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Reviews (2)
Nov 08, 2006
Not his best Not his worst
I received Utopia as a gift, I'm in love with all the books Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child have written together. If you want an amazing read pick up any of their Agent Pendergast series.
As for this book, it takes place in an amazingly complex and technologically advanced theme park that would put Walt Disney and Universal Studios to shame. Unfortunately, there's trouble in paradise when the park is held by computer savvy terrorists, don't worry not giving anything away you can read this on the back jacket. If you've already read Agent Pendergast series you'd be pleasantly surprised to see a possible guest star in this book. The characters aren't well developed, only slightly more than the average book, but the action sequences definitely are. This book would make a decent action movie, say starring, Bill Pullman or Tom Hanks and having Kevin Spacey as the evil, yet refined, bad guy.
Bottom line: This book is a great read when you don't want to think too hard or care about the characters at the end. It's full of intricate action sequences, only partly predictable twists, and the technical jargon doesn't try to leave you in the dust. Plus at 434 pages it won't take that long to read.
Works well to give or get it as a gift. If you can, buy it used.
Nov 08, 2006
Should be a Summer Blockbuster
I'm a reader of the Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child Agent Pendergast series. I decided to try them out seperately and was pleasantly surprised at The Codex by Douglas Preston.
First off, the characters are not at all well-developed and you won't think twice about them after you finish the book. At times it seemed too fast paced and I would've like to care about the actual people more, but I can't even remember their names, just their caricatures..oops I meant characters.
But what will keep you turning the pages is their incredible journey through the Amazon as they all race to recover the lost treasure of an eccentric billionaire. Why hasn't this become a movie yet? It has a kind of Rat Race meets Around The World In 80 Days feel (note I didn't say National Treasure, that was actually too smart for this book). Not very original but still very enjoyable.
You follow each of the characters' (beginning with the three sons of the rich man) adventures, they each have their own reasons for wanting the Codex. The Codex (a great architectural and medical find that details medicinal uses of the plants located in the rainforest) is just part of the incredible treasure trove awaiting them in the heart of the Amazon jungle.
Bottom Line: It doesn't get interesting until they all get at least halfway into the Amazon, after that you just hold on for the ride. There is one extremely good twist in it while the others are a bit wishy-washy. Don't expect too in-depth of a read, but it's pretty good for it's genre.
My best advice is to envision a movie while you read it and then it'll be hard to put down. If you actually hold it to the same intellectual level that books tend to reach, you won't be able to throw it far enough away.