The Pool of Fire

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed in this book
Review: Although I had to read this book for a school assignment, I was all eager and ready to enjoy it. My teacher had greatly enjoyed this series, and had infused me with her own enthusiasm, so I picked up this book with high expectations. Boy, was I disappointed. In addition to being very poorly written, and employing terrible grammar, this book was incredibly boring and slow-paced. I don't usually mind a quiet, or slow-developing story, if it is well-written and interesting, but this was neither- it was simply a sleeper. It wasn't that I didn't try- I really did attempt to like the book, and to interest myself in it. However, my efforts were in vain, and as I read I often found myself falling into a stupefied trance, where I would read five to ten pages, and not take in a word. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get this book to interest me. It wasn't only the plot and the bad writing that disappointed me- the characters weren't much either. Bland, boring, monotonous and one-dimensional, it was incredibly hard to distinguish one from the other. The one exception was Will, the main character, who could only be distinguished by his incredibly self-centered attitude, his extreme selfishness, his disgusting self-pity, and his revolting egotism. I wouldn't have minded these traits so much if by the end of the book he had undergone some character development, and perhaps confronted his faults and become a better person. However, this did not happen, and he remained the same unlikeable person from beginning to end. Overall, I would not reccommend this book to any but those who are suffering from extreme insomnia- and even then, a big mug of chamomile tea is better than this book.

Rating:
Summary: I did care for the book.
Review: I didn't care for the book. I was trying to read the book but I couldn't get though it. I think the book would have been better if it was more fast pace.

Rating:
Summary: Thrilling Story
Review: I have read the trilogy about 5 times. The pool of fire is a thrilling story. The tv series (available on video) is worth watching as well.

Rating:
Summary: If you loved these books, watch the series
Review: I want to begin this review with a disclaimer. I only read one book in this trilogy. That book was The Pool of Fire. It recaps the events of the last two books. Will Parker, his cousin, Henry, a German named Fritz, and a French boy, real name Jean-Paul, nicknamed Beanpole, because he's tall and thin, fight the mysterious invaders known only as the Masters. The Masters want to take over Earth and turn it into their new home. Will and Henry were sent to the City of Gold and Lead to spy on them. TPOF is set months after the events of TCOGL. The Masters still want to take over Earth. It's only a matter of time. To stop them, Will and his friends must be willing to pay the ultimate price. One of them does. Hint, hint, if you want to know who it is, read this book. If you loved these books, watch the series. Back in the '80s, there was a series called The Tripods on Channel 11 in Durham, New Hampshire. It was an Australian series distributed by Lionheart Television, the U.S. distributor for the BBC's programs.

Rating:
Summary: POOLS OF FIRE IS SWIMMINGLY RICH
Review: I was immediately drawn in by J.Christopher's excellent use of thought-evoking descriptiveness. I felt like such a part of what was going on,it was too personal. But it was moving right along,so you didn't have time to get too close. The one-track kind of mission and the mixture of the boys' emotions is an awsome reflection in itself. Congrats and Thanks to Mr. Christopher for his timely stories that give a rich,vibrant feeling of defending personal freedom for all at a time of such dire circumstances in the world.
(Oct 31,2001)

Rating:
Summary: The saga concludes
Review: In the exciting conclusion of the Tripods series, the resistance movement has finally reached the point where they are prepared to take decisive action to foil the alien Masters' final plan to claim the Earth. Will, Beanpole, Henry and Fritz, the boys who have figured prominently in the previous two novels, are destined to have pivotal roles in this final struggle as well. The strengths and weaknesses of the other books are evident here, too. John Christopher has devised a great story with a satisfying ending, as our central characters rededicate themselves to the challenges confronting a post-Masters Earth. However, Christopher's story is really too big for the minimalist style he has adopted. Years pass in the course of a few pages and I was left with the feeling that I was being allowed only a glimpse of what could have been a richly detailed, fascinating world. Of course, this book was written with young readers in mind, so brevity was a natural concern. Christopher's Tripod books follow the primary adage of show business: always leave them wanting more.

