Into the Blue

Rating:
Summary: Up To Date Reviews of Of Robert Goddard Books
Review: I have already written a review for you for Into The Blue by Robert Goddard. I am disappointed that all of the previous reviews for this book are so "old" ( 1995 etc.). Why is this so? Am I the only Amazon.com customer who ever reads this wonderful author? I don't think so.

Kindly let us see some current only reviews. In this modern world it irritates me to be only able to read pieces that are years old.

Rating:
Summary: Goddard's the Greatest!
Review: I've read hundreds of books and this has to be one of the best I've ever read. You follow the tale of loser Harry trying to find his friend who went missing on Rhodes,from the Greek island and around the counties of England. Harry has only done one heroic act in his life and without giving away too much this becomes a sad irony as the story concludes. This book is impossible to put down!

Rating:
Summary: Intricate Tale
Review: It is a credit to Robert Goddard's writerly abilities that he manages to lead and keep our interest alive in this complex story. We travel from Greece to the British Isles (a map of the UK would be a nice adjunct). The cast of characters in another author's hands would be cumbersome. A tribute to Goddard that even the minor characters are crisply delineated, and not once was I confused as to who was who.

Harry Bennett, a professional failure, has to be one of the more depressing heroes of all time. He has no confidence, few social skills, and not one yearning desire to better himself. He glumly concludes he is not worthy of success. His stylistic sense is so poor; his rumpled appearance causes comment in even an average restaurant. The late Carroll O'Connor could play the part to perfection. On Harry's watch, the young and fragile Heather Mallender disappears while they are hiking up sinister Profitis Ilias Mountain in the Greek Isles. Predictably, Harry has petered out slightly below the summit and elects to wait for Heather to complete the climb. And that is the last he sees of Heather.

The rest of the novel recounts Harry's painstaking search for Heather. Harry is nothing if not persistent, and even his wrong turns forward his search. Nothing is quite as it seems, even Harry. Mr. Goddard has given us a story laced with irony. As in a previous Goddard novel "Caught in the Light," I had a good idea "who" was the main villain; I just had no idea "why." This is a finely crafted novel, and the characterizations are delightful. A very satisfying read.

Rating:
Summary: Intricate Tale
Review: It is a credit to Robert Goddard's writerly abilities that he manages to lead and keep our interest alive in this complex story. We travel from Greece to the British Isles (a map of the UK would be a nice adjunct). The cast of characters in another author's hands would be cumbersome. A tribute to Goddard that even the minor characters are crisply delineated, and not once was I confused as to who was who.

Harry Bennett, a professional failure, has to be one of the more depressing heroes of all time. He has no confidence, few social skills, and not one yearning desire to better himself. He glumly concludes he is not worthy of success. His stylistic sense is so poor; his rumpled appearance causes comment in even an average restaurant. The late Carroll O'Connor could play the part to perfection. On Harry's watch, the young and fragile Heather Mallender disappears while they are hiking up sinister Profitis Ilias Mountain in the Greek Isles. Predictably, Harry has petered out slightly below the summit and elects to wait for Heather to complete the climb. And that is the last he sees of Heather.

The rest of the novel recounts Harry's painstaking search for Heather. Harry is nothing if not persistent, and even his wrong turns forward his search. Nothing is quite as it seems, even Harry. Mr. Goddard has given us a story laced with irony. As in a previous Goddard novel "Caught in the Light," I had a good idea "who" was the main villain; I just had no idea "why." This is a finely crafted novel, and the characterizations are delightful. A very satisfying read.

Rating:
Summary: Well written, compelling story.
Review: The book is well written and reads fluently. The characters are very well and lively described. The story is realistic.
I have read lots of John Grisham books, but this one is more complex and takes more effort to read.
One minor point : 500 pages is a bit too much for me... I prefer stories of about 250-300 pages. But, certainly...I would buy this book again.