Customer Reviews

Exact Revenge

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Plot: See Dumas, Alexander (pere), The Count of Monte Cristo.

Characters: See above; substitute Lexis (sic) for Mercedes. No kidding! And look for a cameo by Bonaparte.

Prose style: Mixture of first person and third person; combines a style that could be called "lawyerish" (a la John Grisham) with an unaffected bluntness that could be called "linemanish."

Genre: Crime/fantasy-adventure.

I didn't really know quite what to make of this book. It is, of course, a modern re-telling of The Count of Monte Cristo, and its thematic elements are virtually the same as the Dumas classic. What, then, is the point? Why bother, other than as an act of ego by the author to proclaim that he's just as good as the masters? But is he, if the whole work is derivative?

These questions troubled me as I read this book. But the story is well-enough told that I decided at last that the motive must be to make the story accessible to modern readers, who can tolerate only short chapters and straightforward prose. On that level, the book works. It is fun reading, just as was the original, and combines fantasy wish fulfillment with ambiguous moral judgments. I don't think there is great art in this -- it is like a masterwork painting duplicated by a talented student -- but it is entertaining. I found it fun to read, even though I sometimes felt guilty taking pleasure in something so derivative, and I recommend it, particularly to those who have not read the original and therefore are free of the burdens of comparison.

I am familiar with the story of THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexandre Dumas but have never read the book; thus, this review of Tim Green's modern day version of that classic work will make no comparisons of the relative virtues of the two novels although the obvious differences between them deserve a brief comment. This is a much shorter and less complex work than Dumas' book, which is well over 1000 pages in length. This difference combined with its modern day setting in upstate New York will undoubtedly make it much more attractive to today's typical reader of action oriented psychological thrillers. In summary, Green does not attempt to recreate a modern day version of that classic work but rather utilizes the essence of the adventures of Dumas' character to weave an intriguing tale of betrayal and how the victim decided to EXACT REVENGE. Each section of the book begins with a quotation from THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO - taken together they serve both to pay the proper credit to Dumas' for his masterpiece and foreshadow the action which is about to unfold. In summary, as the titles of these sections indicate - this is book about BETRAYAL, ESCAPE, ASCENSION and REVENGE.

This is the story of Raymond White, written in the intensity and with the introspection that a first person narrative allows. The opening lines are "there was a time when people wished that they were me. The only boundaries I had were the limits of my imagination." Raymond had been a highly successful NY attorney, a self-made success about to be nominated for political office and hoping to marry the beautiful woman with whom he was deeply in love. Following the conclusion of a very important deal, he agreed to secretly deliver a letter of unknown contents from a dying Congressman to a local woman in upstate New York. This simple act resulted in his BETRAYAL, his conviction for a murder which he did not commit, and the loss of all he held dear - his father (who died while he was in prison), his job, his girlfriend and for a while his hope for the future. We meet White while he is still in prison - twenty years after his 1985 trial he has stayed alive by committing acts which keep him in solitary confinement and away from the dangers posed by his fellow prisoners.

Suddenly, in another seemingly random event White saves an old inmate named Lester Cole. In gratitude, Cole gradually overcomes White's distrust and skepticism and convinces White that he can in fact not only survive but achieve the impossible, ESCAPE from the supposedly escape-proof Auburn NYS maximum-security prison in which they are incarcerated. Lester also teaches White his three rules of survival at Auburn. The third and most important is "EXACT REVENGE". "If you don't do it, you'll be a professional victim. You exact it and it's exact. Not just a reaction, but planned out. Precise. It needs to send a message." Yes, the double entendre of the title is intentional.

In addition to the hope that Cole's plan offers for potential escape, Cole also eventually comes to trust Raymond enough to confide to him that he has a hidden cache of wealth from his exploits. These have the potential to provide the means for Raymond's establishment of a new identity and his ASCENSION to a position of power which will enable him to achieve the REVENGE which he so desperately desires to inflict on the villains of twenty years ago.

This is a well-constructed story, taut and spare and with an intriguing subplot regarding Raymond's partially Indian heritage. There are also a few shocking twists as the story progresses. The author Tim Green is intimately familiar with upstate NY and is a member of the NYS Bar and his knowledge adds realistic detail to the story. After my enjoyment of THE LETTER OF THE LAW and THE FOURTH PERIMETER, I was terribly disappointed by his one star novel THE FIFTH ANGEL. Thus, I am very pleased that his latest two books, which continue to examine the themes which formed the basis of that book (i.e., the achievement of justice and retribution outside the legal system), have been much more enjoyable and philosophically consistent.

Despite my praise and the fact that the story captivated me, I did not rate it five stars for several reasons, all of which I freely admit are a matter of personal taste. First, taken as a whole the series of coincidences which combined to allow Raymond to create his new identity strained my credibility even while creating a fascinating story. Second, Raymond's desire to exact a full measure of vengeance before he could move forward with that new life and enjoy his good fortune was understandable but very unsettling to me. Third, Green's vision of humanity as revealed in Raymond's acts of revenge, while definitely less dark than that of Dennis Lehane (who is a much better author than Green), still detracts quite a bit from my enjoyment of his work. Thus, for me the conclusion is made somewhat bittersweet by the knowledge of how Raymond arrived there. Nevertheless, this is not only a good story but also has provides the material to form the basis for an interesting philosophical discussion of the interplay of the concepts of revenge and justice.

