Aztec

Rating:
Summary: A Must-Read!!!
Review: Simply Brilliant! One of my top ten favorite books of all time. Why isn't Jennings usually ranked as one of the greatest modern authors? Jennings and the late Robert Graves are perhaps the best. Read this book

Rating:
Summary: incrediblely written novel,surpasses any other in its genre
Review: The almost endless adventures of a man and his people,from his point of view.Mixtli starts out fairly low on the strata of Aztec society and through lucky events throughout his life, reached ahigh social standing usually unatainable by a person of his beguinings.Everything about this book is perfect if you like or even dislike reading (I used to hate reading untill I read this novel).It will take you to another world, another reality and leave you there for a time afterward.You can't help thinking about it at least once a day even after years.The charactors are rich, they almost become your friends rather than some fictional person. The book is so vivid its as if your watching a three dimentional movie in full colour using tech. not even dreamed of today.Love, violence, lots of humor and tragedy are omnipotent, a book tou will read over and over again

Rating:
Summary: History at it's best
Review: Jennings has opened up a world that only a few have had the opportunity access. If the study of history is to understand why people make the choices they do , then Aztec is history at it's best. Through the eyes of a talented opportunist who stumbles his way to the very top of Aztec society , the reader is challenged to accept concepts so foriegn to our understanding and experience that they can quickly be labled "barbaric" or "perverted". To do so would be a pity for the reader who , to fully enjoy and benefit from this reading experience, must suspend much of what he/she brings to the table as "correct" and "civilized". That accomplished , hold on to your seat and enjoy one of the most enjoyable and educational reads out there. Too bad Jennings other efforts turned out to be little more than " Azetc meets China " or " Sun of Azetc" meets Rom

Rating:
Summary: Erudite history meets reality-splitting yarn. A feast!
Review: It's hard to write a small paragraph about such a humongous work (figuratively and literally) as "Aztec". The prose is polished, the historical details exact (as a full-blooded Mexican, Aztec history really strikes a chord), and the narrative nothing short of spectacular. The plot has everything: adventure, politics, sex, war, religion, philosophy, humor and grief. In the voice of Mixtli, reminiscing in his old age about the things he saw and lived, we hear and learn of things of a by-gone and almost-forgotten world, of rituals bizarre and common things familar. Leaving the book is hard; leaving behind Mixtli and the One World is even harder. The beauty of Jennings' style is that, not content with spinning an awe-inspiring yarn, carving characters you dream about later in the few hours of sleep you manage to snatch between chapters, he teaches history by vicarously making us live it.

Rating:
Summary: Other writers pale in comparrison
Review: Jennings' style of writing (In Aztec, Spangle, Journeyer) is so graphic, so rich in detail, so strong in characterization, that other writers cannot begin to compare. The reader feels as if he is there in that time, in those wonderful places, and the characters are so real that the reader feels an emotional bond with them. Jennings pulls no punches. great stuff

Rating:
Summary: MORE!!!
Review: Who is this man Gary Jennings??? A true literary giant!!! The Journeyor enthralled, Aztec surpasses. To quote the author "Only a novel can reclothe the dead bones of anthropology with flesh that is capable of smiles and frowns, sneers and winks, hurts and pleasure, all the semblance of reality." Well I couldn't have put it myself! Thank you Gary Jennings for hours and hours of extreme pleasure.

Rating:
Summary: Exquisite
Review: I was transported, transfixed, obsessed, a child again. Not in many years and many books have I been so mesmerized. My mind still eagerly explores this intricate feathered tapestry though it sits on the bookshelf physically untouched. This book is endlessly fascinating. Jennings is a true artisan. For anyone who has forgotten the life of books; let this reawaken you

Rating:
Summary: The best historical novel ever.
Review: The story is compelling and the presentation magnificent and unique. I am reading it for the 5th or 6th time and find it better every time. Jennings' writing is complex and challenging but never overbearing. As I read the pages I believe the story, the history, the characters and the conclusions. My very worn hard copy has 754 pages and I reach 754 way too soon. I found "Journeyor" almost as good, "Spangle" less so, and "Raptor" only fair. "Sew The Seeds of Hemp" was entirely different, but a good read if you like Jennings. I only wish Jennings was more prolific.

Rating:
Summary: Best historical fiction epic ever written!!!
Review: As a big fan of the historical novel, (Clavelle, Michner, et al..),I have got to say that this novel really got to me. I first read "Aztec" in 1980. I read it over every 5 years or so. Let me compare it with "Andersonville"(7.5) or "Shogun"(8). This book got me interested in the Spanish conquests of both the Aztecs and the Inca. You become so engrossed with the story you may throw the book down at one point (as I did). What a GREAT story this is. It has it all, sex, religion, history and much more. The only problem with this wonderful book is that you will never find its' equal. The closest I've ever found is another novel by Jennings. "Journeyor"(9) It is almost in the same league as "Aztec".(about Marco Polo and his travels). I am so happy Jennings is about to release "Aztec Autumn". I've waited 16 years for more "Aztec", maybe this is it!? Read "Aztec". You'll read it over and over.

Rating:
Summary: A Greater novelist than Gary Jennings has yet to exist.
Review: First Id like to comment on the rating scale, the boundaries being one and ten. This being the case, with Aztec at ten, would require each and every non-Gary Jennings novel to reside somewhere between one and three. It is simply unfair to compare an epic such as Aztec to other novels, and only those who have yet to read it would disagree. In Aztec lies the entire spectrum of human emotion, the complete realm of senation, and the ultimate adventure of one individual. The experiences of his life, from young to old, are told with an almost hypnotizing style. Beyond this, there is the absolutley magnetic content, created with an imagination that truly seems beyond human capablity. As if this weren't enough, the underlying philosophy of what it means to be human is so powerful that, once felt, it will not only stay with you for your entire life, but it will quite simply change you. And I am now out of adjectives, so just read it!