 Brokenclaw; Reviews & Ratings |
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Commander RNVR Group: Commanding Officers Enlisted: 26 June 2003 From: New York  |
16 December 2007 - 03:13
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#1
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 This thread is intended for reviews and ratings of Brokenclaw by members of the The Blades Library Book Club here. Be sure to add your review if you do vote in the poll!
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Lt. Commander Group: Veterans Enlisted: 8 December 2007 From: Whisper who dares |
11 January 2008 - 21:35
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#2
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Not, I must note, my favorite Gardner Bond novel.A page turner to the last and full of action and wonderful characters. I would give it 7 out 10. A must read none the less!
Harry Fawkes MRQ PS I loved the title  |
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Commander Group: Veterans Enlisted: 31 August 2003 |
12 January 2008 - 00:39
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#3
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What was the impact of having the most regular lit Bond fix since the 1950-60s actually like? By now, the quality of Gardner Bonds was variable and would grow increasingly erratic. Gardner's 9th Continuation Bond novel in 1990 was yet another inconsistent entry.
The excellently titled Brokenclaw has an impressive, over-the-top villain, original setpieces but a silly and familiar story. The plot revolves around kidnapped scientists, a submarine tracking MacGuffin which can detect a submarine by its wake and some ho-hum Chinese as villainous topicality, post-the Tianamen Square massacre. There are some pedestrian North American locations, meals ripped directly from Fleming (apart from Bond drinking tea!) and things that just don't make sense. The regular Gardner Bond reader by this stage had developed a Pavlovian reaction to the imminent double crosses which would be inserted with about as much finesse as a robot proctologist. But we read on to pan the book for the gold of the odd inspired sequence and the finale of Brokenclaw is good. |
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Commander RNVR Group: Commanding Officers Enlisted: 26 June 2003 From: New York |
8 February 2008 - 00:51
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#4
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Keep the reviews coming!
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Sub-Lieutenant Group: Crew Enlisted: 27 January 2008 |
18 April 2008 - 05:21
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#5
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The Gardner books often read like films, so do we really want another action film set in North America? I think not.
The ending was horrid and too gruesome for a Bond book. The plot also felt by-numbers(maybe under orders) but was getting boring now. I was never bored reading the book, but afterwards i wanted something more. Less gore, more interesting locations and... Gardner didn't like this one . Gardner was right |
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Commander RNVR Group: Commanding Officers Enlisted: 2 August 2001 From: Oxfordshire |
18 April 2008 - 07:40
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#6
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One of the ten worst books I've yet read. Rampagingly inadequate.
It's a shame; generally I'm quite fond of his stuff but this is tired, obvious and dull.  "There was a violent cruelty, a pathological desire to wound, quite near the surface in the man." CBn: ...we have people everywhere Only James Bond is James Bond. |
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Commander CMG Group: Veterans Enlisted: 27 August 2003 From: Atlanta |
20 April 2008 - 13:18
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#7
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John Gardner really started to drop off at this point. The characters and plot are forgettable and the writing itself is a plodding. It's one of those best left forgotten.
 It wouldn't be a James Bond adventure starring Daniel Craig without some controversy! Strawberry Fields, forever |
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