Gods of Aberdeen: A Novel

By Micah Nathan

Book Overview

A haunting novel about a brilliant young man who enrolls at a small New England college and becomes entangled in a mysterious death -- and the ultimate scientific quest. Eric Dunne is a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743250826
• ISBN13: 9780743250825
• Release Date: May 2005
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.9" x 1.1" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

The Apprenticeship of Eric Dunne

So here we are, folks, with yet another boy-goes-to-college-meets-smart-kids-faces-moral-dilemma first novel. Why should we care? Why should we even bother? I didn't want to like this book. I wanted to snicker at what I believed was an obvious riding-of-the-coattails. "Rule of Four," "Prep," you name it, it's already been done, right? And then I opened the first page...and Nathan had me at "I remember Aberdeen College well." Call me a sucker for good prose. Call me easily seduced by brutally honest portayals of spoiled youth. Call me a fan of writers who take a subject (in this case, alchemy) I know absolutely *nothing* about, and by the end of their book I feel like an expert. Yes, this book is about the search for the Philosopher's Stone. But to place it in the category of an academic mystery would be a mistake. The Philosopher's Stone is Nathan's MacGuffin, a plot device used to show us the loss of innocence of 16 year-old Eric Dunne, a freshman at Aberdeen College. Eric's a poor orphan from New Jersey, and Aberdeen College is an ivy-covered liberal arts college in Connecticut. There's a mysterious death, a quest for the ultimate truth, and along the way Eric grows up. We grow up with him. Alchemy is about transformation, which mirrors the central theme of this book. Eric Dunne arrives at Aberdeen College, and leaves an adult. He's heartbroken, lied to, given booze and drugs and basicallly everything else that happens to naive freshman, and we're with him all the way. Damn if this book didn't make me miss college...and also realize I'm glad college is over. So where do I place this book among my literary faves? Surprisingly high, considering it's a debut novel from a young author. Nathan's descriptions can be a bit much at times, and the first third of the novel moves slowly, but we are rewarded for our patience. You can see Nathan becoming a more confident writer (especially Part II), and as Nathan's skills grow, so does Eric Dunne. I'm hesitant to call this book my favorite beach read of the summer, because it's more than that. It's not light reading, nor is it dense, overstuffed prose. It's quite unlike anything I've ever read before...call it Umberto Eco with a plot we can actually all relate to. Or call it a beach book for the intelligent reader. Either way, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. And watch out for dark ponds.

A Rare Breed

I think we may have something here...a book that actually manages to be both well-written with a juicy plot to match. Did I just say "juicy?" Indeed. Many authors seem to have a difficult time balancing plot with their literary aspirations. Not so, this book. Mr. Nathan treads the fine line between John Knowles and Dan Brown, and he does so with uncanny confidence and acumen. Gods of Aberdeen works on many levels: as a coming-of-ager it's brutally honest without resorting to maudlin/cheap laughs. As a scholarly thriller it's erudite without being stuffy, and it appeals to the highest common denominator rather than dumbing things down. The gist of the story is this: Eric Dunne, a 16 year-old prodigy, leaves the slums of New Jersey and attends Aberdeen College. Eric, it seems, is quite the Latin expert, and attracts the attentions of Aberdeen's famous professor, Dr. Cade. Eric also attracts a group of students who are searching for the Philosopher's Stone (no, not a Harry Potter rip-off but the real deal. Nathan does a terrific job inserting medieval history and alchemy into the tale). Unfortunately this search leads to some very bad things, and Eric finds himself caught between the world of a college freshman and the world of too-smart-for-their-own-good students. Throw in some nubile coeds, a smattering of drugs and alcohol, and you have the makings of a dark collegiate thriller. Of course there are moments when it becomes clear Mr. Nathan is a young novelist a bit too eager to strut his stuff--but we can forgive him for that because he's given us an intelligent, honest novel, with enough plot to satisfy the most jaded beach-reader, and enough character depth to please the most jaded artiste. In a publishing world where hype never fails to disappoint, this is one instance where the prose speaks for itself. A stunning debut from a gifted writer. Thomas Wilson

