The Teeth of the Tiger

Rating:
Summary: New Generation
Review: Clancy is in better form than he was in Red Rabbit. I found myself missing the "real" Jack Ryan, and Cathy, and their children. (Yes, I'm a chick, and yes, I pay attention to the human interest aspects of Clancy novels!) As always, Clancy leaves me wondering what will happen next - and if there really is a group similar to the Campus in the real world. As we all know, Clancy's been eeriely correct in the past.

Rating:
Summary: ghost writer?
Review: This is not a bad book. It flows freeley and is easy to read (unlike most of Tom Clanceys work),so I'm assuming he is giving a chance to an unknown writer. I don't believe Tom Clancey wrote this book. It's not even his style of writing. Just like "Tom Clanceys" "Op Center" series. I think he should only put his name on what he actually writes. His earlier novels were his best, he has been going down hill for awhile now.

Rating:
Summary: Clancy Fans Not to be Disappointed
Review: You can read the editorial review for the synopsis. Clancy fans and followers of the Jack Ryan epic will not be disappointed by the book. That being said, I have a few observations.

The remaining "history" of the Ryan presidency is mentioned a few times, but unfortunately what story was there will be unsatisfying to true Jack Ryan fans. I wonder if Clancy was tired of the whole President Jack Ryan story line or if it will be released later in a memoir format. At any rate, be ready to accept the new generation, as there are precious few interactions with characters you will recognize from previous books.

The story is pretty good. One wonders if the new group really knows what they are doing - definitely not the sharp outfit Clancy readers found with Rainbow or OpCenter. Their field craft and operational security seem to be sloppy by design.

One problem at the end. During the final climax, a knife was said to have dropped from the bad guy's hand. Just part of a page later Jack Jr. decides to go back because he decided to remove the knife from the guy's hand and partly conceal it. I'm certain Mr. Clancy has an explanation for this seemingly serious storyline flaw (Jack Junior was upset and forgot the knife had dropped - the bad guy's hand fell back on the knife). Still, I am surprised that someone did not catch this obvious issue pre-publication.

Jack Jr. becomes a way for Clancy to get out of the Oval Office and back into the world of international intrigue. Guess the plot line needed to branch out again.

Rating:
Summary: Clancy hits bottom
Review: Tom Clancy's latest opus 'Teeth of the Tiger' continues his slide from innovative thriller genius to pulp fiction hack. I've bought all his books in the past, but unless he puts a little more effort into his future work this will be the last one. There are a few flashes of his old brilliance, but for the most part this book is sloppily-plotted, mind-numbingly repetitive, and written so poorly one wonders if he simply dictated it off the top of his head. Every plot point is driven solely by coincidence; the reader is inundated with boring details such as what every character had for breakfast EVERY SINGLE DAY; and the characters are so poorly developed that the two 20-something protagonists compare a sexy red sportscar to the sleek looks of Maureen O'Hara and 'would rather drive a Ferrari than sleep with Grace Kelly'. Not the greatest compliment Ferrari has ever recieved, seeing as how she's been dead for 25 years. Has Clancy never heard of J-Lo or Cameron Diaz?

The main hero is Jack Ryan, Jr., son of the now ex-president Ryan Sr., who works for 'The Campus': a secret anti-terrorist outfit that is preemptively assassinating known terrorists. In the beginning of the book he muses about how annoying being 'an American prince' can be--followed around by paparrazzi, no private life, etc. So when the Campus' super-secret hit-men in Europe need a liason who do they send? You guessed it--John Kennedy, Jr. That certainly wouln't attract any attention to their activities. Of course by now Clancy's forgotten that Ryan Jr. is a celebrity of sorts and no one recognizes or bothers him. The whole book is just incredibly sloppy, and the real shame is that Clancy is such an accomplished writer that you end up reading the whole thing anyway and then kicking yourself for doing so. I don't really blame Clancy. His fame is such that any piece of crap he puts out immediately goes to Number 1 anyway, and if I had his kind of money I, too, would want to enjoy the good life rather than hunkering down at a keyboard every day and challenging myself to produce something good. But to see someone of his talent simply allow it to atrophy is a damned shame.

Rating:
Summary: A New, Very Timely, Chapter
Review: The first half of the book was typical Clancy big build-up.
The terrorist incidents and subsequent black operation missions were enough to keep my interest. This was a short one for Clancy that sets the stage for future installments. There are three new characters, all cousins, although that goes unexplained. Jack Ryan Junior and the Caruso twins (think Ding Chavez with a twin brother - not that level of consummate warrior but hey, they are still very young). I liked it better than Red Rabbit and considered it to be more similar to Rainbow Six. While I agree that it doesn't come close to the best Clancy novels,it's all we've got right now. True Clancy fans as always will have to read it and judge for themselves. To the "I'm a huge Clancy fan but this one stinks" crowd: Yeah right, and I suppose you are just as patriotic as anyone but simply disagreed with sending troops against the Taliban.

