5 comments about Tales from the Town of Widows.

1. Tales from the Town of Widows and Chronicles from the Land of Men is a feast for anyone who relishes beautiful, intelligent writing infused with humor and humanity.
   Set against the backdrop of the Colombian civil war, it tells the story of a group of women living in a remote mountain village who are forced to fend for themselves after a band of Communist guerrillas descends on the village and forcibly recruits all the men, killing those who resist and leading the others away to fight for their cause. The women and children who are left behind must overcome their grief, fear, ignorance and passivity in order to survive and build a new society of their own on the patriarchal rubble of the old.
   The book embodies many contradictions without ever pulling at the seams. It is at once lyrical and brutal, subversive and idealistic, satirical and affecting, wickedly funny and profoundly sad. It tackles big issues--religion, politics, sexual politics--but its real power lies in the poignant and often comic humanity of its characters, with their hairy, muscular legs and rectangular bodies, their migrating warts and luxurious mustaches. And those are just the women: the widows, spinsters, prostitutes and virgins who inhabit the town of Mariquita. We are also given, in journalistic chronicles at the end of each chapter, brief and often shocking glimpses of the men and boys doomed to fight in the war, and the civilians caught up in its senseless violence.
   The book begins in 1992 and ends, 16 years later, in 1992. (Among the many innovations the women conceive is the concept of female time, which is based on the menstrual cycle and runs backwards. They also end up rejecting religion, making clothing optional and deciding that heterosexuality is over-rated.) Each chapter focuses on a particular woman: Doña Emilia, the madam of the village's whorehouse, who loses all her customers when the men are taken away; Cleotilde Guarnizo, the mannish, mustached schoolteacher with the stomping gait and mysterious past; Francisca viuda de Gómez, the widow who finds a fortune under her bed; Julia Morales, born Julio, whose mother dresses him as a girl to hide him from the guerrillas and who grows up to become the town beauty. But the main character, the unifying force of the village and of the book, is Rosalba viuda de Patiño, the widow of the town's police sergeant. Soon after the men are taken away, Rosalba is appointed Magistrate by a passing government soldier. It falls on her, an uneducated housewife with no leadership experience, to rouse the women from their grief and apathy and restore order, prosperity and hope to the village -- a seemingly impossible task that requires all her ingenuity and determination.
   In the end, Rosalba and the other villagers create a new society based on the values of women: harmony, cooperation and respect for every individual, whether female or male, gay or straight, buck naked or wearing a red polka dot dress that's tight in all the right places. And when some of the village's men come home after their 16-year absence and try to reclaim their power and male prerogatives, things get really interesting...



2. Highly recommended read, especially for those who enjoy literature from Latin America. Combines the magical realism of much of the literature I've read from Colombia, alongside personal stories of the many-years-long conflict. A very beatiful epic-like and unusual story of love, interdependence and the will to survive.



3. Canon has created a world both hauntingly familiar and startlingly inventive. The Widow's Town is a must read.



4. Found the book somewhat depressing .... unlike most books that I would choose to read. The challanges, changes, and lifestyle of the characters could of course compare with other cultures. At times I had to set the book aside and read something lighter!



5. Okay so I saw this book was nominated for a number of gay male book awards and was intrigued as the description says nothing about it being a gay novel, and rightly so, it's not really. I would say it's more of a feminist utopia written by a gay man.
   
   The book is a collection of stories about the women left from a town where all the men were either kidnapped or killed by guerrillas. Interspersed between these stories are short snippets, usually 2 or 3 pages at most, of interviews with guerrillas some of whom where from this town.
   
   As for the gay stuff, there are two chapters devoted to "the other widows", both gay men. One who hid by pretending to be a girl, and still living as a girl, the other who just happened to be at an outlying farm when the guerrillas came to town. Also towards the end of the book some of the women begin to express their love for each other, both physically and emotionally. Most of the book, however, concerns the lives of the women left behind and how they pick themselves up and create a life and town out of the devastation of their consequences.
   
