Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well Put-Together Action Book, August 10, 2003
The Aquitaine Progression tells the story of an attorney, Joel Converse, who is in the middle of a business deal when he is recruited by a long-lost friend to uncover a conspiracy that would allow a group of generals and ex-generals to overthrow civilian governments and take over the major governments of the West and crush communism. He only has a short while to do this, he has little information, and he is soon on the run. Robert Ludlum often uses one of two themes: an everyman is suddenly put into a position where he has to save civilization even though he has no special skills (e.g., The Osterman Weekend and The Holcroft Covenant) or a man with very specific and useful skills has to save the world but is reluctant to draw on those skills (e.g., this book and The Bourne Identity). In The Aquitaine Progression, the hero learned his skills in a prison camp in Vietnam, but the horror of that experience and the dislike of the war make him unhappy to use them. I think this category of Ludlum book is more plausible, because there is a reason why the hero is able to outwit his enemies. Overall, the book is well-done with gripping action and suspense, as well as the ever-present worry that the hero is trusting the wrong people or not actually one step ahead of his foes even though he thinks he is. Readers who like Ludlum will like this book.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quite literally this is a literary Masterpiece, April 13, 2001
Not just good, but absolutely fantastic! I have to admit that I bought this book two days after it was released back in the early 80's...and attempted to read it probably 20 times, only to give up after about 50 pages or so. I just wasn't 'hooked' on the plot by that point...but after being urged to plod further on for the 100th time by friends who HAD finished the book, well I decided to give it a go yet again. I can honestly say that when the plot really begins to thicken, it hardens to the consistency of Titanium, and quickly, too! I really cheated myself all of these years by giving up way too soon on this novel. Always sensing what could happen before it ever does, Ludlum sees the NOW popular 'New World Order' Global Conspiracy in a way that makes it seem plausible and VERY frightening indeed. Joel Converse is thrust into the thick of things totally against his will, and it seems solving this monumentally huge problem isn't so much a humanitarian thing to do, as doing so quite literally will keep him alive. For those of you who have given up on 'The Aquitaine Progression' as I have done, I urge you to NOT GIVE UP. You are missing out on easily one of Ludlum's best novels if you pass this one by. Sure its a little dated...but look beyond that and you will find the events portrayed in this book to be absolutely horrifying. The story takes some time to get going, but like I said, once it does, grab on and hold on tight 'cuz it's gonna be a bumpy and thrilling ride. All Ludlum fans NEED to read this one, you will be forever glad you did, I know I am...FINALLY.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mature handling of an intricate plot, August 27, 1998
By A Customer
Ludlum is typically skillful in this novel, though some might think it overlong. The possibility that men somewhere might be devising a plot based on order out of chaos, making themselves not the villains but the saviors, is a terrifying "what if?" And the entire chain of events will be set into motion in a matter of days...However, in Ludlum's fictional setting there is Joel Converse, attorney at law. Converse sets out to expose "Aquitaine" legally, to bring in the key players without a fight. Only when he is in too deep does he become aware of the killer's resources; the fact is, the key players are innumerable, and it is most likely Converse that will be silenced without a fight. Then follows the most rewarding part of the novel, a chase (though not literally, because his antagonists wait for him everywhere) througout all of Europe, with Converse fleeing from bad guys with almost unlimited information and drawing upon an inner reserve he'd rather forget. The book only stumbles on a few points: first, the dialogue is at times straight of the comics and strangely lacking in expletives (despite the fact that the fate of the free world hangs in the balance). Also, the ending is packed with bizarre legal mumbo-jumbo to the uninitiated. In all: highly recommended.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
