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Have New Reviews E-Mailed To You!A Review of Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Like the 40 million other people who helped make Dan Brown a household name, I devoured The Da Vinci Code in record time and I loved it. So I was really looking forward to getting acquainted with Brown's other works. I started with Digital Fortress because that's what my library had at the time.
Digital Fortress starts off excitingly enough. We begin in Seville, Spain where a Japanese man is dying in a very public park. He is trying to get his last words out before he expires, but can't manage anything intelligible. We learn later on, however, that he was able to pass along a seemingly innocuous gold ring to a bystander.
Next, Brown shifts the setting back to the U.S. where we meet the two protagonists. One is Susan Fletcher, a beautiful cryptographer working at the NSA, and the other is her fiance, David Becker, who is a very popular linguistics professor at Georgetown University. Brown spends a bit of time here introducing the characters and letting readers get to know them before launching into the main action of the book. Before we know it, David gets a phone call from Susan's boss, Trevor Strathmore, asking him to go to Spain immediately to try to locate the Japanese man's ring. Meanwhile, Susan goes to NSA headquarters where she learns of the possible existence of an "unbreakable" encryption called Digital Fortress. This is dire news indeed, because if something like Digital Fortress actually did exist, it would be a huge threat to national security.
Soon, David and Susan will become embroiled in adventures and situations that put their very lives at risk. David learns that finding the ring is no small task, since no one seems to remember who the Japanese man actually gave it to, but Strathmore won't allow him to come home without it. He starts tracking down leads and is soon being chased all over Seville by an assassin who is equally interested in finding the ring. Meanwhile, Susan learns that the Japanese man, Ensei Tankado, had an accomplice, and that accomplice might very well be one of her colleagues at the NSA. She starts to unravel Tankado's mystery, but the closer she gets to the truth, the more endangered her life becomes.
On the whole, there were quite a few things I liked about the book. First, Brown keeps up a fast pace and there are action-packed scenes throughout. This is what The Da Vinci Code was like, and is one of the things that makes Brown so readable. Second, I liked the premise of the story. It was very intriguing and had me interested right from the beginning. The combination of codes, codebreakers, supercomputers, computer viruses, and potential national security risks sounds like it could definitely make for an excellent plotline in a thriller or suspense novel. And third, the two main characters of Susan and David were rather likable. This is of course a critical aspect to any book. I don't know about you, but I can't read very far into a novel if the main character is wholly insufferable and unsympathetic in any way.
Despite these positive aspects of Digital Fortress, however, there were quite a few things that put me off the book as well. For instance, there were numerous factual and conceptual errors throughout the text. I've never been to Spain, but I've read other published reviews that say Brown's descriptions of the city, its people, and their customs are way off base. In fact, the criticisms are so harsh that they make me believe Brown wrote about Seville without actually having been there and without having done much research into the area. These kinds of errors and omissions are rather unforgivable in this day and age.
Another thing I've heard is that practically none of the computer stuff that Brown talks about is even in the ballpark of being accurate. Apparently, IT professionals and other computer whizzes have torn Brown's plot to shreds and have pointed out lots of details that simply don't make sense. Again, since the basic premise of the book involved computers and their capabilities, I find that the major errors and omissions regarding these topics are unforgivable as well.
Although I don't know the publishing history of Digital Fortress, from what I understand, the book was first available in electronic format. Then, once Brown started experiencing major success with The Da Vinci Code, either he or his publishers jumped at the chance of getting his older works back into circulation. Because of the extensive criticism (some might call it nitpicking), I am left to wonder if Brown wishes he could have consulted with a computer systems expert prior to re-releasing the book. I'm sure many of his readers wish he could have.
Overall, I have to say that I found the book to be ok. I didn't love it, nor did I totally despise it. It's not something that I would go out of my way to recommend to a friend, but at the same time, I wouldn't dissuade a friend from reading it if she or he already had a copy of the book. Since I don't know much about computers, Brown's mistakes didn't jump out at me and prevent me from enjoying the book. And the same thing is true about the Seville parts. I've never been to Spain, so I would have had no way of knowing on my own whether Brown's descriptions were accurate or not. Since I didn't read the criticisms of the book until after I had completed it, they didn't color my opinion one way or the other while I was reading.
