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All the Lives He Led: A Novel [Hardcover]

Frederik Pohl
2.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)

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Book Description

April 12, 2011
Two thousand years after Pompeii’s destruction, a thriller of upheaval—volcanic and political—as only SF Grandmaster Frederik Pohl can write it!
 
With a keen eye for the humanity in any situation, science fiction icon Frederik Pohl has crafted a compelling new novel of a not-too-distant future we can only hope is merely science fiction.

When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. it gave so little warning that Pompeiians were caught unawares, and many bodies were preserved in volcanic ash. Two thousand years later, in 2079, Pompeii is a popular theme park eagerly anticipating Il Giubeleo, the Jubilee celebration of the great anniversary. But Vesuvius is still capable of erupting, and even more threatening are terrorists who want to use the occasion to draw attention to their cause by creating a huge disaster. As the fateful day draws near, people from all over the world—workers, tourists, terrorists—caught in the shadow of the volcano will grapple with upheaval both natural and political.


Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a tired, terrorist-plagued 2079 still reeling from the aftereffects of a massive Yellowstone eruption, Brad Sheridan escapes from America's refugee camps by signing up for an overseas indenture. Chance earns him a spot working in Italy's lavish commemoration of the 2,000th anniversary of the destruction of Pompeii. Beneath quiescent Vesuvius, tourists enjoy entertainments real and virtual. Ben's ambition is limited to minor scams and romance, but fate places him near the epicenter of a terrorist plot of unprecedented scale. This seminihilistic novel, reminiscent of Mining the Oort and The Cool War, is not among Pohl's best only because the Grand Master's previous novels have set such a high standard, and it stands as a demonstration of his continuing strengths in the eighth decade of his career. (Apr.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Review

“SFWA Grand Master Pohl’s latest is a pure delight, miraculously combining wry adventure and compassionate satire…. His tempered, hard-won faith in humanity makes this book especially satisfying.” —Publishers Weekly on The Boy Who Would Live Forever

“Very few books have ever held my attention in such an iron grip right up until the last paragraph, built so irresistibly to such a satisfying series of blockbuster punch lines, left me so breathless with admiration, achieved such truly cosmic scope.” —Analog on Beyond the Blue Event Horizon

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Tor Books; First Edition edition (April 12, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0765321769
  • ISBN-13: 978-0765321763
  • Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 2.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,096,674 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

2.1 out of 5 stars
(13)
2.1 out of 5 stars
Maybe it got better later, but I got tired of waiting. Dr.J  |  4 reviewers made a similar statement
It doesn't even work as a character study. P. Nofel  |  1 reviewer made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars As bad as previous reviews have suggested May 13, 2013
By swimjay
Format:Hardcover
Not quite fair to review a book before you've finished, but I don't think I'll ever see the end of this one.

Pohl never uses 4 words when 11 will do. A gaseous, golly gee gosh a rootie flavor coils about every sentence. I'm 1/3 of the way through the book, and only the central character is even sketched, a kind of English boy's school boy with an American tough kid back story, and there's no sense the author even cares that it's not plausible, or involving.

We should, by now, given how badly things are going in the writing department, be starting to get whiffs of flop sweat. Yet there's nothing but pure, uninflected blandness. Was Pohl on Xanax when he wrote this? Is there some kind of sadistic, passive aggressive subtext? Doesn't this man have an editor?
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Not Worth the Read April 28, 2013
By TomD
Format:Hardcover
"All the Lives He Led" starts with a great premise, but ultimately needs a great editor / story doctor. Others mentioned lack of a plot - it almost seemed as though Mr. Poole put his efforts into the book's central idea and then started writing to see where the story would take him. This is the GREAT Frederik Pohl so I kept thinking something amazing was just around the bend on this ambling and confused tale. That is just not the case...
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Is this the same author who wrote "Heechee"?? November 22, 2012
Format:Hardcover
Is this the same author who wrote "Heechee"? Well, technically it is. And Frederik Pohl is still a storyteller. Some anecdotes he provides are indeed amusing. But that is where the resemblance ends.

"All the lives he led" is a book which aspires to teach you something, and fails. This book gives the impression it attempts to be some fable, an allegory to nowadays lives. By itself, this is OK. However it leaves too many open threads, unanswered issues, and (it must be said) many holes in the plot, to give the reader the one thing a book must deliver - it is not a good read.

I did force myself to read it through, mostly due to the great respect I have for Pohl's previous work. I'm afraid this was not time well spent.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars Sad to see an author fall this bad
Fred: we expected so much more from you. If you really needed my 8 bucks you should have just asked, there was no need to present this sham parading as a novel to get it. Read more
Published 15 months ago by John B.
1.0 out of 5 stars That's entertainment?
Pohl proves himself a committed existential nihilist through his main character's first person narrative, Brad Sheridan. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Donald
2.0 out of 5 stars The premise of this book is exciting! Then you read it and realize...
The premise of this book is exciting! Then you read it and realize it's barely worth remembering. A volcano in Yellowstone blows up, the scene switches to Pompeii for the two... Read more
Published 18 months ago by ricko
1.0 out of 5 stars oh well, let's tell a story while on auto-pilot
"All The Lives He Led" is a pot-boiler, not worthy of much, except kindling - not that i ever condone destroying books - it could serve as an example of not learning what not to do... Read more
Published 19 months ago by JohnnyBGoode
2.0 out of 5 stars It was a tax write-off
Warning: Ambiguous spoilers

"All the Lives He Led" had the promise of an SF novel of Pohl authorship but disappoints as science fiction. Read more
Published 21 months ago by P. Nofel
4.0 out of 5 stars Endemic Terrorism
All the Lives He Led (2011) is a standalone SF novel. It is set in the late twenty-first century circa 2079. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Arthur W. Jordin
2.0 out of 5 stars Well written, but Pohl is out his depth
Fred Pohl's writing ability has never been in question -- he's always been able to tell a good story, as he does here. Read more
Published 22 months ago by The ol' strat player
4.0 out of 5 stars Slow start but definitely picks up in second half
The explosion of the Yellowstone volcano instantly turned the United States into a poor country filled with refugees. Read more
Published 23 months ago by booksforabuck
2.0 out of 5 stars I Bailed Early
I was very excited to see a new Frederik Pohl book--and very disappointed after reading the first 100 pages. Read more
Published on May 3, 2011 by Dr.J
4.0 out of 5 stars exciting futuristic thriller
By 2079, the once proud and mighty United States remains devastated from the massive Yellowstone eruption several decades ago. Read more
Published on April 16, 2011 by Harriet Klausner
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