Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The mystery and the setting are intriguing. Much of the story, however, is weighed down by long, rambling, unnecessary descriptions and expositions. At first, some of them are interesting, but this book is nearly 600 pages long. It would have been much better if it were 350 pages. Instead of describing four or five items (like images on a church door or sacred relics) that give the reader a complete idea, the writer routinely literally describes 25-30 items, sometimes in long lists! The same occurs with historical details. What could effectively be said with precision becomes confusing, boring, and tedious because the writer is so circumlocutory. Also, there are entire parts of the book only in Latin. I became so frustrated with those excerpts, and with the book itself, that I quickly stopped translating them. I just skimmed through that. Most of the time I felt the author was focused on indulging in his own intellectuality instead of writing a good book. I wish I hadn’t wasted my time on it.