Customer Reviews

Caravan to Vaccares

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I've read all Alistair McLean books, many of them several times over. "Caravan to Vaccares" is a good read. However, the interplay between Bowman and Cecile is ridiculous (although this is almost a McLean hallmark - its quite overdone here). Le Grande Duc is charming and keeps the interest going. The action scenes really make the book enjoyable. Not as good as some of his other works, but still a decent, fast read.

Although it was bookended by two of his best books ('Puppet on a Chain' and 'Bear Island'), 'Caravan to Vaccares' is the first book to clearly foreshadow Alistair Maclean's decline through the 1970's. It is far more light-hearted and light-weight than his earlier books, often descending into near-farce. While he's not yet at the point of ridiculously improbable plots, the tendancy toward stereotype and exaggeration that plagued him in the later years is evident in the characterisation and dialogue.

Neal Bowman is so typical of the dry-witted, laconic Maclean hero that he's almost a parody, and his interactions with Cecile Dubois are often silly (Remember guys, if you've just met a beautiful girl, just crack lots of cheesy one-liners about bridesmaids and altars and she'll be falling over herself to marry you!). Le Grande Duc and his monstrous appetite is similarly ridiculous. Of the two heroines, Cecile has a bit of spark to her and often provides a sardonic counterpoint to Bowman's wisecracking, but Lila Delafonte is nothing but a token love-interest for Le Grande Duc, and a pretty unlikely one at that. Arguably, it's the villains who have more depth, with gypsy-leader Czerda and corrupt priest Simon Searl the highlights.

What saves the book from going the way of Maclean's later yawnfests is that there's still a fair amount of action, with various threats and attacks directed at the leads. The chase through the ruins of Les Baux and the bullfighting scene are two particular standouts. The plot is decent enough, albeit merely a new twist on the usual Cold War skullduggery. And although silly, there is a certain guilty pleasure in watching Bowman and Cecile play off each other. They do go quite well together as a couple.

While far from Maclean's best, it's certainly readable and entertaining enough. Not the best place to start for those new to Maclean, but existing fans who can make allowances for the silliness should still enjoy it.

This is a fun read, but nowhere near the best of Alistair MacLean. Its best feature is an introduction into Andalusian culture, although it just scratches the surface.