Phenomenal

Part coming-of-age, part thriller, this debut novel follows the college freshman year of 16 year-old Eric Dunne, a brilliant orphan who escapes his foster family in New Jersey and attends Aberdeen College in the fictional town of Fairwich, Connecticut. He soon makes friends with a group of intelligent upperclassmen in Aberdeen's medieval history department, and after adjusting to their rarified way of life (booze, fine dining, discussions about Chaucer, etc.), Eric discovers they're searching for the Philosopher's Stone (an ancient formula that supposedly holds the secret of immortality). Under the tutelage of the aloof Professor Cade, this coterie of intelligent but ultimately misguided students find themselves in a terrible mess, and Eric is caught in the middle. Nathan's descriptions of campus life, and his descriptions of the campus itself, are nothing short of phenomenal. The characters are fully developed and well-designed, from 16 year-old Eric to the ancient and mysterious librarian Cornelius Graves. I was most impressed with Nathan's dialogue -- although college was a long time ago for me, I felt like I was a freshman again, seeing Aberdeen through Eric's eyes, and having my heart broken along with him. I adored this book, and recommend it to anyone who loved their college days, enjoys a good thriller, or just wants to curl up with a good book.

"So you're not into this alchemy thing for the fun of it?"

In this highly accomplished cautionary tale, Eric Dunne a 16-year-old working class boy, obtains a scholarship to attend the prestigious Aberdeen University in Connecticut. Having been bought up as an orphan in a Stulton tenement, a New Jersey slum, he's more than willing to kiss goodbye to life on the wrong side of the tracks for the esteemed and exultant ivory tower of learning and scholarship. Eric's budding genius, however, hasn't prepared him for life as a freshman, and he has to hurriedly negotiate the world of academia with the temptations of girls, the incessant hard drinking, and the seemingly never-ending partying. But Eric is overjoyed at being given this opportunity, and secretly hopes to "make a smudge on the burnished wood and marbled floors" of the University's hallowed halls. Eric eventually gets a job working in the Library for Cornelius, a crazy old librarian who is whispered to be over one hundred years old. Rumor also has it that Cornelius is killing pigeons in his search for immortality; a rumor that is given even more weight when Eric stumbles across a grave of the birds when walking in the woods. Even more suspicious is the decaying corpse of a dead cat found in the local stream. The young freshman soon becomes involved with a group of spoiled rich kids, and is offered a prestigious job as part of an elite research team headed by Dr. Cade, an aloof, standoffish history professor. Professor Cade "a man of incomparable intellect and linguistic prowess," is currently writing a scrupulously researched three-volume saga about the medieval era, and is of the opinion that Eric, with his meticulous skills in Latin, would be an invaluable addition to the team. Taking up residency at Dr. Cade's home alongside the teacher's reverential group - including the alcoholic Howie, the sexuality ambivalent Dan, and the scientifically pragmatic Art - Eric begins to notice some creepy goings-on: Howie drinks far too much, and Art appears to be overly obsessed with altering his consciousness through psychoactive drugs. There's medieval experiments being carried out in the attic, incessant talk of the ancient art of alchemy, and the quest for the Philosopher's Stone, the supposed the mythical elixir of eternal life. Eric is immediately drawn to Art, and during their winter break travels with him to Prague where he learns just how obsessed Art is with learning about the mysteries of everlasting life. Art is rooted in expediency and mysticism. He's a firm believer in the existence of ghosts and malevolent spirits, but when Eric's world unravels after the inexplicable death of a close friend, the young man learns just how pragmatic and hardheaded the enigmatic Art actually is. Micah Nathan fills the pages with historical and literary allusions, with references to Chaucer, Constantine, Charlemagne, and St. Augustine flourishing throughout the narrative. The book is full of mysteriously moody and gothic intrigue, with Eric having to face a

A great read...

This beatifically written novel has a riveting plot to match its eloquent prose. Nathan, whom I understand became a self-taught expert in Latin and toxicology while researching his book, writes about history and science with an almost academic rigor - all the while, weaving a compelling tell about friendship, murder, sex, and the search for immortality. If you are going on vacation this summer, and you want a totally engrossing read, this is your book.