   From here I could go on a tangent about why books with minor or secondary gay content get nominated for gay specific awards when the majority of the book is not gay, but I won't it would take too much time. As for the book, it is well-written and it's obvious the author has talent and has been schooled in the art of writing. Some parts are a little slow and the book drags a bit in the middle, but it does offer an arresting look at the lives of people who live in a country constantly torn by internal strife and warfare written by an emerging new writer.
   
   If you are looking for that kind of story this is the book for you, if you are looking for a gay novel, look elsewhere.

No comments about LAST OF THE MOHICANS, THE - KINDLE EDITION [ENG].

No comments about The History of Ophelia (Broadview Editions).

5 comments about Into the Fire.

1. I believe that this book,along with "To Wake the dead" and "The lake", were the last of Laymons books that were unpublished before he died and were put out by his wife.
   
   In true Laymon fashion it is two seperate stories that come together at the climatic ending. The first, Pamela is kidnapped buy a serial killing freak she went to high-school with. She is rescued right off the bat by a man driving a bus full of manequens and brought to the town of Pitts. She becomes resident number seven and finds out a weird town secret.
   
   The second is Norman, he is driving home from college when he is accosted by a james dean wannabe named Duke. Duke convinces Norman to give him a ride. Eventually they find a chubby girl named Boots and the three of them go on a cross country killing spree.
   
   The two stories converge in the climatic ending. Overall, the book was a little long and some parts were kind of boring. Not his best but not his worst. good for someone who has never read Laymons work and wants to see what he is about.



2. "Into the Fire" is the second of Laymon's books I have read, the first being "The Cellar". I had never read a book quite like "The Cellar", and that story has stayed with me for a long time. "Into the Fire" is written in much the same way and also has passages that will stick with you. Laymon is able to get to the heart of his characters with only some brief descriptions and ongoing internal monologues which are actually quite believable. When he turns up the over-the-top scenes and throws these characters to the wolves, you really find yourself cringing and yet addicted to turning the pages, just so you can see what happens next. This story is quite heavy on the sex (which is at times hardly appealing) and has a good amount of gory depictions (I've never read someone who could describe, of all things, flatulence so well and in so many unpredictable situations). I will warn you that once you start reading his books, it would seem there is a good chance you will become hooked and be searching out your next fix sooner or later. This is pure entertainment, not classic literature, but boy is that cotton candy tasty.



3. I went out to the mall the day after xmas to spend some of my christmas money and planned to get yet another ludicris filled laymon novel. I was actually looking for savage, the newest laymon release from dorchestor. Anyway neither barnes and noble nor borders had it in stock or much of anything else since the shelves were mostly emptied due to holiday shopping. Into the Fire was my second choice. I probably would have gotten both anyway. I finished the book today after starting a few days ago and am proud to say this is easily in the top 3 laymon books that i have read so far and i think i'm upto about 15. The plot is fantastically original. The story has so many cool surprises as it progresses with it's dangerously crazy characters. i've heard among others that this is the last of the unpublished laymon stuff, the thought of that makes me cringe. If that's a fact then laymon can rest at ease with a smile on his face as he lies in his grave because he has most certainly gone out with a bang.



4. This is Laymon book number three for me. I just can't seem to get enough of this guy. I am starting to get used to his writing style, but that just means that every book just gets better and better. The thing about Laymon horror, it reads just like your favorite campy horror film. It is like the whole time you are wanting to tell the characters "Don't go down that hallway!" "Don't pick up that hitchhiker!!" If you like silly, gory, unbelievable, chilling horror movies, you will love Richard Laymon books. 'Into the Fire' gets better and better with every chapter. I was actually sad this one ended.



5. This book is strange... and the info on the back cover is very misleading. According to the little blurb on the back you learn that Pamela will be kidnapped by Rodney who has had a crush on her since high school and plans on possibly killing her, the back of the book then informs us that Rodney will be shot by some guy who "rescues" Pamela only her rescuer may be worse than Rodney.
   
