Rating: 
Summary: cussler does it again
Review: Love Cusslers books they are a great escape from every day job stress. the only problem is the story ends too soon and you have to wait too long for his next adventure
Rating: 
Summary: Improbable, Implausable, Irresponsible and Inane
Review: I had never read Cussler, so didn't know what to expect. Eventually, after reading half the book, and seeing a bookstore display touting Dirk as the hero, I came to realize that Atlantis Found was one in a series of quasi-techno-thrillers akin to my favorite Tom Clancy/Jack Ryan novels. Clive even has the chutzpa to associate Dirk with Jack Ryan by name in the story. Name dropping only served only to make poor, lame Dirk all the more pale and second-rate.I was heartened in the beginning by the Atlantis theme, being a fan of Atlantis lore. This promising start quickly disintegrated into mere study of the improbable. Dirk's arrival on the scene and rescue of some of the characters trapped in a mine for starters. I was confused as well as to how the goons of the Forth Empire could discover, infiltrate and destroy a hitherto unknown underground room from a single phone call, yet are unaware of a little old lady who had the same artifact on her mantle for 80 years -- when apparently their predecessors had a hand in trying to killer her grandmother some decades before in the Antarctic. Huh? Exactly. The hero and his buddies seem to have a psychic ability to know exactly what is going on at all times. For example after a parked helicopter explodes marooning two characters on a remote island one announces that it was a bomb put on the chopper before they left and set to go off while they were over the water on the return trip -- a kill averted by their unexpected lingering on the island. At every turn Dirk knew that whatever happened was no accident, they, or "the killers" had elaborately planned it, and he knew exactly how with only the evidence of the clearing smoke. Tying the improbable and implausible together throughout is the inane dialogue. I thought I was reading the work of a 7th grader. I started getting a tic when, after watching a group of characters have their first experience deep in a mine (unnerving in itself), be trapped inside by an avalanche -- which knocked the lights out -- then followed by an explosion which creates a cave in and somehow causes the water level to rise (I'm not sure this is geologically possible), the sudden appearance of Dirk to the rescue and a trial by water buddy breathing on scuba to "safety" for people who had never been on Scuba (one who couldn't swim), in freezing water, a long tromp through the mines, then being confronted by gun toting guys on motorcycles (refereed to exhaustively as "the killers") who announce that they are going to kill the haggard trio (actually a quartet but they don't know about Dirk... until he springs into action and kills the killers right in front of the shocked on lookers). Sounds like a bad day. All that and they still aren't home safe. Are they freaked out? Upset? Let's see, in the next conversation... Then Pitt paused and asked, "Have any of you ridden motorcycles?" I rode a Harley for ten years," answered Marquez. "And I have an old Honda CBX Super Sport that belonged to my dad," Pat volunteered. "Do you ride it?" Rode it through college. I still hit the roads with it on weekends." Pitt looked at Pat with newfound respect. "So you're an old leather-crotch, hard-in-the-saddle woman." You got that," she said proudly. Where is the fear? Where is the shock at the ordeal? Where is any hint of reality in this entire book? I couldn't find it. I could only take so much of this bad writing, and quit halfway through. Take my advise and bypass this one entirely and go straight for Without Remorse by Clancy.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I was intrigued by this book because of its title, rather than the author. I had never read any of Clive Cussler's books before and found this one to be very intriguing and well written. I read it in one day and enjoyed it. It was a long book but it kept you into it by not being repetitive and boring. I appreciate that even though it was much like James Bond, it did not have sex scenes and trashy language throughout, in fact I don't recall any language or scenes. Well done.
Rating:
Summary: Atlantis Found
Review: The only thing wrong with this book is that we will have to wait another two years for Mr. Cussler to do another Dirk Pitt.
Rating:
Summary: Another Dirk Pitt Rip-Roaring Adventure
Review: Cussler writes a book that holds the reader's interest from the first page to the last. The mind's eye paints a beautiful picture of Cussler's description of people, places, and events. My only complaint about this book is in the editing. There were several instances of contradictions and inconsistencies in the subject matter. A good editor should have caught these.
Rating: 
Summary: Dirk is back!
