Worse than Tec Wars by William Shatner
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This is, without exception, the worst book that I have ever read. I picked it up a couple of weeks ago on holiday as the weather was poor and there was no other Engish language literature in the house. If I had had so much as a shampoo bottle to read I would cheerfully have buried it in the garden after the first 50 or so pages. Its one redeeming feature is that parts of the book were, unconciously, laugh out loud funny. Mr Cusslers extreme attention to detail when it comes to letting you understand his own tastes in minute detail, in areas from interior design to womens clothing of the seventies, were a particular highlight. I suspect the author also writes his own blurb inside the cover as it comments on the similarities between Mr Cussler and his hero Dirk Pitt. I must also comment on the extreme narcissism of appearing as a character in your own book, complete with private yacht and enigmatic twinkle in the eye. It beggars belief that these books are as popular as they are, I must suggest to anyone contemplating reading this that if they are looking for a "boys own" type adventure novel, which this is undoubtably desperate to be, that is easy to read and difficult to put down then they should try some John Buchan or Capt. W.E. Johns. This book takes the cake for sheer, unadulterated, ego driven, dross.
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Complete fantasy adventure, excellent fun.
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I have never been a big fan of action thrillers. The only author I read regularly in this genre is Lee Child and his `Jack Reacher` character, and I enjoy him a lot, so I decided to give Clive Cussler a try. I am happy to say I was not disappointed! Even though "Pacific Vortex" was the first published book in the Dirk Pitt adventures series, it was the first Cussler wrote, so logically, this is the novel I picked to start my journey. I found an interesting character that lives at the edge and is passionate about his work. Also in some aspects he is similar to James Bond, women mainly, and the mix is sufficient to keep the reader thoroughly entertained. If you enjoy serial characters then this is a must series for you, also try Michael Connelly`s `Harry Bosh` series, or much more violent is the `Soft Target` thrillers by Conrad Jones. In the Dirk pitt stories Cussler has created a very entertaining series, with a character that has an arrogant and pedantic side, but whom also shows his pure emotions and is true to his friends and ideals. This makes the Special Project Director of the National Underwater and Marine Agency a very likable character. This is a book that a reader can breeze through in a few hours making it an enjoyable way to spend a weekend's afternoon. I will surely read the next book in this series hoping for a similar experience.
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Corny but great
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This is without a doubt one of the worst books i have ever read. Its basically Flemming on acid. Having said that I've given it 4 stars because its a great read! Yes the plots corny, characters are terrible and lacks any credibility what so ever, but that simply isnt the point of Cussler. If you want somthing fast paced, easy to read that'll make you laugh and whince at writing styles more than any of the script then this is you're book. No one's going to do a study of it, but a lot will enjoy it!
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A Whale of a Tale or Two . . .
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Ever since there have been ships, the ocean has inspired tall tales about sea serpents, mysterious dangers, lost adventurers, pirates, disaffected geniuses, and exotic locales. Clive Cussler's remarkable series about his heroes, Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino, continues that marvelous tradition in particularly fine form in Valhalla Rising. So suspend belief, pull up a chair, prepare your favorite beverage, and get ready for a whale of a tale or two! The book's structure follows the usual Cussler outline. You open with a historical mystery that will be tied back to the modern story line near the book's end. In this case, there are two historical mysteries. One relates to Vikings traveling to North America who disappeared, and the other describes ships being rammed by mysterious ironclad vessels. Set in 2003, the modern story begins aboard the world's newest, most luxurious, and technologically advanced cruise ship, the Emerald Dolphin. Soon things go terribly wrong, and you will feel like you are on board. From that moment forward, the action rarely pauses and takes on some of the most thrilling possible variations on rescues and chases that you can ever hope to read. I found one that occurred in the air to be especially surprising and fascinating. If the rest of the book were as good as the rescues and chases, this would be a more than five star book. So focus on enjoying those aspects of the story! No one will ever read a Cussler novel for its deep development of characters, so don't look for that in this novel either. The marvelous flavor of the stories turns off-key, however, with the evil mastermind behind the various events and his plot. This nemesis just doesn't seem credible or very interesting, and dilutes the plot from some great adventure writing involving some pretty nasty and interesting bad guys. The book's other