The Teeth of the Tiger

Rating:
Summary: Clancy at his BEST!!
Review: What a winner! I admit to being a Clancy lover (most of the time) and I thought this is one of his best. Once you get into the characters and story line it becomes almost impossible to put down. Speaking of characters - by the third chapter I had them pictured in my mind. Find a quiet corner and ENJOY!

Rating:
Summary: A mediocre Clancy creation
Review: Clancy unveils a new "shadow" agency in this his newest fictional novel and begins the development of a new crop of characters for future works.

After his last novel, Clancy could only improve and this is a moderate improvement. The story is more imaginative than Red Rabbit but still left something to be desired. At first it reminded be of Without Remorse, the story of John Clark (Kelly) and his entry into the CIA/covert ops type missions. But the feelings and passion that drew the reader into Clark's world were lacking in Teeth of the Tiger. Overall, it felt like the book was written to set the stage for future works. While Clancy's previous fictional novels have done this as well, they also had a geopolitical story to tell, which this novel lacks. The technical aspects that Clancy is known for were sacrificed in this novel for more of a personal story of 2 brothers and their cousin (Jack Ryan Jr).

Hopefully there is some of the old Clancy left for future works and he doesn't have to keep reaching for tired references to patience (how many were there in this novel?) and using character names that he killed off in previous books (Tony Wills - Sum of All Fears). Still, it is a Clancy work and if you've read all of his other fiction you'll want to read this as well and there is a scene reminiscent of Pat Martin in the day care center (Executive Orders).

Rating:
Summary: Another from the factory
Review: A few years ago the followers of France's Michelin Guide (the famous review of French restaurants) questioned the Guide's awarding of three stars (Michelin"s highest recommendation)to both of Michael Ducasse's restaurants- one in Paris, the second in Nice. The arguement was could Mr. Ducasse tend to both well enough so that both were entitled to the coveted three stars? To be sure he could only be in one kitchen at a time.
Like the celebrity chefs of France and New York, Mr. Clancy has become a "conglomerate author". He is the principal name on several series of books as well as numerous games etc. While these diversions have undoubtedly helped Mr. Clancy's bank account they have not helped the quality and believeability of his "Ryanverse" series.
Although "Teeth of the Tiger" does not feature Jack Ryan in person we are introduced to his son and two nephews all grown up. Mr. Clancy's timeline of the Ryanverse saga has many holes and does not always make complete chronological sense, but generally can be forgiven for artistis sensibilities. Not so with "Teeth of the Tiger" in which we find that Mr. Ryan has resigned the presidency before the end of his second (first elected) term in order to have his best friend Robby become president. Jack Junior has grown from a child of about seven to a young adult id a space of about eight years.Unfortunately we discover that Robby (our first black president) was assainated be a former member of the KKK in Mississippi.Why is it necessary to tell us this information second hand in a somewhat enjoyable novel of a quasi government agency dealing with terrorism in this post 9/11 world?
It appears that Mr. Clancy has become bored with his Ryanversre characters. Even the references to the redoubtedle Mr. Clark ("Without Remorse" and "Rainbow Six")are bland and uninteresting. Indeed Mr. Clark is one of Mr. Clancy's most interesting and developed characters.
The plot line is plausible, but the characters are not up to Mr. Clancy's usual standard. One gets the feeling that Mr. Clancy passed a few notes to his minions and left to pursue a NFL team or another of his Quixotic quests. Upon his return he realized he needed a few more dollars to ensnare a team and sent a rough manuscript to his publisher. Hopefully "Teeth" is not the final Ryanverse tale. It would be a shame that such a saga would end on such a low note.

Rating:
Summary: A complete disappointment - the worst Clancy ever
Review: Tom Clancy is probably my favorite author of fiction. I've read almost all of his books twice. Hunt for Red October started it all, but The Sum of All Fears, Debt of Honor, and Executive Orders are masterful.

Now I wonder whether I should bother anymore. Rainbow Six may have been hopelessly average, but Teeth of the Tiger is a flat-out waste of time.

Here's an all-new set of characters, starring Jack Ryan, Jr. and his two cousins. In between the last two books, Jack Sr. had won reelection handily, later resigning late in his term so Robby Jackson could become President, but Robby was assassinated. But before he left office, Jack Sr. set up an ultra-black spy organization to go after terrorist threats. This book is about that organization.

