Cathedral

Rating:
Summary: What Not To Do On St. Patrick's Day
Review: Don't even think of what a grand revolutionary gesture it would be to blow up St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City! This is the premise of Nelson DeMille's hefty (575 pages) ambitious thriller.

A group of 12 fiery Irish revolutionaries led by charismatic Brian Flynn have minutely planned to take four carefully chosen hostages, seize and mine the cathedral and threaten to blow it up at dawn the following day unless their demands are met to free political prisoners jailed in Northern Ireland by the British. The hostages are the Archbishop of New York, the British Counsel General, a parish priest, and Maureen Malone, a former terrorist with close ties to Brian Flynn, but now a peace activist.

Mr. DeMille pulls it off. He drives the breath-taking pace by fast cuts from Belfast, to the cathedral, to the desperate workings of the police and government to foil the attempt. The military precision of the takeover is meticulously described (thank goodness for the map of St. Patrick's!) in fascinating detail. Precisely drawn vignettes of the supporting cast as well as the major characters inspire the reader's care and interest in the outcome on large and small levels. The author is wickedly adept at portraying politics at its worst when revealing the tangled motives of the Mayor, the New York Police Dept., the Governor of New York, the British and Irish Consulates, the CIA and FBI. The revolutionaries are a complex lot, some with fire and vision, others stone killers, and some innocents that break your heart.

In one way it reminded me of "Apollo 13" in that you knew the astronauts would be rescued (historical fact), but you got so wrapped up in the story you feared for their very lives. I know St. Patrick's is still standing in all its glory, but while reading "Cathedral" I so suspended belief that I gave 3-1 odds that it wouldn't be standing by mid-morning the next day!

The author does a better job of delineating men then women. The women were not one-dimensional, but enigmatic as to their motives and reactions. The men were marvelous mixtures of good and bad, bravery and cowardice, humor and madness---until you could see them standing before you. I did find myself wondering throughout: where did this rag tag group get the money to mount such a complicated offensive? This aspect could have been clarified.

"Cathedral" is a satisfying read. Call it escapism or just plain good ole story telling, I felt as if I was there every moment and had a total investment in the outcome.

Rating:
Summary: A real let-down for Demille fans
Review: Nelson Demille is one of the best authors of suspense fiction living today and definitely my favorite. That's why I was so disappointed in "Cathedral." Unlike his other books which had powerful, likable main characters with brains and an ironic wit, Cathedral lacked anyone I could relate to or care about. The story, however fantastic, was interesting, but the book just didn't have the heart-racing, pulse-pounding pace of his other works. I found myself caring about the outcome of the seige at St. Pat's Cathedral only because it meant that the book would FINALLY be over and I could go re-read "Charm School" and rediscover why I love Nelson Demille's work.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome!
Review: This great story lets the reader into the minds of the characters on each side of the seige. DeMille has a way of making you care about each of the characters (good and bad). He even does a good job of giving life to most of the supporting characters. His characters are great, the dialog is top notch (as always), and his setting is amazing. I've never seen St. Patricks Cathedral, but DeMille made it very easy to visualize it (the diagrams in the front were a great touch).

I've always described reading a DeMille book as watching a movie in your mind. This one is no exception. The action and suspence are great. If you can, read the last section in one sitting. It will be worth it, and I bet you won't be able to put it down at that point anyway.

Also recommend Plum Island, and Jeffery Deaver's The Devil's Teardrop and A Maiden's Grave.

Rating:
Summary: An EXCEPTIONAL book
Review: This was an extraordinary book that has kept me up at nights reading, as I got drawn into its suspensful and intriguing plot. Nelson DeMille, a former U.S. Army lieutenant in Vietnam, is the author of many acclaimed novels, such as "The General's Daughter" which was made into a movie. "The Cathedral" is my favorite DeMille book, as it's rich characterization, amazing plot, and thrilling suspense simply cannot be ignored.

Cathedral is full of action, politics, and romance. The whole story takes course in just one fateful day. In New York City, while people are happily celebrating St. Patrick's Day, they are unaware of an ingeniously masterminded terrorist act taking place. A renegade group of IRA terrorists have taken over St. Patrick's Cathedral, taking hostage four VIPs in the city. The leader of the terrorists is Brian Flynn, a man devoted to the cause of freeing his family and friends imprisoned by the English in Northern Ireland. The terrorists threaten to destroy the Cathedral and kill the hostages, if their demands are not met by dawn. The world is watching, waiting for the final outcome of dawn, as the 'electrifying' duel between the Police and the terrorists ensues.

In Cathedral, characterization is a major plus. By the end of the book, you can really relate with the characters, and feel like you've known them all your life. There are about five major characters in the novel, each with his/her own background, aspirations, and unique personality. Due to such great characterization, Nelson DeMille really creates a strong and realistic human drama that is emotionally engaging. In addition, there is plenty of fast-paced action that always kept me on the edge of my seat. The plot is so suspenseful, that you can't let go of the book. Here is a memorable quote, "I was about two seconds late¡¦ Then there was a strange sort of a feeling¡¦like a presence¡¦in this business they talk about having an Angel on your shoulder while you work-you know? God Almighty, I had a regiment of them." The use of such elaborate dialogue makes this book so enjoyable. It definitely makes you want to find out more and more about what is happening, and how each character is involved.

The only weakness I see in the book is the slow beginning. The beginning chapter of the book is slow-paced, as it sets the tone for the book. Also, at times the architectural description of the Cathedral was confusing, and hard to imagine what the layout is actually like (of the Church).

This is an exceptional book overall, with a great plot, detailed and interesting characters, and realistic human drama. I strongly recommend this book for everyone, whether you like action, drama, romance, or mystery, Cathedral is all that and more. Nelson DeMille has created another literary masterpiece.

Rating:
Summary: Yet again surprised
Review: This was definitely an interesting book. A cathedral in New York is taken over by an IRA offshoot. The characters, some you love and hate. Demille's characters are amazing. It's the same in all 5 of this books that I've read. There's no sappy dialogue, or stupid replies. Everything is witty and sharp. I wish that I had read the one with a map of the church, but after awhile I got pretty good at imagining what the inside of the cathedral looked like. In the end it definitely had me waiting with held breath to see what would happen.