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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
One star off for numerous mistakes and typos..., March 10, 2003
"The passage to discovery is about to be entered..."
It all began in North Africa 8000 B.C. when a young boy walks into a dazzling beam of light in the sky. Egypt 1928, on the Giza plateau near a great pyramid, a mysterious object shaped like a giant ring is discovered, baffling scientists and archaeologists. In 1994, the U.S. government with the help of Egyptologist Daniel Jackson discovers that this mysterious object is a Stargate. In other words, a device able to create a passage through space. And now, a special team of scientists and soldiers is going to be sent through the Stargate to an unknown destination. With no idea what they will find and absolutely no clue if they can return, the team is going to have the ultimate adventure of their lives...I first saw the movie "Stargate" (1994) before reading this book. After watching the movie and instantly finding it a terrific film, I knew I would really like to read the novelization. And I must say, I totally enjoyed reading it though I do have my complaints about it. Here is a brief descriptions of the two main characters:
Daniel Jackson: A brilliant young genius, Daniel though is scorned by the scientific community. From the first moment you read about him, I assure you that you'll find him a likable guy. Daniel is very witty and I love it when he gives his speech in the beginning of the story.
Colonel Jack O'Neill: Jack is a retired operative of the U.S. special forces. Though tough and in every way a soldier, he also has a troubled past. Can't help but love him, I love his outward facade of being the 'perfect commander'. :)
Another of my favorite characters is Lieutenant Colonel Adam Kawalsky. The banter between him and Daniel is great and I also like the tension between him and Colonel O'Neill. THE GOOD: First I'll give you the good. The book is well-written by authors Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich. It flows very well and it's a pretty easy read. The characters are very likable, one of the most important elements of a great book. It's sometimes so terribly disappointing when you read novelizations from your favorite movies to find that your favorite characters are so dislikable when you read about them. The action and suspense is strongly given off the reader, definitely a page-turner at some points in the plot, making the book hard to put down. But most of all, some parts in the story is just totally HILARIOUS! Like there's the one instance where the people of the mysterious planet give Daniel and the soldiers a feast. That part just had me cracking up! THE BAD: But unfortunately, there's also the bad. The publisher and editor of the book should be very ashamed of themselves as some other reviewers have states. Besides having lots of misspells and typos, there's also plot errors! There's a place where it is clearly stated that someone dies, then later on at one point he's alive and helping out a fellow soldier! Tsk, tsk, tsk! On the overall, the book is a terrific one to read, though I recommend you read after watching the movie. Since the movie is rated PG-13, I guess I will rate the book the same. There is no sex though there is one instant which adults will definitely not want their children to read. Plus, the language is also pretty bad throughout the book. Best for kids 15 or older in my opinion though I would strongly suggest parents to look through the book before letting their children read.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A Mixed Bag, May 18, 2000
Devlin and Emmerich are decent filmmakers, but their writing ability leaves a lot to be desired. The publisher bears the responsibility, however. The book has numerous typos and the kind of word and continuity errors that a good editor should have caught. During a critical moment, I wasn't anxious for the characters, but laughing. A character "collapsed like a sack of steak knives." Steak knives! And a character who dies on one page is back again 15 pages later. Still, the book is interesting for the background, the revelation of character and for the inherent vision--the images of light, shape and sound--that a good filmmaker must have. Please, D&E, at least hire an editor, since Signet can't be depended on.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Watch the movie instead., July 11, 1999
By A Customer
I loved teh movie Stargate, and it's spin-off series Stargate SG1, yet this book was a terrible disappointment. Filled with continuancy errors (i.e. there is a creature that is male for most of the book, then it becomes female, a bomb countdown gets mixed up), I found reading this book a painful experience, and when I finished it, I planned to write the publisher and complain. If you want to read this book, get it from a library, and watch for the continuancy errors; it's not often that you see errors this bad in a published book.
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