I have to admit that if I hadn't read any criticisms after completing Digital Fortress, I probably would have given it a much stronger recommendation. But I find it to be a total copout on Brown's part to try to fudge his way through some of the details. It seems like he's counting on his readers not to notice or care, and that just makes me like the work a little less than I would have otherwise. So take this into consideration, then decide for yourself if you want to read Digital Fortress or not.
3:41 AM 0 comments
A Review of The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
The major plotline in The Phantom of the Opera is a timeless one. It is the story of unrequited love, obsession, and ultimately, madness. The title character is a man named Erik, who was once a torturer in Persia. Forced to flee from that country, he takes up residence in the underground labyrinth of the Paris Opera House -- a building, not coincidentally, that he actually designed. Why would Erik choose to live underground? It's actually not much of a choice at all. His face has been seriously disfigured since birth, rendering him so grotesque and hideous that people can't stand the sight of him. In fact, he is forced to wear a silk mask to hide the fact that his skin is falling off and that he has no nose. Totally rejected by society, he retreats to his underground lair.
However, Erik is still fundamentally a human being, and as such, he yearns for companionship. He cannot entirely seal himself away from human contact, so he gets himself involved in the various goings-on of the opera house. We learn that he frequently plays tricks on the owners, cast, crew, and patrons. Sometimes these tricks are relatively harmless and just result in inconveniences; at others, they are quite cruel and occasionally result in death.
The reader finds out that Erik is also very musically inclined. He has a wonderful singing voice and is an accomplished composer. He is working on an original opera called "Don Juan Triumphant" and Leroux indicates that it could be some kind of masterpiece. Here we get the feeling that Erik could have been a great man but for his deformity and society's reaction to it.
While living underground, he gives voice lessons to a beautiful would-be leading lady named Christine. To her, he is known as the Angel of Music, and he transforms her from a faceless member of the chorus into one of the most popular singers the opera house has ever known. In the process, Erik falls in love with her. But there are of course a couple of obstacles standing in his way. First of all, is the small matter of his disfigurement. On a certain level, Erik knows that Christine could never truly love him. Yet, at the same time, he refuses to give up on her altogether. A second complication is that Christine is already in love with another man, Raoul de Chagny. Raoul is rich and handsome, which drives Erik insane with jealousy.
The latter half of The Phantom of the Opera describes the various schemes that Erik comes up with to try to get Christine to renounce Raoul and declare her undying love for "the phantom" instead. The climactic confrontation in the underground lair is a scene that will stay with readers long after they have finished the novel.
The writing style employed by Leroux in The Phantom of the Opera is unlike any other novel I've ever read. He makes it seem as though he is presenting the reader with a news story rather than with a work of fiction. Indeed, at the very beginning of the novel, Leroux states that the phantom is real. What follows is a series of news accounts and narratives woven into the very fabric of the larger story. The result is that the reader feels that the story of Erik the phantom might indeed be true.
Leroux is at his best when setting the scene of the love story. His detailed descriptions of the Paris Opera House are the result of painstaking research and observation. From what I understand, the underground lair and even the famous lake really do exist beneath the original structure.
Although there are a number of fabulous scenes in The Phantom of the Opera, made all the more memorable by the various screen and stage adaptations from over the years, I found the book to lag in many places. Sometimes Leroux goes overboard with dialogue, and he quite often fails to get to the point of a scene as quickly as I would like. In Leroux's defense, however, it should be mentioned that I was of course reading a translation of the novel, not the author's original words in his native French language. Furthermore, Leroux was an investigative reporter by trade, so this journalistic style was probably very natural to him. He pulls it off very well.
Overall, I highly recommend The Phantom of the Opera to anyone who is either alread a fan of any of the movies or musicals or to anyone who simply wants to read an engaging love story that also has many elements of a thriller, mystery, and suspense novel. You might not be on the edge of your seat throughout the reading of this book, but the story is intriguing enough that you will have no trouble finding the motivation to read it from cover to cover.