This book comes dangerously close to having no plot at all. There's minimal buildup, no climax, and no end to speak of. In fact, it seems to be basically a big "prologue to the life of Jack Ryan Jr in the spy business." Except that nothing really happens. There isn't a single plot twist or a single big idea. There's an exciting scene or two, but they don't last long.

The writing is also not Clancy at his best. The metaphors are repetitive and the character development ordinary. There's virtually none of the techno-speak that makes Clancy's writing so distinctive.

If you're a crazy-for-Clancy buff and you still feel the need to read this one, borrow it from the library or wait until it comes out in paperback. Don't even think about paying full price for the hardback version.

All-in-all, a colossal disappointment, especially for a true Clancy fan.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely astounding
Review: After a brief hiccup with Red Rabbit Tom Clancy is back. I was especially pleased with the introduction" of Jack Ryan Jr. It looks like he could follow in his father's footsteps should Clancy decide to kill Jack Ryan off.

Rating:
Summary: Oh, Tom....
Review: Having read the latest offering from Tom Clancy,I felt let down. He has killed off one of my long-standing favourite characters in a handful of platitudes, pensioned off another with a Medal of Honor,and completely ignored the natural successor to the storyline, in favour of an immature clone of Jack Ryan, aided by two others.Oh, Tom...where is the character development of all these newbies? Without Remorse or clear and Present Danger were much better. And Tom, whatever became of Tim Jackson? Let's hope the rest of the reading public don't feel as disappointed as I do.

Rating:
Summary: Ryan's World is Alive and Well
Review: If, like me, you have been a Tom Clancy fan since Red October and have been disappointed with his last few books, be of good cheer. Teeth of the Tiger is Clancy's best book in a while. The bad news is that most of the cast of characters we have come to know over the past 20 years are now writing their memoires. OK, we're all getting older, Tom, but not when we climb between the pages and assume our alter egos with you. The good news is that we have a promising group of new characters to meet (including Jack Jr.) and we have a flashback to look forwrd to which will explain why President Ryan resigned his office, and a continuing villain to focus on in the future (the Emir.)

Clancy also gives us the most compelling moral challenge of our time. In a world where decent people are undeer attack by truely wicked people who recognize no rules, limits or mercy, how far are we prepared to go? How far can we go without becoming what we despise? In Ryan's world, not only are good and evil clearly differentiated (and yes, sometimes in the real world they are) but the good guys have almost unlimited information and dead-on accurate judgement and never make mistakes. Are we willing to take the kind of extreme action suggested here, knowing in that in the real world, good guys make mistakes?

Clancy not only gives us a great read, he makes us think.

The one thing we continue to look for is another character as well-developed as Jack Ryan. If we can't have a new character as great as Jack can we have him back again? Now that he isn't a prisoner of 1600 Penn, anymore, maybe he's ready for a second career? Hummm???

Rating:
Summary: The Gums of the Kitten
Review: Mr. Clancy is either tired, bored or he simply phoned this one in. In what is, ostensibly, the story of a "privately" funded anti-terrorist organization bent on accomplishing what Homeland Security can not, we meet three of the shallowest characters in recent memory, Jack Ryan's little boy and the brothers Caruso. Conviently they all end up working for the aforementioned "intelligence" company -- one that, somehow, literally does not know the meaning of the word Emir. While the three protagonists have all of the depth of the water on your bathroom floor after a shower they also burden us with such scintillating dialog as; (pp. 358) "Who's wog number two, I wonder" Brian said."I don't know, and we can't freelance. You packin'?" Dominic asked."Bet your bippy, bro. You?" "Hang a big roger on that." Dominic answered." as they wander through Europe killing the bad guys with a magic drug.See Spot Run. See Tom make money. See readers wonder why they spent [the money]."Who Let the Dogs Out?" Tom did. That's two in a row.Save your money and wait for the inevitable FOX TV movie.

Rating:
Summary: Unimpressive
Review: This transistion from Dr. Ryan Sr. to Jr. is not up to former Clancy standards. There are even some grammatical mistakes. It all seems like a set up to another series....very disappointing from a really great author.