Rating:
Summary: A change of pace for Clancy.
Review: Clancy has decided to go in a different direction with The Teeth Of The Tiger, focusing on Jack Ryan Jr. and his two cousins Dominic and Brian Caruso rather than on Jack Ryan Sr.. While short (for Clancy) at 431 pages, there is plenty of action. After a seemingly slow start, in which Clancy sets up not only the storyline but also the new characters that could be the basis for a new series, the book goes absolutely nuts beginning with a mall shootout. Throughout the book, the events that take place are not only brilliantly described but frighteningly real. Clancy has always seemed to think ahead of his time (see "Debt Of Honor"), and this is another case. This is a perfect plot for a post-9/11 thriller and while not his best, it's his best effort since 1996's "Executive Orders". Great read.

Rating:
Summary: Now I understand...
Review: Before I read this book I couldn't understand how this could
possibly be a Clancy novel. After all, it was a "mere" 480 pages!
None of Clancy's books are less than 700 pages! But Clancy'y
form is to use 400-500 pages to set up the characters and situation
and use that last 200 pages (or so) to tell the fast paced actual
story. True to form Clancy sticks to the tried and true. The
first 400-500 pages set up the situation and character and the
last 200 pages... Wait a second! The last 200 pages are missing!

This book is so clearly an incomplete story as to leave no
doubt that soon another book (with another fee) will be published
to finish (or perhaps only continue) the story that was left
hanging in "The Teeth of the Tiger".

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Actually the first half of the novel wasn't bad - that's why I gave it two stars. But he gets technical details about the method of assassination wrong (perhaps on puropse so as not to provide a cookbook for someone)and that makes me wonder how much of the stuff I found so fascinating in other books wasn't really accurate either.

The second half of the novel just didn't keep my interest, in fact it took me 4 days to stay awake long enough to read the last 20 pages. And I closed the book thinking ?so?

Resting on his laurels? Lost the spark? Not sure, but I'll have to read rave reviews before I buy any more Clancy books.

Rating:
Summary: I'm about ready to give up on Tom Clancy
Review: Sure, I keep buying the books when he writes them, but soon I'll just stop. Tom Clancy has lost his touch.

Boooorrrrriiiinnnnngggggg!

One of the hallmarks of Clancy was the disaster that he allowed to take place--the plane flying into the Capitol, the nuclear explosion in Denver, etc. Sure enough, the only compelling part of this novel is a certain terrorist action throughout the United States (the reason why I rated this 2 stars instead of just 1). Before that is nothing but long passages of non-action. And after that are the heroes (2 twin brothers plus Jack Ryan, Jr.) chasing terrorist bad guys and killing them with some pen contraption that injects a deadly serum. Already not an exciting way to go, and we're forced to read the indentical hit 4 times!

Finally, Clancy's dialogue is terrible. If I had to read the word "bro" one more time, I thought I was going to explode. (As in when the twins talk to each other and end each sentence with "bro.")

I tell you what--don't waste your money like I did. Get it at the library or on the $$$ shelf at the book store in 2 months.

Rating:
Summary: Is this it?
Review: OK. I'm a huge Clancy fan. I try to read his books the day they come out. I buy every hardcover the day of release.
Understand? I LOVE Clancy books.
I believe this book will be universally described as his worst. First, there's no Jack Ryan...it's Jack Ryan Jr now. And although many critics have vilified Clancy for his apparently poorly defined or delineated characters, I always disagreed. Until now.
Ryan Jr. is a nothing. And his cousins, the two other main characters, are mildly entertaining, but no more. The honorable supporting characters are gone, from Jack's wife to Ed to Pat to pretty much everybody!
Another thing I miss is the moment (or moments) where your mouth drops agape at a turn of events. Some amazing and awesome "thing" happens that just blows your mind. Each book so far has had at least one; some have, like, FOUR.
Clancy does a frightening job of describing a terrorist attack on a mall, and his description of a guy dying from succinylcholine will be a classic.

But a "huge" moment? Nothing.
Actually, the book peters out at the end...no big climax or anything...and abruptly ends. I literally said out loud, my wife wondering if I'm insane..."Is this it?"...as I finished the book.
I promise I will take this all back if the second half of this story is published in the next six months...
...and...I must say...I will still buy each and every Clancy book the day it comes out. This book doesn't put you off Clancy altogether, it's just sort of disappointing.