   Sounds interesting! Unfortunately most of the book is about a completely unrelated guy named Norman and has nothing to do at all with the Pamela story mentioned on the back. Norman is rather boring to read about... he's in his early twenties, in college, parents have money and he's a bit of a wimp. Norman manages to find himself caught up with two other twenty somethings on a crime spree. Unfortunately the Norman/Duke/Boots story is over 50% of the book and it's really boring... they commit crimes, they have explicit sex, they run away and then Norman whines about it all. I think the fact that he is whining about having to murder people is supposed to make us feel like he's not such a bad guy. These three have no purpose, no drive, no goal and get really boring very quickly. Then we can flash back to Pamela... and well her situation may not be as bad for her as it is written out on the back cover.
   
   The characters are very flat and for the most part, not all that interesting. The only one I would be interested in learning more about would have been Sharpe but we get very little on him. The choices these characters make border on ludicrous, I can't imagine a normal person being okay with the events that transpire in this book.
   
   I hate to say it, but I was very glad when I had finished this book and could move on to something different.

5 comments about Baby-Sitting Is a Dangerous Job.

1. I liked Babysitting is a Dangerous job. This book was a bout a girl named Darcy who wants to be a babysitter and get money. She gets a job from Mrs. Foster . Mrs. Foster is rich and she has three kids and her husband. Shana is her youngest daughter and she is two and a half. Her middle child is Melissa and she is four.Her oldest child is Jeremy and he is six . All three of the kids are brats but Darcy is willing to babysit them for the money . After the first couple times of babysitting them Darcy and the kids got along. Just when Darcy thought everything was going fine the burgular alarm went off and she thought it was just Jeremy playing around . But little did she know there really were burgulars in that house but they got out before the cops could get them . The burgulars came back for a second time but this time they were smart and they got into the house without setting off the alarm . The burgulars kidnapped all of them for ransom and they brought Darcy and the kids to a house and were going to keep them there until Mr.Foster payed the ransom . Now Darcy has to figure out a way to get her and the kids out of that house before something bad happens. I would recommend this book for someone who likes suspense and mystery books.



2. I first read this book as a 12 year old and I loved it. So I remembered and 12 years later bought it. It was as good as I remembered it to be. You really don't have to be in middle school to appreciate great writing.



3. My dad got this book at a clearance, I thought it would not be that great. Then I read a couple of pages and I could not put It down. Its so intensifying, I just cant explain it!! Well actually I can :P There is a girl named Darcy and she is baby-sitting three bratty kids. One day the burglar alarm goes off, the police come and go, then she realizes (when she sees them) that they got into the house and were there the whole time! The burglars plan is to ransom the kids! Darcy and the three children begin to like each other and help each other get through. Will they escape or not? Hmmm...



4. There are some books that you don't grow out of. "Superfudge", "The Kid Next Door (and other headaches)", and this, "Babysitting...". I hadn't looked at it in years, indeed, at least 18, and upon reading the first paragraph had a completely forgotten memory revealed to me - the fact that I used to read aloud to myself all the time, and when I read the first couple of paragraphs my lips knew the words even before my brain did. That was awesome. Also, "The Girl With Silver Eyes". FAVE! Now my daughter is 7, I can't wait to share these with her!



5. I read this book years ago and loved it, and recently found it again -- and I still love it. What's not to like about a gripping tale of being kidnapped, and being smart about it? This is the kind of story that is stored deep in my memory in case I'm ever in a similar situation. And speaking as a writer myself, I can appreciate the pacing and the skill that went into it. Great book, 'nuff said!

2 comments about The Moro Affair (New York Review Books Classics).

1. The NYRB deserves credit for retrieving several wonderful works by the Sicilian writer-politician Leonardo Sciascia: "Day of the Owl" surely; "Equal Danger" and "To Each His Own," probably. "Italian Hours" is a lesser work, but still good fun.
   
