Private Screening [Import] [Hardcover]

Richard North Patterson (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: M Joseph (March 10, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 071812684X
• ISBN-13: 978-0718126841
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,102,695 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

RICHARD NORTH PATTERSON is the author of The Spire, Eclipse and fourteen other bestselling and critically acclaimed novels. Formerly a trial lawyer, he was the SEC liaison to the Watergate special prosecutor and has served on the boards of several Washington advocacy groups. He lives in San Francisco and on Martha's Vineyard with his wife, Dr. Nancy Clair.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Decent Read, September 23, 2000

By 

TylerTanner (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Private Screening (Paperback)

This is the first Patterson book I have read, and it was a decent, readable book. The characters are likeable, but ultimately unsympathetic. The strongest relationship I felt was between the main character and his son, but that is the only example of his straying from ambiguity. The Author also throws too many characters at the reader at one time, which also makes the book confusing at first. It is also best to approach this book as two stories in one. The first(which is half the book) is a flashback trial, which is handled wonderfully. The second, brings you to the present point and flip flops around before the final climax. Although I did enjoy reading the book, I will not rush out and buy another one of Pattersons works. If I happen upon one at a clearance sale, then I feel it is money well spent

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars TV OR NOT TV, March 5, 2003

By 

Michael Butts (Berkeley Springs, WV USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Private Screening (Paperback)

This early novel by Patterson is far inferior to his later works, but I think it stands on its own in kind of a predatory or sadistic way. The whole concept of hostages being negotiated and aired as a t.v. special is all too frighteningly real, considering the nation's obsession with so-called reality television. But the premise is intriguing, and the story has some tense and riveting scenes. My main complaint is that within the novel, John Damone tells Stacy that "the man I hired killed him. Lord just brought it up again.." So i figured Stacy was in on it, but obviously she wasn't. This little confusing issue kind of squelched my overall enthusiasm for the novel, but even then Patterson was writing awesomely, giving us a glimpse of what he's come to do best---trial novels!
RECOMMENDED.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars stick with it, October 21, 2005

By 

Delia Frawn (usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Private Screening (Paperback)

When I first starting reading this book I honestly couldn't tell what was what. But I kept at it and it really paid off! I have never read Patterson before but I can tell you I plan to read a lot more of his work! Even though I figured out the ending pretty much as soon as the hostage was taken it was still fun for me to read.