859. The House of Doctor Dee

The House of Doctor Dee
Peter Ackroyd
1993

Around 290 pages

Well, Pete, it's been a minute. I was intrigued enough by Hawksmoor that I was curious what else he had in store, but this was kind of a yawn. 

Matthew Palmer inherits his father's house in London. Palmer learns that the Doctor John Dee, an alchemist who worked for Elizabeth I, used to live in the house. He sets out to find out more about the mysterious alchemist. The second chapter then moves into Dee talking about his life in England during the Renaissance. This is a parallel format to Hawksmoor, but I don't mind if you are a one trick pony if you are consistently good with your output.

But once again, he snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. He had an interesting premise, but the execution was extremely dry. Which is similar to my sentiments about Umberto Eco, although I do prefer Ackroyd. Expendable, and apparently the Powers That Be agree, as this was left out of future editions.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2003.

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