   By contrast, "The Moro Affair" is (or ought to be) an embarrassment, to Sciascia and to the publisher as well. At the most forgiving, we can call it a nonce work, interesting as an exemplar of the kind of bitchiness and personalism that passes for journalism in Italy. But for the ordinary reader today, if it is to succeed at all, it needs a comprehensive introduction. But Peter Robb (who has written well about Sicily elsewhere) apparently wasn't willing to put in the time or the effort.
   
   Some will say that the likely reader already knows about the Moro episode. Probably in outline, yes, but if he knows it in the kind of detail necessary to appreciate this work, he has probably read Sciascia's account long ago--and, chances are, in Italian.
   
   On the other hand, if you really do want a decent overview of the Moro affair, there is a good one available, ironically, through the New York Review of Books. It's a review, by Adrian Lyttelton available (albeit as paid content) in the archives at the NYRB website. If you really need to master Sciascia on Morrow, Lyttelton is probably a ticket. But unless you are a fairly serious specialist, you can probably give it a bye.



2. This book includes a shorter piece, "The Mystery of Majorana", which is a gem. It gives an explanation for the disappearance of the enigmatic and brilliant physicist Ettore Majorana. The story may or may not be the best researched explanation for what happened to Majorana, but the perspective brought to the life of a genius scientist by the author is compelling.
   
   I have not read, "The Moro Affair" yet, but I assume it will rate at least zero stars, which makes this a five star book.

5 comments about The Ghosts of Hopewell: Setting the Record Straight in the Lindbergh Case.

1. Fisher's first book was clearly a better work. This second book appears to be nothing more than Fisher's response to his many critics. It is very brief with only a thumbnail sketch of the case. I think this would have been better as a magazine article than a full book.
   
   Additionally, Fisher makes some Herculean leaps in logic. The finding of a bottle of Ether produced after the date of the kidnapping, i.e. March 1, 1932, forms the basis of a claim by Fisher that Hauptmann was planning to kidnap again. The leap is just too great.
   
   To his credit, Fisher does debunk many of the great fallacies of this case, especially concerning the ladder and wood evidence. Nevertheless, I think this book was unnecessary and Fisher should have just let his first book do the talking for him.



2. A typical ignorant diatribe to convince the pliable that the state does not make mistakes.
   
   A view of the trial documents by anyone ready for a bar exam would reveal any number of reversable errors, not to mention an inadequate defense. Hauptmann's own words just before his execution are cause for reasonable doubt. It is one thing to claim there is no proof that Hauptmann was innocent, but that goes against the standard of assumption of innocence.
   
   The fact is only Hauptman (and the real killer/killers if any) knew if he was innocent, and the state proved its case only to the jury. I can't imagine anyone the state would have had in that position going free, regardless of guilt or innocence.
   
   To call any question of the acuracy of the verdict in this trial "revisionism" is akin to objecting to the modern day view that the segregation and Jim Crow laws up to the 60's satisfied the current legal process, but were nonetheless morally despicable.



3. I read his first book.And knew ,it was full of lies.And his second book is even more treacherous ! This guy is a former FBI agent ?? I could write the real Lindbergh story.Without me writing out a long story here,the author Upton Sinclair and author Sinclair Lewis helped plan the Lindbergh kidnapping.They were concerned that ,Charles Jr.,would run for Jersey governour and later became President.They didn't want a "World War 3".Lindbergh was a Nazi sympathizer,big time.(In 2003,three Bavarian siblings ,exposed their mother's secret love-affair with Charles Sr.They are the products of that 1950s hidden romantic relationship.) The authoress ,Gertrude Stein, with Isodore Fish, may have written the Lindbergh ransome notes.However,that is speculation only.All the major writers of the 1920s,knew about the kidnapping plot.Hemmingway,Fitzgerald,Willa Cather,W.Somerset Maugham,George Orwell,Sherwood Anderson,Edgar Cacye,William Faulkner,etc.,knew about the plot.John Condon was a close associate of David Willentz,and was the real estate agent to Richard Hauptmann.The "Lindbergh Ladder" was of sawyered wood that came from Hauptmann's attic and ultimately from a lumber-yard in South Carolina,with contacts to David Willentz. You do the addition,and go figure . Prime example of a top government conspiracy!
   Updated-nov.25.06.-Beware of the History Channel! I taped a day's worth of programmes,and watched this morning.There was a segment on Lindbergh,Edgar Cayce and ESP.The programme claimed that the baby was sadly found in the flower-box,several feet under the nursery window.That is not true.An infant was found one and half miles from the Lindbergh estate,just over the county line and by an orphanage run by David Willentz.