Rating:
Summary: Thrilling Story
Review: My favorite part was when they had shut down the power source and couldn't get out but they had to before their oxygen supply ran out.

Rating:
Summary: This is great!
Review: My favorite part was when they had shut down the power source and couldn't get out but they had to before their oxygen supply ran out.

Rating:
Summary: The third book in a trilogy dosn't always stink.
Review: Normally, you would think that the third book in a trilogy would really stink. But man, this book is awesome. It answers all of the questions you might have asked after reading the first two books, while giving you still a bigger question to ponder. This book is filled with adventure and surprise. It is a book that you won't ever be able put down.

Rating:
Summary: The fate of the earth rests on a kid's ability to moonshine
Review: Not until J.K. Rowling burst upon the kiddie lit scene was an author as adept at mysterious child-tempting titles as Mr. John Christopher. In this, the third in the great Tripods trilogy (with a lovely prequel following for those of you still addicted to the series after this book) we finally see the last battles with the nasty Masters and their horrid tripod contraptions. In some ways, this book is a bit of a disappointment when it comes to the last scenes. In other ways, it speaks nobly of the role of peace in the world and how we should sacrifice everything to attain it (a message that strikes harder today than ever).

In this tale we meet up one last time with our headstrong hero Will. Unlike most storybook protagonists, Will isn't afraid to tell you his faults right off the bat. He's easy to irritate, foolish, and prone to spontaneous acts that could easily lead to his own destruction. Then again, if it weren't for Will the battle against the tripods would be in bad shape. In "The City of Gold and Lead", our hero had finagled his way into the trust of the evil Masters that have conquered planet Earth. He's discovered their ultimate plan (changing earth's atmosphere to gasses breathable only by Masters and not humans) and escaped with his life and some samples. Now he's once again stationed in the White Mountains and has to take a large part in the final destruction of the three tripod cities and, therefore, their grasp on the planet Earth. In the course of this book, Will partakes of a special covert operation into the city he once escaped, learns to fly a balloon, brews illegal hootch, watches men die before his eyes, and finally discovers what his true calling in life was meant to be.

As with the previous books in the series, don't go reading this tale if you're interested in reading about... oh say... girls. They do not exist. They especially do not exist in this book (with the sole exception of Will's memory of the once beautiful, now taxidermied, Eloise). Even after the tripods leave, a meeting is called of all the leaders of the world entitled, "The Conference of Man". Author John Christopher may have been under the odd assumption that including a single woman in this series would have instantly turned it into a girly book and that no red-blooded male would deign to pick up a novel in the "Tripods" series for that very reason. Or maybe he just didn't like women. It's something to ponder anyway. In any case, the number of ladies in this books equals zippo. Just FYI.

Also, the book is a bit of a letdown at the end. I was far too used to the gripping hunt sequence at the end of "The White Mountains" and the desperate fight for escape at the finale of "The City of Gold and Lead". By comparison, the finish of "The Pool of Fire" is a disappointment. There are exciting sequences in it, sure. But the final confrontations with the enemy lack any real (for lack of a better word) confrontation. You never see the enemy surrender. Never hear their cries of remorse. They just sorta give up and take off. Not a particularly dramatic way to draw a close to a relatively great sci-fi series. What's interesting is that Christopher almost makes up for this in the end. He's clever enough not to leave the ending as a happy-go-lucky ain't-life-grand sweep. Instead, people are bickering just as they were before the tripods came. And our heroes find their lives' works are going to go in entirely new directions. It's a great way to conclude the series. Just a pity that the action scenes ran so dull.

This series could not be written today as it once was for any number of reasons. Yet it remains popular and remembered by large groups of children everywhere. Kids love the Tripods series and I would be loathe to warn them away. It's just a pity that "The Pool of Fire" fails to deliver the goods. It's fun, a great romp, and an interesting consideration of whether liberty breeds contempt. It may not be the strongest finale ever written, but it has its heart in the right place.