weakness (a smaller one) is a plot line built around a high potential technology. Although very imaginative in its features, the described technology comes much closer to being science fantasy than science fiction. Mr. Cussler would have strengthened the book without hurting the story if he had stuck a lot closer to reality here. Mr. Cussler is fully able to laugh at himself, and includes several jokes in the story that the reader will enjoy. One of the best features of the story is that the plot takes many unexpected turns and twists. You get many more action episodes than you have any right to expect in one novel. It's almost like getting two novels in one, because Mr. Cussler has been so generous in the material he has shared with us about the sea and old aircraft. If you are like me, you will also be attracted to Mr. Cussler's interesting speculations about historical events, possible new ways that the oceans will be used in the future, and opportunities to use the oceans in more constructive ways in the near future. I started reading this book in the late afternoon, and couldn't put it down. My heart was racing through many hundreds of pages, as I loved every minute of the many action scenes! Where does variety play a role in providing entertainment? Obviously, even the most pleasant experiences pale if they are repeated in unsurprising detail, day-in and day-out. How fortunate we are that writers like Mr. Cussler have virtually unlimited imaginations to expand our horizons. Be open to enjoying a rewarding surprise at the end of Valhalla Rising, for example, that you may not see coming. Mr. Cussler reminds me of Siegfried and Roy, by always adding new ways to top his last act. Grasp the full potential of every situation!
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A Whale of a Tale or Two . . . .
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Ever since there have been ships, the ocean has inspired tall tales about sea serpents, mysterious dangers, lost adventurers, pirates, disaffected geniuses, and exotic locales. Clive Cussler's remarkable series about his heroes, Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino, continues that marvelous tradition in particularly fine form in Valhalla Rising. So suspend belief, pull up a chair, prepare your favorite beverage, and get ready for a whale of a tale or two! The book's structure follows the usual Cussler outline. You open with a historical mystery that will be tied back to the modern story line near the book's end. In this case, there are two historical mysteries. One relates to Vikings traveling to North America who disappeared, and the other describes ships being rammed by mysterious ironclad vessels. Set in 2003, the modern story begins aboard the world's newest, most luxurious, and technologically advanced cruise ship, the Emerald Dolphin. Soon things go terribly wrong, and you will feel like you are on board. From that moment forward, the action rarely pauses and takes on some of the most thrilling possible variations on rescues and chases that you can ever hope to read. I found one that occurred in the air to be especially surprising and fascinating. If the rest of the book were as good as the rescues and chases, this would be a more than five star book. So focus on enjoying those aspects of the story! No one will ever read a Cussler novel for its deep development of characters, so don't look for that in this novel either. The marvelous flavor of the stories turns off-key, however, with the evil mastermind behind the various events and his plot. This nemesis just doesn't seem credible or very interesting, and dilutes the plot from some great adventure writing involving some pretty nasty and interesting bad guys. The book's other weakness (a smaller one) is a plot line built around a high potential technology. Although very imaginative in its features, the described technology comes much closer to being science fantasy than science fiction. Mr. Cussler would have strengthened the book without hurting the story if he had stuck a lot closer to reality here. Mr. Cussler is fully able to laugh at himself, and includes several jokes in the story that the reader will enjoy. One of the best features of the story is that the plot takes many unexpected turns and twists. You get many more action episodes than you have any right to expect in one novel. It's almost like getting two novels in one, because Mr. Cussler has been so generous in the material he has shared with us about the sea and old aircraft. If you are like me, you will also be attracted to Mr. Cussler's interesting speculations about historical events, possible new ways that the oceans will be used in the future, and opportunities to use the oceans in more constructive ways in the near future. I started reading this book in the late afternoon, and couldn't put it down. My heart was racing through many hundreds of pages, as I loved every minute of the many action scenes! Where does variety play a role in providing entertainment? Obviously, even the most pleasant experiences pale if they are repeated in unsurprising detail, day-in and day-out. How fortunate we are that writers like Mr. Cussler have virtually unlimited imaginations to expand our horizons. Be open to enjoying a rewarding surprise at the end of Valhalla Rising, for example, that you may not see coming. Mr. Cussler reminds me of Siegfried and Roy, by always adding new ways to top his last act. Grasp the full potential of every situation!
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