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renry's review against another edition
adventurous
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
morgs98's review against another edition
4.0
Dragon is yet another well-written action/thriller by master author, Clive Cussler. The setting of this book, in the beginning, is August 6th, 1945 in Shemya Island, Alaska. An American bomber plane is flying on its way to drop the first atomic bomb over Japan, when it is intercepted by a Japanese plane, then shot to the bottom of the ocean. This sets up for Part One, when two ships are mysteriously blown up, one of which was the base ship for an American submarine now stuck on the bottom of the ocean. Main character Dirk Pitt, an adventurer who works for NUMA, the National Underwater and Marine Association, rescues them when they drift over the secret underwater NUMA station called, fittingly enough, Soggy Acres. As the unwelcome visitors are just getting settled, the shock waves from the same explosion that sunk the base ship are starting to rock Soggy Acres’ foundations. Everyone but Pitt and one of the rescued men, Plunkett, stay behind. Just as the last submarine leaves, Soggy Acres comes crashing down, leaving the reader to wonder if Pitt and Plunkett survived. Against all odd, they did. Just as Pitt gets settled down, he is called away to work on solving the Kaiten Project, a nuclear mystery backed by a powerful Japanese character named Hideki Suma. Suma has been working on putting nuclear bombs in cars, and threatens America with the thought of killing many innocent people. Pitt, along with his lifelong friend Al Giordino, a friendly, heavyset Italian, work to rescue Congresswoman Loren Smith, shut down the Kaiten Project and stop the nuclear threat, all before Suma detonates the bombs!
I liked this book a lot. I didn’t think it was as good as Raise the Titanic! or Treasure, but it was quite intense at times, although made entertaining by Giordino’s interactions with a pair of Suma’s high-tech robots he nicknames McGoon and McGurk. This book is insanely exciting at best, and hilarious at worst.
I would most likely recommend this book to boys- although, speaking as a girl, it was great- especially if they like action, thriller, and/or war related novels. Dragon is not for someone who is looking for a quick read.
I liked this book a lot. I didn’t think it was as good as Raise the Titanic! or Treasure, but it was quite intense at times, although made entertaining by Giordino’s interactions with a pair of Suma’s high-tech robots he nicknames McGoon and McGurk. This book is insanely exciting at best, and hilarious at worst.
I would most likely recommend this book to boys- although, speaking as a girl, it was great- especially if they like action, thriller, and/or war related novels. Dragon is not for someone who is looking for a quick read.
sarahmariespectrum's review against another edition
5.0
I really, really enjoyed this book.
I always enjoy Clive Cussler's novels. This plot was awesomely well done in my opinion. What got me to pick it up was the summary on the back of the book. The plot includes Japan, America, a WWII bomb, and bomb threats to America.
I couldn't keep a straight face when Clive wrote himself into the novel to race with Dirk.
There was one brief scene and some profanity throughout the book, but they where well placed. I positively cracked up at this one scene.
"Any chance of it going off before we get there?" asked Dennings.
"Lightning strike could do it," answered Byrnes.
Dennings looked at him in horror. "A little late with a warning, aren't you? We've been flying through the middle of an electrical storm since midnight."
Byrnes looked up and grinned. "We could have gone up just as easily on the ground. What the h---, we made it, didn't we?"
And besides, what can you expect from a non-christian author.
Though I throughly enjoyed this novel and I'm about to go pick up the next book out of my Cussler collection.
I always enjoy Clive Cussler's novels. This plot was awesomely well done in my opinion. What got me to pick it up was the summary on the back of the book. The plot includes Japan, America, a WWII bomb, and bomb threats to America.
I couldn't keep a straight face when Clive wrote himself into the novel to race with Dirk.
There was one brief scene and some profanity throughout the book, but they where well placed. I positively cracked up at this one scene.
"Any chance of it going off before we get there?" asked Dennings.
"Lightning strike could do it," answered Byrnes.
Dennings looked at him in horror. "A little late with a warning, aren't you? We've been flying through the middle of an electrical storm since midnight."
Byrnes looked up and grinned. "We could have gone up just as easily on the ground. What the h---, we made it, didn't we?"
And besides, what can you expect from a non-christian author.
Though I throughly enjoyed this novel and I'm about to go pick up the next book out of my Cussler collection.
1347296's review against another edition
2.0
so many -isms I actually flipped to the front to check publication date.
