: Intricate plots, historical detail,
imaginative characters
From Rachel Cooper ([email protected]): The way
she entwines fiction with history, science, maths, music and chess! It's
brilliant!!!
From [email protected]: Strong, independent and intelligent
heroines. Classy intelligent thrillers. Blend of history, suspense and
romance.
From Kim Young ([email protected]): Difficulty in predicting what will
happen next
From Aleks ([email protected]): Documentation, maths,
From Debora Martinez ([email protected]): The blending of alot of
different lifestyles into one unique one.
From JT (John) Schramm ([email protected]): I liked the history, the
way the story kept jumping back and forth between the two time frames. I
also LOVED the ending. It made it worth reading it, and worth reading it
again.
From Debbie ([email protected]): As the librarian in North Carolina put
it, "There's a little bit of everything in (them), history, intrigue,
sci-fi, romance."
From Jodi ([email protected]): They are well-written with
exceptionally strong female characters. This is still quite unusual! I
have re read and handed on both books I have so many times!
From Marc ([email protected]): Imaginary use of history, legend and
metaphysics, as well as ancient secrets. I alos appreciate books about
Sacred Geometry and Alchemy
From Mary Horst ([email protected]): Incorporating an incredibly wide
range of subjects in a way that shows the author has either done a lot of
research or has personal knowledge of the areas.
From Jose Dominguez ([email protected]): Mystery, thriller,
History, a well developed story and many other things...
From [email protected]: Everything
From [email protected]: The intelligence of the author and characters.
Her characters and her stories always impress me.
From Libby ([email protected]): History combined with fiction.
This usually sends me to the library to check things out. The characters,
both males and females are great. The adventure part of the story just
sweeps me away. I wish it was me.
From Toby Raymond ([email protected]): She respects her readers
intelligence by writing under the assumption (for lack of a better word)
that we are literate people and do not need long-drawn explanations of
historical occurences or historical figures.
From Priscila ([email protected]): The whole thing. The
complexity, the research, the plot... She is simply fantastic!
From Asa Olsson ([email protected]): The way she ends every chapter in a way ythat makes you want to, no HAVE to read the next!
From Deborah Black ([email protected]): The metaphysical interconnections.
From Jim ([email protected]): The brilliant use of history, dual plotlines, complex female characters, and her mixing technology with adventure and romance.
From Petra ([email protected]): The way in which it is the women who are the main characters, and i also like the background info which is obviously researched in such detail.
From Ken Friedman ([email protected]): The Eight is a romp. She incorporates historical figures with such wild abandon that I was continually breaking out in a big grin whenever a new luminary appeared. The mysticism and quest-like nature of the book and others have always appealed to me.
From Amaya ([email protected]): You learn a lot, and the stories travels around almost all the world
From Paula ([email protected]): They're complex and full of history.
From Cathi Pominski ([email protected]): I love the suspence in her writing...that she makes you think as you are reading the book....she also makes the characters real.
From Ava ([email protected]): The plots, the history, the characters, the writing style.
From Karen ([email protected]): the intracacies of the plot and how the two plots were woven together was amazing. I also loved the historical value - you can learn as you read and also you feel as though this could have really taken place. It took me to another world
From Michael Smith: the way she makes history come alive through the use of fictional characters walking through history
From JT Banfield ([email protected]): The plot
From Shonagh ([email protected]): Great storyline
From Jason ([email protected]): Story progression. The suprises and structure of the story is phenomenal and absolutely riveting.
From Socorro ([email protected]): That is wonderfull the way that she take the reader inside of history.
From Judit ([email protected]): She has the imagination to put together a combination of elements:mistery, history, suspense, sensual descriptions, all of these expressed with a passion so strong and so real, that i almost got fired from work for not being able to put the Eighth down when I started reading it, that was my first reading. Also she has the ability to grab my whole being and vibrate with the story and the amount of adjectives describing a whole reality for me.
