Lawrence Norfolk — Lemprière's Dictionary

Harmony Books 1991 Paperback, 440pp. Not since the publication of Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose has a novelist created such a mesmerizing mix of murder, intrigue, and historical detail. In Lempriere's Dictionary, Lawrence Norfolk weaves these elements into an epic tale of institutional greed and passionate revenge, all set against a rich backdrop of classical mythology. At the heart of this spellbinding story are three seemingly unrelated historical events: as the seventeenth century opens, a band of venturers forms the Honorable Company of Merchants, trading from England to the East Indies - the East India Company; meanwhile in France, a city is burned and thirty thousand men, women, and children are massacred - the siege of La Rochelle; and almost two centuries later, John Lempriere writes his celebrated dictionary of classical mythology - Lempriere's Dictionary. Cover coated in protective plastic, which has begun to fray near the spine. Some fading on cover. Very minor foxing on page edges and inside covers. (ISBN: 9780517581841). Fair.