Rating: 
Summary: I Hope I'm This Funny At 89...
Review: I have to admit to a certain bias here: I am a longtime Herman Wouk fan, so it comes as a delightful surprise to me that, as he nears his 90th birthday, he should come up with as sparkling an entertainment (in the Graham Greene sense of the word) as "A Hole in Texas." Wouk has to be the most underrated living American novelist, and when most of his contemporaries are six feet under, Wouk has written a very funny book that, while it has some continuity with his other books, is in a very real sense a delightful departure from what has gone before.Guy Carpenter is a fiftysomething scientist who once worked on a large-scale government project in Texas looking for something called the Higgs boson. After some years and a few billion dollars, Congress shut down the ambitious and expensive project, only to react with panic when it looks like the Chinese might have come discovered the Higgs boson on their own. All of the arcane physics mumbo-jumbo is explained to the reader using the admirable dramatic exposition that Wouk has resorted to before (think of that scene in "The Winds of War" when Byron Henry described to his new bride how a submarine works), and he makes the machinations of Congress seem utterly ridiculous - although admittedly that's not too hard to do. There's a scene in a Bel-Air where Dr. Carpenter and his wife are engulfed and almost swallowed alive by Hollywood types that might be the funniest thing Wouk has written since the seder scene in "Marjorie Morningstar." And Dr. Carpenter's problems with his wife - not to mention the complications of a sexy Congresswoman who used to be a movie star and a Chinese scientist who used to be his girlfriend - are made to seem both plausible and amusing. Wouk's prose style is as clunky and Theodore Dreiser-ish as ever, and if he doesn't say, as Dreiser did, that "It was a truly swell saloon," he does refer to a stripper as a "stripteaser," which I doubt any male under eighty would ever do. But then Wouk is perhaps the only living author who is capable of using the word "monkeyshines" in a sentence with a straight face (and did so in his last nonfiction work, "The Will To Live On"), so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. The bottom line is that at the age of 89, Herman Wouk is still in the game. This is certainly not a sweeping historical fiction like "The Winds of War" or "War and Remembrance," but it's a lot of fun, and I enjoyed it immensely. You will too.
Rating: 
Summary: A disappointment
Review: If in some alternate world I had not read the cover before delving into the text, I would not have know that Wouk wrote this except for the fact that after all these decades his characters continue to exclaim "Ye gods!" and "Gads!" I am a tremendous fan of Wouk -- I will re-read some of his works throughout the rest of my life -- but I think A Hole is not indicative of his tremendous contributions to American literature, and, indeed, culture.
I think the reason is that Mr. Wouk's strength was never his ear for conversations, and this book is very chatty. In particular, the interaction between naive but brilliant scientist Guy Carpenter, and the wealthy and world-wise Congresswoman struck me as distractingly artificial, especially when it lapsed into forced cuteness. More minor instances include rural Texas cab drivers who speak like they're 1940s New Yorkers ("Hey lady . . ."), and a strange appearance by Dustin Hoffman that I think might have been edited out if it came from a lesser pen.
Of course, this wasn't by any means a bad book. The portrayal of the marital tension between the Carpenters was written with great power -- the kind that usually Mr. Wouk's books have in their entirety. Mr. Wouk's keen eye for detail was ever-present. The plot was reasonably engaging, if a bit too neat at places. And I doubt I would otherwise have learned what a Higgs Boson is if I didn't read this.
