Customer Reviews

The Eleventh Commandment

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(19)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I read this book in three days and could hardly put it down. I have become interested lately in CIA and spy novels, and this book did not disappoint me in any way, in spite of what a couple reviewers below have said about it. What I loved MOST about this book is that you don't expect a CIA assassin to be a truly honorable man, as was this main character. It was really interesting how the author immediately pulls you into the assasin's mind and gets you right on his side.

The reviewers below comment on the plot being implausible--that the CIA would not go around like this assasinating world leaders. I don't think this comment is important. In any novel, we must "suspend our disbelief," and this novel is no different. The more pertinent question in this novel is "What if?" I personally thought it was one of the best plots I have ever read, and I really enjoyed how the characters were one-upping each other. I was really surprised by the twists and turns of the plot as it progressed. And I liked being surprised. An EXCELLENT read.

Like most authors of this genre, Archer starts out at a high intensity but with fairly plausible characters and plot lines for the first hundred pages, but to maintain the ever-increasing tension, the characters and the plot have to move off into never-never land. By the time you get to the last fifty pages, he's off the charts. But long before that, you're hooked on the adreneline rush and you stick with it until the end. Not a great book, but a pleasant way to kill a rainy weekend at the beach or wait out a blizzard on the ski slopes. I wouldn't buy it, but I'll read a few more of Archer's books from the library to see if they are better or worse than this one.

I have read many of Archers books. And I must say I am a devoted reader, even though some of his pieces had already disappointed me. But this one is a hit. It starts quite slowly, by the first third of the book, you wonder whether it is going to be tricky and thrilling at all. But through the rest of the book you just fly through without a break. There are some really good points (f.e. the execution part, for those who have read..:o))). I loved this book. And thanks to the slow start, I would recommend this also to the Archers first readers. You will have time to make yourself comfortable with characters and pace of his story. And it IS a REALLY GOOD ONE with professional background and obvious knowledge of the problematics.

The Eleventh Commandment was my first Archer book, and it wowwed me from start to finish. I liked Archer's style of setting up characters throughout the book, resisting the temptation of telling you the characters' entire life story in the first chapter you meet them. I found myself thinking I knew how the story would end -- and revising my thoughts several times. A quick, but challenging read for anyone who loves government-oriented plots.

Having read dozens of political/espionage thrillers, I was reluctant to pick up Archer's "Eleventh Commandment" because of the cliched title and the rather drab synopsis of the plot on the back cover. I was relieved to find that Archer's work moved at a pace much faster than the ordinary Tom Clancy or Vince Flynn. Rather than wasting pages on trivial bureaucratic details, Archer keeps the characters on a steady sequence of events whose progress rivals the best works of Robert Ludlum.

The one drawback of the story is the lack of character development, especially with the protagonist. Archer does give us adequate information on the background of Connor Fitzgerald but does little to endear us to him. While Fitzgerald is likeable, he doesn't have the panache that most literary spies regale the reader with. I suppose this is done intentionally considering most real CIA operatives/assassins are probably less demonstrative than the ones we're used to reading about.

All things considered, Archer's book is uniquely entertaining. With a plot that's unusually thoughtful and clever, the author forces us to recognize and appreciate the precarious situations of each character. Towards the end, you'll find yourself pulling tremendously for the main character.

I am an avid reader. I am always looking for an new author. This was the first book that I have read by Jeffrey Archer but I can say it will not be the last. I found the book totally entertaining. It was a real page turner, infact I finished the book in one day. I would recommend the book to everyone who enjoy suspence novels.

Although "Honor Among Thieves" remains Archer's nadir, "The Eleventh Commandment" comes close, as did its predecessor, "The Fourth Estate." As with the execrable "Honor Among Thieves," Archer settles for the international intrigue path of cliches and stereotypes. The villains in "Commandment" are as two-dimensional as bad comic book villains and the protagonist has a better shot of veneration than the late Mother Theresa. At its best, the language manages not to offend; most of the time, it is dull. For a "suspense thriller," the book makes a serious mistake by revealing the protagonist's intended target just pages after the Archer manages to set up some suspense over this detail (the CIA director wonders if he will kill the Russian or American president; two or three pages later -- with about 70 left in the book -- Archer tells the reader).

As for Archer's use of the University of Notre Dame as an incidental setting (it's where the protagonist went to college, starring, of course, as the football team's greatest quarterback in a quarter century), some more research would have helped. For one thing, he gets the name wrong, putting "University" after "Dame." It's a minor detail, but it casts doubt on all his other setting details.

So, why two stars? Partially for the opening scenes, which tease the reading into expecting more from the novel, and partially for the author, whose "Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less," "Kane and Abel" and "The Prodigal Daughter" have long been among my favorite popular novels. Readers unfamiliar with Archer should start with those novels.

I'd never read Jeffrey Archer before but this book has definitely made me a huge fan. The characters are likable,the plot is interesting without being too redundant (the old story of the secret agent running around the world and just killing people doesn't apply here), and I found the book refreshingly easy to read (of course I had read a Tom Clancy before reading this). I do hope someone makes this into a movie, I'd be the first in line to see it!

If you like Rush Limbaugh, this isn't your book. Archer, a former member of Parliament, takes a skewed view of American politics and the evil that lurks within us. Notably, however, he did his homework in adding authentic details on late 1990's events within Washington DC. This book is often confusing. When somebody appears to die, be skeptical, they may come back more often than Shirley Maclain. Thank goodness this amusing fantasy is far from reality.

I usually like Jeffrey Archer, but I found this book a little confusing, and I could sort of guess the plot twists ahead. Still, it was entertaining. I would rate it 3 1/2 stars, but you can only use whole numbers!