I generally enjoy a dirk pitt novel. but this…
in some bizarre effort not to be too cliche, some of the sentences end up bass akwards. “We’ll find Loren… and make those pay who took her.” ouch. I don’t know if this was just a particularly bad ghost writer or what, but if you don’t want to get jolted out of the story a couple times an hour, steer clear
I generally enjoy a dirk pitt novel. but this…
in some bizarre effort not to be too cliche, some of the sentences end up bass akwards. “We’ll find Loren… and make those pay who took her.” ouch. I don’t know if this was just a particularly bad ghost writer or what, but if you don’t want to get jolted out of the story a couple times an hour, steer clear
ricksilva's review against another edition
1.0
Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when the Cold War was winding down, you would sometimes see bumper stickers that said things like, "We're not going to be nuked by Russia. We're going to be evicted by Japan."
That is the plot of this novel.
Actually it also involves Japan nuking the US, or trying to, anyway. See, the Japanese are smuggling nuclear bombs into the US in imported cars. Get it? Cheap Japanese imported products are going to destroy us!
Thankfully underwater adventurer Dirk Pitt is on the job.
Pitt is a mostly likeable hero with a tiny bit of low-grade sexism, but generally entertaining in the other books I've read from this series. He's got all the heroic traits, some decent wit, and a fun hobby restoring antique cars, which the author writes about with clearly a lot of love (in addition the author writing himself into the books in cute cameo bits).
The plot is ridiculous, and both the villains and the US intelligence agencies do some incredibly stupid things, but judged purely on action this was two-star popcorn fare.
Unfortunately the continuous stream of anti-Asian racism, and an exceptionally sexist/racist resolution for one character's arc made the whole thing feel gross. Every Asian character is a negative stereotype, and there are recurring bits of dialogue with characters simply acting as talking heads to put out xenophobic arguments that are clearly meant more for the reader than the villains.
There was nothing in this book that was all that great, and there was too much that was outright toxic.
That is the plot of this novel.
Actually it also involves Japan nuking the US, or trying to, anyway. See, the Japanese are smuggling nuclear bombs into the US in imported cars. Get it? Cheap Japanese imported products are going to destroy us!
Thankfully underwater adventurer Dirk Pitt is on the job.
Pitt is a mostly likeable hero with a tiny bit of low-grade sexism, but generally entertaining in the other books I've read from this series. He's got all the heroic traits, some decent wit, and a fun hobby restoring antique cars, which the author writes about with clearly a lot of love (in addition the author writing himself into the books in cute cameo bits).
The plot is ridiculous, and both the villains and the US intelligence agencies do some incredibly stupid things, but judged purely on action this was two-star popcorn fare.
Unfortunately the continuous stream of anti-Asian racism, and an exceptionally sexist/racist resolution for one character's arc made the whole thing feel gross. Every Asian character is a negative stereotype, and there are recurring bits of dialogue with characters simply acting as talking heads to put out xenophobic arguments that are clearly meant more for the reader than the villains.
There was nothing in this book that was all that great, and there was too much that was outright toxic.
kailey_luminouslibro's review against another edition
2.0
Not good literature, of course, but a fun read. I skip over the technical paragraphs.
epictetsocrate's review against another edition
3.0
6 august 1945
Insula Sheinya, Alaska
Demonul ţinea în mâna stângă o bombă, în dreapta o furcă şi rânjea diabolic. Ar fi putut avea un aer ameninţător dacă n-ar fi avut sprâncenele exagerat conturate şi ochii în formă de semilună. Acestea îi dădeau o înfăţişare de spiriduş somnoros, diferită de expresia cunoscută a împăratului iadului, la care te-ai fi putut aştepta. Cu toate acestea, purta obişnuitul costum roşu, coarnele regulamentar încolţite şi coada lungă în formă de furculiţă.
În mod straniu, unghiile degetelor de la picioare, întoarse ca nişte gheare, strângeau un lingou de aur cu marca 24 carate.
Pe fuselajul bombardierului B-29 inscripţia Demonii lui Dennings apărea circular cu litere negre. Aeronava, numită astfel după comandantul şi echipajul ei, stătea ca o stafie părăsită sub valul de ploaie adus dinspre sud, în insulele Aleutine, de vântul venit din Marea Bering. O baterie portabilă lumina spaţiul din spatele avionului, aruncând umbrele tremurânde ale echipajului de la sol pe trupul de aluminiu scânteietor al aparatului. Acestor scene obsedante li se alăturau luminile fulgerelor spintecând bezna aeroportului cu o frecvenţă obositoare.
Maiorul Charles Dennings stătea sprijinit de una din roţile sistemului de aterizare, cu mâinile îndesate adânc în buzunarele scurtei de piele pentru zbor, şi urmărea activitatea din jurul aeronavei. Întreaga zonă era patrulată de santinele şi de agenţi înarmaţi ai poliţiei militare. O echipă restrânsă de filmare înregistra evenimentul. Observă, vizibil tulburat, cum bomba enormă era înşurubată cu precauţie în nişa modificată a bombardierului B-29. Era prea voluminoasă pentru spaţiul destinat bombelor şi trebuia să fie potrivită cu grijă.
În ultimii doi ani de când era unul dintre cei mai buni piloţi de bombardiere din Europa, cu peste patruzeci de misiuni duse la bun sfârşit, nu mai văzuse niciodată un asemenea monstru. O compara cu o minge uriaşă de fotbal, superumflată, cu aripioare lipsite de sens la unul din capete. Husa balistică rotundă era vopsită în gri-deschis, iar clamele din mijloc semănau cu un fermoar uriaş.
Dennings se simţi ameninţat de obiectul pe care urma să-l transporte aproape trei mii de mile.
Oamenii de ştiinţă de la Los Alamos, care asamblaseră bomba, îi instruiseră pe Dennings şi pe coechipierii lui în după-amiaza precedentă pe aerodrom. Echipajului îi fusese prezentat un film cu explozia test, efectuată în Trinity, şi oamenii rămăseseră înmărmuriţi la vederea înspăimântătoarei forţe a unei singure arme capabile să nimicească un întreg oraş.
Mai stătu acolo încă o jumătate de oră până când uşile compartimentului bombei fură închise. Bomba atomică era pregătită şi în siguranţă, avionul era alimentat şi gata de decolare.
Insula Sheinya, Alaska
Demonul ţinea în mâna stângă o bombă, în dreapta o furcă şi rânjea diabolic. Ar fi putut avea un aer ameninţător dacă n-ar fi avut sprâncenele exagerat conturate şi ochii în formă de semilună. Acestea îi dădeau o înfăţişare de spiriduş somnoros, diferită de expresia cunoscută a împăratului iadului, la care te-ai fi putut aştepta. Cu toate acestea, purta obişnuitul costum roşu, coarnele regulamentar încolţite şi coada lungă în formă de furculiţă.
În mod straniu, unghiile degetelor de la picioare, întoarse ca nişte gheare, strângeau un lingou de aur cu marca 24 carate.
Pe fuselajul bombardierului B-29 inscripţia Demonii lui Dennings apărea circular cu litere negre. Aeronava, numită astfel după comandantul şi echipajul ei, stătea ca o stafie părăsită sub valul de ploaie adus dinspre sud, în insulele Aleutine, de vântul venit din Marea Bering. O baterie portabilă lumina spaţiul din spatele avionului, aruncând umbrele tremurânde ale echipajului de la sol pe trupul de aluminiu scânteietor al aparatului. Acestor scene obsedante li se alăturau luminile fulgerelor spintecând bezna aeroportului cu o frecvenţă obositoare.
Maiorul Charles Dennings stătea sprijinit de una din roţile sistemului de aterizare, cu mâinile îndesate adânc în buzunarele scurtei de piele pentru zbor, şi urmărea activitatea din jurul aeronavei. Întreaga zonă era patrulată de santinele şi de agenţi înarmaţi ai poliţiei militare. O echipă restrânsă de filmare înregistra evenimentul. Observă, vizibil tulburat, cum bomba enormă era înşurubată cu precauţie în nişa modificată a bombardierului B-29. Era prea voluminoasă pentru spaţiul destinat bombelor şi trebuia să fie potrivită cu grijă.
În ultimii doi ani de când era unul dintre cei mai buni piloţi de bombardiere din Europa, cu peste patruzeci de misiuni duse la bun sfârşit, nu mai văzuse niciodată un asemenea monstru. O compara cu o minge uriaşă de fotbal, superumflată, cu aripioare lipsite de sens la unul din capete. Husa balistică rotundă era vopsită în gri-deschis, iar clamele din mijloc semănau cu un fermoar uriaş.
Dennings se simţi ameninţat de obiectul pe care urma să-l transporte aproape trei mii de mile.
Oamenii de ştiinţă de la Los Alamos, care asamblaseră bomba, îi instruiseră pe Dennings şi pe coechipierii lui în după-amiaza precedentă pe aerodrom. Echipajului îi fusese prezentat un film cu explozia test, efectuată în Trinity, şi oamenii rămăseseră înmărmuriţi la vederea înspăimântătoarei forţe a unei singure arme capabile să nimicească un întreg oraş.
Mai stătu acolo încă o jumătate de oră până când uşile compartimentului bombei fură închise. Bomba atomică era pregătită şi în siguranţă, avionul era alimentat şi gata de decolare.
vendyen's review
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0