The Two Georges: The Novel of an Alternate America

Rating:
Summary: A little boring, but good premise
Review: The best thing about this book is the way the society of the alternate 20th century. Without America to set a precedent, the nations of the world never revolt (and alot of politicians are never assassinated) and so are divided into three or four big empires. It seems like politically the empires are still stuck in the 19th century, a WWI waiting to happen. The book didn't pick up until later, but it was worth the wait. And by the way, it is that Richar Dreyfuss.

Rating:
Summary: tedious and badly stereotyped
Review: This is pulp alternative fiction about various cardboard characters with all the interest of something computer generated. I hate putting a book down without finishing it but this one seriously tempeted me. The characters are all unbeleivably stereotyped making this book more suited to the younger reader. Maybe the under 6 age group. Funnily enough I'd looked forward to reading this book and even ignored the bad reviews other folks had given it. Please don't make my mistake, order something else instead.

Rating:
Summary: Hard to find anything this badly written
Review: I suppose I have read worse novels, but it is hard to find anything in print that is written this badly. The characters are wooden, the dialogue ponderous and cliche-ridden (if Bushnell had used one more "Lucifer" to light a "slender tube" or a cigar I would have used a "Lucifer" on the book!) and the plot so short of possibility as to be insulting. The premise held promise, but it just didn't get developed. As a historian and a fiction fan, I was expecting so much more.

Rating:
Summary: Yes it had problems, but I liked it.
Review: Yes the plot went from glacial to overdrive jarringly, yes the alternate world described is less & less convincing the more you think about it, yes it had a certain Hollywood melodrama feel that I'm guessing Dreyfuss provided, & most annoying were the long descriptions about what people ate. That last one is actually my main beef because who really care's about how the salmon is prepared in an alternate world restaraunt? Nevertheless I liked it. The Hollywood aspects were entertaing in the Hollywood kind of way. I don't think a world without an American revolution would be this bad though. Bad? Think about it we have a world that's technolologically primitive, largely undemocratic, male chauvinist, with the Irish living more primitively than anyone in our America. Personally I think the French Revolution would've happened without our revolution, woman's rights movements started outside the U.S., & the Brits are more inventive then we make them out to be. Yet some think this book isn't pro-american enough. What do you need? Do you need to see that without us the entire world would be a bleak dystopia or that if fringe terrorists want an american revolution they're automatically right? Are we that egotistical? The pro-Brit statements were practically drenched in irony when you consider all the negatives of the world described. Sure the characters thought their world was lucky not to have had an American Revolution what's odd about that? After all we feel lucky that we had one. This isn't a deep book, but I'm saddened that a not particularly deep person like me seems to be one of the few to get that. Anyway this is an enjoyable book with lively/quirky characters. The parts about the Iroquois I liked & a story set just in their world would be interesting. I wouldn't want it to be Hollywoodish so Turtledove alone would be a good choice. However Dreyfuss's Hollywood touch makes this book lively & I don't really hate that. Every now & again it's nice to take a break from the intellectual/literary end of science fiction & just be transported to a fictional world more entertaining that life altering. Two georges is a relaxing easy ,if formulaic, read with some action towards the end. Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Premise, but a disappointing Book
Review: I love Harry Turtledove every since reading "The Guns of the South". Every book I've read has been awesome, so I picked up "The Two Georges". Slow paced isn't even the word for it. I think the problem was the two Authors couldn't decide if they wanted to paint a portrait (forgive the pun) of the main Character, or of the Changed America's. Something was definitely lost in the translation either way. I found myself not caring about the Mounty's personal life and just wanted him to find the darned painting. I'm still a Fan of Harry's but I'll certainly not read any more books with him sharing the credits.

Rating:
Summary: Slow Moving
Review: This book starts out well, giving a glimpse into what the world would be like without an American Revolution. It was fun just to look at his alternate world map. However, the pace of the book was very slow. This book might have made a decent short story, but not a novel. The characters are not that inspiring. I was also dismayed to see the few remaining patriots portrayed as racist terrorists. I find it hard to believe that even had the revolution of 1776 failed, colonies would not have sometime later fought for their freedom. Portraying the British as the good guys was more than a bit disconcerting.

Rating:
Summary: A good attempt ... yet rather unbelievable
Review: As a alternate history lover i immeadiately picked up Turtledove's book. I was amazed however at the slow pace once i began reading. The "authors" can't seem to decide between developing the characters or building a believable alternate world. This indecision left the book lacking in story and left me wanting more. Still...read the book and decide for yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Rather disappointing
Review: A potentially fascinating alternate history situation, the American Revolution that never happened but some how bothTurtledove and Dreyfus create a slow moving and unsuspenseful story and pedestrian writing. The characters have little depth or believability, and not surprisingly, the dialogue is cornball. The biggest disappointment is that more details aren't presented on the alternate history, the why's, how's, and effects. The inclusion of the "Tricky Dick" character was a cheap shot that's hard to believe anyone would consider humorous or clever. Turteldove failed to delive as in The Guns of the South, its as if his name was printed on the book just to increase sales.

Rating:
Summary: A REAL SNOOZER!
Review: By the end of the first chapter of this book, I though it moved dreadfully slowly. I foolishly continued reading in the hope that it would eventually pick up the pace. Although the authors' vision of a world without the American revolution or the technology-spawning World Wars is not totally without interest, there are no truly new ideas here, and everything is presented in a wordy, overwrought style I find reminiscent of Dumas sans self-effacing humor. I cannot honestly recommend this book to anyone other than insomniacs.

Rating:
Summary: The hopes and dreams of the left leaning Richard Dreyfus.
Review: As one who both loves the past writings of Harry Turtledove and viewed the typical trendy leftist expressions of richard dryfus I should suggest they both stick with their own talents. This book proved to be slow, disjointed and full of contradictions in plot and effect. To have the latter day founding fathers expressed as a bunch no better than today's militia fruitcakes is an insult to freedom loving people. To see that science has not been stimulated beyond gas filled balloons and AM radio is proof of the tremendous contributions our great country has acheived. I gave the book to a freind who is a British citizen who is a monarchist; she loved it but expressed dismay that America had been displayed as stagnent and unimaginative. This is the only Turtledove book worth guiding a wide berth around. Mr. dreyfus should go back to acting and making dismal comments on sad, sad "Politically (In-?) Correct".