i do enjoy novels where some sort of plan is well designed and executed, you know a la count of monte cristo. also, i listened to another instalment of the oregon files series (The Jungle. Clive Cussler with Jack Du Brul) and liked it. additionally, some good cheap action where the good guys are hot and have guns etc. and show the bad guys that they will never win is some good entertainment after (and before) a good day's work. that said... this was a bit weak. i really did not like the characters at all! they came across as sanctimonious and arrogant mercenaries in the worst sense (out for profit with some do-gooding thrown in at the side). bleh. loss of life was casual - i know, i know, it's an action book and that's what it is like in these books but it wasn't as bad in the other one or so i recall.also, this topic... i don't know. a bit... much.as for characterisation - done with a mallet. foreshadowing - as well. very ... you would need to be extra stupid not to get it. so overall the writing was weak. and the germanish character - want to guess the name? gurt guenther. that's like smitty smith or sth. jeez... good short paragraphs and chapters though. excellent for reading on the train. although it was hard to suppress my impulse to groan loudly several times - comes across fairly weird on a busy train. resorted to little sticky notes i usually carry around with me. several stickies are now littering my copy with "gah!" written on it. nevertheless. i probably will read the next one or listen to it while doing sport. maybe the next one is better. if not then, never mind. it's gone on my guilty pleasures shelf for a reason.
I'm always wary of books by popular authors that are written with someone, such as this initial outing in the Oregon Files, written by CLIVE CUSSLER (with Craig Dirgo). Does this mean Cussler wrote it with Dirgo helping out from time to time, or (as I suspect) did Cussler create the universe and the concept, and then Dirgo actually wrote the book itself? Regardless, this first offering in Cussler/Dirgo's new series starring Juan Cabrillo left something to be desired.The concept itself is sound: an undercover, high-tech super-boat and its crew sail around the world performing what are effectively mercenary missions. This is Pop-Tart reading - you can consume a lot of it in a small amount of time, but it's ultimately not very filling. While I like the premise, the text itself seems somehow cumbersome. There are a lot of characters, few of whom are fleshed out enough for the reader to keep straight. The storyline itself is pretty contrived (we're meant to believe twelve guys can take on the entire Chinese military?), but I can go with that. Mostly the book just seemed like so much fluff - a lot of words for very little return.All that being said, I understand that Golden Buddha is the weakest in the series, so I might give it one more try and see if Cussler/Dirgo (or Dirgo/Cussler) can focus the storyline and characterization a little more in the next book. Until then, I think I'll go read a Dirk Pitt book - some pure, unadulterated Cussler.
What do You think about Golden Buddha (2005)?
Call me silly but sometimes a gal just needs to go on a mindless, far-fetched adventure on an old cargo ship that is really a secret, floating, privately held black ops center commanded by a devlishly handsome one-legged man named Juan and his crew of new millenium-style A-Team operatives.I hadn't read a Clive Cussler novel before but we had a shelf of these and I had spent too much time in Henry VIII's court of late so I picked up Golden Buddha, the first in the Oregon Files series. That was six months ago. Since then I'm through almost the whole series and find Cussler quite capable of spinning a great yarn, keeping me on the edge of my pillow, and wanting me to read just one more chapter before shutting out the light. The book is fast-paced, as are all the books in the series, the characters well-developed, and the writing easy to follow.I would suggest this book and those in the Orgeon Files series to anyone who likes action-adventure movies or just wants a quick, fun read. Literary types should shy away from this book, though...
—Kass
Juan Cabrillo's first adventure with the Oregon-a state of the art spy ship disguised as a nondescript lumber hauler-takes him and his crew into dangerous waters, as they try to put Tibet back in the hands of the Dalai Lama by striking a deal with the Russians and the Chinese.Cabrillo's gambling chip is a golden Buddha containing records of vast oil reserves in the disputed land. But first, he'll have to locate-and steal-the all-important artifact. And there are certain people who would do anything in their power to see him fail...
—Sheri faulk
Every once in a while I make myself read books by New York Times Bestselling authors. For the most part... they suck. In my opinion this one was no different. The first in the "The Oregon File" Series this book follows the members of The Corporation, a group of mostly ex-military mercenaries whose base station is a ship named The Oregon. The Corporation is a private secret service organization that is hired to pull off secret missions, all while hopefully righting the wrongs of the world. Poorly written, poorly structured, lacking any real tension, this is not the type of book I'd choose for myself. Then again, I'm not the target audience. This book is most likely written for men, who will only pick up a book if it promises ACTION, ACTION, ACTION. (Although in my opinion the action wasn't even all the exciting in this one) As mean and condescending as it sounds, it seems most Best Selling books like this are written for unintelligent people who do not care about character development or plot lines, and that's just not my cup of tea.
—Jessica
