The Manhattan Hunt Club by John Saul.Manhattan Hunt Club is a story about Jeff Converse and how he was convicted on attempted murder and rape to Cindy Allen, despite that Jeff Converse is innocent, he was convicted. By the time he was about to be moved to a larger imprisonment, he was saved by a man named Scratch and take him into the tunnels wherein, a hunting game is being held.I was so captivated by the plot when i haven't read the book. As i remember i read the plot on wikipedia, after reading one of John Saul's novel, the Perfect Nightmare. Despite that the Perfect Nightmare appears to not as so imaginative as the MHC. I like the MHC than the PN, for many reasons.1. PN has this plot that appears to be typical, its so narrow that it appears that the world is composed only of the main characters. Meanwhile in MHC, despite that there is a struggle, making it as reality as much as Saul can. Saul tried his best to put as much characters as he can, good thing that he did that, well if the story only revolves around 2 characters, it would be dull and boring, also; MHC has this element that somehow makes you think, hmmm.... interesting. PN does have this element, but after reading the whole book, i felt like PN was hastily written.2. PN is typical, a missing girl and a psycho guy, that the reason behind why he was like that wasn't clearly explained, just for the sake of storytelling, these elements was kinda, included. MHC meanwhile, has this survival genre, i don't know what is that term but mostly in the books like Hunger Game and Maze Runner, that makes the reader wants to read it.After reading the plot as i said earlier, i was so caught by the fact that this story was like 'wow, Battle Royale' on some kind,l that really caught my attention.I really like the characters here, but still there are this short comings in each of the character but at least, Saul somewhat put his imagination on and put a heavy twist that would make the reader feels like wow, that was unexpected, or wow, a good twist for a good story. The twist of the story was so unexpected, i won't tell the twist, or it will spoil the readers, that i felt goosebumps.Anyways, about the characters, I really don't like Jeff's character he was like the normal goody goody guy. His kindness was too good to be true, he is gentle but damn, after what happened to you, you still act as passive as that? Damn, i'd be soo mad if that happened to me. Jeff appears to be so calm, that he appears to be an oppressive type of person that he let this things happened to him. I know, it was just a character but, damn, man can't be that calm or gentle after he was convicted and whats more he is innocent. Jeff appear always to be in control of his emotion which is yeah, good but too good to be true.Keith, Keith is Jeff's father, well, i like his character, but dislike some of it. His thoughts and way of thinking was like too mystical. I know people may say that no my son is alive, but after all that, your like a crazy guy believing that your son is still alive, despite that evidence shows that he is dead. I know in the story that Jeff isn't dead, but if this is real story, and your Keith, i think, Keith would be like, instead of walking to the crash site where his son died, he'd be on a hospital, talking to a psychiatrist.Mary, i really hate Mary, she was soo too devoted to her religion. Thinking that this is God's will and this happens because of what she and Keith did, but damn hell no. Even if you are the smartest person in the world, there is no way you could know God's will dammit! Many would also say that. I really hate her after she cremated the body, well, i think she just did it for Jeff's memorial, to give him a proper good bye. People probably hating her because she got into Keith's way to know whether that burned man is Jeff or not. When i was reading the book, i got that feeling but Mary did what she think is best for her son, but Jeff is alive.Heather, i don't know this Heather girl, but i find her really annoying. He is innocent, such as. i know Jeff is innocent but damn, that words always ring to the ear that almost wanted me to punch her face just for her to stop. I don't know why Saul put that part where Heather was like always implying that Jeff is innocent, he is truly innocent but damn, if Heather did that for helping or for Jeff to be release, damn, she is damn to annoying to be considered to be helping. But i kinda find her character in more significance after she and Keith went down, but well, she is still a character that is annoying and appears to be such a brat.Jinx, just like Heather, Jinx is annoying as hell. I think if i were Jinx, and i like this Jeff guy, still, i won't go help him, well, my life would be at risks, despite that i know he is innocent. Still, i won't go down there. She is too good to be true as well, but she contribute something to make this story interesting but man, if that is happening in real life, i won't be doing what she had done.Eve, i like Eve, in the beginning of the story, until i realized something about her past and when the story kinda changed that makes me think, oh there is it again, the part that Saul is writing it to hastily. I like Eve, because she has this notion of wanting to serve people, but after realizing that she is a part of it just for her personal matter, i hated her. I also hated the part where she jumped into the tunnel and thinking, I'm Rambo, but she failed, well, what a dumb woman.Well, for summarization. I think this story is good, but not so good, because, i have this arbitrary notion that when i read a book i wanted it to appear to be real despite that it is fiction.Anyways, what i noticed about this book that the first part was too slow, a chapter that appears to be a thought of one of the character or even introducing one of the characters that i find really boring. I also noticed that there is a dramatical change in the characters, especially in Perry and Eve, that appears to be forced. Saul tried to make them villain despite that they appear in the story as nothing but a normal richy rich. He forced it so much that makes me think, that he has written it so hastily, not thinking about supporting how this works or like putting a suspicion on this characters, like, I know I right.But despite that, i kinda sort like the ending, well, i partly hating it or unsatisfied with it, first, i just hoped that they ended it when they reached the end of the tunnel at least the unsatisfactory is not the high as after he put the ending, 5 Years Later, that appears to be nothing but a waste of time reading it, I liked it because Jeff saw someone who thought he would never see again.
