Iceberg

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Summary: Iceberg: Audio Cassette Review
Review: Iceberg: Audio Cassette Review When I purchased this audio cassette, I had no knowledge of Clive Cussler's work. I bought the tape because I'm a fan of the reader, Bruce Greenwood. I have enjoyed his acting since "St. Elsewhere." After the finale of his most recent show, "Nowhere Man," I looked forward to the opportunity of experiencing another one of his projects. Since I'm usually not attracted to the detective genre, I had no expectations of actually enjoying the story. I was pleasantly surprised. In a word, this story is fun. There are countless twists and turns, nonstop action, and a bounty of characters. Dirk Pitt is larger than life in a romantic, superhero fashion. This is not a criticism; if the popularity of a certain secret agent is any indication, we like our heroes invincible. Without giving away plot secrets, let me just say that the ending came as complete surprise. I was clueless until the final words were uttered. This in itself was a breath of fresh air. I can't say enough about Bruce Greenwood's delivery. Mr. Cussler's host of characters provide an expansive canvas for Mr. Greenwood's boundless talent for voice and dialect. Bruce Greenwood can move from a British accent to a southern accent and on to a woman's voice without a hitch. One is soon swept away by his magic and treated to a virtual theater for the ears! (Being the avid Star Trek fan that I am, I can only hope that Simon & Schuster will consider Mr. Greenwood for their Star Trek audio series.) Together, Mr. Cussler and Mr. Greenwood provide a delicious recipe for fun. I'm looking forward to future visits with Dirk Pitt. Rating: 8 Bonnie R. Johnson [e-mail]

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Summary: Not Bad
Review: In comparison to some of the other adventures of Dirk Pitt, this was one of the least interesting. With the exception of the ending, which was dynamite as usual. However, when compared to Raising the Titanic, Shockwave or the Mediteranean Caper; Iceberg was relatively boring. It was still an enjoyable read, with a rather interesting ending.

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Summary: Early Cussler work still delivers the goods
Review: It is close to heretical to say so in Clive Cussler fan circles I am sure, but I enjoyed this Dirk Pitt adventure (the second one published though the third actually written by Clive) precisely because of the absence of Dirks close friend and NUMA colleague Al Giordino.
You see, my favorite novels of the fantasy/action-adventure/thriller genre include those where it is the individual battling the good fight. So I was pleased as I came to realize reading this early Cussler work to find that it was Pitt doing all the investigative work and mixing it up with an assortment of hoods and villains.
One thing I did find distressingly absent from this work was the trademark Cussler style of tying in some seemingly unrelated preludes together. My favorite preludes (I have so far read) is the Viking history and Capt. Nemo chapters that formed the beginning of the later `Valhalla Rising.' I imagine their absence here is due to this being one of Cussler's early works when he was still searching for his own voice and still using Alistair MacLean's style as a template on which to paint Dirk Pitts adventures.
The plot revolves around the discovery of the burnt remnants of a ship encased in an iceberg and sinister goings on that takes Pitt from Iceland to Disney. I really enjoyed the early chapters with Pitt and Dr. Honeywell investigating the iceberg though I was surprised to find the Cold War references somwhat dating the piece.
With some fun action sequences and a decent plot this novel isn't half as bad as some Cussler fans might have you believe. Certainly the author still has yet to hit his stride (a feat he probably first achieved with `Raise the Titanic') and it is almost intolerably politically incorrect in its portrayal of the female characters but for page turning entertainment I liked this novel.

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Summary: Odd
Review: It was okay, but the concept of one of the bad guys had a sex change, well, thats what was odd.

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Summary: Not The Best But Still Fun If You're Bored
Review: Not much to say about this one. It's weak but will still do if you're bored and don't have anything else laying around.

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Summary: Slightly Wooden Pitt
Review: One of Clive Cussler's earlier adventure novels featuring the intrepid marine enginner Dirk Pitt, Iceberg is perhaps one of the least interesting. Why? Simply because this novel is one of the few in the Dirk Pitt series that sports a curiously improbable plot and a fairly disappointing ending. Compounding this is the exclusion and loss of a considerable source of humor in the form of Al Giordino, a regular appearance in the series.

