9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Caution: Sense of humor required, August 25, 2000
If you don't have a sense of humor, don't enjoy satire, or can't bear the thought of Ludlum, as a "serious" writer, having some fun with his readers, do not read this book. In "The Road To Gandolfo", Ludlum takes on the military, the U.S. government, the legal profession, and organized religion, and spears them with irreverent, acid-tipped satire that at times reaches levels of pure hilarity. But he's also, quietly and subtly, satirizing himself and the genre of fiction he made his name in: espionage thrillers. Many Ludlum fans probably won't be amused: it's a different Robert Ludlum who's mugging and cavorting behind these scenes.
When General Mackenzie Hawkins, a Pattonesque commander of the old-school variety, is summarily drummed out of the military by the mealy-mouthed, politically motivated bureaucrats who have wormed their way to the slimy top of the Pentagon-Washington heap, he embarks upon a personal mission of vengeance, and plots out an intricate military-style "black-op" plan of his own: kidnap the Pope, and demand a ransom of one American dollar for every Catholic in the world.
The setup for this caper will be expensive, and there are lengthy side-operations along the way, involving the extortion of money -- LOTS of money -- from various "investors" (i.e., shady characters Hawkins has been able to get the goods on through his military intelligence background). And as a patsy front-man, whom he can manipulate from behind the scenes via his four very mammalian ex-wives, Hawkins selects Sam Devereaux, a lawyer who merely wants to count down his remaining days in the Army and return to private practice.
The resulting story, unfolded in fine Ludlum style from the viewpoint of Sam-the-Patsy, is blazingly fast-paced, unpredictable, intricately woven, and, well, downright funny. The satire is broad, but sharp, and the plot line, in proper intrigue-novel fashion, is doled out carefully, one piece at a time, always keeping you interested in what will happen in the next chapter.
Readers looking for, and expecting, a standard Ludlum novel might well be disappointed or critical ("What the heck is THIS?"), but if you're looking for a witty, intelligent, satirical, fun, page-turner of an adventure, this is it.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A terrific parody!, June 21, 2001
This book is one of my favorite depression relievers and a laugh riot from start to finish. For all Ludlum fans, if you are hooked on his customary fare of high voltage suspense and international shenanigans, with events moving at blinding speed, then this book may not be for you. The Road to Gandolfo was written by him before his thrillers became a class of their own and is as different from them as apples from oranges. Yes, there are international goings-on and plenty of war-gaming, strategy and tactics in pursuit of an incredible objective - the kidnapping of the Pope himself!. Yet this is no espionage thriller; rather this book is a terrific parody of the genre. From the fast paced beginning to the charming almost pastoral close, Ludlum spares nobody: the Army, the bureaucrats, the Mafia, the corporate world, lawyers, terrorists, all feel the bite of his wit. The characters too are well drawn: the autocratic Hawk, his four incredible wives, the bumbling Sam Deveraux and a wonderfully human Pope reminiscent of John XXIII all come to full life. A great fun read for the vacations or whenever you want to relax with a light read. A most enjoyable book!
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