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Description
When a terrorist leader and a drug warlord form a dangerous alliance, three new Hendley Associates agents--FBI agent Dominic Caruso, his Marine captain brother Brian, and their cousin, Jack Ryan, Jr.--encounter unexpected dangers. A man named Mohammed sits in a cafe in Vienna, about to propose a deal to a Colombian. Mohammed has a strong network of agents and sympathizers throughout Europe and the Middle East, and the Colombian has an equally strong drug network throughout America. What if they were to form an alliance, to combine all their assets and connections? The potential for profits would be enormous-and the potential for destruction unimaginable. In the Brave New World of terrorism-where anybody with a spare AK-47, a knowledge of kitchen chemistry, or simply the will to die can become a player-the old rules no longer apply. No matter what new governmental organizations come into being, the only truly effective ones are those that are quick and agile, free of oversight and restrictions...and outside the system. Way outside the system. In a nondescript office building in suburban Maryland, the firm Hendley Associates does a profitable business in stocks, bonds, and international currencies, but its true mission is quite different: to identify and locate terrorist threats, and then deal with them, in whatever manner necessary. Established with the knowledge of President John Patrick Ryan, "the Campus" is always on the lookout for promising new talent, its recruiters scattered throughout the armed forces and government agencies-and three men are about to cross its radar. The first is Dominic Caruso, a rookie FBI agent, barely a year out of Quantico, whose decisive actions resolve a particularly brutal kidnap/murder case. The second is Caruso's brother, Brian, a Marine captain just back from his first combat action in Afghanistan, and already a man to watch. And the third is their cousin...a young man named Jack Ryan, Jr. Jack was raised on intrigue. As his father moved through the ranks of the CIA and then into the White House, Jack received a life course in the world and the way it operates from agents, statesmen, analysts, Secret Service men, and black ops specialists such as John Clark and Ding Chavez. He wants to put it all to work now-but when he knocks on the front door of "the Campus," he finds that nothing has prepared him for what he is about to encounter. For it is indeed a different world out there, and in here...and it is about to become far more dangerous.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member joyceBl
This is the first and last Clancy book that I will ever read. His writing was lazy, his plot trite, his deaths repetitive and boring, and his jeering and childish actions as the shooting terrorists died (stuffing a football into one's hands and saying now he was going to hell because he was holding
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a pig's skin.) ridiculous. I would give less than 1/2 of a star but someone might mistake the blanks for indecision. Show Less
LibraryThing member bmy78
Awful book. Endless ramblings from Jack Junior about how great his dad was. Two bumbleheads running around calling each other "bro" and "cuz." A very unoriginal plot with an unoriginal ending.
Clancy is washed up. It's going to take some pretty good reviews for me to read a new book from Tom.
Clancy is washed up. It's going to take some pretty good reviews for me to read a new book from Tom.
LibraryThing member armysparkey
Could this be the same Clancy that wrote the other books?I guess so his latest few books were going off the boil but this one is dire.Perhaps this book needed to fit a story for a computor game or something it certainly does not work as a novel
LibraryThing member MrBobble
Captivating enough to listen to the whole thing on the way to work -- I sometimes give up on books. However, the ending is too sudden (I thought I was missing at least one CD). Perhaps book number two is already in the works.
Plot summary: FBI agent and marine (twins) get picked to join a
The hits are slightly interesting.
Plot summary: FBI agent and marine (twins) get picked to join a
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clandestine spy agency that tracks the money of terrorists. They just happen to be at the mall during a terrorist attack. This operation then expedites their recon-by-fire mission in Europe where they murder a handful of the terrorist operatives and money folks. The hits are slightly interesting.
