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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
Just go watch the movie. This book is enjoyable but so much of it is taken up with technical descriptions and scenes of American politicians and the US Fleet pranking those pesky Russians. There is some good suspenseful and tense moments but this is a fairly long book and much of it is taken up with sidetracks. These sidetracks aren’t pointless but I believe the story would have been much tighter and exciting without them. The movie catches all the high points so just watch it instead.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A thrilling finish. Having already seen several of the films with mixed opinions expectations were low and hopes were high and it probably landed somewhere in the middle.
The characters were all well written and very interesting, I hope we see some make cameo's in later works, however, the scope of the book was huge and it was very difficult in the first half to keep everyone straight. I think that was broadly my problem with the book, while gripping and aiming for realism the technical jargon (in two different nationalities) was immense.
On a personal level, I was spread very thin while reading this so it did not get the attention it deserved, the last 200 pages were amazing and I will definitely be continuing the series.
Would read again on a wet winter's day with a bowl of pelmeni.
The characters were all well written and very interesting, I hope we see some make cameo's in later works, however, the scope of the book was huge and it was very difficult in the first half to keep everyone straight. I think that was broadly my problem with the book, while gripping and aiming for realism the technical jargon (in two different nationalities) was immense.
On a personal level, I was spread very thin while reading this so it did not get the attention it deserved, the last 200 pages were amazing and I will definitely be continuing the series.
Would read again on a wet winter's day with a bowl of pelmeni.
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was the first time I’ve read anything by Clancy. I found the overall plot of the book intriguing and it kept me interested in finding out what would happen.
The level of detail for the technical aspects of the ships was impressive, but there were times I felt this slowed the book down and I did get lost in keeping some of the personnel straight as to who was who, and their significance.
Overall a good story, with a high tense ending.
The level of detail for the technical aspects of the ships was impressive, but there were times I felt this slowed the book down and I did get lost in keeping some of the personnel straight as to who was who, and their significance.
Overall a good story, with a high tense ending.
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
This is a classic, and having seen the movie numerous times, I found the novel to be a vivid retelling of a story I already knew well. The film stays pretty true to the book, so there were no real surprises in the plot. However, what set the reading experience apart was the sheer depth of technical detail. The dense descriptions, laden with acronyms and intricate explanations of submarine mechanics, became mentally exhausting to hold in my head. I often found myself struggling to piece together a clear visualization or resisting the temptation to skim ahead. While the novel is amazing in its authenticity and realism, its technical density can make for a challenging read.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The captain of an experimental Soviet sub tries to defect to the US during the Cold War era.
I didn't like this. At all. I only finished it because it's on a list I'm trying to complete. I get that it's not meant for me--but there are also serious problems, mainly that the whole thing reads like the transcription of a radio play. A lot of dialogue for how "action packed" the novel is supposed to be. There is, as far as I can tell, exactly one reversal, which falls at the end of the book. One thing that doesn't go according to plan. So the first 95% of the book is dull, talky, and predictable and should be about half as long. The last 5% is pretty fun.
The people who should be reading this are the sort of people who like to watch people play complicated strategy games and work out the rules by deducing what's going on just by watching the players. This will probably be a great read for you! But probably watching the movie will be better for everyone else.
I didn't like this. At all. I only finished it because it's on a list I'm trying to complete. I get that it's not meant for me--but there are also serious problems, mainly that the whole thing reads like the transcription of a radio play. A lot of dialogue for how "action packed" the novel is supposed to be. There is, as far as I can tell, exactly one reversal, which falls at the end of the book. One thing that doesn't go according to plan. So the first 95% of the book is dull, talky, and predictable and should be about half as long. The last 5% is pretty fun.
The people who should be reading this are the sort of people who like to watch people play complicated strategy games and work out the rules by deducing what's going on just by watching the players. This will probably be a great read for you! But probably watching the movie will be better for everyone else.