4. For goodness' sake, how much evidence do the conspiracy wackos need before they come back to planet Earth? Fisher shows how Hauptmann a) had the money, b) owned the wood that was used to make the ladder, c) owned the nails that were used to make the ladder, d) had a criminal record involving threats on babies and the use of ladders, e) gave up work as soon as the ransom was paid, f) never worked again once the kidnapper was paid his money - and much more. His book (and his original and more comprehensive earlier work) should be a breath of fresh air for the conspiracy theorists. Unfortunately, absolutely nothing will convince them that Bruno Richard Hauptman was a thoroughly evil child murderer.



5. "The Ghosts of Hopewell: Setting the Record Straight in the Lindbergh Case", Jim Fisher, Southern Illinois Univ. Press 1999, ISBN: 0-8093-2285-4, HC 161 pgs., plus 18 pgs. Notes; 10 pgs. Biblio.; 6 pgs. Index; and 20 B & W Illus.-Photos. 9 1/4" x 6 1/4".
   
   Author Fisher, both law graduate and former FBI agent (albeit but 6 years), writes again after some 18 years of studying the Lindbergh case. He previously authored "The Lindbergh Case" in 1987. This book is divided into 3 sections: I - The Case, II - The Theories, and III - The Evidence.
   
   Above all, Fisher takes on the disbelieve(r)s who profess innocence of Bruno Richard Hauptmann (BRH) in the kidnapping, murder and ransom of baby Lindbergh (Eaglet), Mar. 1, 1932. Fisher underscores in great detail the Hauptmann handwriting found both at the crime scene of kidnapping and later in ransom notes - and cites detailed peculiarities believed conclusively incriminating by virtue of a writing 'tic' or unique agraphia that provided a discrete signature to BRH's written vocabulary. Further details are also proffered on Hauptmann's failed stock market transactions, purchase of ether, etc., financial difficulties by lack of employement, and a past criminal record.
   
   Fisher is distressed by the impetuous publication of defectively researched books beseeching acquittal of BRH and culpability by 'the usual suspects' that embraced hired help, relatives, and he censures that most disturbing 1993 book "Crime of the Century: The Kidnapping Hoax" by Ahlgren and Monier.
   
   Aside from a few unneeded repetitions, i.e. ranson letters, etc. the book's intent is to checkmate (or dispose of) opposing viewpoints and to present new supportive information - and admittedly, it is well written with legal and forensic evidence presentations which must now be balanced by the reader against Ahlgren and Monier's indictment of the father, Colonel Charles Lindbergh, whose alleged prank and subsequent kidnap hoax went awry. With all parties dead, one's beliefs may well reside within the domain of the prevailing or most current best writer of truth and/or fiction, so choose wisely or not at all. I am currently transfixed in a decision-making process akin to game theory.

No comments about Journey to Boc Boc: The Kidnapping of a Rock Star.

5 comments about A Stranger is Watching.

1. I read this book this year and I couldn't put it down! I'm in seventh grade. This book isn't a good book for people that get nervous or scared easily. But it's great for people that love Scary Mysteries!
   
   This book is a true Scary Mystery classic.
   
   This book has romance, which leads to a huge mystery that has people's lives at stake.