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LibraryThing member mramos
This novel is short on pages for a Clancy novel. And a fast read. But it looked as if he did not do the research he normally does for his books. He may have put this one out a little too fast. And when I read the last word of this novel...I was expecting to turn the page to continue. It is as if
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this is just the first half of the novel he intended. Now with all that said, I still enjoyed reading it. Show Less
LibraryThing member DanStratton
This is the latest novel by Clancy, continuing the Jack Ryan saga. He obviously knows he has taken Jack Ryan as far as he can go (some would argue farther), so this is the transition novel to a new cast of characters, all related to Ryan. This book brings together twin brothers (nephews to Ryan),
I read that Clancy normally punches out his novel on two year cycles, but after the disappointing sales of Red Rabbit last year, he wrote this one in quick time and released it this year. It is about half the length of a normal Clancy novel and definitely less than half the quality. It needs a lot more work, riddled with trite phrases, implausible leaps and shallow characters. What really irked me was the overly simple solutions to terrorism problems. By tracking email, they were able to somehow located physically and kill four terrorist operatives, ranging for their high profile money mover back to the super secret operation planner who never stays in one place for more than a couple days. Yet, they manage to take them all out in the last twenty pages. Even Jack Ryan Jr. gets into the act, killing the last one himself. I suspect we will see much more of these three in future novels. I just hope he takes the time to make it interesting. I only read this one because of the investment I have in the Clancy novels, but I almost wish I hadn't spent the time.
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one a Marine and the other and FBI agent, and their cousin, Jack Ryan, Jr. (fledgling intelligence officer). They all are selected to work for a new intelligence / operation group that operates outside the government. Spy for Hire, sort of. The organization was set up by Ryan Sr. in the last days of his presidency since he knew the new president wouldn't understand the importance of having intelligence and operations capability. He even gave them a sheaf of blank presidential pardons (fill in the name) should anyone ever catch on to them and not be happy about it. So now there is a new player in the war of terrorism that doesn't have to answer to Congress or be mired in bureaucracy. After terrorists shoot up four malls in middle America, they swing into action and in a matter of a few days, identify and eliminate four of the money and planning men. I read that Clancy normally punches out his novel on two year cycles, but after the disappointing sales of Red Rabbit last year, he wrote this one in quick time and released it this year. It is about half the length of a normal Clancy novel and definitely less than half the quality. It needs a lot more work, riddled with trite phrases, implausible leaps and shallow characters. What really irked me was the overly simple solutions to terrorism problems. By tracking email, they were able to somehow located physically and kill four terrorist operatives, ranging for their high profile money mover back to the super secret operation planner who never stays in one place for more than a couple days. Yet, they manage to take them all out in the last twenty pages. Even Jack Ryan Jr. gets into the act, killing the last one himself. I suspect we will see much more of these three in future novels. I just hope he takes the time to make it interesting. I only read this one because of the investment I have in the Clancy novels, but I almost wish I hadn't spent the time.
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LibraryThing member mbrown33
A bit predictable but that's not always a bad thing. A less techincal Tom Clancy novel, no submarine jargon to learn for example. New characters all the way around, dialog was a bit weak, but from the middle to the end the book really picked up and reminded me what I've always enjoyed Mr. Clancy's
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fiction. This character set seems to set up well for a series of novels. I look forward to the next one. Show Less
LibraryThing member MSWallack
I felt like Clancy wrote half a book, and the second half will be published next year...
LibraryThing member ncpoekert
The Teeth of the Tiger by Tom Clancy (2003)
LibraryThing member santhony
I've gotten this impression from many of what used to be my favorite writers. John Grisham, Larry McMurtry and especially Tom Clancy. They've said everything that needs to be said, but people keep paying them huge sums to keep talking. The result is substandard efforts from all of the above. After
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all, how many different iterations of geopolitical intrigue can you churn out before you start repeating yourself. Show Less
LibraryThing member PTauscher
Clearly set up for the next generation in the Jack Ryan saga; the book seemed to end abruptly, like there were a certain number of pages to submit, the number reached, end of story.
LibraryThing member Darla
I used to read all of Tom Clancy's books until I got annoyed by the Op-Center series, and bored by Into the Storm and Every Man a Tiger (which were interesting, but dry as dust) and quit reading them altogether. Then I found this in the bargain bin, and remembered why I liked his books so much.
And
So, now that I'm satisfied that I didn't miss anything, on with the review.
The Teeth of the Tiger is about an ultra-clandestine government agency set up by then-president Jack Ryan. It's such a new agency that so far, all it's done is make money (it's self-funding, mostly by quasi-legal insider trading) and collect intelligence hacked from the alphabet-soup agencies. And now they're training their first operatives: twin brothers Dominic and Brian Caruso, respectively an FBI agent and a Marine officer.... and Jack Ryan's nephews.
