The Run

Rating:
Summary: Barely worth reading
Review: "The Run" is a simple-minded, cliche-ridden political thriller to be read only in airports when you need to kill some time. This is the story of a run for the Presidency by a moderately liberal, goody-good senator. The only non-cliche in the book is that he is from Georgia -- not usually considered a spawner of liberal democrats.

As usual, the villains are right-wing militia types. (Ho, hum, can't somebody come up with better bad-guys these days?) There are a lot of unexplained coincidences in the book. The huge political secret in American politics that underlies the plot happens to be known inexplicably by a federal prisioner in Georgia -- and just about everybody else. The hero has several miraculous escapes from death and political defeat and I'll let you guess the ending....

Woods to give him credit writes a tight tale and creates a certain amount of suspense. So, he gets three stars -- although he just barely qualifies as readable. But there are a hundred better political thrillers out there -- and most of them aren't anything great. Can't someone revitalize this genre?

Rating:
Summary: Barely worth reading
Review: "The Run" is a simple-minded, cliche-ridden political thriller to be read only in airports when you need to kill some time. This is the story of a run for the Presidency by a moderately liberal, goody-good senator. The only non-cliche in the book is that he is from Georgia -- not usually considered a spawner of liberal democrats.

As usual, the villains are right-wing militia types. (Ho, hum, can't somebody come up with better bad-guys these days?) There are a lot of unexplained coincidences in the book. The huge political secret in American politics that underlies the plot happens to be known inexplicably by a federal prisioner in Georgia -- and just about everybody else. The hero has several miraculous escapes from death and political defeat and I'll let you guess the ending....

Woods to give him credit writes a tight tale and creates a certain amount of suspense. So, he gets three stars -- although he just barely qualifies as readable. But there are a hundred better political thrillers out there -- and most of them aren't anything great. Can't someone revitalize this genre?

Rating:
Summary: The best from Woods
Review: A rare find. A great book. A wonderful climax. Don't read this one at night. You could lose sleep over it. A tremendous thriller. A rare accord. Woods never disapoints.

Rating:
Summary: Not bad, if you're driving across North Dakota
Review: As it happens, I actually *was* driving across ND when I listened to this set of cassettes. It was entertaining enough to keep me from completely losing my mind across the relentlessly flat terrain, but this isn't precisely a stunning political thriller. There elements of suspense, and there were moments when I laughed out loud at a well-turned phrase or at a character's action; however, I wouldn't go out of my way to spend hours listening to this novel.

The story revolves around Will Lee's bid for the presidential nomination, and the political ups and downs that come with such an expensive, extravagant, exhausting endeavor. The characters do come to life fairly well, and the dialogue is better than a lot of authors'. Still, this is not a hugely satisfying story.

This was actually only the second book on tape I've ever listened to, so I may be a bit biased in my opinion of it - it took awhile to get used to being read to, rather than reading myself.

Overall, it's "ok."

Rating:
Summary: Not bad at all!
Review: I had never heard of Stuart Woods and picked up "The Run" on a whim. I was very pleasantly surprised. The action was nicely paced, the story grabbed and held my interest throughout, and the ending was believable and satisfying. Nothing about the characters rang untrue -- perhaps a little stereotypical, but never unbelievable. I know very little nor am interested in politics, but enjoyed this book very much nevertheless. I look forward to reading more of Woods' books in the future.

Rating:
Summary: Boring!
Review: I started skimming on page 23 and totally skipped a chapter just to end the agony. This book is not up to Stuart Woods usual standard. Try reading his "Chiefs" or "Santa Fe Rules" instead.

Rating:
Summary: Thriller? Think again
Review: My local library had this book on display because it is a political thriller during this political season. Don't let the description fool you. It is not a thriller. The story line is good, but I think Woods went to print prematurely. Some of the actions of the mafia nut will, frankly, make you laugh and say "yeah right!" This book was written pre-9/11, but even back then the secret service would not look the other way when bomb sniffing dogs hone in on a "chocolate cake." They are not going to miss massive explosives under a podium at the DNC and they certainly are not going to miss a sniper rifle hiding behind a heat vent.

The suspense doesn't exist in the book and even if it did there are too many unbelievables to make the book intriguing.


Rating:
Summary: Walk, don't Run, to get this book
Review: The Run is a very clever analysis of presidential politics. The characters, especially Senator Will Lee, the main one, are well-crafted and interesting. It is very suspenseful and the attempts on his life, though somewhat far-fetched, are well thought out and suspenseful. The banter between Will and his wife is [pretty] and smart. The problem lies in Will's nonchalant attitude of seeking the presidency after every single other candidate, this is the really maddening part, dies or comes down with a serious health problem. It is as if Lee is running only because he is the only healthy politician left. God, who knows what would have happened if the assasin had got to him too?

Rating:
Summary: An engrossing realistic story about a presidential race
Review: The Run is one of Stuart Woods' best books yet! For anyone who is interested in the inside workings of a U.S. Presidential race, this is the novel for you......especially if you are a Democrat. Woods has a great talent for crafting interesting characters while at the same time, creating a fascinating and believable story. There are all kinds of political dilemmas and alarming situations posed in this book; ones that could actually happen. While reading this book (in one sitting) I felt as if I was an inside staffer on the campaign, sitting by and observing. A satisfying read to be sure. If you read this and like it, read Chiefs and Grass Roots as well. They are equally as good.

Rating:
Summary: The New Center Provides Middle-of-the-Road Reading
Review: Will Lee, a southern senator (D-Ga.), is the lead character in this novel. He's bland, relatively inoffensive, Centrist, and by-golly he'd like to be your friend if not your next president. The novel shares a lot of these traits, too: It's eager to please, but there's not a lot to get excited about.

The most exciting parts in the book are focused on a survivalist nutjob intent on assassinating Lee. His motives are never clearly defined (perhaps reading "Grass Roots" would help, but this was my first Woods novel), but he seems to know his stuff; he's got the preparation of his plot down pat, but falls short in its execution (pun intended).

Because Lee is such a "nice" guy and won't sling mud at his opponent, the campaign is dull and thankfully kept to a minimum. Unfortunately, as a result of Lee's personality and actions, his political opponents have nothing against which to act as a foil. In fact, we'd have to believe the Republicans are as dull as Lee were it not for a blackmailing campaign run by an incarcerated former CIA executive.

Somehow, Woods manages to create a world where Bill Clinton was impeached, but a different administration is in office at the beginning of 2000. A lot of flak is aimed in the Republicans' direction, and Woods has the Democrats retaining the presidency, taking back the House, and almost getting the Senate as a consequence of voter revolt over the impeachment proceedings. Please, Righties, take a deep breath and remind yourself that this is fiction (doubly-so, since nothing of the sort actually happened). Still, most of the Republicans come off as bland as the Democrats, and there's really little to get your briefs (or boxers) in a twist.

The Run is ultimately undone by its Centrist positioning. By staying middle-of-the-road in its liberal v. conservative positioning and not giving Lee any flaws to exploit or defend, Woods fails to generate any heat in this novel. As many other Amazon reviewers have noted, it's a good way to kill a few hours, but it's just not a very good novel.