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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Blood
I really didn't think my first rating of the year would be such a low one.
I absolutely love b-movie schlock, and thought I'd give this a try as it seemed like it would be fun and silly and gory and fast. Unfortunately, it's never really any of those things.
Dislikable characters are one thing, but almost all of the characters in this book were so stereotypical and downright boring that I couldn't even have fun watching them get offed one by one. The hero is such an obvious self-insert it's just embarrassing. And the author really has a problem with (at least writing) women. Yes, the book is fairly old now and expectations have changed, but that doesn't make it any less cringe-worthy.
The gore was fun at times, but not nearly enough to save the book. The author has a tendency to over-explain absolutely everything, and it can get tiresome. It even takes away from the violence and makes it kind of boring. And sometimes the meg was biting people in half (isn't that like us biting a pea in half? It felt like the author wished they were writing about a great white instead, just for the blood) and sometimes it was swallowing people whole so they could swim around in it's belly. The odd thing is, instead of being schlocky like I expected, the author did seem to be taking this all fairly seriously.
Really, in the end, I just couldn't get over the unbelievably dull characters. I hate to give anything less than a three-star rating, but I would have a hard time recommending this novel to anyone. Unfortunate, as I had been looking forward to starting this year's reading challenge off with some good, campy fun.
I absolutely love b-movie schlock, and thought I'd give this a try as it seemed like it would be fun and silly and gory and fast. Unfortunately, it's never really any of those things.
Dislikable characters are one thing, but almost all of the characters in this book were so stereotypical and downright boring that I couldn't even have fun watching them get offed one by one. The hero is such an obvious self-insert it's just embarrassing. And the author really has a problem with (at least writing) women. Yes, the book is fairly old now and expectations have changed, but that doesn't make it any less cringe-worthy.
The gore was fun at times, but not nearly enough to save the book. The author has a tendency to over-explain absolutely everything, and it can get tiresome. It even takes away from the violence and makes it kind of boring. And sometimes the meg was biting people in half (isn't that like us biting a pea in half? It felt like the author wished they were writing about a great white instead, just for the blood) and sometimes it was swallowing people whole so they could swim around in it's belly. The odd thing is, instead of being schlocky like I expected, the author did seem to be taking this all fairly seriously.
Really, in the end, I just couldn't get over the unbelievably dull characters. I hate to give anything less than a three-star rating, but I would have a hard time recommending this novel to anyone. Unfortunate, as I had been looking forward to starting this year's reading challenge off with some good, campy fun.
Read because of the movie coming out soon, mainly to see how well it gets adapted. It turns out that I'm hoping that it's not much more than a loose adaptation.
Years ago, Dr Jonas Taylor, marine paleontologist and former deep sea explorer, had a disastrous experience in the Mariana Trench that resulted in death and disgrace. Since then Jonas has made a career on speculation that the Megalodon, an extinct giant version of the Great White Shark, still exists in the Trench. (Spoiler: he's right!) When a friend of his begins to lose automated devices planted in the Trench to a series of some sort of attack, he agrees to help investigate, catalyzing a catastrophic series of events that sees a Megalodon return to the surface waters with murderous results.
This book is over twenty years old, and in some ways it really shows. In terms of character portrayal, particularly of women, this is about 70's B-Grade horror movie depth. Even for the time, this stuff is staggeringly sexist. But it's hard to pick on that exclusively because most of the characters are incredibly shallow (ironic, given the book's early focus on depth) and caricatures at best.
"But wait!", you say. "You're reading this wrong!".
Yeah, I probably am. Most of the one-dimensional characters are actually future shark-food for the B-movie action plot. From that point of view, it's much the same as the classic horror movie plot of a group of horrible people entering a haunted house, all of whom are going to get offed in satisfying ways. These are the people who go off by themselves after abusing their friend/partner etc. You're meant to cheer on the monster.
I get it, I do, and there's definitely fun to be had here. I do think the movie is going to do a lot of it better, because you just can't get away with a lot of these tropes in 2018. I guess we'll see.
Years ago, Dr Jonas Taylor, marine paleontologist and former deep sea explorer, had a disastrous experience in the Mariana Trench that resulted in death and disgrace. Since then Jonas has made a career on speculation that the Megalodon, an extinct giant version of the Great White Shark, still exists in the Trench. (Spoiler: he's right!) When a friend of his begins to lose automated devices planted in the Trench to a series of some sort of attack, he agrees to help investigate, catalyzing a catastrophic series of events that sees a Megalodon return to the surface waters with murderous results.
This book is over twenty years old, and in some ways it really shows. In terms of character portrayal, particularly of women, this is about 70's B-Grade horror movie depth. Even for the time, this stuff is staggeringly sexist. But it's hard to pick on that exclusively because most of the characters are incredibly shallow (ironic, given the book's early focus on depth) and caricatures at best.
"But wait!", you say. "You're reading this wrong!".
Yeah, I probably am. Most of the one-dimensional characters are actually future shark-food for the B-movie action plot. From that point of view, it's much the same as the classic horror movie plot of a group of horrible people entering a haunted house, all of whom are going to get offed in satisfying ways. These are the people who go off by themselves after abusing their friend/partner etc. You're meant to cheer on the monster.
I get it, I do, and there's definitely fun to be had here. I do think the movie is going to do a lot of it better, because you just can't get away with a lot of these tropes in 2018. I guess we'll see.