They get a slightly accelerated course when a routine training exercise crosses paths with an actual terrorist operation in a suburban mall.
Meanwhile, Jack Ryan, Jr., a few years younger than his cousins, has used his brains and figured out the existence of the agency, and basically applies for a job.
Interspersed with the training thread and the Jack Jr. thread is the terrorists' plot.
Maybe it's because I've just been in an action mood lately, but while I did notice a few drawbacks: the twins call each other Aldo and Enzo for no good reason, except perhaps as something to trip up readers; Brian dithers for far too long about whether or not he can kill terrorists in cold blood; and there's quite a bit of repetition; they didn't bug me all that much because I loved the story otherwise.
I found the idea of a combination of stock market traders and assassin/spies irresistible. And I loved watching the development of the agency, even--or perhaps especially--the doubts and missteps. It was new, they weren't sure how it would work, but they were willing and eager to try, and that excitement was passed on to this reader, at least.
I also found the three cousins to be fairly reasonably characterized. Even Brian's crisis of conscience made sense with his character, and my irritation with him was mitigated by the fact that his brother was also irritated with him. The twins were youngish and excitement-seeking, which explains some of their less logical decisions, like renting a Porsche instead of taking an anonymous train on their mission in Europe. Jack, Jr. had grown up privileged in the shadow of his larger-than-life father, who he admires, so it's understandable that he has that sense of duty, and yet he wants to make his own mark, and to prove himself.
And, oh, yes, I did have to ignore a bit of political b.s. with which I'd have taken exception if I hadn't expected it. I find Clancy a little naive, politically (no shades of gray), but that works pretty well in an action novel. I think I'll have to see which of his books I've missed in the interim and check them out.
And
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wow. I checked Amazon reviews to refresh my memory, and there are 800 reviews with an average of 2 stars. I always get very curious when I have such a complete difference of opinion, so I read through a few pages of the reviews. The negative ones seem to focus on two things: 1) it's not like real life, and 2) the series has moved on to the next generation. News flash: Tom Clancy books have never been overly realistic. Except probably for the nonfiction. You can pick apart dozens of things from The Hunt for Red October that would never happen in real life--that's why it's fun to read. And I applaud long-running series that move on to the next generation. Otherwise, you end up with a hero that never ages, or increasingly improbable scenarios that even I won't swallow.So, now that I'm satisfied that I didn't miss anything, on with the review.
The Teeth of the Tiger is about an ultra-clandestine government agency set up by then-president Jack Ryan. It's such a new agency that so far, all it's done is make money (it's self-funding, mostly by quasi-legal insider trading) and collect intelligence hacked from the alphabet-soup agencies. And now they're training their first operatives: twin brothers Dominic and Brian Caruso, respectively an FBI agent and a Marine officer.... and Jack Ryan's nephews.
They get a slightly accelerated course when a routine training exercise crosses paths with an actual terrorist operation in a suburban mall.
Meanwhile, Jack Ryan, Jr., a few years younger than his cousins, has used his brains and figured out the existence of the agency, and basically applies for a job.
Interspersed with the training thread and the Jack Jr. thread is the terrorists' plot.
Maybe it's because I've just been in an action mood lately, but while I did notice a few drawbacks: the twins call each other Aldo and Enzo for no good reason, except perhaps as something to trip up readers; Brian dithers for far too long about whether or not he can kill terrorists in cold blood; and there's quite a bit of repetition; they didn't bug me all that much because I loved the story otherwise.
I found the idea of a combination of stock market traders and assassin/spies irresistible. And I loved watching the development of the agency, even--or perhaps especially--the doubts and missteps. It was new, they weren't sure how it would work, but they were willing and eager to try, and that excitement was passed on to this reader, at least.
I also found the three cousins to be fairly reasonably characterized. Even Brian's crisis of conscience made sense with his character, and my irritation with him was mitigated by the fact that his brother was also irritated with him. The twins were youngish and excitement-seeking, which explains some of their less logical decisions, like renting a Porsche instead of taking an anonymous train on their mission in Europe. Jack, Jr. had grown up privileged in the shadow of his larger-than-life father, who he admires, so it's understandable that he has that sense of duty, and yet he wants to make his own mark, and to prove himself.
