Opinião no blog http://howtoliveathousandlives.blogsp...Douglas Preston e Lincoln Child formam uma dupla imbatível no que concerne a construção de um bom thriller, capaz de prender o leitor até às últimas páginas! Este volume constitui a sequela direta de A Relíquia, dezoito meses após os fatídicos acontecimentos numa noite de pesadelo no Museu de História Natural de Nova Iorque. Rapidamente percebemos que a morte de Mbuwn, a terrível criatura mortífera, não restabeleceu a paz na cidade. Pelo contrário, algo ainda mais temível habita nas profundezas de Manhattan e tudo o que parecia bem explicado no final do livro anterior não passa de um erro potencialmente fatal… Apesar de destruir todos os princípios que tomamos como garantidos com o desenlace em A Relíquia, as novas informações são um complemento à estória e permitem realmente perceber o que está por detrás destes horríveis eventos. Aconselho, portanto, a leitura destas obras na sequência correta.As personagens principais são praticamente as mesmas: Margo Green, Vincent D’Agosta, Aloysius Pendergast. A empatia com as personagens foi, para mim, instantânea uma vez que já havia uma ligação prévia. Contudo, foi interessante observar a forma como os horrendos acontecimentos prévios afetaram estas personagens, Margo em particular. Adorei a forma como se tornou mais destemida e determinada, mais interventiva até, apesar das suas inseguranças e do terror que presenciou e que ainda a atormenta. Outro aspeto positivo que destaco é a sustentação científica exímia que torna uma estória com elementos algo sobrenaturais perfeitamente credível. Convém também ressalvar que os autores exprimem estas explicações de uma forma sucinta, que considero compreensível e adequado a alguém fora do ramo da Ciência.Porém, a melhor componente desta obra é sem dúvida a mensagem subjacente. Os autores criam uma crítica irrepreensível à problemática dos sem-abrigo. Esta aventura tem como cenário os túneis, galerias e esgotos sob Manhattan, um território habitado por uma comunidade de homens, mulheres e mesmo crianças que vivem à margem da sociedade. Uma comunidade ignorada pela sociedade, desprezada e tratada como algo dispensável, praticamente como lixo. É interessante observar a resiliência destes indivíduos, privados da interação com a sociedade, assim como a maneira como esta prefere ignorar tudo até que o problema lhe é atirado à cara. No final do livro, quando a violência contra os sem-abrigo se torna insustentável, foi difícil lidar com o preconceito, a discriminação e o ódio que os autores tão bem retratam. É uma excelente tentativa de consciencializar o leitor para este problema tão atual.Por fim, falta salientar a capacidade dos autores em criar um enredo complexo, repleto de reviravoltas surpreendentes, reveladas a um ritmo alucinante. Com momentos de tensão verdadeiramente palpável, em que somos invadidos pelo terror da situação, esta é uma leitura absolutamente viciante!
Oh the humanity…the expectation-murdering ugh of the dreadful sequel to the quality original. Unfortunately they happen. Some are a menace to the phantoms of our youthful memories: …others make us long for murderous Revenge on the studio that spawned it from their retched, greed-dripping Jaws. Some sequels have plot/acting/directing so loaded with mockery- needed fail that we are transformed into staunch proponents of the virtues of franchise euthanasia: …and some sequels are just big, bloated, ego-filled piles of worthless SHAT: Finally…there are sequels for which this reviewer has no words: *convulsive shudder*Relic, the first book in the Pendergast series was a lot of fun and I thought did a great job of taking the murder/mystery thriller and accessorizing it was an “X-file” like supernatural element grounded it plausible scientific explanation. It’s junk science but it completely allows for the suspension of disbelief. That non-standard plot device and the introduction of a very engaging main character, Aloysius Pendergast, the brilliant Southern FBI agent with an open-mind for the bizarre. The story was engaging and I had a very good time with it. Thus, I was really looking forward to this sequel. UNFORTUNATELY...The story turned out to be a lifeless, potentially series-killing disappointed for me. It had none of the charm or attempted credibility of the first novel. PLOT SUMMARY:The story takes place about 18 months after the events of Relic and reunites the reader with many of the original players along with some new faces to solve a series a brutal murders being committed against the homeless population living under New York City. The condition of the bodies and the nature of the injuries leads to speculation that something unusual (i.e., non-human) may be committing the crimes. Like so many pooch-screwing, shark-jumping sequels, this story suffers from trying to be so much bigger and louder than its predecessor. It fails and the result is simply a story that loses all sense of focus and narrative suspense. The characters are denied any opportunity to display any depth and become mere “caricatures” of the people I liked so much in the original. Now, on the positive side, Pendergast is still an engaging character and when he is on the page he makes the story better. However, he’s not around enough to help out, let alone save, what is an otherwise very uninspired story.Hopefully, this is just an anomaly and future stories in this series will get back to the formula that worked so well in the first book. It has made me cautious about continuing the series and I am certainly not going to jump right into book 3. Still…memories fade…pain lessens…forgiveness is possible. I may be back. 2.0 stars.
