Proteus a Novel [Hardcover]

Morris West (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1979

John Spada publicly runs an enormous multi-national corporation, privately he heads Proteus, a clandestine resistance movement. His aim is to free prisoners of conscience wherever they may be. As the story unfolds, Spada himself becomes an outlaw, and holds the world hostage.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 324 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; 1st edition (January 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688034047
• ISBN-13: 978-0688034047
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,827,747 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Morris L. West's Proteus, December 2, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Proteus (Hardcover)

I first read Proteus about 20 years ago, after reading West's Shoes of the Fisherman. I read his other books after this, and then one day, quite by accident, I came upon Proteus.

I was spellbound by Proteus. It is beautifully written, the language is rich, the story deeply moving, the ideas grasp the reader and don't let go even after the reader has finished the book. The ideas about the nature of human existence, the role of freedom, both political and economic, their interrelatedness, the ease with which we can lose either or both, slowly or catastrophically, forces the reader to examine his/her place in society. What lengths are we willing to go to protect our inalienable rights?

Proteus is especially relevant in an America that has been rocked by the terroristic havoc of September 11th, a second day that will live in infamy in our history. The reader is forced to judge the protagonist--is he a hero or is he a terrorist?
For every individual who understands that the individual is the smallest minority and is a minority whose rights must be inviolate beyond any consideration of a "greater good" defined by political or economic terms or situations, Proteus is a beacon of clarity of these issues.

It is a celebration of the human spirit, and its pursuit of liberty. Congratulations, Mr. West--and thank you.

4.0 out of 5 stars EARLY MORRIS WEST:, May 29, 2009

By 

IAN BRUCE-DOUGLAS "AZLBRAX" (The Cat Farm, North Central Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Proteus (Hardcover)

I take exception to the 'Kirkus' review and suspect that whoever wrote it must have been having a bad day: a bad headache, perhaps.

While not West's greatest novel...after all, it was one of his earlier efforts and I suspect that he was still honing his skills...I found the plot and characters believable and the "action" sequences kept me turning the pages. The ending was a bit of a surprise but I won't spoil it by revealing it here.

Over the years, Morris West has become one of my favorite writers because his usage of words is rich and elegant. I'm only sorry that he didn't live to write a few more novels because he was, definitely, a "class act".

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Free SF Reader, September 3, 2007

By 

Blue Tyson "- Research Finished" (Legion clubhouse) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Proteus (Paperback)

Morris West is writing almost about a superhero. A man who leads a
double life like Batman, but is a slightly more realistic figure.

A really wealthy captain of industry provides secret funding and assistance to a group that some would call terrorists.

When his daughter is kidnapped, he decides to take extreme action himself.