During the course of my book, ten things stood out to me that changed the events in the book either for the good or the bad. Whether it is characters or a quote, these ten things are important to the outcome and understanding of the book. They are in no particular order.
1. Character - Dr. Self. In this book, Dr. Self played a very important part in the book. During the beginning of the book, the reader got the impression that she was a good person. But, as the book went on, the reader realized that she was only using her show to manipulate her guests and get them to say what she wanted them to say. She also was the reason that Scarpetta was so determined and focused on her work. She motivated Scarpetta to be the character she is and solve the cases.
2. Author - The author (Patricia Cornwell) was an important part of the book, but unfortunately, not in a good way. Personally I did not like her writing style. It was very hard to follow and was very confusing. There was way too many small details that were stretched out over a long period of time. I also looked online for other opinions on the book. They were all negative and had pretty much the same opinions as me. They author, in my opinion, was an important part of the book because she made it less interesting.
3. Plot - The plot of the story was also an important part of the book. To me, I love reading about mysteries. They seem to catch my attention when I am reading them. Since this book has multiple murders are happening at the same time. For some, this may seem hard to follow but for me it makes it even more interesting. The murders that occur shape the plot of the story and push the reader to keep reading. The fact that with every murder there is a murderer, is something that I hold on to. This means that there will be a plot and a story line that will unfold soon.
4. Setting - The setting of the book takes place in many different places. It goes from Italy to the U.S. many times. This can be beneficial to the book and can also take away from the interest of the reader. As a reader, I would personally prefer that it stays in one place for a majority of the time. Sometimes you will be reading and not realize that it has just jumped to the setting in Italy. It can also be a positive thing because the setting can add to your understanding to the story line.
5. Language - The use of the language in the book is very distracting. To me, the words that she uses are unnecessary and only confuse the reader more. Although some of the language that she uses help enhance the visuals for the reader, most of the unnecessarily long words are a distraction to me. I would always have to stop and go back to understand the words. By the time I fully understood the meaning of that word, I lost focus on what was happening in the story.
6. Character - Drew, the famous tennis player, makes the story that much more interesting. If the murdered person had been just a normal citizen, with no importance to anyone, the book would be extremely boring. The fact that she is famous and is very famous in the public eye, makes this murder so much more important. Drew, pulls the readers attention, even though she doesn't ever speak in the book.
7. Quote - "'I've seen victims whose eyes were gouged out. But I've never seen or heard of a killer filling eye sockets with sand and then sealing they eye lids shut with - in this instance - and adhesive that according to your report is a cyanoacrylate.'" (21) The quote is very important because this is the killers signature. He is called the Sandman because of this. He fills all of hi s victims eye's with sand. When they found Drew, and later, the little boy, they both had sand filled eyes. This may give the killer away but this is how he is known.
8. Vocab Word - Cyanoacrylate, which was used in the quote above, describes a quick sealing adhesive. This word is important because this is one of the ways that the killer was found. They found this material in his apartment and it instantly gave him away. Along with the sand that they found, this was also a sure give away. His signature was his downfall and this vocabulary word is why he was revealed to millions.
9. Title - The title of the book, The Book of the Dead plays a big role in the events in the book. Tis book is a book that Scarpetta records all of the "patients" that pass through her morgue. She hand writes anyone that has been put on her table, so anyone else's handwriting would be a sure give away that something is wrong. The whole foreshadowing event is when she says that she doesn't want to be in her own book. Although quick and short, this means that she doesn't want to be killed and sent through her own morgue. The title can be misleading but gives readers a tiny hint as to what is going to happen.
10. Character - Scarpetta is the main character in the book. She is a very determined individual that shows her stubbornness many times. When the murder of Drew the tennis player arises, everyone is convinced that the time of her death was hours earlier than Scarpetta thinks. But, she shows the extent of her knowledge and proves them wrong when she says that the fear and the fact that the killer was making her drink and eat caused the food and blood alcohol level to remain. She makes the book interesting and makes the reader "root" for her. She is considered the "good guy" in the story and is very crucial to the story.
