Rating: Summary: How did this get printed? Review: This was my first Cussler book. It was recommended by a friend. From what I've read, I have to conclude that Cussler heard a great story and then turned it into a miserable book. 1. Dialogue - horrible. Unreadible. Its stiff, it tries to be funny, and it tries to be James Bond type wit. It fails in the worst way. 2. Characters - Dirk Pitt, say it aloud: Dirk Pitt. Bad name. It doesnt't work. Also, let's review the character: an ex-marine, works as a diver for a government agency called NUMA, collects classic cars, and dates a beautiful congresswomen who adores him. That can only be a string of Cussler's fantasies fused into one person. Doesn't happen. 3. Humour - whoever told Cussler he was funny should be shot. If you read this Cussler I'm sorry I don't think you're a good author. Take heart - you're obviously good at something, because the book seems to be selling well.
Rating: Summary: Juvenile Waste of Time Review: The only way I could finish this colossal waste of time was to skim the final 200 pages. It have the worst dialogue I have ever read in print, including stories written by my children. The plot, the hero, and everything about the book are extremely juvenile. Here's my advice if somebody gives you a copy of "Atlantis Found": throw it back at him.
Rating: Summary: Another adventure with Dirk Pitt Review: I must admit to being a bit biased in favor of Dirk Pitt, having read a lot of his more famous adventures. Therefore, there's no way I could think too ill of a new Clive Cussler novel. The Indiana Jones of literature is still up to his usual world-saving heroics, and even happens to be battling Nazis this time. Now, for all those people that criticize Cussler for putting in unrealistic plot elements, please take a look at the spine of one of these books. This is adventure, not science fiction. It doesn't need to have a foundation in proof or theory. Nevertheless, Cussler does an admirable job of making this one a reasonably believable story. In fact, I would say he tried TOO hard to establish a factual foundation, perhaps at the cost of some good old swashbuckling action. Atlantis Found had a lack of the famed 'Dirk Pitt blasts in and rescues hot women' scenario that is oddly prevalent in the most popular Pitt novels. I only counted two such rescues here, where Sahara was essentially full of them. The usual Machiavellian plot was in place, with a pretty sinister set of crooks, but I don't think Karl Wolf measured up to his evil equivalents in the older novels. Aside from the worldwide cataclysm, et. al. perhaps the thing that really surprised me was a hint of a certain romantic arrangement that I won't blow here. Read and find out for yourself, but let's just say that some people (Bond, Jones, you know the type) just can't conceivably end up that way. I think Dirk Pitt definitely falls into the same category.
Rating: Summary: Intriguing Backstory Makes this Adventure Yarn a Winner Review: Hidden chambers with indecipherable inscriptions and exquisite artifacts from a long-lost civilization add wonderful elements of science fiction to this mystery thriller. "Atlantis Found" makes for perfect escapist reading with plenty of action and espionage and charmingly stereotypical heroes and villians.
Rating: Summary: if this is your first cussler book, my apologies Review: Where o where to begin with this horrid waste of ink and paper. God, and I am a Dirk Pitt fan, having read all the novels! If this is your first experience with a Dirk Pitt novel, I ask that you give him another chance and go read "Raise the Titanic" or "Treasure", neither one has the mind numbing amount of inane dialogue and seemingly endless product placement (I thought they just did that in the movies). This book is the literary equivalent of The Mummy Returns, fast paced with no idea of how you got from point A, the beginning to point B, the end. Here is a list of flaws: 1. Character Development-NONE 2. Overly ridiculous plot 3. Dialogue-dear god, there is no excuse for dialogue this bad, if Cussler was an unknown author, this would have been rejected by even a high school paper. There are probably more, but I think my IQ has dropped several points reading this book and I can't quite remember any more. For all you people who gave this book anything over 2 stars, apparently you have never read a good book and have no basis of reference in differentiating between a 'good' book and a 'bad' one.
Rating: Summary: Pitt saves the world again Review: Cussler has written an interesting addition to the Dirk Pitt saga, but I wish he would stop writting himself into minor roles in the story. The first couple of times, it was interesting, now it seems like an ego issue. Dirk and Al find themselves in another thriller, facing a ruthless family of "Aryan" types who have the blood of Hitler in them. The Wolf family is dangerous and bent upon changing the world to their sense of a "perfect world". Pitt and friends encounter murderers, plenty of narrow escapes, exotic locations, ancient secrets from a lost race, beautiful women, mercenaires along their path to lost Atlantis. Add in generous portions of shoot outs, German U-boats lurking among the ice flows, gigantic ocean liners, the "Holy Lance" that speared Christ, a huge comet, Hitler's ashes, a mad battle under the Antartic between SEALs, Marines, Delta Force troops and mercenaries and you have the latest Pitt adventure. Good stuff for a long rainy weekend. Has potential for the films Cussler signed up for, if done correctly. Over all a fun read, leave reality after the first page and go for it.