2. Her boyfriends wife was killed, the murderer, a seventeen year old with a hard background, was arrested and sentenced to the electric chair. But still Sharon felt very strongly about capital punishment and that it should not be used in the federal government's punishment system. She felt that although he was guilty (in her opinion) of murder that life in prison was a more appropriate punishment. Death she felt was cruel and unnecessary. Susan fought for months to get a clemency on Ronald Thompson's case. Her boyfriend, Steven Peterson, whose wife Thompson was accused killing, supported capital punishment even before his wife had been killed. Although he and his new girlfriend, who he met about two years after his wife's death, had different views on the subject they both stayed desperately in love with each other. Sharon failed at her attempts to get the judge to change Thompson's sentence. But still even in his last two days of life Thompson's closest friends tried to find something they had missed to prove his innocence. Another man was watching the case very closely, he planned to kidnap Peterson's son along with Sharon and return them once he had collected $[...] in ransom fees. But a hoax for delivering the money was setup and the kidnapper was caught. Along with him being caught, police also solved the murder of Peterson's wife and proved Thompson's innocence. This was an ok book but it was very confusing. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a mystery and can easily understand confusing stories.
   
   The characters in the story are outstandingly smart and realistic. The kidnapper watches Sharon an extended period of time without being noticed or thought suspicious. He also managed to get out of the neighborhood without being identified, but some of Peterson's close friends were looking out the window and noticed him pulling out of the driveway. Sharon and Steve (Peterson) both appeared on the Today show three days before Thompson's scheduled execution, the couple had very different views on the same subject and while they both stuck strongly to their opinions, after the show they made plans to see each other the next day. Thompson's mother, Kate, fought very hard to get a petition filled with the names of the people who knew her son best, so that she could try and get a clemency on his sentence, but she felt very betrayed when she found out that Sharon did not believe her son was innocent instead she felt that he should not be punished so brutally.
   
   
   This story was quite confusing. New characters were introduced so frequently that it was hard to keep track of everything going on. In the beginning of the novel the kidnapper/murderer is what seems to be the main character, then after a chapter or two Sharon and Steve are introduced and the story bounces back and forth between the two of them. But after only about three or four chapters characters are introduced so quickly that the reader is easily confused. A few characters that are introduced within the first ten chapters include: Roger Perry, Glenda Perry, Neil, Mrs. Thompson, Ronald Thompson, Mr. Lufts, Mrs. Lufts, and Sandy.
   
   
   Although confusing this book is a true thriller. The climax of the book is awaited desperately by the reader. Aside from the fact that it can be confusing because of the bouncing back and forth between characters and stories, the book has an immense amount of suspenseful thrill. For example, Sharon was watching Neil, Steve's son, until Steve got home and from there they had planned to go out to eat or to a movie, but when a knock came at the door and was answered it was the kidnapper. The reader holds on to every word as the author describes how the kidnapper stuffed Neil into a duffel bag with his hands and feet tied, and his mouth gagged. The author implies to the reader that Thompson could be guilty but at other times reassures the reader that he is completely innocent.
   
   The novel was not great but would be an adequate time filler that is certainly filled with a good thrill for the reader throughout the book. The characters are smart, realistic, and the book is thrilling. Once again I recommend this to those readers who do not get confused easily and who love the mystery/thriller book genre.
   
   
   K. Dixon



3. A Stranger Is Watching?
   
   In the novel A Stranger is watching, by Mary Higgins Clark, a drama novel; was about a murder that took place two years ago, in which a six year old child witnessed the murder. The novel opens as Steve and Shawn debate capital punishment. A young man named Ronald Thompson has been sentenced to death for Nina's murder. Throughout the novel they give clues on who could be the killer. At the end of the novel the last person you would think was accused of the murder. The main character was Ronald. I personally liked the novel because I like suspense novels and movies. I would recommend this book to anyone because it is so dramatic and detailed. Also it's full of thrill.
   
   Jessica Acosta



4. Classic MHC. A teenager wrongly convicted of a woman's murder, waiting on death row for his execution in a few days. A grieving widower and son, seeking closure and healing. A psychotic killer who has never been traced to five unsolved murders. Well-written, entertaining, nail-biting.



5. Reading this book I was struck by how dated it was. Although the book I was reading appeared new the copyright was 1977.
   
