Rating: Summary: Entertaining though unbelievable plot Review: I'm a fan of Nelson DeMille's writing. But do we need another story saying "women can't be in the Service without the fear of being raped"?? Read an excellent DeMille novel with a great plot and a lot of humor --- "The Gold Coast"!
Rating: Summary: Outstanding suspense! Review: If you only read two books this entire year, be sure they are THE GENERAL'S DAUGHTER, and THE TRIUMPH AND THE GLORY. They will knock you on your . . . well, they are GREAT books, fast-paced and intriguing with vivid characters and well-crafted plots.
Rating: Summary: DeMille puts you at the scene Review: Paul Brenner is Mike Hammer with a Phi Beta Kappa key and a touch of compassion. DeMille won't let you rest a minute. You can almost feel the fatigue Brenner must feel. Cynthia, on the other hand is indefatiguable. I preferred the book to the movie (nothing new here, right?) I saw the movie the day after I finished reading it. The author's ability to use verbal imagery puts you at the scene. He reminds me of Kellerman the way he describes everyone and everything. Back to the movie - DeMille liked the movie and so did I. The screenwriters took some liberties, such as Brenner actually having met Ann Campbell in the movie. I liked that because it lent more credibility to the fantasies he had about her. The early scene where the weapons buyer went to do mayhem to Brenner actually lent nothing to the movie. The movie was great, the book was great and the latter has made me a DeMille fan.
Rating: Summary: Succeeds on its own terms Review: This is a plotboiler, pure & simple. It moves at a brisk pace. The subject matter is racey, even tawdry or upsetting. But I found Paul to be a sympathetic and likeable hero/detective. Hey, this ain't great literature, & doesn't pretend to be. While Demille has something to say here about women & the military, don't read it with that in mind. REad it for what it is: a plot boiler.
Rating: Summary: Definitely not his best. Movie is just as bad..... Review: I have read all of Nelson Demille's books and think he is the best author because his characterization is incredible. His stories make you feel like you know the characters or want to know them. His characterization is great in this book also, but the story leaves alot to be desired. It was not totally believable, and finding out who actually committed the deed is not very rewarding, but at least the story was enjoyable and entertaining. I can't say that about the movie, however. The new edition of the book includes a few pages written by Demille about the movie and the script and details about being on the set. It is incredibly disappointing that my favorite author has sold out for money. He wrote the book expressly to be made into a movie, and said that the screenplay closely followed the book. WRONG!!! The movie was totally different, totally disappointing and I almost walked out. How does Nelson Demille dare write that the movie is so close to his writing? He sold out for money which is incredibly disappointing to me. I truly hope that none of his other books are made into movies, judging from this one.
Rating: Summary: Riveting; fast-paced; believable Review: I really enjoyed this book. It was difficult to put it aside for things like dinner, showers, sleep, etc. The conversations were witty, humorous, continual (which I personally enjoy) and attention-getting. I had heart felt feelings for the psychological problems of the Genereal's daughter; Brenner was a smart alec, disrespectful, obscene-mouthed investigator who I liked from the very beginning; Cynthia Sunhill was a welcomed compliment to Brenner; and the other characters topped off this mystery like gravy on Grandma's mashed potatoes. Is there a future Paul Brenner story in the making? I sure would buy it.
Rating: Summary: Good mystery with twists, good for summer read. Review: This book is good summer read, by the way, there is no such word as absurdness. Probably not a book to be taken so seriously. Liked Gold Coast better
Rating: Summary: Deviant sex, cliched military characters douse story Review: Having heard the new movie was disgusting in its portrayal of certain parts of "The General's Daughter," I decided to listen to the audiobook instead. Why an author would choose to focus much of his story on deviant sexual practices is beyond me. Is it supposed to titillate me? It's disgusting. The who-done-it aspect of the story is somewhat interesting, but when the murderer was revealed, I had a hard time remembering who this character was. In an audiobook you can't flip back a few pages to make sure you remember who this and that character is and I'm afraid I had to listen again to the first side of the tape to understand better what had happened. I also didn't find the interaction between the two principal detectives particularly believable.
Rating: Summary: offensively unrealistic Review: I would hope that an author gets the facts down before writing about West Point. I found the premise of his storyline beyond believability, even insulting to the reputation of the institution of the United States Military Academy. There's fiction and then there's absurdness. This author, unfortunately, has not weaved a level of reality into this work.
Rating: Summary: Suspense, humor, sadness and horror rolled into one Review: I finally picked up The General's Daughter when I saw the advertisement for a movie on TV. I found myself laughing at Demille's humor at the very beginning of the book. The book is easily readable even with the military terminology. The book is a little slow in the beginning but as I said the author keeps you page turning with his humor and wit. But keep on reading because the ending is unbelivable and shocking. The book is far better than the movie and has much more description. I have recommended this book to family members already. The book is filled with suspense, humor, sadness and horror. I'm ready to read more of Nelson Demille's work.
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