And, oh, yes, I did have to ignore a bit of political b.s. with which I'd have taken exception if I hadn't expected it. I find Clancy a little naive, politically (no shades of gray), but that works pretty well in an action novel. I think I'll have to see which of his books I've missed in the interim and check them out.
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LibraryThing member ulfhjorr
Clancy has gone a bit too far off the edge with this one. A rogue FBI agent and Marine captain join a quasi-governmental agency as international hitmen in the "War on Terror." Oh, and the happen to be brothers. And cousins to the young go-getter who weasels his way into an intel position in the
Please. Give us a break here Tom. We'll willingly suspend disbelief for the sake of some good fiction, but that doesn't give you license to abuse that privilege.
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same agency. Oh, and he happens to be the son of the former President and former hero of Clancy novels, Jack Ryan.Please. Give us a break here Tom. We'll willingly suspend disbelief for the sake of some good fiction, but that doesn't give you license to abuse that privilege.
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LibraryThing member barbgarcia1987
Over the years I have loved just about all of the "Jack Ryan" books by Clancy. Unfortunately I can't say that same about this one. I hope that "Dead Or Alive" turns out better because if it isn't it may be the last one I buy or read.
LibraryThing member Lynngood
A man named Mohammed sits in a café in Vienna, about to propose a deal to a Colombian. Mohammed has a strong network of agents and sympathizers throughout Europe and the Middle East, and the Colombian has an equally strong drug network throughout America. What if they were to form an alliance, to
In a nondescript office building in suburban Maryland, the firm Hendley Associates does a profitable business in stocks, bonds, and international currencies, but its true mission is quite different: to identify and locate terrorist threats, and then deal with them, in whatever manner necessary. Established with the knowledge of President John Patrick Ryan, 'the Campus' is always on the lookout for promising new talent, its recruiters scattered throughout the armed forces and government agencies--and three men are about to cross its radar.
The first is Dominic Caruso, a rookie FBI agent, barely a year out of Quantico, whose decisive actions resolve a particularly brutal kidnap/murder case. The second is Caruso's brother, Brian, a Marine captain just back from his first combat action in Afghanistan, and already a man to watch. And the third is their cousin . . . a young man named Jack Ryan, Jr.
Jack was raised on intrigue. As his father moved through the ranks of the CIA and then into the White House, Jack received a life course in the world and the way it operates from agents, statesmen, analysts, Secret Service men, and black ops specialists such as John Clark and Ding Chavez. He wants to put it all to work now, but when he knocks on the front door of 'the Campus,' he finds that nothing has prepared him for what he is about to encounter. For it is indeed a different world out there, and in here . . . and it is about to become far more dangerous.
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combine all their assets and connections? The potential for profits would be enormous--and the potential for destruction unimaginable.In a nondescript office building in suburban Maryland, the firm Hendley Associates does a profitable business in stocks, bonds, and international currencies, but its true mission is quite different: to identify and locate terrorist threats, and then deal with them, in whatever manner necessary. Established with the knowledge of President John Patrick Ryan, 'the Campus' is always on the lookout for promising new talent, its recruiters scattered throughout the armed forces and government agencies--and three men are about to cross its radar.
The first is Dominic Caruso, a rookie FBI agent, barely a year out of Quantico, whose decisive actions resolve a particularly brutal kidnap/murder case. The second is Caruso's brother, Brian, a Marine captain just back from his first combat action in Afghanistan, and already a man to watch. And the third is their cousin . . . a young man named Jack Ryan, Jr.
Jack was raised on intrigue. As his father moved through the ranks of the CIA and then into the White House, Jack received a life course in the world and the way it operates from agents, statesmen, analysts, Secret Service men, and black ops specialists such as John Clark and Ding Chavez. He wants to put it all to work now, but when he knocks on the front door of 'the Campus,' he finds that nothing has prepared him for what he is about to encounter. For it is indeed a different world out there, and in here . . . and it is about to become far more dangerous.
