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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Two Seconds, October 27, 2005
Fear Is the Key is MacLean's sixth novel, but quite possibly his funniest. The moment after reading the first sentence, I was already laughing out loud. The hero, John Montague Talbot, would become reminiscent of MacLean's 1966 British spy, Philip Calvert, in When Eight Bells Toll. Both characters, not at all similar in terms of career path or "secret" history, are oozing with that dry humor which, in the case of Fear Is the Key, makes up most of Talbot's thoughts. One of the funnier moments occurs when Talbot is held at gunpoint. Talbot then compares the enemy's tone of voice to that of a character requesting muffins during afternoon tea.
The intensely written prologue is the kind that sucker-punches the reader with the last page. The reader will immediately want to know what the heck happened, how it happened, why it happened, and how it is affiliated with Talbot. It will all be explained, as most good books do well, at the end. But to get to the end is a hazardous journey, rife with those ubiquitous, dangerous, gun-wielding adversaries that always harass MacLean's victimized heroes.
The first chapter is expositional in nature, but is important to the conclusion of the book. Talbot entertains himself (and the reader) with his witty thoughts during the interrogation. After this, the book becomes pure action, with car chases, lies, gunplay, a beautiful woman, twists, and at times laugh-out-loud discourse between Talbot and supporting actors.
I found the book to be well written and one of MacLean's better novels. The rewarding moment, however, comes at the end, when MacLean's writing suddenly becomes terrifying, all too real, and tragically oppressive. I was so frightened by what would happen, I became sick with fear. I have read and enjoyed many of MacLean's later novels, but I have been moved only by a few: The Secret Ways, and now Fear Is the Key. Believe it or not, our adventure spy thriller author becomes a poet at the end. Bravo, Mr. MacLean.
I read the 1961 Fawcett Gold Medal paperback. My dictionary dash consisted of bathyscaphe (155), a deep-sea submersible vehicle.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is one of the best books that I have ever read, July 26, 2000
In my opinion "Fear is the Key" Is probably one of the on the top five of Alistair MacLean's novels. This novel is very difficult to predict which makes all the better, because in most books the outcome is obvious. The protagonist will overcome all obstacles and achieve his goal and live happily ever after. In this book the outcome is not so easily predicted. It's a great book...
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Fear" Is a Winner, July 8, 2000
It has been nearly 40 years since Alistair MacLean wrote "Fear Is the Key", and the novel hasn't aged all that well. Nonetheless, it is a top-notch adventure story and one of MacLean's most tightly constructed, focused stories. It tells the tale of a man's relentless pursuit of revenge that - in the end - leaves him as empty, lost, and inconsolable as he was before he started his angry quest.In a prologue John Talbot's wife and best friend are killed in an air attack on the plane they are flying, while in frustrated impotence he listens on radio earphones to the ruthless destruction of everything that gave his life meaning. The next time we encounter Talbot he appears to have undergone an unpleasant but feasible change into a criminal who is being tried in a Florida court. In an excitingly told sequence, Talbot turns the tables on the law officers, kidnaps the daughter of the presiding judge, and makes his escape in a hair-raising car chase. The tension - and our curiosity and puzzlement - begin building as the revelations about Talbot's recent past come to light during the highly charged courtroom scene...and keep on building as our protagonist keeps one step ahead of his pursuers. The puzzle of Talbot's transformation acts like a hypnotist's twirling pocket watch, constantly drawing us back to a central mystery that keeps us turning pages in search of more clues to the truth. The storytelling shows MacLean at his absolute best, making us gladly, almost gleefully, suspend disbelief and enjoy a rip-snorting adventure. Full of witty descriptions, well-drawn (albeit stereotypical) characters, self-deprecating wit, and MacLean's characteristic double- and triple-bluffs that leave us smiling in satisfaction at his skill in keeping us in suspense and guessing to the end. A first-rate story with plenty of wit and bite - MacLean, in other words at his very best - which puts "Fear Is the Key" at the top of any adventure story must-read list.
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