Customer Reviews

Golem

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Disclosure: I was sent a review copy of this book so that I would post a review on Amazon. The publisher sent me the copy as I had reviewed another book on the Golem story on Amazon.

Review: As the last reviewer provided so much information in his review, this review will try to avoid what was already covered. I thought Vilk's Golem a pretty good pulp fiction-style read; Clive Cussler does Indiana Jones fused with The Dirty Dozen. The story moves very quickly, which maybe reflects Vilk's background in film, and can easily be imagined as a film or graphic novel. As for being an action novel, it reads well that way. I personally liked that it did not get tied down in discussions of weapons, etc. and avoided all the technobabble that is so common to action novels by say Cussler or Clancy. The spare style of little-detail-provided-writing was somewhat like that of Elmore Leonard. As for being a horror novel, the premise reminded me of F. Paul Wilson's The Keep but was different from that novel in that Vilk's Golem reads much more like an action story and thus I would not say it is horrific.

The reason I gave this book four stars rather than five was that I wish there had been more background in it. This might not be the case for every reader but the history buff in me wanted more than Vilk provided. More on the Golem story and how it eventually ties to the story presented would have been a very good addition to the book. I can imagine how the Munich Pact and the like would have led to where the story picks up with the Germans messing around with the Golem in Greenland but I would have liked to read how the author imagined it, either through the actual telling of the story or at least through OSS reports passed on the US Ranger hero. The question of issues for the SS with dealing with something that was so Jewish as the Golem was one that kept coming to my mind and never was resolved. Also, struggles between the SS and German army are mentioned but not as developed as they could have been. These are the things that interest me and thus I wish Vilk had spent more time on them and less on his cipher which I will not be puzzling out. Maybe down the road Vilk will produce an expanded edition of Golem that will address the historical background to his thriller.

The quibbles of the previous paragraph aside, this is the ideal book for anyone in the mood for a pulp fiction Second World War story.

I think Mr. Vilk knows his genre very well and has executed it perfectly. I was hoping for a good action-adventure story and that is exactly what I got. I absolutely loved the central idea of the Golem itself. Not just the history behind it but the imagery the author creates with it. This supernatural element is blended very well with the tried and true aspects of a "dirty dozen" movie. In fact, it's very hard to read this book and not imagine it as a film, simply because of the imagery created and the pacing set by Mr. Vilk. I actually wish the book was longer but maybe I shouldn't have read so fast. (I couldn't help it). I hope the author writes more stories of this type.

Mr. vilk's story is a MUST READ. Not only for the storyline, which is great, a rival of steve alten's books. But for the ciphers also. No one has really said what they thought of the ciphers. His book is full of ingenious riddles, and clues to help decipher the *ancient script*.

An excellent read for anyone. *I would like to see, maybe an extended version of Golem, but for background purposes only.
Great job, Mr. Vilk, keep on writing!

I couldn't think of a better one liner so I quoted it.

The Story: A misfit squad of Rangers is sent to Greenland to capture a Nazi base. But upon their arrival, they find the place in ruins and everyone dead, save one man, who appears to have gone quite insane, firing his SMG at unseen figures in the snow. The Rangers soon discover that they're not alone, as someone starts to pick them off one-by-one.

Ok, you've figured out the "Dirty Dozen" reference, so where does the "Indiana Jones" part come to play? Well, the Rangers are escorting the daughter of an archaeologist who has been kidnapped by the Nazi's (everyone's favorite bad guys) and is helping them build their secret weapon, the namesake of the book's title.

But the coolest part of this novel, is what sets it apart from the others: cryptography. Contained within the book is the very puzzle that the protagonists are trying to solve to defeat the Golem. At the beginning of each chapter is a line of runes. A couple of clues are given at the beginning of the novel to help you figure it out. Mystery readers may think that they're special guessing whodunit, but that's nothing compared to this! Mr. Vilk even gave away $100 to the first person to solve it. You can find out more at his website (gregvilk.com).

Greg Vilk's writing style makes for an easy read. The dialogue and the action move the story along at such a fast pace that by the end you'll be as exhausted as the characters. The setting is well researched and Mr. Vilk's descriptions of the place make you feel like you're there, shivering in the cold. In fact, it screams for a movie adaptation. It was easy for me to visualize every aspect of the story. But don't wait for the film! Read the book today!

I'm not surprised that James Rollins endorsed this book. Written in the spirit of a Rollins novel, Golem is a fast moving, intelligent action thriller that has a good dose of sci-fi and supernatural elements. A WWII background complete with Nazis and an exotic location is icing on the cake. I literally couldn't put it down and read it in one day. Give us more Mr. Vilk!!

Kind of short, about 200 pages. I wish it could have been longer because I was enjoying it a lot. Kind of like if Saving Private Ryan had encountered the Thing! :) I'd like to see a sequal.

Golem is both fast paced and a very good read. It is surprising that both action and character development can be squeezed into a few pages, but Vilk does it. The stark arctic background makes the struggle between the entity and the soldiers stand out and engrossing. Why do they rehash movies that are perfect in their own right when storys such as this are out there is beyond me. Though parts of this story harken back to F. Paul Wilson's 'The Keep' the connections are only transitory and the story stands well on it's own.

Golem is a great book! Readers will easily visualize the face-paced story. Exciting and suspenseful, it is quick to capture your attention. Golem even has some hidden "secrets".
Very challengIng! Look for a movie of the booK soon (hopefully)!

Can't wait fOr more froM this author!

I can't believe how many good reviews this has. This also taught me to stop buying anything based on a Rollins recommendation. Horrible character development, accelerated and undeveloped plot, cheesy writing; the only reason I gave it two stars is that it was less than 200 pages so my suffering was limited.

This is not my normal fare---I enjoy fantasy more, but as a horror / thriller novel this one is a favorite. Very cool creature-or ghost of whatever it actually was...a cool setting that reminded me of "The Thing" movie. IN fact it was a lot like that movie in it's action and suspense. The novel was short, but a lot of fun!