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LibraryThing member jpsnow
Timely, of course, to the recent war on terror. It's noteworthy that he introduces the next generation, including Jack Ryan, Jr. and a black-ops department working under Presidential pre-pardon, separate from the CIA and other organizations. He also transcends the formulaic feel of other recent
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works. Show Less
LibraryThing member murderbydeath
I first discovered Tom Clancy's writing in high school, when a friend gave me his paperback copy of The Hunt for Red October to read. In spite of the fact that I damn near needed a spreadsheet to keep track of all the US ships and submarines, the USSR's ships and submarines, and all the sailors on
I was one of those teenagers: relatively privileged, well-educated and oh my, opinionated. I knew how it should all work; all you had to do was ask me. Then at some point between high school and university, I picked up Patriot Games and it quite frankly changed the way I viewed the world. Clancy was able to let me into the heads of terrorists (Irish, in this case) and the government officials that chased them. He was able to show me through the power of prose, in a way I don't think any teacher or professor would have ever been able to do, that nothing is black and white. The motivations of people both good and bad are layered and complicated.
Suffice it to say that I became a fan; I devoured everything in the Jack Ryan series and a couple of his non-fiction books. Yes, I did – and for the most part still do – share his political leanings (to a point) but most of all for me? These books were my version of genre fantasy. The kind of fantasy where the genuinely good guys always triumph, the bad guys always receive swift and deadly justice and the politicians are left looking like the narcissistic asshats most of them are.
The realisation that these books are my version of fantasy came to me just recently, as I suddenly felt like re-reading The Teeth of the Tiger and found myself comparing it to Anne Bishop's Written in Red and Murder of Crows. Unorthodox comparison, yes, but both appealed to me for similar reasons.
Teeth of the Tiger is the ultimate fantasy; turning the tables on the terrorists and using their own tactics against them. What could you accomplish if incorruptible men had a license to hunt terrorists, unlimited funds and no government oversight? Fantasy, indeed.
I've read Teeth of the Tiger several times and truthfully, it's a 4 star rating from me because of my love of the characters and the series as a whole. This book feels like it's more about being a mouthpiece for Clancy's personal views than a good story. Yes, all of his books are mouthpieces, more or less, but this one is more soap box-y than most. Still a ripping good story, but I found myself skimming a lot of the internal dialogue and not a few sections of actual conversation between characters. If I'd been reading this for the first time, I'd probably give it more of a 3 star rating.
I forgot it ends not on a cliffhanger, exactly, but the reader is definitely left hanging to a degree, so now I'm re-reading Dead or Alive.
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them, I stuck it out and became absolutely absorbed in the book. It was a thrill ride, but that's about all it was for me.I was one of those teenagers: relatively privileged, well-educated and oh my, opinionated. I knew how it should all work; all you had to do was ask me. Then at some point between high school and university, I picked up Patriot Games and it quite frankly changed the way I viewed the world. Clancy was able to let me into the heads of terrorists (Irish, in this case) and the government officials that chased them. He was able to show me through the power of prose, in a way I don't think any teacher or professor would have ever been able to do, that nothing is black and white. The motivations of people both good and bad are layered and complicated.
Suffice it to say that I became a fan; I devoured everything in the Jack Ryan series and a couple of his non-fiction books. Yes, I did – and for the most part still do – share his political leanings (to a point) but most of all for me? These books were my version of genre fantasy. The kind of fantasy where the genuinely good guys always triumph, the bad guys always receive swift and deadly justice and the politicians are left looking like the narcissistic asshats most of them are.
The realisation that these books are my version of fantasy came to me just recently, as I suddenly felt like re-reading The Teeth of the Tiger and found myself comparing it to Anne Bishop's Written in Red and Murder of Crows. Unorthodox comparison, yes, but both appealed to me for similar reasons.
Teeth of the Tiger is the ultimate fantasy; turning the tables on the terrorists and using their own tactics against them. What could you accomplish if incorruptible men had a license to hunt terrorists, unlimited funds and no government oversight? Fantasy, indeed.
