Customer Reviews

In the Name of Ishmael

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I thought this was one of the best fiction books I have read (actually I listened to it). I get the feeling that the reviewers who didn't like it, just didn't like the anti-US-ishness of the author's point of view and then took it out on the book. I write to add that the translation of the book is excellant!!! The descriptions are interesting and are not lost in the translation. I do think this book is probably better listened to, rather than read -- and the reader is one of the best.

I had no idea who this author was, but the book sounded intriguing. I was unable to put it down to eat or sleep.....I want more books like this from this author. I enjoy the European view of the U.S..... Americans need to know how we are viewed by the rest of the world. I did not find the book hard to follow after getting into it about 1/4 of the way. Unusual and exceptional writing. Wish I had written it....it is one I will re-read. Too many books written today are formulaic and easy to figure out early in the book. Never a dull moment with this book. One of the two best books I read last year, the other being The DaVinci Code.

I just finished this novel a few days ago. Like Robert Wilson's A Small Death in Lisbon I can not recommend it. That is not to say that the unraveling of the mystery's solution is not without merit nor are the main detective characters totally without elements of empathy. A prospective reader should be forwarned that certain plot elements are sordid in nature and especially in the Genna book either unclear as to the detail as to why or even if they are necessary for the plot development.And I consider myself pretty openminded-generally enjoying European literature. If it had not been in my nature to complete what I have started and my sense of fairness which compelled me to complete the novel I might have thrown it in the trash bin after the first 100 pages-that and the really Genna's interesting weaving of the police investigation. As I usually pass on my books to others,I have a problem doing that with this particular novel. Hopefully the second novel will be a bit more palatable than this one was.

On the strength of the negative reviews, I bought this book immediately with one-click option. Can't wait to read it. Any author justly trashing US policy in Italy in the four decades after WW II is in touch with reality. My apologies to Signor Genna for the idiocy and ignorance of my compatriots. They can't help it. Most are severely historically challenged: it's hard to see the US role in the world from the center. Consequently, they live with benign fables about themselves.

I am an avid reader, consuming at least 3 a week and I can't believe I wasted time reading this book. The author does not have a gift for storytelling and he has added elements that were totallly irrelevant to the story line. The murder of children could have been left out and he still could have told a story of political intrigue. This authour should be ashamed of himself and look for a new profession!!

One of the reviewers here mentioned that they thought those who did not like this book were of this opinion because they did not like the anti-USA sentiment. This is not in my opinion the case. This is just a bad book alltogether. I would have been happy if this were well written and gave a sinister slight to US policies (which it sort of does). But it is extreemly poorly written.

Where to start... Perhaps the nastiest aspect of this writing style that Genna undertakes is that of jumping from the 1960's to present day from one chapter to the next. The timeline gets jumbled and confusing. Both threads unfold in 'real-time' and are hard to distinguish from one another. Genna brings in Kissinger as a central character early on and spends pages going into great detail over his bowel movements as an old man. I mean, come on. Kissinger today is an unthought of footnote and Genna really fixates on the guy. Why?

The whole novel unfolds like Genna were trying to uncover both a Scientology conspiracy, a US conspiracy, and a dark Bin Laden conspiracy all at once. Only these threads are jumbled together and you are constantly left scratching your head. The two main protagonists are somewhat interesting, but the situations they find themselves in become stretched to the point of breaking.

This is all in all one of the most uncomprehensible and poorly edited books I have ever come across. It is very complex, yet never coalesces into something concrete. Its over whelming in scope, yet dull in its writing style. A total disaster. Maybe it was good in Italian, but the translation was half hearted, who knows. Just stay away from 'In the Name of Ishmael'.

Convoluted and over the top. Hard to follow plot and stock-type or unidentifiable characters. Good title, bad book.

Excuse me for such a madness: i'm the author of the novel and would like to write something about the upper comment (well, i know Amazon isn't a blog, but let a european reader thati it also could be). i do not know what's up in Cleveland on 03.9.3 but it could be useful be honest as author and tell that a european view upon US is clearly not a US view upon US. i do not know what about the quality of the book, but it seem to me a possible experience to get just one lil' star from a reader: hell!, it's right an american reader could not appreciate something from Europe. Me too, european reader, sometimes dislike what's written in US: for example, Mr. Bush spells. Thank You and forgive me my roughest english mistakes!