Rating: Summary: Another peak for Dirk! Review: For those unfamiliar with the DIRK PITT series, yep, this may very will be as corny a novel as you will ever read. However, one cannot escape the fact that Clive can spin a GREAT yarn, interweaving past and present issues/stories, some interesting historical and factual data, and action at a breakneck pace. This novel has more depth and texture that a lot of 'turn the page thrillers' out there today, as Clive does his homework to present us with some neat historical gems to tie a modern-day action thriller (end of the world, of course) with the past (a 'Fourth Reich' bunch of wackos from South America who are from the Nazi bloodline, and are hell-bent on running the world in their way, and will do anything to do it). I have read nearly all of Cussler's novels, and yes, I do expect a certain level of action, unreality, and over-the-top plots - but, heck, that is why I still read the books! This is not literary genius here (it would be like Star Wars getting an Oscar for Best Film!). In a world like the one most of us live in though, one can find a great escape in entering into Dirk's world. For those who dismiss these kind of books, I do feel sorry for - however, all of us need a good romp into adventureland once in awhile with Dirk and Co. - and CC is the man to take us there!!
Rating: Summary: Solid and consistent - this is what Cussler fans want! Review: Why o' why do so-called literary experts take such delight in trashing Clive Cussler and his Dirk Pitt series? For those of us who are devoted fans, we're getting a little tired of all the bashing. Thousands of fans can't be wrong! "Atlantis Found", while widely panned by the "experts", will be a great addition to the "Pitt collection" for Cussler fans. Well, let me get off my soapbox long enough to give my impressions of another exciting, escapist trip with Dirk Pitt, Al, Admiral Sandecker and every one of the great characters that we've come to know and love! "Atlantis Found" is a throw-back, in a way, to some of Cussler's earlier works. The plot, albeit somewhat ultra-fantastic, is founded enough in factual data to be at least somewhat believable. And, as usual, great action, terrific villians and plenty of gadgets abound. Suspend your world of reality for a few hours and plan on a taking part in a fantastic journey to locations spanning the globe! If you haven't had the opportunity to read one of the novels from the Dirk Pitt series, this is probably a good place to start as any because, as mentioned earlier, almost every major "player" is part of this book. Perhaps not as strong an entry as "Raise the Titanic", "Deep Six", "Pacific Vortex" and "Treasure", "Atlantis Found" will not disappoint Cussler fans (Back on my soapbox, let me say...) To Cussler critics everywhere - back off! For true fans of a great series, as long as Clive keeps writing "them" we'll keep buying them!
Rating: Summary: If you enjoy 1940s comic books, this is the one for you! Review: what the heck, even if I give it only two stars for poor writing, lame charectors, and contrived situations, it is fun in the same way those old Captain America and Bucky cartoons were. I mean, this book has it all...Evil Nazi clones! Jackbooted goons all in black riding SnoCats (as seen on TV in the Man from Uncle)! Loneghrin's Spear (aka the Holy Lance, per Cussler "the holiest relic in Christianity!?!)! .... Butwait, there's more! You can have a bundle of fun laughing at Cussler's grasp of science and history. I always thought Star Trek was the low point of pop science, but no longer, Clive has taken the nadir for himself. .... And the history is even sillier. Cussler has a historian say "it's a fact that the more advanced a civilization, the less they leave behind them". Huh? That makes no sense whatsoever. ....
Rating: Summary: Oh my Review: This is the first Clive Clusser book I've read; I selected it because people told me that anthropologists/archaeologists are main characters and I'm an archaeologist. Oh lord, I got my first huge chuckle from mammoths freezing solid where they stood (in preface or intro) and continued laughing from there. Not sure what is funnier: Atlantians colonized Antartica, the Forth Richt (as in Nazi's were the Third Richt, not sure how to spell 'richt"), the so-called archaeologist acting like a hired killer/adventurer, or the author writing himself into the novel-on Antarctica of all places. Read this book only if you want a good laugh and have much freetime, its long with tiny print.
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