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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
04/12/2020 Notes:
Rating Raised from 3 Stars to 4.5 Stars on Audio Re-Read
4.5 Stars for Narration by Scott Brick
- I like how Clancy makes the story feel personal. It's not like you're reading about alien cultures and evil villains. He makes the characters come to life on the page. There are realistic layers, personal touches from that area (country/region/etc) and it's a cool look into recent quasi-history.
Rating Raised from 3 Stars to 4.5 Stars on Audio Re-Read
4.5 Stars for Narration by Scott Brick
- I like how Clancy makes the story feel personal. It's not like you're reading about alien cultures and evil villains. He makes the characters come to life on the page. There are realistic layers, personal touches from that area (country/region/etc) and it's a cool look into recent quasi-history.
When I thought that this book was going into the standard "Falling Action" portion with ~100 pages left, I was curious how it was going to make a simple event take that long. Well, I was wrong. The action didn't fall until ~10 pages left in the book, and I'm glad of it.
The Hunt For Red October has made me genuinely understand why almost every reader I know has a couple Tom Clancy's on the shelf. It grabbed you hard by the collar, and never let go. I'm not a military man myself, but all the action that occurred seems entirely possible, especially during the Cold War.
Will recommend enthusiastically.
The Hunt For Red October has made me genuinely understand why almost every reader I know has a couple Tom Clancy's on the shelf. It grabbed you hard by the collar, and never let go. I'm not a military man myself, but all the action that occurred seems entirely possible, especially during the Cold War.
Will recommend enthusiastically.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lots of technical speak, I struggled through the first half, hardcore. But it fulfilled the "father's favorite book" prompt for my reading challenge. I don't think I am going to be reading any more Jack Ryan books! The story (once we got through the exposition and technobabble) ended up being intriguing, and it was FACINATING to be in 1985 again, especially with the Advent of computer tech in the military. I can see why people like the books, if it is their thing.
Kind of a weird book but still a good book. Weird in that Clancy's constantly introducing new characters throughout the entire book, right up to the end. Because it isn't about the characters. It's a classic example (I think) of what has been called a "milieu" story, where the point of the story is to immerse you in a particular milieu or world, in this case the world of the American military and submariners and CIA and so on. The characters don't matter anywhere near as much as that world. The book is quite heavily and neatly plotted, although you can see the nuts and bolts pretty easily if you try. It is astonishingly well researched, which of course is what Clancy's most famous for, but even that's kind of odd, because although sort of interesting (if you're in the right mood) it also completely takes you out of the story as you can't help but think, how the heck does he know this stuff? Did he ride on a submarine? Who does he know? But the whole package never fails to be readable, and although not exactly a page turner, it's not meant to be, I don't think. It succeeds at what it sets out to do, which is introduce you quite intimately to a particular world, while spinning an intricately plotted story about that world. Well crafted characters might have given it another star.
The third novel in the Jack Ryan series. Ryan is a CIA analyst who finds himself in the field when a new Russian missile submarine goes missing. The boat, called the Red October, has a new silent propulsion system that could tip the balance of power in the Cold War. The book is filled with military and technical information that can make it a slow read, but the plot is as timely as it is suspenseful. A great read!
This is not normally the kind of book I read as I hate political thrillers and conspiracy stories in general, but I really enjoyed this one from beginning to end. It's the only Clancy novel I own.
I found the situation believable as written, the characters believable and engaging and I found myself very caught up in what happened to them and caring about the outcome.
I found the technical language and naval slang used in the book very easy to follow as written and felt it added to the story without excluding someone like me who normally has no idea about things like this.
I found the situation believable as written, the characters believable and engaging and I found myself very caught up in what happened to them and caring about the outcome.
I found the technical language and naval slang used in the book very easy to follow as written and felt it added to the story without excluding someone like me who normally has no idea about things like this.
Not much to say other than I liked the story better than the reinterpretation for the movie. Continuing this series is fun.
I did not enjoy this book. I'm ranking it four stars because I don't think it's the book's fault. I just don't really like the genre. I read it for the Great American Read.
adventurous
informative
fast-paced
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes