Amazon.com: Aztec (9780765317506): Gary Jennings: Books

Review

"A first-class storyteller....Mr. Jennings has achieved true distinction." --Atlantic Monthly

"Anyone who reads, anyone who still lusts for adventure or that book you can't put down, will glory in the Aztec." --The Los Angeles Times

"Aztec is so vivid that this reviewer had the novel experience of dreaming of the Aztec world, in Technicolor, for several nights in a row." --The Chicago Sun-Times

"The scope of the book includes the gallantry and barbarism, sex and nobility, intelligence and folly, of historical fiction.....[The reader] is amply entertained and caught up in fascinating history." --San Francisco Chronicle

"Remarkable...It conveys with ferocious yet often lyrical force the texture of life in a civilization at once intensely sophisticated and, by our standards, uterly barbaric....A splendidly colorful, wholly convincing re-creation of a vanished culture." --Cosmopolitan
-- Review --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Review

“A dazzling and hypnotic historical novel.”--The New York Times

“Anyone who reads, anyone who still lusts for adventure or that book you can’t put down, will glory in Aztec.”—Los Angeles Times

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Product Details

Paperback: 768 pages
Publisher: Forge Books (March 20, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0765317508
ISBN-13: 978-0765317506
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 2.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (255 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #26,904 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
THAT we may be better acquainted with our colony of New Spain, of its peculiarities, its riches, the people who possessed it, and the beliefs, rites, and ceremonies which they heretofore held, we wish to be informed of all matters appertaining to the Indians during their existence in that land before the coming of our liberating forces, ambassadors, evangels, and colonizers. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
nop�li cactus, reverend scribes, at�li mush, word rememberers, icp�li chair, quetzal tototl, yya ayya, tapir woman, reverend friars, sanitary closet, two outlanders, southern causeway, lord scribes, feather banners, lord friars, battle boats, urn fires, lifeless days, small pocks, ecce signum, burning crystal, smoking star, litter chair, quilted armor, seeing crystal

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Revered Speaker, Blood Glutton, Jadestone Doll, Lord Speaker, Speaking Council, New Spain, Great Pyramid, Black Flower, Waiting Moon, Armed Scorpion, Cloud People, King Carlos, Star Singer, Something Delicate, B�u Rib�, Eagle Knight, Head Nodder, Lord God, Sun Stone, Lord Red Heron, Crown Prince, Knight Mixtli, Lord Teacher, Gi� Bele, Lord Joy

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Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Aztec Autumn by Gary Jennings

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	90% buy the item featured on this page: Aztec 4.6 out of 5 stars (255) $10.85
	3% buy Aztec Autumn 3.3 out of 5 stars (50) $10.17
	2% buy Aztec Rage 2.9 out of 5 stars (8) $7.99
	2% buy Aztec Blood 3.3 out of 5 stars (38) $7.99

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Customer Reviews

255 Reviews

5 star:		(208)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(7)

Average Customer Review

4.6 out of 5 stars (255 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most engrossing historical novel I've ever read!, February 27, 2003

By	RMurray847 "afilmcritic.com" (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Aztec (Mass Market Paperback)

My headline just about says it all. I won't get into details, but let's just say this book HAS IT ALL. Blood (lots and lots and lots of it, both in war and in human sacrifices), sex (lots and lots of it, mostly kinky) and more plot twists than you can shake a stick at.

But the culture explored is absolutely fascinating. The Aztecs are loving shown here, in all their alien rituals. We are repelled by their way of life, yet Jennings makes us understand totally where they are coming from, and we begin to accept that way of life as a perfectly viable one (not one I'd care to live in, but the people are not shown as cowering in fear either). When the Europeans finally invade and make life miserable for the Aztecs (and Incas and Mayans), we are totally sympathetic with their plight and totally engrossed in our major character. If you like historical novels, there is no way you won't eat this thing up, unless you're squeemish.

If you don't usually enjoy them, give this one a try. It is far superior to most, in my opinion. You'll learn things you never knew (I guarantee it) and you'll love it.

One word of warning...it's a long, long book, and the first 75 pages or so are a bit slow going. Stick with it...the remaining 1000 pages or so will fly by, and you'll be sad when it's all over. (Thank God there is a sequel...actually two sequels, but the third book was not written by Jennings, and is a travesty, I think.)

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80 of 89 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One thousand pages read in two weeks by a 15-year-old. Huh?, October 21, 2001

By	"johnperson" (Brasilia, DF Brazil) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aztec (Mass Market Paperback)

I cannot say it is the best book ever written, for I have not read every book. But I say that if I had, Aztec would probably be the one I'd remember most dearly.

In other words, you're not a book-lover if you haven't read Aztec. It will shock you, it will make you laugh, it will take you close to tears. It's the most complete literary work I've ever come across and it will probably keep this title for a long time.

The main character is incredibly human, even more human than some people I know. I cringe when I call him a character, because after reading this book, he feels more like a friend. He makes mistakes, not stupid mistakes, but mistakes we would make if we were in his position. The people that he shares his life with are also noteworthy. Even Hernan Cortes isn't demonized here. The Spanish are noted as real people. As people with flaws, which are criticised with heavy doses of irony and sarcasm.

