Rating: 
Summary: a thriller that has aged pretty well
Review: a book that sat on my bookshelf for a long time. i was not a fan of the movie and thought the book would be mundane but surprisingly it was an enjoyable suspenseful read with an original idea employed.
Rating:
Summary: Can We Clone Hitler?
Review: All over the world men around the age 65 are being murdered. They all have related jobs,similar personalities and most importantly...adopted sons who are 14 years old .....sound creepy? What if I told you all of the surviving boys are IDENTICLE? Following World War II, Dr. Mengele..the infamous "ANGEL OF DEATH", who performed sick and twisted experiments on twins, women and children of concentration camps..was left in charge of Hitler's corpse. Apparently Hitler was aware of ongoing attempts at cloning animals and left instructions for the "Dr." to attempt cloning on his DNA. Did it work? I won't tell...I've already wet your appetite....Reading this book is such a wild ride. The characters were REAL people..the possibilities COULD happen..remember Jurassic Park? After reading this book I found an article admitting there are still tens of thousands of Nazi followers still waiting for their "moment" even today. So after you read this spine-chilling and very fast-paced adventure that takes you all over the world...YOU tell ME what is Ira Levin's fiction and what is real.You will not be disappointed. So buckle your seat belts for an unforgettable journey that begins in Brazil.
Rating: 
Summary: Ingenious
Review: I'm amazed that this book has been allowed to remain dormant and out-of-print especially in light of recent news reports of cloning animals and human cells. It's written in such a realistic style that the premise does seem plausible and gives the reader pause to think of the possibilities. Let's hope it's re-released soon.
Rating:
Summary: Breezy Mystery for fans of Levin & Nazi intrigue
Review: Like a fictionalized "Sacred Blood," this is a disturbingly fanciful mystery about what could have happened if the evil Dr. Mengele's bizarre experiments had worked out to the Third Reich's advantage. Simply told, it is reminiscent of his storytelling in THE STEPFORD WIVES and is an enjoyable read, especially if you haven't yet seen the movie version.
Rating:
Summary: Caution!
Review: Normally, I like reviews that give a short outline of the plot of a book or movie, because without that, you don't know whether you'd like to spend the time. However, unless you're really wavering, I would strongly advise that you to read the book before looking at the reviews below -- Ira Levin is THE MASTER of suspense -- like Stephen King says, his plots work like intricate timepieces -- and for maximum enjoyment you should know as little as possible about the book before you start.Odds are, however, that you already know it's about cloning and Nazis, so I'll go ahead and say this: I put off reading the book for years because I wasn't interested in either of those subjects. But "The Boys" is not what you'd expect at all, and superlatives can't describe Levin's skill. "Couldn't put it down" doesn't touch it. Plus, any gore or references to sex and violence are only what is necessary for the sake of the plot, which is important as far as I'm concerned. And, just like with his other books, this is more than just a roller coaster ride that you walk off of and forget. There's satisfying poetic justice, interesting moral contrast, and important ethical questions raised -- not just the usual pronouncements about weren't-the-Nazis-terrible or isn't-cloning-awfully-dangerous, either. It's one of those books you love to discuss with a friend.
Rating:
Summary: Caution!
Review: Normally, I like reviews that give a short outline of the plot of a book or movie, because without that, you don't know whether you'd like to spend the time. However, unless you're really wavering, I would strongly advise that you to read the book before looking at the reviews below -- Ira Levin is THE MASTER of suspense -- like Stephen King says, his plots work like intricate timepieces -- and for maximum enjoyment you should know as little as possible about the book before you start. Odds are, however, that you already know it's about cloning and Nazis, so I'll go ahead and say this: I put off reading the book for years because I wasn't interested in either of those subjects. But "The Boys" is not what you'd expect at all, and superlatives can't describe Levin's skill. "Couldn't put it down" doesn't touch it. Plus, any gore or references to sex and violence are only what is necessary for the sake of the plot, which is important as far as I'm concerned. And, just like with his other books, this is more than just a roller coaster ride that you walk off of and forget. There's satisfying poetic justice, interesting moral contrast, and important ethical questions raised -- not just the usual pronouncements about weren't-the-Nazis-terrible or isn't-cloning-awfully-dangerous, either. It's one of those books you love to discuss with a friend.
