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Summary: Female Raiders of the Lost Ark!
Review: This book remains probably one of my favorite books of all times! It is like a female "Raiders of the Lost Ark! The whirlwind trek through history is fantastic, even to those of us who are not chess fiends. This book comes highly recommended!!!
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Summary: The Best Book Ever
Review: I have read hundreds and hundreds of books, but have yet to come across one that so brilliantly and vibrantly mixes adventure, romance, mystery, history, and humour as this one does - as opposed to what alchemists tried but couldn't achieve, this blend truly does result in pure gold!
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Summary: Ten years ago, when I was fifteen...
Review: and still lived in my native Bosnia, I happened to buy this book. The translation was atrocious, but I was breathless. While reading the book, I forgot to eat, to sleep. I even skipped school. The 20th century plot was mediocre even then, but Mireille's story seemed so erudite and so arcane to me... I dreamt for weeks about having a lover with the aura of Talleyrand, an exotic friend like Shahin, etc. Now, with some more knowledge about the French revolution, history in general, not to mention real literature, (also as a Middle East studies major), I see this book in its "real" light: somewhat trashy, a little racist, and truly elitist. Read it if you need a little romance, but also want to be educated (without putting a strain on yourself, of course); also, it is recommendable if you are 15. However, do not think real Russians or Algerians are similar to the walking cliches of this book, and do not look for depth.
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Summary: Are they sure this isn't a romance novel?
Review: This review is going to do some serious bashing so I'd like to emphasize the book wasn't all *that* bad. I just don't think it rates what most people have given it. It is "below average" but not "horrible." So I give it two stars.My biggest complaint? I found myself repeatedly looking at the spine to make sure it really did say "fiction" and not "romance." I realize taking things out of context can be dangerous so I'm going to use one of the less offensive examples: "Every moment spent with him seemed a frozen golden drop of time, like the jewels scattered on the dark cloth - as vivid and as precious." And remember, I'm not even siting the worst example. There is plenty of "quivering" and swooning to go around. I may be a cynic but this seems the stuff Harlequin uses - tho admittedly, I've never read one. The characters? The female protagonists in the historic thread just reek of stereotypes. In the modern thread, the female protagonist solves the most obscure references jumping topics and even languages with the greatest of ease - and then shows a complete inability to do a common-sense task. The main male character in the historic thread simply could not think with his mind but seemed doomed to think sometimes with his heart but usually with regions further south. The main male of the modern thread is all the best of Fabio, Einstein, Dirty Harry, James Bond, McGuiver, Dante and e. e. cummings (and only 26 years old!). And, for the record, I love a *good* heroine. The "mystery" was *completely* insolvable by the reader. In fact, it wasn't even very well defined. On more than one occasion, the author uses the and-they-stayed-up-all-night tactic allowing the protagonists to come up with the solution to the piece of the puzzle du jour. Unlike many books, the last 20 pages actually improve the book. Treading lightly to avoid any spoilers, I was a bit annoyed that, in the end, the entire caste of characters inexplicably takes the decision of the lead heroine as gospel. Had it been me, I'd have said "Yeah, right. Gimme the pieces!" But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. Trapped on a transcontinental airplane and someone stuffs this book in your hands? By all means read it, it won't be a complete waste of time.
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Summary: Reading in black and white true the colors of Neville
Review: This is one of the best books that I've read in my life. And I am sure it will be the same for you. I don't know yet anybody saying is not a great novel. Suspense, great humor, history and all in a double play mixed with cheess, fiction and inteligence. Get it, and enjoy...be prepared because you won't be able to close the book!
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Summary: Too much and not enough
Review: What a book! Everything is in here but nothing in depth. There's chess, but no moves. There's Napoleon, Robespierre and Rousseau, but none of them do much of anything. Algiers! OPEC! Freemasons! Secret formulas! Mysterious fortune tellers! Signs of the Zodiac! and more, much much more. Unfortunately it's too much to hold together with any real coherence or believabilty. That said, I must admit that I was interesed in the story of the young nun, until she started cavorting all over Europe and the Mid-East. Excuse me, but I don't think it was that easy for people to sprint around the continent like that in times of strife and limited opportunities, especially young women. If you like chess thrillers and you want to actually have some chess moves in your chess thriller, read "The Flanders Panel" by Perez-Reverte.
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Summary: Disappointing, I think
Review: If you have a working knowledge of: Khaddafi, Opec, Voltaire, Napolean, Algiers, The French Revolution, Music and Math, Talleyrand, Robespierre, Russian History and Politics, Alchemy, Rousseau, puzzles and riddles, you will love this epic. Personally, I found it hard to know which was fact and which was fiction. I cannot believe someone would want to read this more than 1 time, even if that. Sorry.
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Summary: Worth re-reading again and again!
Review: This is my 5th time replacing this book. I have loaned it out, never to be returned and had it stolen more than once. I have recommended it many times over and re-read it at least 8 times. It was worth it every time. The story ranges over the centuries, connecting music, mathematics, chess ad immortality in a complex yet extremely well thought out plot that holds one's interest from page 1. It is clear that much research went into the writing of this book so I was learning while being richly entertained. The primary characters were sympathetic and grabbed my interest. The cast of cameos extensive. It had all the ingredients of a good suspense novel, and enough historical detail to make the fantasy believable. I never wanted this book to end. I look forward to "The Magic Circle. I hope it is of this same caliber. I read another book by this author because I was so impresssed with "The 8", and was disappointed. Not that the book wasn't a good story, but "The 8" is exceptional, almost an epic, with great depth and breadth of vision. It was almost as if another person had authored the second book...or that the first (The Eight) had been 'divinely inspired'.
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Summary: The Eight
Review: This is a captivating tale of the eternal struggle of good vs. evil. The heroines of both time frames that this book is written in are very courageous, fascinating women that are caught up in their times and their lives. I have read this book 5 times and I see everything on a new level each time. Do yourself a favor and buy this book..
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Summary: Terrific if you accept the premise
Review: This story involves a search for an ancient chess set which purportedly holds some sort of secret which will provide the key to wealth and power for whoever discovers it. There are both good guys and bad guys looking for the set, whose pieces are scattered widely across the face of the earth. The basic idea is implausible of course, but variations on this plot have stood the test of time, producing many best-sellers. And this book is just about the very best of its kind. It should get four and a half stars because of the unrealistic premise, but it's just too good to make it four instead of five. (I don't know why Amazon switched from a ten-star to a five-star format a few years ago. It doesn't give enough flexibility.) Anyway, the quest for the chess set and its associated secret extends back at least as far as the 18th century, and the part of the book which takes place back then includes cameos by Voltaire, Bach, Euler, Rousseau, Robespierre, Catherine the Great, Napolean, Benedict Arnold, and some others whom I've forgotten at the moment. The modern-day quest stars a woman who is apparently partly modeled on the author herself: a computer expert who travels to Algeria on business. Neville writes well, plots well, and held my interest throughout. In most books of this type, the ending is a letdown, simply because the eventual discovery can't live up to the advance billing. But this book is an exception - the ending is wonderful and completely satisfying. This is just about the best adventure-quest-conspiracy book I've ever read. If you actually LIKED "The Celestine Prophecy" (pure drivel in my opinion) or "The Matarese Circle" (confusing and sloppily plotted), then read "The Eight" and see what a truly competent writer can do with similar material.
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