What do You think about Reliquary (2005)?
This is a sequel to The Relic which I read about a year ago (actually listened to an audio book). This is also the second in the Pendergast series. Reliquary picks up from where Relic left off and tells how a large group of beasts similar to the beast in the Relic has been murdering and decapitating the citizens of New York, mainly the homeless who live in the myriad tunnels and forgotten chambers underneath Manhattan. The characters from the Relic return in this sequel including museum curator, Margo Green; police lieutenant, D'Agosta, and FBI agent Pendergast. Margo figures out that the drug from the plant craved by the museum beast in Relic has been given to a large group of individuals who have morphed into similar beasts. Probably the most fascinating part of this novel was the descriptions of the people or moles that live underground in NYC. Also described are some of the areas underground including an abandoned area 30 stories beneath Manhattan that was going to be used by the very rich as part of an elaborate railroad that would bypass the crowded stations used by the common people. According to the authors, these places do actually exist and there are whole communities of homeless that live in them. Overall, this was another good entry by Preston/Child which also includes a surprising twist near the end. A solid recommendation for this one. I have several other books by this team that I also look forward to reading.
—Frank
Ah, this brings me back. Relic was one of my favourites as a teenager (re-read last in 2006), spurred by the excellently entertaining albeit different, film version (sure, it's not high art but it is an fun creature feature). I still remember the clamouring excitement to find there was a sequel, and the bafflingly unexpected direction it took. To my teenage self this was a bit of a revelation. I've never re-read it though, until now.Looking back now, Preston and Child did a pretty good job of running with the characters and coming up with a thrilling and completely new take on the tale. Well, all the characters except Smithback - his involvement and the whole upper class protest never quite works.The underground setting is genius though, a character in itself, it completely inspired my imagination. The subterranean world creates more tension and threat than the slightly underwhelming creatures ever quite manage to stir up. The final revelation at the time was shocking; this time round knowing in advance didn't really alter the story much but it just about works.So yeah, I enjoyed this the second time round. I frequently think I should give more of the Pendergast books a chance. By the way, I really hate this mass market cover - my copy has the blue embossed scaly pattern to complement the first one. Much nicer.
—Andy
Siempre me han llamado la atención los libros escritos a cuatro manos. No tengo claro cómo se coordinan a la hora de llevar a cabo el trabajo. ¿Un capítulo cada uno? ¿Uno tiene las ideas y otro redacta? Me parece que debe tener más ventajas que inconvenientes, ya que si uno de los dos se atasca en algún punto de la trama, siempre es más fácil salir del apuro consultando al otro. Lo que sí tengo claro es que el dúo Preston-Child realiza su trabajo de maravilla. Saben escribir, bien, muy bien.‘El relicario’ (Reliquary, 1997) es la secuela de ‘The Relic (El ídolo perdido)’, primer libro de la serie del agente del FBI Pendergast, y absoluto best seller internacional, con adaptación cinematográfica incluida. Hay que empezar diciendo que este segundo libro es mucho mejor que el anterior. Tal vez pueda leerse de manera independiente, pero no lo aconsejo, ya que la historia retoma los hechos poco después de lo acontecido en ‘The Relic’ y es fácil perder todo el entramado que se forma alrededor.En cuanto a la historia de ‘El relicario’, nos encontramos otra vez en Nueva York. La novela empieza con la aparición de dos esqueletos en las aguas residuales de un río, con claras deformidades. Es entonces cuando entran en la investigación viejos conocidos, como son el teniente D’Agosta y Margo Green, conservadora del Museo de Historia Natural. Parece que algo se está cociendo en los subterráneos de Manhattan, verdadero laberinto y un mundo aparte.La acción no decae en ningún momento, y vamos conociendo un poco más al enigmático agente Pendergast, cuyo protagonismo es mayor que en la primera novela. Impresionante todo el tercio final, que se lee casi sin respiración. Douglas Preston y Lincoln Child dignifican el tan denostado (a mi entender injustamente) género del best seller.
—Oscar