I love reading books, but the biggest book I've read before Aztec was only 450 pages long. This is 1039. If you want to start reading long books (it's a step bigger than I imagined) than Aztec would be the perfect kind. The book is huge not because it has overly-long-descriptions. It's long because it's a person's life, and a very long and busy life I might add.

I plan on finding a hardcover edition of this book. Just so I can keep it on my shelf, unread and in perfect condition. This is better entertainment than any other kind of media can give.

Buy this book. Read it. Love it. Share it.

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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Story-Telling , December 20, 2005

By	Gaijin de Moscu (Geneva) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aztec (Mass Market Paperback)

As a student of Mexican history, an aspiring writer and a linguist by education, I'm possibly among the tougher readers out there. As a matter of fact, I rated the sequel to this book at 1 star out of 5... :)

So here is my opinion, take it or leave it. I believe this work deserves the highest mark.

Key Positives:

- Specific, visual writing style that leaves no doubt about what the writer is saying. The quality of writing is well above average: the words are chosen with care, the scenes are complete, the text is easy to read. G. Jennings immediately created the 'style' of the book, unique and engaging.

- Compelling main character. Mixtli is a joy to get to know. He's one of the richest literary personages that I know of. The insights into his nature are deep and disturbing.

- Breadth of research and excellent presentation of it. The sites, smells, sensations of the time are reproduced with outstanding level of detail.

- "Show don't tell" excellence: I forgot about time... the book is so visually and sensually compelling that at times I had an impression of watching a movie rather than reading a book. Or having a dream...

- Tight plot. Some folks seem to expect a fast-moving plot from this book which is probably a 'milieu' (location) book rather than a commercial, event-driven story. The plot is the life itself. Every scene is in its place. Even the most disgusting scenes (e.g. Mixtli puking onto the old whore) move the plot forward in more than one way. Superb planning and execution!

- Honesty and bravery in covering even the most unpleasant details.

Key Negatives:

- Some characters do get repetitive. All the key women are coockie-cut: stunning beauties of unbelievable grace, who drench Mixtli in their generous unconditional love only to die untimely and horrific deaths. Everyone apart from his daughter (thanks goodness not his daughter) worships his member and indulges into the most questionable behaviour with him from incest to pedophilia.

- Some historical data is plain wrong. The flow of conquest is distorted, the character of Montezuma, in fact rich and well-documented, is made into a cartoon junkie, Dona Marina is artificial, etc. I guess that's the 'right of pen' in action... but it does undermine credibility of the rest of the facts. Which, probably, is fine.

- I'm sorry, but the compulsive obsession with how every woman's 'tipili' looks and feels, and with Mixtli's own manhood size is tiring. I've done my share of wild things in life, but even I thought it too much.

Overall, a delightful book. It affected me deeply, and possibly changed me. How many books have done this to you?

Cheers.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic. One of the best!
Incredible 'Aztec'.
When I was a kid this is how I imagined adults books would be like.
Epic, informative, racey, violent, it's got adventure and romance, love and... Read more

Published 13 days ago by Book Fan 7

1.0 out of 5 stars A waste of time
This book could have been written with fewer pages. Laboriously loooong and ridiculous. The sex and violence would have been okay but it seemed like the author was trying too... Read more

Published 2 months ago by Michael J. Smith

5.0 out of 5 stars See the Aztecs through an empathetic but masculine point of view
I was very happy with my copy of Aztec by Gary Jennings. I first became aware of it, when I saw the man next to me reading a Spanish version on the metro. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Kyi May Kaung

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Product and Service.
Excellent Product and Service. Bought this for a friend. She really enjoyed it. I would buy from this vendor again.

Published 2 months ago by Paul D. Dougherty Jr.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent time machine!
If you want to be transported to the Pre-Columbian era, with quite a bit of reality, then this book is for you. Read more

Published 4 months ago by Samir Castro

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best historical novels ever written
This book was an enjoyable read. It was also obvious that Mr. Jennings tried to give a good representation of what it would have been like to be on the receiving end of the... Read more

Published 4 months ago by Andrew J. Stunich

5.0 out of 5 stars Captiating
This was the first Jennings book that broke out and the fourth I read. The series that his son is making of it is really laughable in light of this one.

Published 6 months ago by Daniel J. Huben

5.0 out of 5 stars Aztec
This is a great book that I had read in the past but lost..I was happy to be able to replace it..It arrived in great condition and did not take too long to receive.

Published 8 months ago by K. Killien

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book ever written!
My wife had this book in her little "library". Her last boyfriend before we met gave it to her as a gift since she was Mexican. Read more

Published 8 months ago by J. Tart

5.0 out of 5 stars Aztec
Gary Jennings is one of the best historical authors out there. This book is the second of his that i've read. It is one of the best books I've ever read. Read more

Published 8 months ago by Terry L. Crofts

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