I've read Teeth of the Tiger several times and truthfully, it's a 4 star rating from me because of my love of the characters and the series as a whole. This book feels like it's more about being a mouthpiece for Clancy's personal views than a good story. Yes, all of his books are mouthpieces, more or less, but this one is more soap box-y than most. Still a ripping good story, but I found myself skimming a lot of the internal dialogue and not a few sections of actual conversation between characters. If I'd been reading this for the first time, I'd probably give it more of a 3 star rating.
I forgot it ends not on a cliffhanger, exactly, but the reader is definitely left hanging to a degree, so now I'm re-reading Dead or Alive.
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LibraryThing member MrsLee
Adding this so I know I've tried this book in audio form. It wasn't for me, I don't enjoy these types of books right now, also, I don't enjoy when the narrator of a book does multiple accents for voices. I'm not saying anything was bad, I just didn't enjoy it and so didn't finish it either. That is
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why I'm not giving it a rating. Show Less
LibraryThing member csweder
I have very mixed feelings about this book. I am an unabashedly avid fan of the Jack Ryan novels--and have followed them very closely.
...but with that said, I think there may be a time when characters/world need to be left alone. Jack Ryan-esque novels may be at that place.
This book tried to
In fact, Jack never even entered the book. Instead, his son, Jack Ryan Jr., is entering the 'spook' world. (To which Jr. surmises his father and mother would not be happy about...)
I felt the characters were very forced and unnatural. Rather than revealing a character's nature through his actions, Clancy was very repetitive in his dialogue between his characters. Often times his characters would say the SAME, EXACT words he said only pages before.
This probably goes down as my biggest let down by Clancy, whether or not he feels the Ryan world should fade away or not, I doubt I'll read anymore....
...but with that said, I think there may be a time when characters/world need to be left alone. Jack Ryan-esque novels may be at that place.
This book tried to
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capture all of the thrill and excitement of a Jack Ryan novel, but with one big exception: Jack Ryan is an aging, retired US President; he is no longer making decisions to save the world. In fact, Jack never even entered the book. Instead, his son, Jack Ryan Jr., is entering the 'spook' world. (To which Jr. surmises his father and mother would not be happy about...)
I felt the characters were very forced and unnatural. Rather than revealing a character's nature through his actions, Clancy was very repetitive in his dialogue between his characters. Often times his characters would say the SAME, EXACT words he said only pages before.
This probably goes down as my biggest let down by Clancy, whether or not he feels the Ryan world should fade away or not, I doubt I'll read anymore....
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LibraryThing member csayban
Tom Clancy created a tough act to follow with his Jack Ryan series. The end of the cold war and 9/11 reshuffled the deck of threats to the United States and The Teeth of the Tiger attempted to do the same for Clancy. As spy thrillers go, The Teeth of the Tiger is good. It actually has better pacing
Clancy painted himself into a corner when he made Jack Ryan president. Once that happened, there was nowhere for his character to go other than out to pasture. So Jack Ryan Jr. became a young clone of Jack Ryan allowing Clancy to start over. Unfortunately, lightning really doesn’t strike twice.
What we are left with isn’t a bad book or bad characters. The Teeth of the Tiger is actually a pretty good story. But the characters are less interesting because we already know their entire back story, so there is nothing to reveal. It would have been better if Clancy had just started fresh. Instead, this feels like a print of a great painting – it is pretty to look at, but it doesn’t have the depth and texture of the original.
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and less techno-drag than his late Jack Ryan novels did, coming in at a nearly anorexic 431 pages. The problem is that good is never good enough for Clancy fans and Jack Ryan can never be duplicated. In his place are his son and even more family members. Honestly, Jack Ryan, Jr. could have been any young recruit and probably should have. Besides, is it at all believable that the son of a President could ever go anywhere without a herd of paparazzi following behind them? Clancy painted himself into a corner when he made Jack Ryan president. Once that happened, there was nowhere for his character to go other than out to pasture. So Jack Ryan Jr. became a young clone of Jack Ryan allowing Clancy to start over. Unfortunately, lightning really doesn’t strike twice.
What we are left with isn’t a bad book or bad characters. The Teeth of the Tiger is actually a pretty good story. But the characters are less interesting because we already know their entire back story, so there is nothing to reveal. It would have been better if Clancy had just started fresh. Instead, this feels like a print of a great painting – it is pretty to look at, but it doesn’t have the depth and texture of the original.