3:38 AM 0 comments
Review of Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
Friday, March 10, 2006
Skipping Christmas is the story of Luther and Nora Krank, a typical upper-middle class suburban couple in their mid-40s. The Kranks have just packed their daughter off to Peru, where she will be putting in a stint with the Peace Corps, and they suddenly realize that for the first time in more than two decades, they will be alone for Christmas. This thought doesn't fill them with sadness; on the contrary, they are looking forward to it.
But then Luther sits down to go over his accounts and discovers that the Kranks spent a whopping total of $6,100 on Christmas the previous year. He can't believe that amount, and starts going over in his head what they could possibly have spent all that money on. After all, they don't have anything concrete to show for it.
Luther soon realizes that most of the money was spent on things that don't matter: expensive food and drinks for the Kranks' annual Christmas party; elaborate decorations for their home so that they fit in with the rest of the block; presents for people they don't even like to begin with, etc. He concludes that everything was just a colossal waste, and resolves not to make the same mistake this year.
After some hesitation, Luther broaches the subject with Nora and springs an interesting idea on her. Instead of falling into the same trap of useless spending, why not just skip Christmas altogether? They wouldn't decorate, throw a party, buy any presents, or do any of the other things that hint at celebrating Christmas. Instead, they would take a 10-day cruise with the money that otherwise would have gone to waste. By Luther's calculations, they would actually save close to $3000 by going on a cruise rather than sticking around for Christmas.
Nora is a little hesitant at first, but slowly comes around and warms to Luther's plan. From that point on, Skipping Christmas deals with all the problems they encounter because of their decision. As you can imagine, most of their co-workers, friends, neighbors, casual acquaintances, and relatives think they have gone off the deep end when they say they are simply going to skip Christmas this year, and the events that unfold because of the Kranks' intentions are nothing short of hilarious.
In Skipping Christmas, Grisham shows that in addition to being a savvy attorney who knows the ins and outs of the legal system like nobody's business, he also has a wonderfully wry sense of humor. As I said before, this book is quite a departure from his usual fare, but it works for me.
A lot of critics of the book have said that the characters are mere caricatures and that their actions are greatly exaggerated. I agree with this claim to a certain extent; however, I firmly believe that this is the effect that Grisham intended. After all, he is a seasoned writer and surely knows how to create the kinds of characters that he needs in order to prop up his plotline. I don't think he was "mailing it in" on this novel, as some have accused him of. I personally think it's great when authors take a chance and veer from the tried and true formula that has brought them so much monetary success. In fact, I can totally imagine Grisham having more fun writing this book than he had when writing his last few legal thrillers.
You might also be interested to know that this novel, like most of Grisham's other works, has been turned into a major motion picture called Christmas With the Kranks. It starred Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis as the Kranks and was distributed by Columbia Pictures. Also appearing in the film were Dan Aykroyd, Felicity Huffman (of Desperate Housewives fame), and Jake Busey. I have not seen this film, so I can't tell you how closely it follows the storyline of the original novel.
Skipping Christmas is a very quick and enjoyable read. It is not meant to be a serious work, nor is it intended to be a scathing social commentary. It's just a humorous poke at the way otherwise normal people turn into raving lunatics when the stress of the holiday season gets to them. Grisham fans who are expecting his standard courtroom drama might be disappointed with this work, but they might also find the change of pace refreshing. Whether you are an established Grisham fan or not, I think you'll get a kick out of this book. So keep it handy and pull it out next December when the relatives start getting on your nerves!
3:12 PM 0 comments
More Recent Reviews:
A Review of Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
A Review of The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
Review of Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
On the Run, by Iris Johansen
Deniece Schofield: Confessions of a Happily Organized Family
Ain't I A Woman? By bell hooks
A Review of The Firm by John Grisham
Her Mother's Daughter A Memoir by Linda Carroll
Naked Prey by John Sandford
A Review of The Magician's Nephew
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