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30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The End of an Era??, August 14, 2001
In an interview after his previous Dirk Pitt novel, Clive Cussler stated that "Atlantis Found" might be his last novel featuring Pitt. Fans everywhere mourned. So, I was surprised and overjoyed to see that "Valhalla Rising" was due out this August. I went to the bookstore the day it was due, and grabbed one of the first copies, and, by using incredible fortitude, managed to not finish the book until today (26 hours, a new record--I can never make Dirk Pitt stories last that long). As always, the plot of "Valhalla Rising" is exciting and fast-paced--full of hair's-bredth rescues and daring escapades. The characters, as always, are somewhat bigger than life, with beautiful women, sociopathic maniacs as villains, and slightly super-human heroes (which is why we love them!). If I make the book sound somewhat melodramatic--well, what can I say, of course it is. Dirk Pitt stories always are. But, of course, as usual, I could barely put the book down until the final page. Fans of Cussler's hero will be as satisfied with this book as with any of the previous few. I don't think I'll spoil anything if I mention that Cussler's real life interest in the Hunley (a US confederate submarine from the Civil War) definately finds its way into these pages. As usual, the denoument will require the fictional historians to rewrite their text books yet again--something Dirk Pitt loves to instigate. The end of the book will have readers recognizing shades of Travis McGee, but it was a good twist regardless. I won't insist that this book is great literature, and I won't pretend that I always found the plot believable (but a certain amount of suspension of disbelief has always been required for Cussler's novels), but, as always, an evening with Dirk Pitt is an enjoyable evening, indeed.
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20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Borrows from earlier Pitt adventures, August 13, 2001
By A Customer
I've read all of the previous Cussler novels and found few surprises here. There are several scenes that are very similar to other Pitt adventures. Cussler's formula remains largely intact, except the antique car chase is replaced with an antique airplane dogfight. For those who haven't read Cussler before: imagine a James Bond movie with a little bit of Indiana Jones thrown in. The stories are jammed with non-stop action and adventure. The heroes are seemingly unbreakable, the villians are usually meglomaniacs with no regard for human life, and the damsels are always in distress. All this fast-paced action comes at a price. Don't expect complex character development. Most of the characters are described simply by their eye color (blue or green signifies an important character). They are always athletic and taller than normal people. They also don't talk like real people. Usually, Cussler writes himself into the story in the form of a local fisherman or gas station attendant with some useful tidbit for Pitt. This time he gives himself a whole chapter as the owner of a futuristic sailboat willing to assault an island to help out a couple of strangers. Most people are either big fans of Cussler or they think his stories are silly extensions of his own ego. I like Cussler's ability to mix ancient history with modern action. However, I've gotten to the point where I can predict what's going to happen next because it happened in a previous Pitt adventure.
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21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Fun, August 14, 2001
Mr. Clive Cussler has entertained readers with Dirk Pitt through what is now a collection of eighteen novels. It is a remarkable run by any measure and while some of the novels are better than others, they are all great fun. Mr. Cussler created a main character that not only he clearly would like to be, but an individual that all his male readers would like to claim a piece of for their own. I would imagine most of his readers are male, however he has also included remarkable female characters that while often the target of cliché male observations, give as good as they get. And he carries on the tradition of the good guys winning, and often has the villains get their comeuppance in a stylish manner at the hands of the hero. Judge, jury, and executioner may not be constitutional, but it is a great deal of fun. Prior to starting, "Valhalla Rising", it would not hurt to refresh your memory with many of the major themes of past books. It is not imperative, but several references are made and it adds to the enjoyment if the details are fresh in the reader's mind. This should not put off anyone from making this his or her first Dirk Pitt adventure, quite the contrary. While everyone would rank his or her favorites differently, I think this latest work from Mr. Cussler would make anyone's short list. For those aware of the real life exploits of Mr. Cussler and his work of salvaging ships, he brings some of this into his novel, which added a dimension I greatly enjoyed. If you have read Jules Verne it again will add to this book's reading experience. When I first read the jacket I was inwardly groaning when I read the word monsters. I had trouble imagining how that word would play out in the book. However have no fear, while this book like all of Mr. Cussler's work requires a suspension of disbelief, there is nothing any more outrageous than earlier works. There are some minor points in the book that are weak, and the author did not endear himself to the Air National Guard, but again the points are very minor. There was one error, however it can be rationalized, and again is not detrimental to the book. The book starts with not one, but multiple historical events which are all neatly tied together at the conclusion. The book is a lengthier novel and every bit of space is required to bring this latest round the world adventure to readers. Had he so chosen he could have easily extended the book by an additional one to two hundred pages. For when he starts this saga, it is millennia in the past, not a century or two. With fiction conventional issues like time do not restrict the Author. He can write about his characters and their adventures indefinitely. Many Authors continue to write long after their characters should be retired, they don't know when to stop, like a great boxer that leaves not as a champion but as a beaten memory. Mr. Cussler clearly has no plans to retire this series, but he has also taken a step that is not only believable but will allow for this series of novels to continue for as long as he writes. I think he deserves a great deal of credit for this, and he brings it to pass with a slick ending to this book. In fact, I find myself looking forward to the next installment with greater interest than I have for some time. For great fun, and pure escapist fiction, there are few who compare with Mr. Cussler.
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