Celestial Chess

By Thomas Bontly,

Book cover of Celestial Chess

Book description

American scholar and lettered medievalist, David Fairchild, swings a plum sabbatical at Cambridge University, where he is given full access to a rare manuscript written by a mad monk of shameful repute—Geoffrey Gervaise. The Westchurch Manuscript has lain neglected in the University vaults for centuries . . . or has…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked Celestial Chess as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

When I read the novel, I was amazed because it was difficult for me to get my head around the idea that the tale was virtually perfect and that it was created by a mere human being.

The story follows David Fairchild, a young antiquary studying ancient manuscripts at Cambridge. Central to the novel is the obscure Cambridge library, where the mysterious Westchurch manuscripts are preserved and sequestered away from the world at large.

I found this book both wildly entertaining and wildly thought-provoking about the mechanics of the universe, the persistence of spirits, and the drama inherent in cosmic…

Want books like Celestial Chess?

Our community of 11,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Celestial Chess.

Browse books like Celestial Chess

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in schizophrenia, chess, and astronomy?

Schizophrenia 59 books
Chess 54 books
Astronomy 84 books