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LibraryThing member csweder
I have very mixed feelings about this book. I am an unabashedly avid fan of the Jack Ryan novels--and have followed them very closely.
...but with that said, I think there may be a time when characters/world need to be left alone. Jack Ryan-esque novels may be at that place.
This book tried to
In fact, Jack never even entered the book. Instead, his son, Jack Ryan Jr., is entering the 'spook' world. (To which Jr. surmises his father and mother would not be happy about...)
I felt the characters were very forced and unnatural. Rather than revealing a character's nature through his actions, Clancy was very repetitive in his dialogue between his characters. Often times his characters would say the SAME, EXACT words he said only pages before.
This probably goes down as my biggest let down by Clancy, whether or not he feels the Ryan world should fade away or not, I doubt I'll read anymore....
...but with that said, I think there may be a time when characters/world need to be left alone. Jack Ryan-esque novels may be at that place.
This book tried to
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capture all of the thrill and excitement of a Jack Ryan novel, but with one big exception: Jack Ryan is an aging, retired US President; he is no longer making decisions to save the world. In fact, Jack never even entered the book. Instead, his son, Jack Ryan Jr., is entering the 'spook' world. (To which Jr. surmises his father and mother would not be happy about...)
I felt the characters were very forced and unnatural. Rather than revealing a character's nature through his actions, Clancy was very repetitive in his dialogue between his characters. Often times his characters would say the SAME, EXACT words he said only pages before.
This probably goes down as my biggest let down by Clancy, whether or not he feels the Ryan world should fade away or not, I doubt I'll read anymore....
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LibraryThing member crashmyparty
I didn't realise how much I would miss Jack Ryan Senior until he wasn't in the books anymore...
I fully appreciate that Clancy had to move into the more modern world of terrorism and also that old Jack, or Big Jack, was getting old, and it may have been time to replace him with the new generation
It may have been because for most of the way through the book I didn't realise that the story would be picked up in another, and this was just the beginning for Junior, Brian and Dom. I knew there were other books, I even own one (its in my to-read pile) but I didn't know it would be a 'carry-on' unlike the other Clancy I've read, which use the same characters but each storyline is wrapped up at the end. That could have been why I didn't feel like this book was getting places very quickly.
However, I see the potential and I have always enjoyed Clancy's writing. It's time for me to let go of my old favourite characters and embrace the new! I will persevere with Dead or Alive and see how it goes.
I fully appreciate that Clancy had to move into the more modern world of terrorism and also that old Jack, or Big Jack, was getting old, and it may have been time to replace him with the new generation
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which of course included his son, Little Jack, Jack Ryan Junior but unfortunately I couldn't help but feel this was missing some of that old Clancy magic...It may have been because for most of the way through the book I didn't realise that the story would be picked up in another, and this was just the beginning for Junior, Brian and Dom. I knew there were other books, I even own one (its in my to-read pile) but I didn't know it would be a 'carry-on' unlike the other Clancy I've read, which use the same characters but each storyline is wrapped up at the end. That could have been why I didn't feel like this book was getting places very quickly.
However, I see the potential and I have always enjoyed Clancy's writing. It's time for me to let go of my old favourite characters and embrace the new! I will persevere with Dead or Alive and see how it goes.
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LibraryThing member rondoctor
Slow starter, but the pace and writing style improve as you move through the book. Lots of "tutorial" on spycraft through the first half of the book gets tedious. And the dialogue seems childish and simplistic. Nevertheless this is an interesting read.
LibraryThing member davidh34
Nice book on how the campus started.
LibraryThing member jimgysin
This was a slog. Perhaps the sloggiest slog in the history of slogs. I knew it going in and had put off reading it for a long time. And now that I’ve struggled through it, I can honestly say that if it weren’t for my completist nature and the fact that I knew that the series begins a strong
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comeback after this one, I would have bailed early on. Yes, it was important to be there for the table-setting as Jack Jr. begins his new career. Sadly, Junior comes across as something of a tool here. Beyond that, this thing suffers mightily in the pacing department and makes me appreciate what a good editor can do. Show Less
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Publication
G P Putnams Sons,2003 (no date), Hardcover
Original publication date
2003