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-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:
Yes
I love sharks. They are among the top three of my favourite animals (alongside owls and Komodo dragons). And Great Whites are probably the best ones among them. Naturally, little Trish always loved to see sharks in illustrated childrens books or on television. I cried at the end of Jaws, mourning the poor creature.
Thus, I was delighted to see there would be a movie called MEG to hit theatres this summer (and not only because Jason Statham is playing one of the leading roles in it) and as soon as I saw that it was based on a book, it was only a matter of time until I read it.
Apparently, there was another version in the 90s that was updated (partly to include the latest scientific findings, partly to change characters and events as well). I have the updated version and after hearing of some differences, I'm glad.
Anyway, this is the story of Jonas Taylor, a dishonorably discharged Navy commander specialized in deep dives, who has believed in the existence of megalodons (basically huge, pre-historic versions of the Great White) ever since that fateful dive a few years ago when two scientists diving with him got killed. The Navy claims it was him losing his marbles, he says they were attacked by a megalodon. Guess who won that argument.
He is asked to help an old acquaintance who wants to establish the worlds largest aquarium (an artificial lagoon so huge, whales and other large sea creatures can be studied as if in the wild). He agrees like the imbecile that he is, wanting to overcome his trauma and escape what must be the worst marriage ever - and gets much more than he bargained for.
For the monster is real, not imagined, and she found a way to escape the biological confines her kind have lived in for tens of thousands of years. Momma's gotta eat!
What follows is a mad romp through the Pacific with lots of gloriously gruesome deaths, claustrophobic underwater scenes and a cast of assholes and bitches. Sorry, but there really only were one or two people who didn't deserve to die here (Mac being chiefly amongst them).
I very much enjoyed the mix of accurate scientific detail, believable conjecture and breathtaking action. Some things were less "realistic" than others, but let's be real here: we're not here for realism, we're here for the monster chomping on annoying humans! :D
Know that feeling when reading a book or watching a movie and sitting at the edge of your seat, full of suspense about whether or not the hero is gonna be able to save the day? Well, here I sat at the edge of my seat hoping he would NOT be able to save the day because I wanted people to DIEDIEDIE! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! And I got what I came for. So much so that I'm considering reading the rest of the series (and soon). *lol*
Wonderful creature feature!
(First: actual megalodon tooth. Second: Comparison of a megalodon's tooth and a Great White's.)
(Size comparison for a better understanding.)
Thus, I was delighted to see there would be a movie called MEG to hit theatres this summer (and not only because Jason Statham is playing one of the leading roles in it) and as soon as I saw that it was based on a book, it was only a matter of time until I read it.
Apparently, there was another version in the 90s that was updated (partly to include the latest scientific findings, partly to change characters and events as well). I have the updated version and after hearing of some differences, I'm glad.
Anyway, this is the story of Jonas Taylor, a dishonorably discharged Navy commander specialized in deep dives, who has believed in the existence of megalodons (basically huge, pre-historic versions of the Great White) ever since that fateful dive a few years ago when two scientists diving with him got killed. The Navy claims it was him losing his marbles, he says they were attacked by a megalodon. Guess who won that argument.
He is asked to help an old acquaintance who wants to establish the worlds largest aquarium (an artificial lagoon so huge, whales and other large sea creatures can be studied as if in the wild). He agrees like the imbecile that he is, wanting to overcome his trauma and escape what must be the worst marriage ever - and gets much more than he bargained for.
For the monster is real, not imagined, and she found a way to escape the biological confines her kind have lived in for tens of thousands of years. Momma's gotta eat!
What follows is a mad romp through the Pacific with lots of gloriously gruesome deaths, claustrophobic underwater scenes and a cast of assholes and bitches. Sorry, but there really only were one or two people who didn't deserve to die here (Mac being chiefly amongst them).
I very much enjoyed the mix of accurate scientific detail, believable conjecture and breathtaking action. Some things were less "realistic" than others, but let's be real here: we're not here for realism, we're here for the monster chomping on annoying humans! :D
Know that feeling when reading a book or watching a movie and sitting at the edge of your seat, full of suspense about whether or not the hero is gonna be able to save the day? Well, here I sat at the edge of my seat hoping he would NOT be able to save the day because I wanted people to DIEDIEDIE! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! And I got what I came for. So much so that I'm considering reading the rest of the series (and soon). *lol*
Wonderful creature feature!
(First: actual megalodon tooth. Second: Comparison of a megalodon's tooth and a Great White's.)
(Size comparison for a better understanding.)
It was all right. The flow was a little strange for me.
Filled to the brim with wonderful, over the top, impossible action that you know is not exactly true to life. But overall a really good read.
4 out of 5 stars!
4 out of 5 stars!
Just exactly the sort of badly written rubbish you would expect with a title like that.
I love the idea of an enormous prehistoric shark swimming around eating people and if a writer with an inch of talent had picked up the story it might have been entertaining enough. Sadly this wasn't the case
I love the idea of an enormous prehistoric shark swimming around eating people and if a writer with an inch of talent had picked up the story it might have been entertaining enough. Sadly this wasn't the case
It's a fun but formulaic romp. I think it would've been better served in the hands of a better author but still a great beach read... Although it may make you afraid to get in the water.
LOVED. Read this book in two days, I couldn't put it down. Just ordered #2 The Trench.