The plot begins with an interesting premise- the mystery of a trawler encased in ice, its interior charred beyond recognition. Who is behind the creation of this ghastly scene? However, with the absence of the sarcastic Al Giordino, the storyline fast degenerates into a stereotyped, dry outing in which Dirk Pitt narrowly survives attempts on his life in his quest to identify the cause of the tragedy.

In fact, Iceberg is one of the few Clive Cussler books in which Dirk Pitt is severely beaten...and exacts revenge (perhaps a tad sadistically) by breaking the antagonist's arms and legs. Compounding this is a set of improbable action pieces that fast become repetitive unlike other of Dirk Pitt adventures.

If for nothing else, Iceberg will be of interest only to fans who wish to experience one of Dirk Pitt's lesser, earlier adventures.

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Summary: comically archaic
Review: Reflects homophobic attitudes and archaic stereotypes of women. Mr. cussler is a skillful writter, lets hope he has learned some things about the life and the world since 1975.

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Summary: Fast-paced reading!
Review: Remarkably fast-paced reading. Insomniacs could probably take in two or three similar tomes in one night. Cussler's succinct words paint vivid pictures of the story's events. However, Major Dirk Pitt's almost super-human strength seems slightly unbelievable: he survived a helicopter crash in freezing water and a beating by the antagonist who was a black belt in karate. Despite Pitt's broken ribs and severely mangled face (his eyes were described as more than halfway closed), he was able to climb a deep ravine and walk several miles in cold, wet, foggy weather. Since almost all celluloid and print heroes are endowed with such staying power, this should not detract the reader from enjoying the book.

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Summary: Excellent Book, though not Cussler's best.
Review: The book Iceberg is written by Clive Cussler. The story starts out when Major Dirk Pitt, Special Forces Director for NUMA (National Underwater & Marine Agency), finds a ship called the Lax. It is lodged partially frozen in an iceberg. Pitt finds the crew murdered! From a fatal poetry recital to a deadly visit to Disneyland, Pitt must stop the murderers at all costs. Otherwise, the world is under the murderers' command'. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend because it has plenty of action.

Rating:
Summary: Iceberg
Review: The title of this book is call Iceberg. The setting of the story takes place near Iceland and Alaska. This story is full of suspense which will always keep you wondering what will come next.
The first reason I liked this book is because it is full of mystery. The story starts off that a ship named the Lax got trapped inside of an iceberg. The ship was carrying very important people. A passing plane spotted the ship in the iceberg. The plane marked the spot and said they would come back. They did, in a helicopter. When they took a closer look they relized that there was a hole that looked like it had been drilled in the ship. When they got closer they saw ashes. They could'nt believe that the pile of ashe could actually be the people on the ship. Someone or something had vaporized everyone where they stood. The captain on the bridge. The cook in the gally. And the scientist in his room. As the helicopter left the iceberg, a black airplane attacked them. As they tried to get away the plane fired upon them. In return, they rammed the helicopter into the airplane. Sending the plane and the helicoper plunging into the ocean. The helicoper pilot and a man washed up on the shore. A farmer saw them and loaded them into his pickup truck. On the way to the farmer's house the man who was riding in the helicoper with the pilot died. When they got to the farmers house the pilot called the police. When the police came the pilot realized the men who came were imposters. They were Russian spies who had connections with the black airplane. The pilot and the farmer stopped the spies from killing them. They called the real police.
The second reason I liked this book was that you never know what will happen next. It is full of suspense. In every scene of the story there is always a feel of uneasyness. That is what makes it so interesting.
I recommend this book to kids between the ages of 12 through 14. Because it is very interesting book that has lots of mystery and suspense to make it a fun story to read. I would rate this book four stars.
Overall I think this book is very exciting, interesting and mysterous. It's a great read for someone who likes mystery and suspence that keeps you on the end of your seat.