Customer Reviews

The Second Lady

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

 

 

Wallace's novel "The Man" would have to be one of the best novels I've ever read. However "The Second Lady" compared as a very poor cousin. A very disapointing read for such an accomplished author. Forgettable and lacking the integrity of "The Man".

Great Book! Easy,rapid reading,hard to put down.Although fiction,it sure makes you wonder--speculate,and the ending? well,thought provoking to say the least.

An utterly preposterous book. The Lady of the title is a virtual clone of the American President's wife - living unfortunately in Russia. The Lady is stumbled upon by the Soviets' spymaster who hits upon a daring idea: swap the two - if temporarily - to give them access to the President's innermost secrets. Specifically, they need to determine whether the Americans have really beefed up the military position of an embattled and US-Backed African nation. As the Russian spy gains access, she soon realizes that it may take more than looks to pass for the president's wife.

So why is this novel so bad? The cardboard characters typical to novels like this are in attendance, but it's the premise that makes this an unlikely read. The idea behind the Russian lady is problematic because it was unnecessarily made as implausibly as possible - instead of working at some secret soviet lab, there just happens to be a Russian woman who looks like the wife of the most powerful man in the free world, and she just happens to catch the eye of the head of the KGB. Just to reassure jaded readers, we're told that the real first lady is an avid skinny-dipper, allowing Russian spy-photographers to verify in pictures what file photos at Reuters will not. (More intelligent readers wonder how the First Lady's predilections survived our ruthless press.) The Soviets get so used to having the plot go there way, that when a problem crops up, they seem to miss the simplest solution (The Russians, despite their dossier on the President's wife, miss an embarrassing detail about the lady's current medical condition; when they learn that there's a problem after having made the switch, they go to desperate lengths to get details, even though they have the First Lady in their power and can have one of their own doctors determine the situation). Most of the Irving Wallace novel's I've read are rife with plot howlers, but the good ones (Like "The Plot") actually work on their implausibility and have enough fun characters that they work. To its credit, "Lady" ends on a smart twist ending, but it's one that seems undeserved by this contrived book.

This book portraits a story which in detail explains behind the scene actions of all, including political bigwigs and common people. You tend to believe it. A magnetic attraction is developed towards the plot and characters.

The Second Lady by Irving Wallace. Is a political thriller or meant to be. If read just for enjoyment it succeeds fairly well. Yet if stood up and researched it fails terribly. The plot is far fetched. The Russians are smarter than everyone else. The CIA is completely asleep in this whole plot. It would have worked much better if they knew and were attempting to stop it. Instead it falls to a speech writer and press secretary to foil the plot.

The ending is meant to be a twist but if you read the last pages carefully you will realize the First Lady is indeed the First Lady.

This book has a little bit of everything: Drama, sex, violence, compassion, intrigue, a twist.

An utterly preposterous book. The Lady of the title is a virtual clone of the American President's wife - living unfortunately in Russia. The Lady is stumbled upon by the Soviets' spymaster who hits upon a daring idea: swap the two - if temporarily - to give them access to the President's innermost secrets. Specifically, they need to determine whether the Americans have really beefed up the military position of an embattled and US-Backed African nation. As the Russian spy gains access, she soon realizes that it may take more than looks to pass for the president's wife.

So why is this novel so bad? The cardboard characters typical to novels like this are in attendance, but it's the premise that makes this an unlikely read. The idea behind the Russian lady is problematic because it was unnecessarily made as implausibly as possible - instead of working at some secret soviet lab, there just happens to be a Russian woman who looks like the wife of the most powerful man in the free world, and she just happens to catch the eye of the head of the KGB. Just to reassure jaded readers, we're told that the real first lady is an avid skinny-dipper, allowing Russian spy-photographers to verify in pictures what file photos at Reuters will not. (More intelligent readers wonder how the First Lady's predilections survived our ruthless press.) The Soviets get so used to having the plot go there way, that when a problem crops up, they seem to miss the simplest solution. (The Russians, despite their dossier on the President's wife, miss an embarrassing detail about the lady's current medical condition; when they learn that there's a problem after having made the switch, they go to desperate lengths to get details, even though they have the First Lady in their power and can have one of their own doctors find out what's wrong). Most of the Irving Wallace novel's I've read are rife with plot howlers, but the good ones (like "The Plot") actually work on their implausibility and have enough fun characters that they work. To its credit, "Lady" ends on a smart twist ending, but it's one that seems undeserved by this contrived book.

the second lady's mystery is deepened further in the last pages when only she knows the truth on coming out of the plane after the shootout. the book exemplifies the american free spirit with the russian fetish for detail. the BEST OF WALLACE I would say

I think Mr. Wallace is a brilliant man. He blends politics issue and romance into one book. It's a very interesting book.

The Second Lady - is a unique combination of politics and compassion.