From Anne Kiehl Friedman ([email protected]): The are unpredictable, there isn't a poorly written character, and it is kind of... educational, I guess.
From Kim Albert ([email protected]): I liked the story line and the writing itself.
From Dario ([email protected]): The very extraordinary plot and all the different things that are in it.
From Nicole van Dam ([email protected]): Being a history buff, I loved the interaction of actual historical figures and the fictional characters... (speaking of The Eight, of course)
From Elspeth Grafton ([email protected]): Very strong intellegent female characters. Strong flow of the story - I can't put down a book once I have picked it up. I actually had a friend curse me for putting 'The Eight' into her possession, as she was seeing 4am in the morning too often.
From Marlene Kondelik ([email protected]): Nothing.
From [email protected]: not enough character variation from
book to book
From Noelle ([email protected]): they're pretty
formulaic...:(
From John Kondelik ([email protected]): Would like to know even
morer about some of the characters.
From Joy ([email protected]): she takes too long between books, write
faster please
From [email protected]: I think she could do better writing of the
sex. I would like to see more passion in the romantic
relationships--while it is interesting to have women who are not trusting
(that's a good point to start from) I think that there could be more
development of the process of over- coming that distrust.
From Rachel Cooper ([email protected]): I thought
the ending to The Eight was a bit of an anti-climax ... but apart from
that NOTHING!
From [email protected]: Did not like Calculated Risk as much as The
Eight. Seemed lightweight compared to The Eight. Didn't have the rich
texture nor was it as involving. Found the romance took too much away
from the story. She's at her best when writing taut, plot driven stories
rich in characters and historical detail!
From Kim Young ([email protected]): wish the others were more like The
Eight
From Debora Martinez ([email protected]): Sometimes I wonder why I
like them so much, when Chess, in one way or another, seems to play big
role. Strategy.
From JT (John) Schramm ([email protected]): Hmmmm....can't think of a
thing.
From Marc ([email protected]): I'm a writer too. In time, her
characters may be fleshed out a bit better. I thought there were some
2-dimensional characters in The Eight
From Jose Dominguez ([email protected]): none
From [email protected]: No.
From Libby ([email protected]): Sometimes she is not clear on
what she is trying to say, or the point of a story she is telling during
the course of the book. I often have to reread to understand. I found
that I had to do that alot during The Magic Circle
From Asa Olsson ([email protected]): NOTHING!!! except that they end! :-)
From Jim ([email protected]): That she doesn't publish too often - but who could complain - the books must take years to research.
From Petra ([email protected]): nothing
From Paula ([email protected]): They're almost /too/ complicated. Some things don't get explained.
From Ava ([email protected]): No, just need to write more!
From Karen ([email protected]): Sometimes she gets a little caught up to descrbing some historical fact that has no bearing on the plot but shows that she has doenher homework - I found that a little tedious.
From Michael Smith: i wish she would answer her mail more often
From JT Banfield ([email protected]): The heroines can sometimes be dumb, the plots similar in pattern from book to book and in the Magic Circle, the "McGuffin" (the thing everyone is after) is a bit nebulous. In the Eight it's tops - a mystical chess set holding the secret of eternal life!
From Shonagh ([email protected]): The Eight was too short!
From Judit ([email protected]): sometimes i think that the endings could be much more consequents with the quality of the story
From Anne Kiehl Friedman ([email protected]): Sometimes they are difficult to follow because you don't have the background or historical knowledge to understand some of the significance of events.
From Kim Albert ([email protected]): THE EIGHT was slightly longer than it should have been.
From Dario ([email protected]): NOTHING
From Nicole van Dam ([email protected]): I didn't like A Calculated Risk at all because I found it a duplicate of The Eight, though I wonder if I'd find ACR better if I had read it first... the mind boggles...
From Elspeth Grafton ([email protected]): The two that I read were both about financial wizards with friends (or lovers) who were recluses. Found that aspect of the plots for 'Eight' and 'Calculated Risk" annoyingly similar for my taste.