5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Lesser Patterson, March 11, 2005
In Balance of Power, Richard North Patterson follows up on his previous novel, Protect and Defend, by presenting another story about a political hot button issue. Instead of abortion, this time the topic is guns. Unfortunately, the politics wind up being more important than the plot and the result is a book that is merely above average, not really great.
The story focuses on recurring character Kerry Kilcannon, the charismatic President saddled with an opposition Congress. After members of Kilcannon's wife's family are killed in a mass murder with a high-powered gun, Kerry - already an advocate of gun control - steps up the pressure to restrict access to certain weapons. Opposing him are the Sons of the Second Amendment (SSA)- an obvious substitute for the NRA - who are extreme in their views and willing to resort to any level of dirty tricks to win.
There is a semblance of political balance here, but there are no doubts where Patterson's sympathies lie. And while these views often parallel my own, that doesn't make me enjoy this book any more. Instead, this book often seems to be little more than a slanted political debate. While not all the pro-gun people are villains, all the villains are pro-gun.
Anyone who is pro-gun is likely to hate this book and it's not good enough to win anyone over. Certainly, when compared to another recent political novel that I've read - Michael Crichton's State of Fear - Patterson's novel shines. Both emphasize politics over plot (although with distinctly different viewpoints), but at least Patterson's characters are more than talking heads. Indeed, Patterson is a good enough author to make this a high-three star effort, but it is nonetheless a weak book for him.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Page-Turning Story, but not Fair to Both Sides, May 18, 2010
As with all of Richard North Patterson's work, page-turning, political infighting makes BALANCE OF POWER a must-read for political junkies on both sides of the political aisle. That said, if you have a closed mind and any kind of opinion at all, for or against gun legislation to go along with it, you'll either love or hate this book. I'll give you three examples.
"Richard North Patterson has a keen eye for how Washington really works. His portrait of the gun lobby is right on-both in terms of its power and its political tactics. A must read for anyone interested in the gun debate." -Former President Bill Clinton
"BALANCE OF POWER is a rip-roaring novel about guns, lawyers, and politics. Richard North Patterson has extraordinary insight into how Washington works, and a complex and heartfelt understanding of the effects of gun violence on our society. This is a great read by a masterful writer." -Senator Edward M. Kennedy
"I hate this book." -Any living member of the National Rifle Association
Okay, maybe that last one was a little exaggerated, but you can see what I mean about readers either loving or hating this novel. And from the examples cited above, you can pretty much figure out where Patterson comes down on the debate.
The third book in the Kerry Kilcannon trilogy finds President Kilcannon about to wed. After the wedding, tragedy strikes his new wife's family. Kilcannon ran on a promise to do something about guns in America, now gun violence has attacked close to home. But it's not the first time, Kilcannon's brother was killed by an assassin's bullet when he ran for the presidency. So, President Kilcannon has valid reasons for his fight for better gun legislation and we can sympathize with him in his struggle to get it.
However, perhaps Patterson goes a little over the top in his portrayal of the gun lobbyists and those that believe in the right to bear arms. There must be a least one guy out there in America who sincerely believes in his right to own a handgun for protection and for no other reason. Still, this is a fabulous book and if you can around the fact that it's not fair and balanced and doesn't pretend to be, then you'll be treated to a wonderful five star story and you'll learn about how your senators and congressmen work when they pass legislation that affects your life, and I think that I can guarantee, Republican, Democrat or Independent, you won't like how they do it.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Will Common Sense Prevail?, October 10, 2005
Balance of Power, Richard North Patterson's twelfth novel, tells a story about politics and the background posturing and backstabbing that is endemic therein. It is not a particularly pleasant book but it is interesting and well written. The core of the narrative is a battle between President Kerry Kilcannon and the SSA (Sons of the Second Amendment) obviously a pseudonym for the NRA (National Rifle Association).
In a previous book, Kerry's brother James, had been assassinated while running for president. Kerry, who later became a U.S. Senator also was shot by a would be assassin during an election campaign. He recovers and goes on to become President. Obviously gun control is close to his heart and this book describes Kilcannon's efforts to institutionalize a modicum of safety measures in the face of the intractable SSA.
The Plot
After unraveling the president's plan to get gun manufacturer's to voluntarily provide locks for their handguns and require background checks on sales at gun shows, SSA president, Charles Dane goes on the offensive against the hated Kilcannon. As the Republican Parties main contributor, many members of the Senate and Congress are beholden to the SSA, so Dane meets with the Senate Majority leader, Frank Fasano, to go over strategy to neutralize his perceived enemy.
The Story
Shortly after taking office, President Kilcannon, a divorcee, marries his lady friend, the beautiful, former Lara Costello, previously a news correspondent. However, prior to the wedding, Lara, while in San Francisco, confronts her sister Joan, a victim of spousal abuse and forces her to talk to Kerry, who was a former prosecutor, specializing in spousal battery. After getting Joan to file a complaint against her husband, John Bowden, Police secure the gun from him that he had held to Joan's head a few days previous and he is arrested and subsequently released on bail, with the stipulation that he stay away from his wife and six year old daughter, Marie. But John is a troubled man.
John Bowen, obtains passage to Las Vegas, where he attends a gun show purchasing a gun that has been banned in California, along with especially deadly bullets, from a private seller, at the gun show. Then he returns to California where he awaits the return of the Costello family from Washington DC, where the five Costello women had attended Kerry and Lara's wedding. At this point the stage it set for tragedy, leading, subsequently, to a round of Machiavellian intrigue, which would make Robespierre proud.
Conclusion
Balance of Power is a long complicated book of 605 pages. It is both heart wrenching and inspiring. During the inspiring parts, I'm not ashamed to admit my eyes would water. If you pick up this book you are in for an emotional rollercoaster.
This book would not appeal to gun advocates, since it depicts the gun lobby as unalterably set against even the most modest safety measures, even those volunteered by gun manufacturers. The author, Richard North Patterson, conceded to a gun control bias in the Acknowledgment section at the rear of the book, although that was obvious to me, from the tenor of the novel. In truth the book mirrors the intransigence that often emanates from the real life NRA, regarding seemingly innocuous legislation, in total disregard of the victims and survivors of gun violence.
In summary, Balance of Power is an excellent tale of the exercise and misuse of power in lobbying and government which can make one seethe. The character development is superb, with distinct conniving antagonists you love to hate, contrasting with good and admirable protagonists. The situations that unfold are extremely interesting, such as a conundrum which existed between a lawsuit needed to thwart pending legislation, whose passage would terminate the lawsuit.
The book is well written and the writing is fluid. There is, in my opinion, some superfluous verbiage though not overly so. Patterson's writing style, although sometimes technical, is still easily understood. He is one of the better authors I have read. I did have a problem with one element of the story, where they were submitting legislation that would kill all product liability against all manufacturers, passage of which, would wipe out pending and future lawsuits by employees of a company that had received fatal doses of asbestos in a mine. That didn't seem like product liability to me. Still Balance of Power is a fascinating read, that gives the reader a glimpse of the inner workings of congress and special interest groups. Final rating 4.65 stars.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