So this is not a bad book, but I just didn't care for the writing. Having such high expectations after Marjorie Morningstar, the Caine Mutiny, War and Remembrance, and on and on, I was left somewhat disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: A Light Summer Reading
Review: It was my first year in a Shanghai high school that I read Herman Wouk's "Winds of War." I was fascinated by the stories of Victor "Pug" Henry and his family with the backdrop of World War II. Mr. Wouk skillfully weaved fictional characters with historical figures and facts. It was my first glimpse of the contemporary western history and civilization. What a coincidence it was, on the 60th anniversary of D day, at a local Barnes and Noble bookstore, that I saw Mr. Wouk's new book prominently displayed at the entrance. As I was having a hard time finishing two other volumes ("Hope" and "Glory") that Mr. Wouk wrote after "Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance," I picked it up with some skepticism. But, two pages into the book, I decided to give it a chance. And a cup of Starbuck's Latte and 20 pages later, I bought the book and finished it in two days. This is not a book that will ever win any Pulitzer or Nobel. Yet, like Dan Brown has done his homework in history, religion, and art, in his bestselling "Da Vinci Code," Mr. Wouk has done his. This time, both in science and in history. Not about Hitler or the middle east conflict in this book, Mr. Wouk proposed a new adversary of the United States: the emerging superpower of China. Did the Chinese find Higgs boson after U. S. abruptly pulled the plug of this largest basic science research project? The field of astrophysics has daunting theories and concepts, Mr. Wouk smoothly explains, through his scientist characters from Stanford, the JPL, and the California Institute of Technology, the ideas of super colliders and accelerators, cosmic rays and particles, and the significance, if any, of finding Higgs boson. Like his other books, Mr. Wouk's familiarity and comfort in describing lives of Washington's inner circle carries the story with authenticity and flavor. The references and mixtures of historical and contemporary characters, such as President Reagan, President Clinton, Deng Xiaoping, Professor Chien-Shiung Wu, Peter Jennings, and Dustin Hoffman, have made the tale ever so much more convincing. At the same time, descriptions of "wet autumn leaves," a "mildewed" old book "smelled of a Georgetown house," and a naughty cat who loves to sneak out of the house, all established the atmosphere and details of environment where the story takes place. Being 89 years old, Mr. Wouk still writes with sharp observations and causes thriller-like adrenaline for his readers. His characters are still full of romance, as Byron and Natalie once were in "Winds of War." Sitting outside on the patio, feeling the cool evening breeze that carries a whiff of sweetness from the blooming Asian lilies, and with a glass of freshly made sangria, this book will provide you with some delicious summer reading.
Rating:
Summary: A Light Summer Reading
Review: It was my first year in a Shanghai high school that I read Herman Wouk's "Winds of War." I was fascinated by the stories of Victor "Pug" Henry and his family with the backdrop of World War II. Mr. Wouk skillfully weaved fictional characters with historical figures and facts. It was my first glimpse of the contemporary western history and civilization. What a coincidence it was, on the 60th anniversary of D day, at a local Barnes and Noble bookstore, that I saw Mr. Wouk's new book prominently displayed at the entrance. As I was having a hard time finishing two other volumes ("Hope" and "Glory") that Mr. Wouk wrote after "Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance," I picked it up with some skepticism. But, two pages into the book, I decided to give it a chance. And a cup of Starbuck's Latte and 20 pages later, I bought the book and finished it in two days. This is not a book that will ever win any Pulitzer or Nobel. Yet, like Dan Brown has done his homework in history, religion, and art, in his bestselling "Da Vinci Code," Mr. Wouk has done his. This time, both in science and in history. Not about Hitler or the middle east conflict in this book, Mr. Wouk proposed a new adversary of the United States: the emerging superpower of China. Did the Chinese find Higgs boson after U. S. abruptly pulled the plug of this largest basic science research project? The field of astrophysics has daunting theories and concepts, Mr. Wouk smoothly explains, through his scientist characters from Stanford, the JPL, and the California Institute of Technology, the ideas of super colliders and accelerators, cosmic rays and particles, and the significance, if any, of finding Higgs boson. Like his other books, Mr. Wouk's familiarity and comfort in describing lives of Washington's inner circle carries the story with authenticity and flavor. The references and mixtures of historical and contemporary characters, such as President Reagan, President Clinton, Deng Xiaoping, Professor Chien-Shiung Wu, Peter Jennings, and Dustin Hoffman, have made the tale ever so much more convincing. At the same time, descriptions of "wet autumn leaves," a "mildewed" old book "smelled of a Georgetown house," and a naughty cat who loves to sneak out of the house, all established the atmosphere and details of environment where the story takes place. Being 89 years old, Mr. Wouk still writes with sharp observations and causes thriller-like adrenaline for his readers. His characters are still full of romance, as Byron and Natalie once were in "Winds of War." Sitting outside on the patio, feeling the cool evening breeze that carries a whiff of sweetness from the blooming Asian lilies, and with a glass of freshly made sangria, this book will provide you with some delicious summer reading.
