Rating: Summary: A good read Review: Oh, lighten up, people. This book was a good entertaining read that kept a steady pace throughout. And to those who suggest that the outcome was obvious early on in the book, did you consider other possibilities? Part of the fun of reading this was in wondering which of several possible outcomes would surface. And, hey... the guy gets the girl in the end.
Rating: Summary: Great premise! Lousy execution! Review: 'The Genesis Code' starts with a bang that can seem only to get better...and doesn't. Quite the contrary, actually; after the elaborate, well-written, gripping forty-page build-up following a priest from Montecastello, a small village in Italy, as he travels to Rome to reveal a terrible sin that has been told to him in a confessional, we enter bog-standard-American-thriller-city. It's like suddenly - WHUMP - the impetus disappears, the pace dwindles to a halt, the characterisation and conceptualisation of the fictional world become sloppy, and what had been, ten pages earlier, a thoroughly engaging work becomes yet another Michael Connolly rip-off, complete with illogical plot-leaps and implausible situations. So you plunge through the rest of the book, hoping it gets better and wanting to know what the sin actually is (and guessing it miles before the end, I might add) but without really enjoying any of it because main character Joe Lassiter is exactly the same as every other character who populates this kind of thriller. The priest, Italy, the workings of the Vatican were all well-researched, believable, exotic renditions - and then America arrives and Case, obviously through familiarity of the setting, neglects to put any finer touches to the playing field, and concerns himself with telling the score rather than allowing the crowd to watch the game.This book also suffers from a lack of spectacle. The sin is so unthinkable that upon being told of it, the priest almost dies of fright; a powerful international elite commit global murder to keep it secret; Catholic sect Umbra Domini want to overthrow Vatican II and impose a strict orthodox regime over the world. So why does nothing happen? What starts out as a thriller that seems to imply that something big is on the horizon which has implications for every man, woman and child on the planet, becomes a very insular tale of four men trying to kill a few people. The 'sin', whilst a good idea in itself, does nothing, changes nothing, and is really just dressing for the story. Even the ending, where the main players (bar a few such as policeman Riordan who is inexplicably discarded about two-thirds of the way through) are brought together in a largely contrived situation (and killed/saved/married off, etc., etc.) suffers from a total lack of climax. Obviously Case thought that situating the action on a tiny, barren, storm-tossed island was what a globe-trotting, larger-than-life murder thriller needed as a finale; I would go out on a limb and say it needed something a hell of a lot more. As I said in my title, the premise of this book is great, but the plot is lousy and Case repeats himself far too much (everyone says: 'Bibbity bobbity boo!', and he mentions that people wait outside saint's houses to claim relics from their bodies when they die about five times until it starts to get annoying). Predictably, Case follows the 'someone dies, and thus their reporter/FBI Agent/private investigator brother/nephew/son (delete as appropriate), who also happens to be rich, decides to investigate' high-concept thriller blueprint, but it's been done better a million times before. So all in all, not very fun, nor very exciting, and not very realistic, but it's worth checking out the premise in case a more talented writer decides to steal it.
Rating: Summary: Fun, but predictable... Review: I can't even remember WHY I picked up 'The Genesis Code' in the first place, however the first chapter was enough to convince me that this was in fact a pretty good thriller...however it DID ramble on in parts, and became predictable to the point where when the 'surprise' is finally unveiled, it is no longer a surprise. B-u-u-u-t it WAS fun. Mr. Case (not his real name) has given us a true-to-form formula for action, drama, science and more action. It's almost as if the author was trying to meld the best parts of Robert Ludlum with Michael Chrichton... an admirable task, but not necessarily easy to pull off. I'd say overall it was a valiant effort that fell short, but is certainly an entertaining journey. Think of it as Ludlum 'light'.
Rating: Summary: Mixed feelings on this one... Review: I agree with the reviewer who mentioned the obvious errors on the part of the Joe Lassiter (main character) & yes, I too had the entire plot figured out by the 6th chapter..Mr.Case unfortunately underestimated some of his audience's ability to catch subtlety. Despite the predictability (in some ways even from the first page)I still enjoy this author's style of writing. He does need to work on his character development & raise his expectations as to the intelligence of his readers, but he can be funny at times & descriptive without being overly so. I enjoyed this novel more than "The First Horseman."
Rating: Summary: Genesis Code Review: I was hot & cold through the first 3/4 of the book. I appreciated the conversation between the main character and a scientist to help explain some of the medical terms tossed around. It's not safe to assume everyone knows medical terms and their meanings. I liked the end, I put the book down with a smile on my face.
Rating: Summary: Thought-provoking Review: I couldn't put this down! The genetics remind me of "Jurassic Park" in a way, but in a more probable way. I've read it several times and every time I pick up something new and interesting. It's a great thriller, even after you know what is going on. It definitly makes you wonder if this is even a possibility, and which side you would be on if presented with a situation like this one. I would recommend this to anyone. And, if you enjoy this, read "Angels & Demons" by Dan Brown. Enjoy!
Rating: Summary: Genesis code Review: Hey. To all you knockers out there. It's a novel and guess what. I enjoyed it.
Rating: Summary: EXTRAORDINARY! Review: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: A review of the submitted reviews will show a marked difference of opinion on this work. I have read the book twice and listened to it on tape once. My opinion remains unchanged. It is an original plot of unusual quality and extremely well written. I highly recommend that you read the book and make up your own mind. And then by all means, write a review of your own.
Rating: Summary: Great Diversion! Review: This is one of those books that you want to read until you finish it - even if it is into the late night! It has enough "science" to be interesting and believable while bordering on the edge of science fiction. There isn't a lot of depth to this book. Ethics are mentioned but not explored. This book is for excaping reality and entertainment.
Rating: Summary: If you liked Jurassic Park, you'll LOVE The Genesis Code Review: Instead of baby dinos, we have baby saints! Are other authors wondering where else a little DNA can be scared up for their new book? I am personally more interested in who John Case really is. My guess? James Bamford. He wrote a book called The Puzzle Palace, about the NSA, and also writes for The Washington Post (notable since Case's other book centers around a Washington Post reporter). Do I win a prize if I'm right?
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