Rating:
Summary: Clancy introduces his next generation with Jack Ryan Lite
Review: Tom Clancy and Jack Ryan hit the ceiling with "Executive Orders," which was Clancy's ninth novel and the seventh Jack Ryan techno-thriller. That particular novel ended with the character, now President of the United States, declaring his intention to run for and be elected to the office that he gained through a tragic twist of fate. We learn in "The Teeth of the Tiger" that Ryan was elected with a plurality surpassed only by George Washington, but I was disappointed that the next Jack Ryan novel, "The Bear and the Dragon," had skipped over the election, because I was really looking forward to Tom Clancy's take on the circus that is American presidential politics and was anticipating Ryan carving up his political opponent in a debate the same way I enjoyed watching Jed Bartlett do on "The West Wing." But this was not to be.

It is clear now in retrospect that since "Executive Orders" Clancy has seriously lost momentum. "Rainbow Six" was a John Clark novel that originally indicated Clancy was taking a break from Jack Ryan again. But "The Bear and the Dragon" showed that Clancy no longer knew what to do with Jack Ryan. On the one hand the story, with China and Russia going to war, was again upping the ante for what was at stake, but the family element, always a strong component in these books, was essentially gone. Clancy tried to reset his character, taking Jack Ryan back to the early days in "Red Rabbit" and dealing with a real event: the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II. It was the mission more than the time frame that made that particular book seem different and I had to wonder if events in the real world had moved so far beyond the Cold War that existed when Clancy began writing that the fictional world he had created was collapsing because of external forces.

That idea gains credence in "The Teeth of the Tiger," where September 11th has happened, but we have no idea how it fits into the Clancy chronology. The opening chapters of this novel reminded me of the opening credits of "Aliens3" where everything you liked about the previous story was jettisoned. Jack Ryan is now retired, as are most of the major supporting characters we have come to know, and one of them is dead. You will be shocked by who is now POTUS and a bit miffed that there is no explanation for how that particular abomination took place. On the one hand, clearly Clancy is trying to clear the table, whether to start over or to get back to the basics will be your call when you finished reading the novel. But while none of the familiar characters appear, they still get talked about a lot.

Our hero is now John Patrick Ryan, Jr., although he is actually one of a trio of youngsters at the heart of this story. The others are his cousins, Dominic and Brian Caruso, a rookie FBI agent and a Marine captain just back from Afghanistan, who have caught the eye of the people at "The Campus." What this novel is about, in terms of contemporary geopolitics, is Tom Clancy's solution to the Brave New World of terrorism. When anybody with an automatic weapon and the willingness to die can cause serious damage, the old rules no longer apply. Set up by President Ryan before he left office, "The Campus" operates outside the system, free of government restrictions and Congressional oversight. Its mission is to identify and locate terrorist threats and to eliminate them.

The result of this next generation of Clancy heroes is best described as "Jack Ryan Lite," as history repeats itself and another Jack Ryan proves himself to be a natural in the field of intelligence with a knack for getting his hands dirty. This new trio certainly talks a lot more (and way too much in public), especially the two brothers (fraternal twins), who endlessly debate things in the way those chatty FBI agents and Marine officers tend to do. Junior, as he is usually called, never interacts with any of his family besides his cousins, which is a conscious but artificial choice by Clancy (Has the author been shying off this element since his divorce and remarriage? You decide). The other thing missing are the wonderful backstories that Clancy used to work in for characters (e.g., the whole Red Wegener bit from "Clear and Present Danger"), which is one reason that "The Teeth of the Tiger" does not have the heft of its predecessors.

Of course, when you are not dealing with a nuclear explosion, biochemical warfare, or military invasions, a series of "minor" terrorist attacks and a handful of assassinations seems almost trivial. But this is the world in which we now live and the one in which Tom Clancy clearly wants his next generation of characters to do their job. I do not fault the idea, but the execution is not up to Clancy's standards and again I see the need for an editor to step in and make him clean up his writing. Characters are saying the same things over and over again in only slightly different ways. Most importantly, "The Teeth of the Tiger" fails the ultimate test of a Clancy book. From time to time I will pick up "Patriot Games" or "Executive Orders" and reread my favorite parts. But like "The Bear and the Dragon," this latest Clancy novel is going up on the shelf and is probably not coming back down again, which is the most damming critique I can offer.