Scan barcode
mochagirl's review against another edition
3.0
Richard North Patterson's Eclipse is marketed as a legal thriller that follows Boston-born attorney Damon Pierce to Africa to defend an old crush, Marissa, and her African husband against bogus charges planted by an evil, terrorist regime fueled by an American oil-company.
The novel excels in demonstrating the destruction, politics, and corruption that thrives in the "dirty" oil business, in fact at times this aspect is a bit repetitive. Character development drags a bit when describing Damon and Marissa's history and attraction to each other. While the author uses lots of dialog to flesh them out, I still thought Marissa and her husband, Bobby, were stock characters with Marissa's unresolved childhood and identity issues haunting her well into adulthood shading her a bit as as a "tragic mulatto" and Bobby as a young Mandela-inspired African idealist. These two were so ill-matched against the sadistic henchmen of the regime that it was no surprise when they were framed for mass murder (of an entire village) and sedition. It was also no surprise that Damon seemed born and primed for this opportunity to save them -- staving off a mid-life crisis and recent divorce and bolstered by a strong, successful background in international litigation, he was perfect for the job.
The real crux of the story is the spotlight the author places on the global impact that the energy sector has as its minions exploit the poor, devastate the environment, and feed the greedy. Another plus is the legal wrangling and courtroom drama scenes as Damon wrestles with international law and politics, big business, and a tight deadline; thus patient and persistent readers are eventually rewarded although I did not find the novel (as a whole) nearly as "thrilling" or "spellbinding" as the back cover implies.
The novel excels in demonstrating the destruction, politics, and corruption that thrives in the "dirty" oil business, in fact at times this aspect is a bit repetitive. Character development drags a bit when describing Damon and Marissa's history and attraction to each other. While the author uses lots of dialog to flesh them out, I still thought Marissa and her husband, Bobby, were stock characters with Marissa's unresolved childhood and identity issues haunting her well into adulthood shading her a bit as as a "tragic mulatto" and Bobby as a young Mandela-inspired African idealist. These two were so ill-matched against the sadistic henchmen of the regime that it was no surprise when they were framed for mass murder (of an entire village) and sedition. It was also no surprise that Damon seemed born and primed for this opportunity to save them -- staving off a mid-life crisis and recent divorce and bolstered by a strong, successful background in international litigation, he was perfect for the job.
The real crux of the story is the spotlight the author places on the global impact that the energy sector has as its minions exploit the poor, devastate the environment, and feed the greedy. Another plus is the legal wrangling and courtroom drama scenes as Damon wrestles with international law and politics, big business, and a tight deadline; thus patient and persistent readers are eventually rewarded although I did not find the novel (as a whole) nearly as "thrilling" or "spellbinding" as the back cover implies.
kathleenitpdx's review
3.0
At the beginning of this book, I felt that Patterson went over board at getting across the point that Luandia (a fictional Nigeria) was a dangerous place and run by an evil, corrupt despot. But I did appreciate his take on the moral morass created by a global extractive company operating in such a country; and the political complications for countries dependent on oil from such locales.
Some of the plot points seem a little implausible and only the protagonist has much depth.
Some of the plot points seem a little implausible and only the protagonist has much depth.
More...