History's Players in Fiction

摘要

The year is 1450, and Peter Schoeffer, who has been working as a scribe in Paris, is recalled to the German city of Mainz by his foster father, Johann Fust. A successful merchant, Fust is burning with excitement over an encounter with a "most amazing man." The man, known as Gutenberg, has invented a method of printing a book using a machine. Fust promises to fund Gutenberg's workshop, but only if Schoeffer is accepted as an apprentice. At first, Schoeffer finds the idea of a mechanically printed book to be blasphemous but feels he must look out for Fust's interests. Gutenberg and Schoeffer, needing more money and finding themselves in the middle of a power struggle between the merchants and the church, pursue the publication of a Bible. As the years-long process draws to a close, Gutenberg breaks rules and bullies his way to the production of a book that was thought by many to be a miracle. VERDICT Christie's slow-paced debut is rich in historical detail. Although the writing can be overblown, the story of the birth of the printing press is fascinating. Readers who enjoy historical fiction such as Tracy Chevalier's Remarkable Creatures will enjoy this admirable outing. [See Prepub Alert, 3/31/14.]