Saul, yet again shows that he can produce a great page-turner. Though time restraints did not allow me to read this book in a timely manner, when the time was found, the pages went flying.A game of cat and mouse is told through Jeff and what will be found halfway through the book, the Manhattan Hunt Club. The MHC is a group of political elites that use the sewers of Manhattan to dispose of unwanted homeless people and criminals. Jeff Converse gets caught up in this mess when he is falsely charged with attempted murder. Some plot twists came up of course, as with every Saul novel, but the ending was a little too predictable. Is this necessarily a bad thing? Not really, it still gives the reader a sense of relief when the good guy still prevails in the end. Without this predictability though, this book could have gained another star from this fan.Interesting enough, the reader is gained insight on how crooked figures in any town can collaborate and manipulate the society that they are elected to lead. Though the thoughts of this are disturbing, Saul gives the reader the sense that the "baddies" of society will always fail. Great image to hold, but can be unrealistic. Again, I urge any Saul fan to pick up The Manahattan Hunt Club for a very quick paced read. As compared to other Saul novels, MHC expands a bit into other societies and how a corrupt town will get the railroad spike in the back.Nicholas A. McGirr Author of Life of Death and Book One: The Growing Dim Project
What do You think about The Manhattan Hunt Club (2006)?
This was a book I might never have selected on my own but was happy to read as a kick off to our little women's book club. The subject matter was interesting and good fodder for a few moral debates. I liked John Saul's writing; the action was fast moving enough to be exciting, and the character development was all really well done. At least for me, I enjoyed it. LOL We had lots to discuss at book club, and it left me thinking of big citites in a very different way!And I have to compliment his ending, too. So many books are heavily weighted right up to the end, then they drop the reader quietly in the final two pages, almost like they don't expect people to actually finish the book! Saul did a far above average job of thoroughly wrapping up the story lines & thereby satisfying me. And the "resolutions" weren't all neat and tidy, either; most of it was totally plausible in my mind, which after a story like that was important.Super happy I read this one, likely to read more Saul in the future! :)
—Marie Wreath
Jeff Converse was falsely convicted of attempted murder. Then an accident during transport has him declared dead. But Jeff isn’t dead. He’s been deposited deep in the tunnels under Manhattan, where he is being hunted by the elite Manhattan Hunt Club. Can he escape the tunnels and the people hunting him?I think it’s safe to admit that my favorite book genre is thriller/suspense. The Manhattan Hunt Club is a fantastic example of the genre. It is surprising and shocking and delightfully dark. It does take time to get to the heart-racing meat of the novel, but without it who would care what was happening?4.5 out of 5. Always have and always will love this book.
—Katherine
In my opinion this in John Saul's masterpiece! I first got hooked on the horror of John Saul when I stumbled upon The Blackstone Chronicles, but have found some of Saul's novels disappointing (as word of advice: don't bother reading The Devil's Labyrinth published in 2007). Saul has a history of writing bad or simply off the wall endings to his stories. I loved The Manhattan Hunt Club - a story of homeless people living underground (literally) by accessing subway tunnels. Saul clearly put a lot of work, time and research into this manuscript. Other Saul books I would recommend: The Blackstone Chronicles, Black Lightning, Perfect Nightmare, The Homing and Shadows. Midnight Voices and Black Creek Crossing were good stories with terrible endings. John Saul has been writing stories of horror since 1977.2011 Update: I re-read this book with the John Saul Lit Group (come join us if you like John Saul or Horror - I'm Moderator). Unfortunately, my audiobook from the library was damaged and I had to skip through much of it. I still think this is a great story with twists and thought provoking issues - power and authority, manipulation, judging, right and wrong, etc. Saul tells a good story that comes full circle.
—Dustin Crazy little brown owl
