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lee_brahms's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
So many racial slurs
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Drug use, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Murder, and Sexual harassment
hiba59's review against another edition
4.0
This book was one of those I accidentally found being sold by a street vendor near my faculty, and the title hit me familiar. I remembered then that I watched the 2009 movie starring John Travolta and Denzel Washington.
How do you write a book when you only have fragments here and there that you can't really bring together without risking having an inconsistent final product? You simply split the story into a great number of characters, and proceed that way, giving details on each character, and developing them as you go on with the plot.
It was a fun read, just perfect for a train ride.
How do you write a book when you only have fragments here and there that you can't really bring together without risking having an inconsistent final product? You simply split the story into a great number of characters, and proceed that way, giving details on each character, and developing them as you go on with the plot.
It was a fun read, just perfect for a train ride.
joshuarankine9's review against another edition
2.0
Confusing POVs and tons of unnecessary racism, misogyny etc.? No thanks.
sixdaysago's review against another edition
3.0
A serviceable thriller that seems a tad full of itself throughout only kicks into gear nearing its conclusion and even then never fully satisfies. Touching on but never exploring issues of race, revolutionary movements and political machinations, the novel was a light read with moments of interesting tension and character but nothing that was really awe-inspiring.
thewellreadrunner's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book much more than anticipated. I was checking it out in advance of this summer's movie, but I got sucked in fast. It definitely reads like an action flick and I thought the ending was perfectly unexpected. The writing is graphic and gritty but it fits the atmosphere of the novel. Definitely outside my usual genre, but I liked it! I'm interested in the movie now, because I'm sure they've changed A LOT (the book was written in the 1970's, so the technology alone is very outdated, among other things).
lfresch's review against another edition
3.0
This was a compelling book that was hard to put down. The back cover of my edition suggested reading it one sitting. While that was not possible, I did strive to finish it quickly rather than spread it out over several weeks. I haven't seen the more recent movie version, so I went into the book not knowing the outcome. It was good and I enjoyed the differences in how each of the characters handled the situation. I was surprisingly a little disappointed with the ending, but I suspect it was my own fault for hoping for a different outcome.
lizakessler's review against another edition
3.0
This was a good thriller, if a little predictable. I was very disappointed by the ending, though.
sirchutney's review against another edition
4.0
We are serious, desperate men
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1973) is a thriller novel by Morton Freedgood. He wrote under the pen name John Godey. The novel's title comes from the train's radio call sign. When a New York City subway train leaves to start a run, its call sign is the time it left and where. Here it is Pelham Bay Park Station at 1:23 p.m.
The plot starts with a normal day on a subway. The hijacking of a subway train, the number 6 train, interrupts this. Four men armed with submachine guns detach the lead car of the train and take it and 17 hostages into a tunnel. Led by Ryder, a former mercenary, the hijackers are:
- Longman, a disgruntled former motorman
- Welcome, a violent former Mafia thug, and
- Steever, a powerful, laconic brute.
They threaten to execute the hostages unless the city pays one million dollars in ransom.
While the city rushes to comply, transit police try to puzzle out the hijackers' plan. They don't realize that Longman has figured out how to bypass the "dead-man's switch". This allows the car to speed along the track by itself while the hijackers escape through an emergency exit. As they prepare to leave Ryder and Welcome begin to argue. This ends with Ryder fatally shooting Welcome. The delay allows one of the passengers, an undercover police officer who jumped off the train as it started to speed away, to shoot Steever. Longman escapes while Ryder shoots the passenger. As Ryder is about to administer a fatal head shot, he is himself shot dead by DCI Daniels of Special Operations Division. The novel ends with Longman's arrest.
All in all I liked this book. There are a handful of things that set this apart from the run-of-the-mill crime thriller. For example, it uses a third person narrative. This allows for a constant switching of viewpoints. Different characters describe the same scene. By doing this the book feels less claustrophobic. It has a scope grander than a subway car held in a tunnel. Nobody appears to be the main hero too. Each person has their own motives and agendas. The movie versions didn't do justice to this fact.
In summary, a better than expected thriller. Much better then the most recent movie version, that's for sure.
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1973) is a thriller novel by Morton Freedgood. He wrote under the pen name John Godey. The novel's title comes from the train's radio call sign. When a New York City subway train leaves to start a run, its call sign is the time it left and where. Here it is Pelham Bay Park Station at 1:23 p.m.
- Longman, a disgruntled former motorman
- Welcome, a violent former Mafia thug, and
- Steever, a powerful, laconic brute.
They threaten to execute the hostages unless the city pays one million dollars in ransom.
While the city rushes to comply, transit police try to puzzle out the hijackers' plan. They don't realize that Longman has figured out how to bypass the "dead-man's switch". This allows the car to speed along the track by itself while the hijackers escape through an emergency exit. As they prepare to leave Ryder and Welcome begin to argue. This ends with Ryder fatally shooting Welcome. The delay allows one of the passengers, an undercover police officer who jumped off the train as it started to speed away, to shoot Steever. Longman escapes while Ryder shoots the passenger. As Ryder is about to administer a fatal head shot, he is himself shot dead by DCI Daniels of Special Operations Division. The novel ends with Longman's arrest.
All in all I liked this book. There are a handful of things that set this apart from the run-of-the-mill crime thriller. For example, it uses a third person narrative. This allows for a constant switching of viewpoints. Different characters describe the same scene. By doing this the book feels less claustrophobic. It has a scope grander than a subway car held in a tunnel. Nobody appears to be the main hero too. Each person has their own motives and agendas. The movie versions didn't do justice to this fact.
In summary, a better than expected thriller. Much better then the most recent movie version, that's for sure.
imzadirose's review against another edition
4.0
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/10265623
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/10265623