   Despite being dated, it is still an enjoyable read. I read the last half in about two days as I didn't want to wait to see what happened next. I fought sleep the last night to finally finish the book at midnight. This is a typical Mary Higgins Clark but does not seam cookie cutter so you won't feel like you have read this already. Some of the characters (the police) I found a little irritating and hopefully not true to life. Maybe I'm too used to the police being the heros in suspense novels.
   
   Overall this is an enjoyable book weaving together a couple different story lines.

5 comments about The Bancroft Strategy.

1. Yes, another novel supposedly written by the supernaturally talented author from beyond the grave has hit the book shelves...and yet while several post-death Ludlum novels have actually been really good (The Jansen Directive & Sigma Protocol just 2 examples) this one has failed to pull off the so-called attempt to resurrect the patented writing style that the late Ludlum perfected 30+ years ago...and yet I gave the book 3 stars. You might wonder why. So here is my reasoning: for those who pop this book expecting the intricate plotting that we have come to know and love from Robert Ludlum, you will be sorely disappointed. It borders on insulting to issue this as written by this well-respected and talented author. And yet if you begin this novel KNOWING it wasn't written BY Robert Ludlum, I believe you can appreciate it for being what I like to refer to as *Ludlum Light*.
   
   The actual story isn't terrible and while it makes a bold attempt to mimic the style and prose of our late beloved spy author, it just doesn't have that extra *something* we always could expect from him. I am having a difficult time exactly putting my finger on it, but suffice it to say that while this is an OKAY thriller, it would easily be considered the worst of all Ludlum novels had it actually been written by him. Based on what we have received in the past and what he has managed to deliver over the subsequent 30 years, I can safely say that releasing fluff like this in the guise of the great Ludlum is also an insult to his fans, and in no way helps advance the sales of his truly superior Cold War era spy thrillers the way they ought to.
   
   If you have read this fully KNOWING it isn't written by Robert Ludlum and STILL enjoyed it, and yet haven't discovered his novels, man are you in for a MAJOR literary treat. Pick up all his early stuff and be prepared for weeks of absolute thrills. I recommend The Parsifal Mosaic, The Materese Circle, the entire Bourne Trilogy (especially the Bourne Supremacy), The Holcroft Covenant, The Chancellor Manuscript and the Acquitaine Progression just to name a few. In my opinion Ludlum remains the greatest Spy novelist of the Cold War era, and while some of the novels are a bit dated, for those of us who can recall the USSR and its communist regime as the Evil Empire as proclaimed by Reagan, discovering Ludlum is more than a welcome find.
   
   The best thing I can say about the Bancroft Stretegy is this: it's okay and I'd say it probably doesn't suck...but doesn't even come close to the late authors worst book.



2. i enjoyed reading the BS,
   as i do most ludlum books,
   enjoyable, not great, but a good read, nonetheless.



3. I really enjoyed this book and will recommend it to my friends. I didn't see the ending coming. The minute I thought I had the plot down they twisted it. If you like this genre of 'spy action' books then I you will get your money's worth.



4. As you (try to)read this book, you see an actual well told story...BUT with at least one Twenty-Five cent word on every page. I don't know the genius who could read this book, and not stop on one of these words and go "Huh????" If you haven't read this book, go to the book store first, thumb to ANY page and start reading. I swear 98% of the time you'll find a word you've never heard of before! Writers, this doesn't make you a better writer as your reader has to keep a dictionary next to them. Thumbs down, sorry.



5. The book had a most vivid narration and it was exciting in many ways up and until the end. The ending for me was a bit predictable as to the identity of Genesis and I had that figured out about halfway through the book. I was disappointed in the ending somewhat as it left some holes or rather some unexplained non-closure items with the legendary field agent, Todd Belknap that conveyed his character to be weak in the end showing a dramatic inconsistency as Belknap was so strong throughout the plot line of this novel. It was as if someone else stepped in and wrote the ending and ran out of runway with "I am woman hear me roar". If I knew how it would of ended, I may not have even started reading it. Attention! Tom Cain, Author of "The Accident Man", we need your new book, Part II: "The Survivor", and in a hurry!