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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
"Is it safe? Is it safe?"
When I was eight or so (possibly younger), I strayed on the torture scene from the film of the same name on a hotel room TV. I've never quite forgotten it, and i don't think I'll ever quite forget this book.
Thomas Babington Levy is a struggling graduate student majoring in history at Columbia University and a marathon man, training to run in his first marathon. His brother ostensibly works in the oil industry, but is really an agent in a shadowy U.S. government operation called the Division. When Thomas's brother dies in his arms, Thomas ("Babe") finds himself unwittingly drawn into his brother's world, one of espionage and deceit. He's now in a battle of wits with a Nazi dentist and a rogue agent, and Babe finds he must draw upon the few resources he has to survive.
This book marked a first for me in that when Babe decided he didn't care whether he lived or died, only that he got his revenge, I found myself agreeing with him.
When I was eight or so (possibly younger), I strayed on the torture scene from the film of the same name on a hotel room TV. I've never quite forgotten it, and i don't think I'll ever quite forget this book.
Thomas Babington Levy is a struggling graduate student majoring in history at Columbia University and a marathon man, training to run in his first marathon. His brother ostensibly works in the oil industry, but is really an agent in a shadowy U.S. government operation called the Division. When Thomas's brother dies in his arms, Thomas ("Babe") finds himself unwittingly drawn into his brother's world, one of espionage and deceit. He's now in a battle of wits with a Nazi dentist and a rogue agent, and Babe finds he must draw upon the few resources he has to survive.
This book marked a first for me in that when Babe decided he didn't care whether he lived or died, only that he got his revenge, I found myself agreeing with him.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Really fun spy thriller. This is the second book I've read by William Goldman (the other being one of my all-time favorites: The Princess Bride), and he's definitely got a distinctive voice. I was a little worried in the beginning that I wouldn't be able to root for the protagonist, for various reasons, but it ended up okay. Better than okay; I was solidly rooting for him from the halfway point on, and actually cried for him a few times near the end. The plot comes together phenomenally well.
This was a fun read, although the characterization was pretty shallow for the most part. I don't think you really need characters in a book like this, but I wish they'd been less cliched. I enjoyed the reveals and twists, and the ending was better than the movie's. "Babe" and "Doc" are really, painfully lame nicknames, though, and I'm really glad they weren't overused. All in all, this was about what you'd expect compared to the movie, and the upgrade of "Doc," the older brother, from a one-dimensional to a two-dimensional character was welcome.
A classic thriller from the author of [b:The Princess Bride|21787|The Princess Bride |William Goldman|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51244A5RWML._SL75_.jpg|992628].
In the late 1970s my father had a rather serious heart attack. Neighbors thoughtfully brought over books for him to read while he was bedridden. Naturally enough, they picked the bestsellers of that time. I'm not sure if Dad read all of them, but I did. [b:Shogun|402093|Shogun|James Clavell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1191871792s/402093.jpg|1755568], [b:Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy|18989|Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy|John le Carré|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167175744s/18989.jpg|2491780], and Marathon Man were among them.
By an odd coincidence, all of those books have ended up being lifetime favorites for me.
In many ways, Marathon Man is quite dated. It was written in the early 1970s, and is very much a work of its time - both in the writing style that Goldman uses, and in the plot. A graduate student, the son of a celebrated intellectual who was destroyed by McCarthyism, finds himself caught up in a bizarre situation with Nazis, torture, family, love, and murder. And running, of course; he's a marathon man. Despite the early-70s feel, however, the book works.
Every reviewer talks about the dentistry scene. That's understandable, since it's very memorable. But good as it is, there are at least two other scenes in the book which are better than that one. And one of them has never yet failed to give me the shivers and make the hair stand up on the back of my neck.
Even though I've read the book at least ten times in the past thirty years - and to be honest that's just a guess, I'd bet it's closer to twenty times - and even though that scene has always stuck in my mind, it still never fails to get me. If you'd like to know which scene I'm thinking of, read the book; if it isn't obvious to you after that, drop me a line.
A good book, well worth reading. I liked the movie too.
In the late 1970s my father had a rather serious heart attack. Neighbors thoughtfully brought over books for him to read while he was bedridden. Naturally enough, they picked the bestsellers of that time. I'm not sure if Dad read all of them, but I did. [b:Shogun|402093|Shogun|James Clavell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1191871792s/402093.jpg|1755568], [b:Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy|18989|Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy|John le Carré|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167175744s/18989.jpg|2491780], and Marathon Man were among them.
By an odd coincidence, all of those books have ended up being lifetime favorites for me.
In many ways, Marathon Man is quite dated. It was written in the early 1970s, and is very much a work of its time - both in the writing style that Goldman uses, and in the plot. A graduate student, the son of a celebrated intellectual who was destroyed by McCarthyism, finds himself caught up in a bizarre situation with Nazis, torture, family, love, and murder. And running, of course; he's a marathon man. Despite the early-70s feel, however, the book works.
Every reviewer talks about the dentistry scene. That's understandable, since it's very memorable. But good as it is, there are at least two other scenes in the book which are better than that one. And one of them has never yet failed to give me the shivers and make the hair stand up on the back of my neck.
Even though I've read the book at least ten times in the past thirty years - and to be honest that's just a guess, I'd bet it's closer to twenty times - and even though that scene has always stuck in my mind, it still never fails to get me. If you'd like to know which scene I'm thinking of, read the book; if it isn't obvious to you after that, drop me a line.
A good book, well worth reading. I liked the movie too.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
What a brilliant book! Excellently drawn characters; plot twists and turns; murder, suspense and betrayal.
I've seen the film adaptation a few times, but lastly some years ago, so I had the dual advantage of Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier reprising their parts in my head (perfect casting) but couldn't clearly remember the plot, and got all the mystery, too.
The early chapters follow several seperate strands, building suspense because you KNOW that they are all connected. The way that Goldman gathers the threads together and delivers a wholly satisfying conclusion is just masterful.
Read this book and enjoy - but don't plan your dental work any time soon!
I've seen the film adaptation a few times, but lastly some years ago, so I had the dual advantage of Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier reprising their parts in my head (perfect casting) but couldn't clearly remember the plot, and got all the mystery, too.
The early chapters follow several seperate strands, building suspense because you KNOW that they are all connected. The way that Goldman gathers the threads together and delivers a wholly satisfying conclusion is just masterful.
Read this book and enjoy - but don't plan your dental work any time soon!
Classic page turner thriller. I don't know how I will ever be able to go to the dentist ever again.