Underneath the Lintel

A recluse librarian finds a book 123 years overdue and embarks on a global quest to track down the borrower. He inadvertently unravels ancient mysteries that lead to proof of God's existence. Or is he just mad?

It’s the really crazy ones who believe they are perfectly lucid and make us believe it, too. Pat O’Brien gives a convincing portrayal of a librarian whose only mania, at first, is that he takes library rules too seriously. A Baedeker’s Travel Guide has been returned 123 years overdue — “And in the overnight slot, no less! Appalling!” — and he cannot let it go. One clue leads to another, and soon the librarian has found proof of the existence of God. It’s a fascinating rabbit hole, and O’Brien is brilliant as he leads us on.