Review: Having read the exploits of Dirk Pitt for over 20 years, I found the last few novels lacking in excitement. But Cussler is back in great form, and I enjoyed Atlantis Found a lot. Good story, plot moves along, and Al Giordino gets a life -- who could want more?
Rating:
Summary: Atlantis Found
Review: I never grow weary of Dirk Pitt, or the cameos by Clive. It was my most anticipated Christmas present. Yes, I also caught the one typo (craved) but worse yet was the blatant contridictions on page 55 and 95. Having just become a certified diver this really stood out to me, unless there is something I am not understanding about dive suits. But no matter! Pure escape and entertainment which is why I read. However, I always thought Tom Selleck would have made a perfect Dirk Pitt and too bad none have been made into movies. However, James does corner the market on the silver screen and Clive Cussler would no doubt face considerable criticism trying to put Dirk on the big screen.
Rating:
Summary: Another solid ride and enjoyable read
Review: I've read all of Clive Cussler books, and am amazed at one aspect of his writing. That is, he always seems to be able to write engaging, fast-paced novels even with some unbelievable and/or "corny" elements that always seem to wreck other authors. With "Atlantis Found", he has pulled that off yet again. I always find myself having to "disengage" a portion of my brain when reading a Cussler novel, because of the unbelievable and corny aspects of his writing. Dirk Pitt is a kind of "super Bond", who gets put through more abuse, injury, and utterly impossible situations than any other fictional leading man in the literary world. No way he can continue to singlehandedly save the world and survive, but that's fiction! The other thing I have to ignore is Cussler's quirky sort of writing, especially when it comes to conversation. He writes dialogue for his characters that you never hear from anyone in the real world. It is a style that is almost overly cliched, but in an elitist, Ivy League sort of way. This is amusingly highlighted in "Atlantis Found" in the dialogue between the Special Forces troops. I know of no troops in my experiences, including a stint in the Navy, who spoke as Cussler's characters did. He made them out to sound like they went through high society etiquette training rather than boot camp or SEAL training. Like I said, though, despite these corny and unbelievable elements, Cussler enthralls the reader with his historically and archaeologically-based plots. He manages to wrap the reader's focus around thes believable elements and lets the reader enter an Indiana Jones-esque tale. "Atlantis Found" has a great plot centering on the Amenes culture and its tie with the myth of Atlantis. Pitt's nemesis in the novel, the evil Fourth Empire, is a worthy foe that also adds a great historical element to the storyline. I too enjoyed the plot twist that came about midway through the book, as did a previous reviewer. It was one I did not see coming until you hit it. And, I enjoyed the fact that for once, Pitt had to have SOME help in saving the world, courtesy of Special Forces. Of course, Cussler has Pitt saving the troops' bacon once and making all the crucial decisions, but at least he had some help in thwarting the bad guys. If there was one element in this novel I did not like, it was Cussler's self-serving insertion of himself into the story to meet/help Pitt. However, this is a pet peeve I've had of his novels for awhile now. It was neat the first time he did it, and maybe the second time too. But now it's old and is a weak point that seems to do nothing more but to soothe Cussler's ego. I would hope he halts this aspect of his writing the next time around. All in all, though, "Atlantis Found" is an enjoyable story. It is a nice cap to the 1990's for Cussler, who has put together a string of solid novels this decade after being sort of "hit-and-miss" early in his career. While this novel did not quite rank with my favorite Cussler novel, "Treasure", it is still one I highly recommend to Cussler fans and also to those reading him for the first time.
Rating:
Summary: Great storyline
Review: It was wonderful watching the plot unfold, everything pieced together perfectly. This was my first Clive Cussler book and it has sure encouraged me to buy another one. Non - stop action combined with classic Hitchcock style writing will leave you hooked to every word.
Rating:
Summary: Another great job
Review: I have read every Clive Cussler book published and think this is one of his best. I enjoy how he brings background information into his story and shares this with the reader. The theory of Atlantis is fascinating and I'm glad he finally chose to write about it. As always, Dirk Pitt and Al Giordano are great partners! It seems a little twist is added as Al is finally getting married...could Dirk be next? All in all, I couldn't put it down until the last page was read. Can't wait for the next book!
| 
