Trojan Odyssey

This is Cussler's 17th book featuring his character Dirk Pitt, so he obviously knows his readership and delivers. The publisher is being both greedy and lazy to release books like this. Nowadays, publishing editors hardly ever edit, they acquire properties (writers) and promote products (books) rather than simply making sure the writer gets things right. Cussler presumably gives his fans what they want, more of the same, but that's even more reason to ensure his work is adequately edited; in this case, it decidedly is not.

Following closely on the heels of Valhalla Rising in which Pitt learned he had grown-up twins, a son and a daughter - Dirk (a marine engineer) and Summer (a marine biologist), this book relates how these two help their father discover the amazing secret behind `the crud' that's killing sea-life off Nicaragua.

In common with Cussler's other most recent outings, the first chapter describes a historic event which has some bearing on the book's near-future marine archaeology. This time we go to 1190 BC and witness the `true' story of the Trojan horse and the sacking of Troy.

Coincidences abound. Summer discovers an ancient artefact at about the same time as the worst storm in history threatens a new floating hotel. Pitt and his NUMA pal Al Giordino fly in to rescue the hotel just after its owner, Mr Specter, abandons everyone. The very secretive Specter seems to be involved in several shady goings-on, yet nobody can pin anything on him; when has that stopped law-enforcement? As a villain, he's poorly drawn - but perhaps that's due to the melodramatic revelation of his true identity at the end of the book.

Cussler's readers have come to expect plenty of accurate expertise on all sorts of subjects in exotic places and this is what you get. The facts about the Celts are very interesting - and coincidentally relate to Summer's artefact and in turn are linked to Specter.

The characterisation is light and some of the metaphors are strained, to say the least: the tumult that was headed directly for the hotel as if it was an enraged Tyrannosaurus rex with a vendetta or the voice was soft and punctuated, like a mild summer shower on a metal roof... Indeed, the writing really requires better editing.

Al Giordino was `a bachelor who had yet to marry' - are there any other kind? - and came across as a tough but faithful friend to have in a tight spot. And Pitt finds himself in his fair share of tight spots.

His characters don't talk like real people but rather like TV characters offering exposition to viewers with low attention-spans. There's a tendency to overwriting, too - the hotel `driven unmercifully by sea turned cruel beyond any that had been recorded by man'. A nice reference to Monsarratt's Cruel Sea, maybe, but a bit over the top. There's a reference to the Pirates of the Caribbean - the Disney rides, not the film - which my amanuensis assures me apparently echoes a similar reference in his earlier book Iceberg. And nobody ever seems to get out of a car or a room - they exit.

The villain's plot is quite fascinating and original, though it's doubtful that so many surveillance agencies would be suspicious yet not find out what was happening. Still, it's only an adventure story. And that's what Cussler delivers. His fans will doubtless enjoy it, especially the references to earlier tales, the strained humour and the re-appearance of a character called Clive Cussler.

Cussler really should know the difference between adverse and averse (p13) when writing `... hardly adverse to murder and mayhem.' There's more than one instance where he exhibits a tyro's lack of grammar: `When he awoke in the morning, Loren had already left...' But this means when Pitt woke, not Loren, even if it doesn't read that way. Over-use of a description kills it - such as a `mask of wrath' on pages 254 and 383 [Page numbers relate to the hardback edition].

Incoherent (0/0 people found this helpful)

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?

Clive Cussler

Reader Reviews:

It's only an adventure story (0/0 people found this helpful)

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)

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