Trojan Odyssey

This book stretches incredulity to the limit.
Clive Cussler has written at least 15 great books starring Dirk Pitt but has now lost his way.
The passage of time has dulled excitement and his cliff hanging stories of the past.

Classic (Air)port fiction (1/2 people found this helpful)

Having read a few of CC's early books years ago, I have given some of his more recent fare a look recently.

The premise is classic world domination, the baddies those damned Chinese seeking to take over Central America - have they any right ! (as the US imposes its will on the rest of the world), and the method some fantastical technological plan.

Criticisms - parts of the story seemed unfinished - when Pitt and Giordianio rescue the floating hotel in the eye of the hurricane, what about the other side of the hurricane; what about the english-type gent who they meet in the jungle; what part do Pitt's son and daughter actually play in the book at all (apart from setting them up as future lead roles) ?

This is clearly the last book where Pitt senior is the main character, as even Cussler recognises the futility of trying to portray a 50+year old (?) as action man, e.g. the 200 yard swim in the eye of a hurricane, carrying a life line to rescue 1000s of people, inside the first 50 pages. And as such, fits him up for a more reserved role in future projects at the end of the book.

I am always amused by CC's Hitchcockian determination to put himself as a character into his stories. His own appearance in Black Wind was ridiculous enough (when he saves the main characters from certain death), but in this one, he really does limit himself to a cameo part.

Worth a quick read if you've got time, if you like CC then you'll appreciate his ideas, if you don't like fantasy Bond-type books set mostly in the sea and underwater, then I guess you'll give this one a miss !

Not impressed (0/0 people found this helpful)

This is about the fifth Clive Cussler, Dirk Pitt book that I've read and I am sad to say I wasn't impressed. while it was still a page turner, the action scenes where few and far between and left much to be desired.
They consisted mostly of Pitt and Giordino rescuing Dirk jr and his sister Summer, which by the way, was all those too where good for as they did little to contribute to the main story.
I would not recommend this book, but I would recommend any of the others that come before it, Inca Gold and Sahara for example are great, in fact any of the previous are ace!!!

"I'm prepared to suspend my disbelief.." (1/1 people found this helpful)

"but not hang it by the neck until dead."
The usual sillyness comes with the genre, but when the villain's device breaks fundamental laws of physics and NUMA don't even notice, that's going too far. Couldn't the editor have got someone who knows the first thing about the subject to look over it?

Not yet finished it, but very happy (2/2 people found this helpful)

Clive Cussler writes to a formula. There's no denying that (you'd be a fool to, if you've read any of his books). But, contrary to the usual result of this (outrage, apathy, etc.), it does seem to work for his Dirk Pitt series.

I'm a new devotee to the series, having started Shockwave 4 weeks ago (I've since read Flood Tide, Atlantis Found, Valhalla Rising, and now this one). They're addictive, for sure, and although I don't find it as hard to put them down now that they're becoming rather familiar, I still have an overwhelming desire to read his other novels! In fact, I've ordered the first books in the other series (Kurt Austin and the NUMA Files).

A well written (despite what some people say), gripping story. Yes, a bit far-fetched, but then so many things used to be (hello, Mr Bond...!) and we loved them for it! If you enjoy interesting, engrossing and above all fun action-adventure stories, then Clive Cussler is way up there! Actually, I'm finding it hard to find an author to read after I finish Cussler's books (I do that - focus on one author, read everything by him/her, then find another to read). No one else really seems to touch him in scale and scope of his novels, or the overall calibre.

All this despite being formulaic! I usually avoid novels that are considered to be treading the same path over and over, but Clive Cussler does write some exciting stories! Okay, "retreading the same stuff" is a little harsh, as these novels aren't all the same (Except "Flood Tide" and "Atlantis Found", I think, which you probably could have swapped pages and not noticed anything amiss... Minor things, really).

Anyway, give them a try. I hope this review made you think about picking up one of the Grand Master of Adventure's novels. Enjoy!

Clive Cussler

Reader Reviews:

Incoherent (0/0 people found this helpful)

Classic (Air)port fiction (1/2 people found this helpful)

Not impressed (0/0 people found this helpful)

"I'm prepared to suspend my disbelief.." (1/1 people found this helpful)

Not yet finished it, but very happy (2/2 people found this helpful)

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