Rating:
Summary: A tale for two reading sessions
Review: The Boys From Brazil does seem a little dated well more than a quarter century after it s publication. But the book remains a tightly constructed and fast-paced story, interesting without being complicated. Basically, classic pulp fiction. Admittedly, advances in cloning in recent years make the characters who never heard of the subject seem a bit dim by modern standards. And the old-fashioned communications methods (e.g., having an operator call you back in order to place an international call, or misunderstanding things because connections are so bad) seem almost contrived. Even the Cold War-type mentality can at first seem cartoonish. But remember that this is taking place in 1974-75 ... that's the way it was. I first read the book around 20 years ago and I remembered enjoying it well enough. Recently, I picked it up again when I wanted something easy to read on train journey, and it was just what I needed: absorbing without the thought that would require me to resent the porter when he came by to check my ticket. In the end, I read it in two long reading sessions. If you are looking for something along those lines, then I'll say you can do a lot worse than The Boys From Brazil.
Rating: 
Summary: Elementary
Review: The Boys From Brazil is 12th grade reading with a 5th grade concept. It begins with big, bad Josef Mengele and the "boys from brazil" planning the 4th Reich. It's been done. I also thought the central concept (cloning) was a bit simplistic. Ditto for the idea of ex-Nazis camping out in South America making s'mores. At the time it was written, the concept was science fiction. However, by today's standards, the concept itself, is almost a cliche. That's not to say that I blame Mr. Levin for this weakness. At the time it must have been a thoroughly provocative concept. However, Levin does do a good job backing it up with the genetics vs. environment debate which probably was not as self-evident then as it seems today. I will also say that Levin's choice of a protagonist is refreshing compared to the heros that end up being played by Mel Willis or Bruce Gibson after the screenplay machine whorks a conversion onto the silver sceen. The ending is also interesting and humorous in political terms. All that aside, I did enjoy the "entertainment" the book provided so I'll give it a "paperback" reccomendation.
Rating:
Summary: Elementary
Review: The Boys From Brazil is 12th grade reading with a 5th grade concept. It begins with big, bad Josef Mengele and the "boys from brazil" planning the 4th Reich. It's been done. I also thought the central concept (cloning) was a bit simplistic. Ditto for the idea of ex-Nazis camping out in South America making s'mores. At the time it was written, the concept was science fiction. However, by today's standards, the concept itself, is almost a cliche. That's not to say that I blame Mr. Levin for this weakness. At the time it must have been a thoroughly provocative concept. However, Levin does do a good job backing it up with the genetics vs. environment debate which probably was not as self-evident then as it seems today. I will also say that Levin's choice of a protagonist is refreshing compared to the heros that end up being played by Mel Willis or Bruce Gibson after the screenplay machine whorks a conversion onto the silver sceen. The ending is also interesting and humorous in political terms. All that aside, I did enjoy the "entertainment" the book provided so I'll give it a "paperback" reccomendation.
Rating: 
Summary: A thriller that has not aged well
Review: THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL is one of those novels that you hear about, but never find the time to read. It sits on the library shelf, desperately awaiting the rare occasion when someone is overcome by their curiosity, and decides to give it a chance. That's what happened to me. Unfortunately, the above tale of library derring-do is about as exciting as anything found within Ira Levin's tale. It starts off compellingly enough. A group of former Nazis meet to discuss the details for a new attempt at world domination. Dr. Josef Mengele is discovered to be involved, and it is up to Nazi-hunter Liebermann to unearth the sinister plot. So far, so good. All the elements of good pulp fiction are in place. And let's not be fooled: Despite the theme of renewed Nazi powers, this IS a pulp novel. Nothing wrong with that, really. But it's not a GOOD pulp novel. A large part of the problem is the cartoonish nature of the lead characters, particularily Mengele. He is a truly evil man, in all respects, but his actions in BOYS tend to create giggles, in the place of fear. As well, his fanatical devoltion to Adolf Hitler, which in reality is a cause for great alarm, comes across on the page as rather silly. Some may claim the novel has more relevance in today's climate of cloning advances, but that's hogwash. BOYS is not a cautionary tale of the horrors of science. What it is, is ridiculous. And barely entertaining. Still, some scenes do serve to help the novel pass the time. The final confrontation is well paced, if overblown. There are some asides as to the importance of war crimes tribunals that certainly remain relevant today. And it is certainly better than Ken Follett's THE THIRD TWIN, another thriller based on cloning that is one of the worst [books] I've ever read. But where TWIN is garbage, BOYS is merely innocuous. It may have been groundbreaking when it was written, but it functions more as a curiosity now than anything else.
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