The Descent [Import] [Paperback]

Jeff Long (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 415 pages
• Publisher: Victor Gollancz (1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0575068620
• ISBN-13: 978-0575068629
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (340 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,112,361 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An "Other World" book at it's best, November 26, 2002

By 

Schtinky "Schtinky" (California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: The Descent (Paperback)

I love being sucked into new worlds created by great authors, and this is one of them. This is the first Jeff Long book I have read, and I will be reading Year Zero soon.
Long's underground world and underground society are very well described in this book. The subterranean journey far beneath even the ocean floors is fantastic, scary, and interesting. The psychological changes the parties go through is true to form. He even had me looking over my shoulder for the Hadals.
I won't give anything away, but there are some very startling moments in this book that just blew me away and kept me reading through the night.
With a Himalayan mountain guide who goes into the abyss and returns scarred in every way, a beautiful nun teetering on the brink of faith, a group of Philosophers who begin to gather more frequently across the globe in search of Satan himself, an evil corporate head and his fiendish step son, a fanatical mercenary, an Army pilot who falls from grace through disfiguration, and of course the Hadals (underground tribes) all seeking their own prize from the sub planet, Mr. Long has brought a novel to us that you will be unable to put down until you finish it.
I highly recommend this book as an "all-nighter".

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best adventure book I've read in twenty years., August 9, 1999

By A Customer

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This review is from: The Descent: A Novel (Hardcover)

What makes a great adventure book? Is it the plot? THE DESCENT is daringly plotted and full of surprises from start to finish. The twists and turns are audacious. But author Jeff Long pulls them off because he writes with clarity, authority and a great deal of vivid and specific detail. There's lots of science in this book; but instead of sounding like reader-feeder, the cool logic of facts makes an expedition to the center of the earth in search of Satan actually believable. Do great characters make great books? If so THE DESCENT is a winner. Ike and Ali are far from typical hero and heroine yet I found myself committed to the story of their survival thousands of fathoms below sea level, reading way after midnight several nights in a row. For the most part, the secondary characters are also strong though occasionally the villains come close to twirling their moustaches. These lapses are rare, however. Besides character and plot points, this book scores ten for writing style. It's popular fiction and there's no chance of THE DESCENT winning the New York Book Critics. But compared to most action adventure stories it is written with elegance and grace. This book deserves a spot high on the best seller list.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An exciting thrill ride with a different perspective, August 27, 2003

By 

Michael Erisman (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Descent (Paperback)

First, the world created in this book simply stretches the imagination! Combinations of JRR Tolkien like mythology and Steven King horror woven into a modern day tale of archeological discovery and intrigue.

The book starts out as a frightening thriller about a variety of interactions with unknown creatures and situations. It all comes together when it is discovered that an entire world exists beneath the surface populated by an unknown species. Is this Hell?

The best aspect of the book is the vivid and remarkable creation of a world below the surface. The depictions of new species, and discoveries are painted with such detail that the reader is taken along on the journey with the characters. The depictions of several of the main characters are also well done. The pace and suspense keep the reader engaged throughout, eager to see what comes next.

The theological issues often lack depth, but frame an interesting sub plot. In the end, several ideas are postulated but not really closed out, leaving much to the imagination. This is much more effective than trying to tie up all loose ends, as it depicts a more realistic mystery.

Overall, I would say that this is a great story but the book is not for everyone. Fans of sci-fi, fantasy and Steven King type thrillers will not be disappointed at all, as it is extremely well written. I agree with the other reviewers here in that this has the potential for being a great film. An excellent addition to the fantasy genre.