The Alchemist's Secret - June 2022 Book Group discussion thread

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Little Nemo Jun 2022 1:20pm, 26 Jun 2022 12,958 posts	0 Little Nemo I especially love the idea of him stealing this book from Dan Brown's bin!
westmoors Aug 2022 7:43am, 8 Aug 2022 6,452 posts	0 westmoors I really enjoyed this but probably because it was a lighter read after finishing 'Dream of the Red Chamber' which was a complete slog. I don't think I will read any others in the series as I have a feeling that they will be a bit 'formulaic'. The fact you know Ben will survive the most extreme circumstances removes the tension/drama. There were several parts which I thought totally unreal, e.g. using a 2CV to shunt a Mercedes off a level crossing, and the cult having spies in all the right places!
westmoors Aug 2022 7:46am, 8 Aug 2022 6,453 posts	0 westmoors Just read back, and agree with LM, this thread is better than the book!
LindsD Aug 2022 4:22pm, 8 Aug 2022 56,194 posts	0 LindsD
Serendippily Sep 2022 11:44pm, 7 Sep 2022 26,544 posts	0 Serendippily The bit that made me laugh hardest was when they described the pyramid that led up to one man. One man and his small team. There were some very Pythonesque moments and I think Umberto Eco ruined this kind of book for me. I was quite open to a jolly adventure jape but this wasn’t really my cup of tea, soz
Serendippily Sep 2022 11:52pm, 7 Sep 2022 26,545 posts	0 Serendippily Phew reading back I see this was largely and merrily mocked. I enjoyed reading the mocking more than the book, by some distance. I have read better written spoofs. It wasn’t taxing on the intellect but it did test my patience a tad
Serendippily Sep 2022 11:56pm, 7 Sep 2022 26,546 posts	0 Serendippily Glad to think of Greppers on his holiday giggling along to it though
LindsD Sep 2022 6:16am, 8 Sep 2022 56,790 posts	0 LindsD this is a particularly fine review thread
GregP Sep 2022 6:25am, 8 Sep 2022 139,040 posts	0 GregP Sometimes a book doesn’t have to be good to be enjoyable. Whether I’d have had so much fun with it if I hadn’t been on holiday at the time is of course neither here or there. “C’est la vie”, he said in French.
Diogenes Sep 2022 7:14am, 8 Sep 2022 72,598 posts	0 Diogenes “Actually, not worse than that twin thing, but still.” LindsD I’m intrigued, what was the twin thing?