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19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hollow Rage, September 30, 2010
This review is from: The Identity Man (Hardcover)
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This is my first Andrew Klavan book and I cannot believe I have not read the works of this intelligent, far-reaching author. Well, I will certainly backtrack and read his other books if this writing is any indication of his talent.
Klavan crafts a story about an inconsequential thief who has a sad history. He has never caught a break and has resorted to crime when his "skin begins to crawl." His name is John Shannon and there are parts of him that represent universal desires. He would have liked to have had a loving childhood, he would have liked to have fallen in love with a good woman but, instead, he is a two-time loser who could face years in prison if he commits another felony. And yet, he cannot stop himself, he teams up with a despicable character who draws him into a breaking and entering transgression that sets up Klavan's plot.
The backdrop of the story is a ruined city, denigrated by floods, fire, corrupt police, clergy and politicians. There doesn't seem to be any saving grace; he paints a bleak picture of American corruption from the top to the very bottom. John Shannon is played and pushed through this immorality unknowingly. He is given a new identity, plastic surgery and new name, which he naively accepts as his ticket to freedom from a life of failure. John also has an unusual talent. He is able to look at a piece of wood and see something and carve an inspiring piece that sets him apart from being just an ordinary carpenter. His talent leads him to the possibilities of happiness. They are only possibilities because crooked factions want vengeance and will stop at nothing. Some of the scenes are truly brutal.
Klavan brings in all that we fear, our normal lives being torn from us and the few that we trust prove to be purely evil. His characters are multi-faceted; they are enigmas and one wonders if your "identity is a stain." Is the dishonest exploitation of power for personal gain the downfall of our society, our country?
This author wrote an intelligent mystery, which does not insult the reader. This was a page turner for me as I was caught up in John Shannon's metamorphosis. If he had to die, he wanted to die in the life "he was supposed to live." A great read with some power behind the words.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Razor Wire Suspense, November 12, 2010
This review is from: The Identity Man (Hardcover)
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Andrew Klavan has crafted a finely honed thriller, one that if Alfred Hitchcock were alive to read, would surely be optioned by the master to convert to film. In many ways, this book reminded me of The Man Who Knew Too Much, or North by Northwest. All of them have the common element of a person thrust into the center of a situation where other players know what is going on, but the protagonist, and ourselves, are left to wonder about the actions that are taking place.
A quick read, and well-written.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A METAPHORIC VISIT TO THE WASTE LAND, January 22, 2011
This review is from: The Identity Man (Hardcover)
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Actually there is nothing new under the sun. Most books are just a variation of the same themes and plot points. Andrew Klaven's latest offering, THE IDENTITY MAN is no exception to this premise. The theme here is "wanted man (John Shannon) gets a new face and a new identity, is relocated to a new city (New Orleans......or its doppelganger) to begin life anew and meets the woman of his dreams". Sound familiar so far?
What is different and compelling about Klaven's approach to this subject matter is that he presents us with a mystery within a mystery as well as some political and cultural questions that confront us on a daily basis.
As for the mystery....it poses numerous questions. For example:"Who is our protagonist's benefactor?" "What is his/her motive for providing Shannon with a second chance?" "Why has this particular city been chosen for Shannon's new beginning"? Additionally, each character in this tale is not your run of the mill good guy/bad guy. These are complex personalities motivated by their individual needs and aspirations. From the foreign sounding plastic surgeon, to the retired teacher, and from the questionably motivated law enforcement officers and local politicos to the street gangs that wreak havoc on the damaged city, Klaven has presented us with not only well develop characters who, like most of us, are plagued by those pesky inner conversations each of us carries on (I believe it's called conscience, or in some cases lack thereof). In doing so he has obliquely encouraged his readers to examine the direction that we are taking not only as individuals, but as a society. He seems to ask if we have all become as skeptical and pessimistic as one of Shannon's acquaintances who took the words of Dr. Martin Luther King - "The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice" and perverted that hopeful comment to "The arc of the moral universe is long boy, but it bends toward you getting screwed".
Not the best, but definitely better than most in this genre. 3 ½ stars
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