Rating: 
Summary: Seriously flawed
Review: There's not much good to say about Tom Clancy's latest paperback, Red Rabbit, a truly tepid thriller in which Clancy exhibits barely enough skill to merit two stars. At first, the story is reminiscent of The Day of the Jackal (a far superior book). In 1982, the USSR plots the assassination of Pope John Paul II. As in TDOTJ, which involved a plot to kill DeGaulle, the reader knows that the plot has to fail, but there should still be suspense; in Red Rabbit, there isn't. A KGB agent learns of the plot and contacts the CIA to warn of the scheme and defect in the process. The assassination plot suddenly almost disappears as this "Red Rabbit's" defection is plotted out. The flaws in this book are so considerable - and so obvious - that one has to wonder what could motivate Clancy to put out this sort of lousy writing. For one thing, Clancy - a writer whose success is built on his ability to present interesting facts correctly, hasn't got even his basic history correct. Does the story take place in 1981 (when the actual attempt took place), 1982 (hinted at by the code number of the plot and the real death year of minor character Suslov) or 1983 (the actual year the Phillies and Orioles meet in the World Series, a minor story point that Orioles owner Clancy should be well aware of)? In this supposedly historical novel, Clancy is able to make his characters seem brilliant, anticpating everything from the success of Starbucks to the fall of the Soviet Union. As usual, his characters are rather shallow and his pro-American standpoint is bordering on the jingoistic...I'm fond enough of this country, but Clancy sometimes goes overboard. Yet all this could be forgivable if the story was in any way really interesting. The story is almost actionless, with even the eventual assassination attempt taking place almost in the background. Most of the book is just dialogue and thought. Worst of all, the crux of the book - the attempt to get the defector and his family out of the USSR - proceeds so smoothly and without a single twist that it winds up being a worthless three hundred or so pages of the novel. Clancy will never be confused with a great writer at the best of times, but he is usually entertaining. This book is hopefully just an aberration; I'd hate to think this means his talent has all burned away. This one is for true Clancy fans only, and even they will be disappointed and long for better days.
Rating: 
Summary: Pleeaaase get an editor with a full red pen!
Review: I have not read a Tom Clancy book since "Patriot Games". I thought this would be a good one to pick up since the chronology comes after that book. Wrong! What a waste of time. Is Clancy so big that he doesn't have an editor to redline his redundancies? There are so many references to Jack Ryan being a marine that I felt like I went to Paris Island. Reading Red Rabbit is like having dinner with a man who had once been somebody and now had to bore you to tears with the same stories you heard from him just 5 minutes before.
Rating:
Summary: Not worth the 97 cents
Review: At the time I write this review Red Rabbit is being offered for 97 cents for a used copy. Please believe me - it isn't worth it
Rating: 
Summary: Slower, but a true spy novel and ideology lesson on USSR
Review: Most Tom Clancy fans might find Red Rabbit a little slower than his previous works. This novel takes place right about 1980-81 where 'a stand-up actor' has assumed the Presidency of the U.S., where Brezhnev's health is failing, and a young Jack Ryan has been assigned to Britain's Century House (CIA equivalent) as a promising new analyst. Like many Clancy Novel's many small plot threads that seemed unrelated at first soon grow to a larger crescendo, and while the action in Red Rabbit only surfaces near the end, this novel serves more a history lesson both in characters and political ideology. We learn more of the origin of Mary Pat and husband Ed Foley as they work as undercover CIA operatives in Moscow. We also learn more about Ryan's and his wife Cathy's background as well as the relationship of Ryan's father-in-law. But the richest gem here is author Clancy's take and history lesson on the cold war between the United States (including Britain) and the USSR. The ideology is unfolded by the revealing thoughts of our numerous antagonists based upon their education, culture, previous leaders and their thoughts on religion and control. The main plot centers around the fact that the current Pope has hinted that he will leave the papacy and return to his native Poland. This instills fear in the Politburo as they sense an upheaval against there regime. With Brezhnev knocking on death's door, a steely KGB opportunist decides to take action...assassinate the Pope. But a lowly KGB agent, fed up with the system and life in the USSR has found his morals. He must warn the west of this plot..but how to do it with out endangering his wife and child. Thus begins the real cloak-and-dagger feel of this novel and the surprising way the British and U.S. (of course with Ryan's help) devise a plan to retrieve the KGB agent and thwart the plot. I really did enjoy the history lesson that was not so veiled within these pages and gained a new understanding of the cold war itself. Also, fans of forensics will love the surprise plot on how to smuggle the rouge KGB agent and his family out from under the KGB and Politburo. But readers beware...don't expect tons of action you are accustomed to.
Rating:
Summary: Hey, Tom! Stop Writing Now!
Review: This book is crap. Other reviewers have noted the stupid pitfalls that Clancy cannot seem to avoid. My least favorite must be the "Mr. so-and so? He's a GOOD MAN." In the nine hundred plus pages that the softcover consumed, this was used at least twenty times to introduce new characters. Come on! Second on my list of rants is how Clancy can't stop mentioning the fact that Ryan is a former Marine, and uses this as justification for his ability. You know what? I got it the first time. The book is a waste of readers' time as well as ink and paper.
Rating:
Summary: REALLY WORTH A ZERO
Review: Without question, this is the worst novel I have ever read.
At over 600 pages in length, it more appropriately should be condensed into a terrible short story. There was no suspense, no nothing! The amount of meaningless dialogue and worthless descriptive and informative matter was clearly inserted by Clancy to make a bigger book. Or maybe he really wanted to write a stinker to get out of his contractual obligations?
DO NOT TAKE YOUR VALUABLE TIME TO READ THIS BOOK!!!!
Rating:
Summary: A solid read
Review: I enjoy the recent Clancys more than the early ones and this is no exception. However an editor is required. The repitition in this is out of control. Particularly : - - Cathy asking Jack every twenty pages what he is working on and being told that he's not allowed to say.
- We got the message about the stinking eye doctor going to the USSR the first time
- At various times throughout the novel someone has to get themselves or some object "out of Dodge"
- The english NHS isn't up to scratch
- Just so I'm clear does Jack like or dislike flying?
- That Miller bloke eh? Tell us again
- Sir John......no Jack I enjoyed this book but cut the waffle. The repitition in this is out of control.
Rating:
Summary: Too much of a rant
Review: Red Rabbit differs considerably from Tom Clancy's other books in that it is moreso a political rant on how wonderful the blessed-by-god USA is and how crap and godless every other nation is. Key negatives are:
- continuous ranting on how bad the UK health system is when Cathy Ryan starts working
- commentary that evil is a direct result of not believing in god
- everything the USSR manufactured was well below US standards (let's ignore Sputnik shall we!) I've been a big fan of Tom's previous books, so to see him lose the plot on what was a nice little underlying story was disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: Former Clancy addict.
Review: Terrible!! Clancy sold out? It seemed as if he had a minimum page count he was trying to meet and saved the story for the last few chapters. I don't expect action on every page but at least something besides a history lesson in the 1st 600 hundred pages would have been nice.
Rating:
Summary: BLECK!
Review: I have read every book Clancy's written (not those ghost written Op's Stuff)-this is not worth the paper it is written on. Seems like he was showing off his knowledge of the 80's - not impressive that he remembers an Apple 2+ cost $3,000 originally and spent a lot of time talking about those new "VCR's". Zero action...zero intrigue. Not even anything to keep your interest. I threw it across the room when done-I felt better.
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