After reading The Rule of Four, I was highly disappointed in the later half of the book. This was because of its terrible conclusion, which left a very bitter and sad aftertaste until the point where I think the book was better without the ending. The book sets a very emotional tone from the start. We are faced with characters who have gone through so much in search for their ambitions, whether that be cracking the Hypnerotomachia or mending a loving relationship (in the case of Katie), all while revolving around a group of best friends “who seemed to understand …[each other] ... from the very beginning” (15). This was to protagonize the characters, to make readers want to support them and watch them succeed, which I did as well. The ending, however, was a letdown to say the least. First, Paul dies in search of needed blueprints and in a few quick page flips, we are taken through five years, while both friendships and relationships are rapidly degrading as “gradually names … disappeared” (353). The Hypnerotomachia goes seemingly unsolved and Thomas begins “to fall out of Katie’s life entirely” (360). We only learn that Paul is alive and the secret crypt is found in the last few paragraphs, further tormenting readers who wonder what’s next.