Rating: 
Summary: engaging work of a master
Review: It's very difficult to write a great "light" book - this one is a thorough delight - don't miss it -
Rating:
Summary: engaging work of a master
Review: It's very difficult to write a great "light" book - this one is a thorough delight - don't miss it -
Rating:
Summary: A good story
Review: See storyline above. This is a pleasant and amusing novel from an author who hasn't lost his knack of storytelling. I liked the subject matter (Colliders, etc) and the small education about the Higgs boson (When you get on the scale in the morning, you may be hoping that it registers a smaller number than the day before -- you may be hoping that you've lost weight. It's the quantity of mass in you, plus the force of gravity, that determines your weight. But what determines your mass?).
The story moved at a steady pace and kept me entertained.
Rating:
Summary: A Lively and Entertaining Novel, Enjoyable and Easy to Read
Review: The legendary sportswriter Red Smith once remarked that writing was not difficult: "All you do is sit down in front of a typewriter and open up a vein." Imagine for a moment the accomplishments of Herman Wouk. Apparently not content to rest on a duly deserved reputation for such works as THE CAINE MUTINY and THE WINDS OF WAR, to name just two of his novels, he continues to publish at the age of 88. Lest anyone believe that he is living on his past, A HOLE IN TEXAS, his most recent effort, is a lively and entertaining novel, enjoyable and easy to read. The hole in A HOLE IN TEXAS is the aborted excavation in the Lone Star State of the Superconducting Super Collider, a scientific project of mammoth proportion that would have allowed physicists to locate a minuscule particle known as the Higgs boson. In 1993, perhaps for political but certainly for budgetary considerations, the U.S. Congress pulled the plug on the Collider and hundreds of scientists in Texas were left in a deep hole. Guy Carpenter, the main character of the novel, is one of those scientists. A middle-aged physicist with a young wife and child, he was able to move from the defunct Texas project to work at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab on the terrestrial Planet Finder. This project, the son of the Hubble Telescope, is also facing potential funding problems. Good science does not come cheap and the change purses of taxpayers are no longer easily opened to fund scientific projects. Carpenter and the scientific community are stunned one day to hear the Chinese government announce that they have discovered and isolated the Higgs boson. The significance of this discovery is that the Chinese now have the ability to produce the Boson Bomb, a weapon that dwarfs atomic or hydrogen bombs in destructive magnitude. A special news bulletin by Peter Jennings, interrupting a nationally televised sporting event, demonstrates the importance of the news of the Chinese discovery. With the Higgs boson as his vehicle, Herman Wouk takes the reader on a paradoxical and often humorous journey that pokes fun at modern media and politicians. One of Carpenter's allies in the response to the Chinese announcement is Representative Myra Kadane. The Congresswoman succeeded her late husband in office. Her house committee has the task of investigating not only why the Super Collider was shut down prematurely but also why the Chinese accomplished what American scientists could not. As the investigation commences, Guy Carpenter offers his scientific insight in exchange for a glimpse into the opulent life of the rich and powerful in Washington and in Hollywood. Carpenter is the major beneficiary of this trade. The plot thickens with the news that one of the Chinese scientists working on the Higgs boson project was a fellow grad student with Carpenter at Cornell. Not surprisingly, this information when discovered by the media adds the final ingredient, sex, to national crises. Every element is now in place for a media frenzy. Granted, A HOLE IN TEXAS is not a classic novel and is not to be confused with THE CAINE MUTINY. But you will enjoy the skewering of politicians, media moguls and a few Hollywood types and attorneys thrown in for good measure. At 88 years of age Herman Wouk has written an entertaining novel. Perhaps like the legendary artist Grandma Moses, he can continue to work at his trade well into his 90s. --- Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman
Rating:
Summary: ALMOST great
Review: The premise was intriguing, and the first few pages sucked me in immediately. It is nice to read something upbeat with decent, nondisfunctional characters and a happy ending for a change. And there were some good points made about our political processes. I put it down with a smile.
That being said, the middle dragged,and the characters, except for the late-appearing female Chinese scientist, were appealing but not really interesting.
As a science fan, I was very disappointed that the book was not better. If it had achieved its potential, perhaps there would be hope to revive the SSC after all....
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing Book
Review: This is a lightweight book with a nice plot. Well below the marvelous historical novels in the Winds of War era and his earlier novels: Caine Mutiny, Marjorie Morningstar and City Boy.
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