Tucker Andersen

I wasn't expecting much from this book since i tried to read some of tim green's stuff before and for some reason, didn't care for any of those. However, when i heard that it was essentially a remake of Count of Monte Cristo, I knew i had to read it. I loved count of monte cristo since i was a kid and i have to say that tim green adapts the story very well. It will definately keep you intrigued. There was a few weak spots but overall, very enjoyable.

It's obviously an interesting story concept, since it's patterned after a classic, but the lack of character development is a fatal flaw. In fact, there really aren't any characters, just caricatures: The dirty cop, the weasely politician, the wise old prison cell mate, the unjustly prosecuted hero, etc.

I generally like Tim Green's work, but this was a real disappointment.

I am a big fan of Tim Green. His previous books have always been excellent. Then we come to Exact Revenge.

From the beginning of the book, it felt as though the storytelling was offputting. Somehow the introduction of the characters was stilted and ackward.

I usually don't like to have too many details in the stories I read, but this book was incredibly short on the important ones and made me feel as though I was reading a report intead of a thriller.

There was no ebb and flow at all and this book was just a major disappointment.

Twenty years is a long time to wait. It's an eternity when you're confined to a maximum security prison, incarcerated for a crime you didn't commit. That's the dark hole Raymond White finds himself in, and he doesn't know whether he'll ever be able to climb out.

White tumbled from the top. He was one of the best, a young lawyer with a high powered firm, a gorgeous girl, and an almost sure road to Congress. Then, he's framed for murder. Once convicted and jailed he has lots of time to figure out who framed him and why. But, there's not much he can do about it when he's held in solitary confinement. Or, is there?

He finds a mentor and friend in Lester Cole who's serving life. Together they plan an escape through underground sewers with the promise of a billion dollars they can split once they're on the outside. Cole doesn't get to see freedom, but White does and the actions zooms from there as he follows Cole's advice and exacts revenge.

Broadway and film actor Stephen Lang gives an artful performance in this story of a wronged man who's going to make things right - his way. Lang perfectly captures both despair and daring as listeners follow this jet speed adventure.

- Gail Cooke

I started The Count of Monte Cristo several years ago, but I didn't last very long with it. (I must've been in 6th or 7th grade then, I'm a senior in high school now.) I'd only picked it up because I'd seen the movie, and I'd decided to watch that because the plot intriqued me. This book seemed like a good read because the prospect of a modern-day setting made completion seem feasible.

I just finished the book a few minutes ago. At the beginning, it was interesting to see events that coincided with the original story. The story flowed fairly well, generally moving smoothly except for places where it felt like Green put in pointless details.

In the end, I feel there's room for more. Even with my mediocre sense for recognizing symbolism, I could sort of predict where the plot would go. The plot could have been more involved, more complicated, more intriguing - something that I had expected to be a quality of a drawn-out revenge.

Although on a number of levels this was a fun read, I'm afraid it left me feeling let down when I was finished. My primary complaint (and, for me, a genuine problem)is that the characterizations are extremely weak. The main and principal subordinate characters are just not well-developed, and rely way too much on cliche and sterotype to be believable. More important- and perhaps fatally, from this reader's point of view- is that I never developed a strong sense of really caring about any of them. There are also a number of places throughout the story where the plot is stretched so thin you can hear it beginning to tear.

In general, the writing's not bad, but there a few lapses here, as well.

It's an entertaining story (how could it not be, given its inspiration in Dumas?), and will make a good beach read. Hard to take seriously, however.

I thoroughly enjoyed my first two experiences with the author, Ruffians and Titans. I had seen some bad reviews of Exact Revenge, but with a long airline delay ahead of me I bought the book out of a high regard for Tim Green.

This story reminded me of the convoluted fairy tales I made up for my 4 year old niece. I would steal a classic story and make up the most outlandish characters, qualities and plotlines; something akin to a man in a burning building suddenly growing wings and flying away.

The story is ridiculous and impossible to accept. The lead character goes from top of the world, to a life-sentenced prison term, to an escapee with wealth beyond anyone's imagination. He manages to buy the N.Y. Jets, live a lavish life and influence world leaders without detection.

On a positive note, this book reads very quickly because one is always waiting for the next silly development. Buy this book if you believe Superheroes really exist, otherwise save your money!

I enjoyed the comparison and simalarities to the Count of Monte Cristo. Is is obvious what Green is trying to accomplish with this novel- a modern day Dumas thriller of revenge and greed. Green was brilliant in his character development and the plot is plausible. It was like watching a modern day remake of an old movie- it still keeps the classic style, but the special effects and modern day settings make Exact Revenge one of Green's best work. You will not be disapointed.