Rating: Summary: You Can't Read This Book In Bed -- Too Massive But Worth It Review: Dubious though I was (after the self-indulgence of Patriot Games, notoriously), I have to say that Tom Clancy has done it again, and with signal success. Unbelieveable -- in every sense and application of the word -- the book is BIG. A table and straight chair are needed. If you try reading it in the bathtub (I did), you'll baptize it. Clancy's difficult plot -- an absurd and outlandish one, at least at the outset -- succeeds by discipline (good editing, though not of course for bulk), detail with the "feel" of truth or at least accuracy, by realizing that many readers are curious, interested, perhaps even obsessed, about these "technical" or even petty details (The novel as conveyance of fact: Remember the vast amount of whaling lore in Moby Dick?) -- by doing all these things and more, Clancy's brought it off. He's not quite topped himself (Hunt for Red October and Cardinal of the Kremlin are his best so far), but at least he's not let his fans down (unless with muscle weariness from trying to hold this thing up to try to read it), and likely he's gained new ones. Grundgingly...great
Rating: Summary: Not his greatest work - but worth the read Review: Plot setup was typical Clancy. Build up was outstanding with great anticipation and action occuring all over the world. The execution of the plot was the let down for me. Everything happened one event at a time. The furious turn of events never panned out. Almost as if the book was rushed in the end with less attention paid to the timing of events
Rating: Summary: Vintage, but bloated, Clancy Review: This book can be enjoyed immensely if you but do three
things: 1) read this book from a desk or lap support or you
will eventually lose the use of your arms; 2) skim the first
450 pages, especially any scenes inside the white house, as
they are redundant and full of a whining Jack Ryan, not a pretty picture; and 3) avoid comparisons of the better
scenes out of the last 400 pages with Clancy's earlier works.
You'll probably find the action sequence at the day care
center among the best pages Clancy has ever written. And,
thankfully, Clancy has learned how to write about the
friendships among "warriers" without becoming maudlin. Aside
from these minor blessings, you'll be yearning for a better
written, leaner thriller. Please, Tom, put Ryan back in
harness and have him do something a little more interesting
than trying to make the world safe for democracy!
Rating: Summary: 800 + pages of boredom...yaaaaaaaaawwwwn Review: Skip the first 600 pages because nothing actaully happens until the last 200..the first 600 are wordy,boring ,and heavy on mminor details. Is Clancy taking writing lessons from Stephen King or what? The story could have made a good 300-500 page novel
Rating: Summary: excellent Review: as always Tom Clancy delivers on target
Rating: Summary: Redundant Orders Review: In this novel, a couple of villains attempt pincer movements against Jack Ryan and the United States. Each arm of the pincer is intriguing, however most of them end up in anticlimaxes. The only move I was thrilled is the kindergarten plot, and the rests turned out to be disappointments after laboring through the longest and most entangled chapter of the Jack Ryan saga. Particularly, the air-land battle, which should be the decisive engagement with the main force of the villains, is finished too easily to be a climax. Perhaps we have already seen how modern land battles are conducted so vividly in Kuwait, unlike Clancy's previous tales such as a submarine chase, a home-made nuke bomb and stealthy flights of F22 and Comanche, that this part of the book looks like merely a paper reenactment of the Gulf War. The motives and emotions of the SOBs are told repeatedly, but they are stereotypical, flat and redundant. Talking of redundancy, the whole novel is awfully bloated up with repetitions. It is not needed to lecture how to queue for a taxi each time a secret agent leaves an airport. Also many parts of this book sound like a replay of his previous novels. For modern weapons such as M1 tank, redundancy is important for effectiveness, but thrillers should be as lean and tight as T80.
A new aspect which Clancy tackles for the first time is domestic policies. I personally agree with many of his political opinions, but again they are deja vu. I feel as if I am reading House Chairman Newt Gingrich's "To Renew America". I imagine that Clancy started writing this book around the time of the election in '94 and he reasonably counted a Republican triumph this year. This book was intended for celebration of Conservatism. But alas, real politics are far trickier than his novels. Mr. Gingrich is now blamed for the defeat by his fellow Republicans, and I imagine his books are stashed deep in the gigantic warehouse of Amazon.com Books waiting for eventually being shredded. So Clancy now preaches Republican agendas taking his place under a situation that a philandering lawyer is in the White House, contrary to the conclusion of this book.
Rating: Summary: It starts out kind of slow and then fizzles out altogether Review: Success has definitely gone to Tom Clancey's head. How many trees did you kill to get this one into print, Tom? You need to get back to your roots. You are going in the wrong direction
Rating: Summary: Engaging, but not a classic Clancy performance Review: A good bet for die-hard Clancy fans (e.g. me), but not a gripping, can't-put-it-down page turner like his best work.
Jack Ryan, now president (as we know from the end of the last book) faces multiple challenges and again faces the forces of darkness and evil. Typical Clancy, but really no new twists or additions to the Ryan character(s).
Much as I hate to say it, I'd rather wait longer between books and get more compelling work.
Rating: Summary: Hail to the omnipotent and omniscient John Patrick Ryan Review:
I was truly disappointed with "Debt of Honor" when I finally had the time to read it. Not only was the plot unrealistic, but moreso was the meteoric climb of Jack Ryan. I believe at this time I became disenchanted with Mr. Clancy.
In "Executive Orders", we find Jack Ryan at the helm of the United States. There are many plots and sub-plots revolving around this book, and like "Debt of Honor", Clancy does a rush job of trying to resolve each of them. Because it is rushed, the reader walks away with a feeling of asking the question, "What just happened?".
There is no doubt in my mind that Tom Clancy can weave an intricate tale. I remember the non-stop pace in the "Hunt for Red October" (when our favorite protaganist was a mere mortal.). Unfortunately, Mr. Clancy has lost the ability to keep you on the edge of your seat. In fact, he actually lulls you to sleep with the teduis pace that his current crop of books move.
His current wave of writing has taken the enjoyment out of everything that his previous books, brought together so well. Especially, the various characters which he made in previous books to be so believable. For instance, some of his earlier books, I admired Jack Ryan (as it should be since he is the protaganist), but I identified better with the other John, as in Mr. Clark. But in this book, I couldn't see these characters in three diminisions any longer.
I guess the worst part is the plausibility factor. Eventually, one must ask about how plausible is what he is writing about. When you look at it closely, you find that it isn't not even close.
I hope that Mr. Clancy can find the spark that lit the fiction world on fire so many years ago. Unfortunately, like many outstanding writers, I think that we have lost the Tom Clancy that we all knew so well.
Rating: Summary: I Hope you know: Review:
This book really sucked! Really Sucked. I only got through the first 200 pages and had to put it down for extreme boredom. Sure it was good in the beggining with the plane crash but then you just have crap from there on! It very much sucked it sucked very badly! Gotta go I have to burn my HardCover edition of Executive Orders
Tommy boy remeber to right a good one next time ok?
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