The Loch by Steve Alten Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Loch
Book Review: Alten's best to date. One of the best books I've ever read!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Without going into long, boring detail about my opinions I'll simply say that this book is so clever it's scary!
I'm a huge fan of anything by Steve Alten but this one takes the cake. "The Loch" is simply one of the best, highest detailed, most well thought out books I've ever read in my 30 years. I wish I understood how Alten's mind can come up with half the stuff he puts in his books. The guy must never sleep with all that research and creative thinking he does.
If you like gripping suspense, good humor and a fresh look at an age old mystery this book was written just for you.
Book Review: Alten's worst book
Summary: 1 Stars
I really enjoyed Steve Alten's previous books, "Meg" and "Primal Waters", so when I saw "The Loch" on the shelf of the local Barnes and Noble, I immediately bought it.
I should have looked at it a little more closely.
This book was a serious disappointment. It is overlong, frequently boring, and its plot is muddled and uninvolving. The protagonist is all too frequently an unsympathetic jackass. And Alten does two things which made reading this book almost unendurable: He frequently stops the story DEAD to share some irrelevant historical tidbits (once for almost four pages!) which don't advance the plot one iota. And for some reason, he chose to do "authentic" Scottish dialect for many of the characters which makes reading their lines tedious and doesn't add anything to understanding the characters and/or their contributions to the story. Right, we're in Scotland -- I GET IT!
All of this might be forgivable if his take on the secret of the Loch Ness monster and the plot he builds around it were original and compelling -- sadly, they are neither. There is an extensive, ridiculous subplot about the murder trial of his estranged father which takes up many pages but which adds NOTHING to the story. And the less said about the involvement of the Knights Templar, the better.
What a bummer.
Book Review: An engaging read...
Summary: 5 Stars
What lives in the water of the famous Loch Ness? That question have plagued mankind's mind for years. Eyewitness sightings and photographs aplenty. Steve Alten attempts to answer the question of what the famous Loch Ness Monster is in his latest thriller. The novel grabbed me from page one and didn't let go, the mix of science, fiction, and history make The Loch Steve's novel the best to date. But the book is more than just a tale of a mythical sea monster, at it's heart the book is about family. If you are a fan of Steve Alten's work, this book will not disappoint you. If you have never read a Steve Alten book, this is the one to start with. It takes the reader and draws him or her in, letting you get to the know characters and the rich history of Scotland. A must read for anyone who wants to know "What lives in The Loch?".Book Review: An epic if I've ever seen one!
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm a fan of Mr. Alten's work, but my exposure to his writing, up until the point I got this book, mainly consisted of the Meg novels, so I was a little wary about this book.
I wasn't disappointed.
Mr. Alten paints such a vivid picture in this selection. He has no trouble taking the reader all over the world, from the U.S. to Scotland... and, boy, he does the Loch Ness legend great justice with the story itself.
I recommend "The Loch" to any reader who likes an action-packed story with great scenery, fleshed out characters and twists and turns in every chapter.
A fascinating read!
Book Review: An exploration of the myth of the Loch Ness monster
Summary: 5 Stars
Steve Alten intertwines both fact and fiction in his intelligent and fascinating adventure novel surrounding the legendary Loch Ness monster. Basing his fiction on established scientific fact, much like "Jurassic Park", Alten's exciting "The Loch" postulates some interesting theories concerning the origins and identity of the Loch Ness monster.
Zachary Wallace a 26 year old celebrated marine biologist was born in the Scottish town of Drumnadrochit on the banks of Loch Ness. He can trace his ancestry back to the Scottish patriot Sir William Wallce, made famous by Mel Gibson in the movie "Braveheart". At nine years old Zack's American born mom divorced his abusive and philandering father Angus and fled to the U.S. Zach was estranged from his father and hadn't spoken to him in 17 years.
Zach Wallace was presently a professor at Florida Atlantic University. He had invented a cephalopod lure with which he was planning to be the first to photograph an encounter with the elusive deep ocean predator, the giant squid. Part of a 3 man crew in a submersible, they dove into the depths of the mid Atlantic, Sargasso Sea. Wallace's lure worked but as the giant squid was photographed attacking the small sub, some unknown predators attacked the squid. Unfortunately the attack compromised the hull of the submersible and a water leak started forcing them to hastily rise to the surface. They didn't quite make it resulting in the destruction of the sub and the death of a crew member. Zach himself had drowned and been resuscitated while rescuing the other crew member.
Zach's immediate superior at FAU, the tenured but dunderheaded chairman of his department, David Caldwell hung him out to dry. Zach lost his teaching position, girlfriend, research funding and was now suffering from night terrors as he did as a child. We later find out that Zach had also drowned as a child, in Loch Ness, a result of a monster attck only to be saved by his best friend True Macdonald's father Alban, at the time the Loch Ness water bailiff.
Unfortunately Zachary had no recollection of the childhood tragedy that almost ended his life. The specifics were entombed deep within the recesses of his psyche, hence the night terrors and maniacal screams in the middle of the night. He was also fearful of immersing into any body of water, not a good situation for a marine biologist. Alcoholic binges were helping to dull the pain. He found himself falling into an unhealthy abyss of his own creation.
Salvation came in an encounter with a Max Rael, who was in reality his illegitimate Scottish half brother. Rael. an English barrister, was defending their father Angus, who was on trial in Scotland for first degree murder. Angus Wallace was a partner in a business deal with Johnny Cialino, a mega wealthy entrepreneur. Cialino was constructing a resort on a parcel of land owned by Angus bordering on Loch Ness. During a heated exchange Angus punched Cialino and he toppled into the loch never to be seen again.
Zach was coerced into travelling to Scotland to give his support to his father. He was unexpectedly called as a witness where he incredulously discovered that Angus was claiming that Cialino was killed by the Loch Ness monster. On the stand, Zachary was forced to relive the encounter with the monster he had as a child, revealing the bite mark scars on his ankle and torso.
It became apparent that Zach would have to launch an investigation of the loch for the presence of the monster to save his father and also exorcise his personal demons.
While this was happening, a sudden rash of drownings and missing persons was occuring around the loch including several fatalities reminiscent of predatory attacks. The trial was halted and an investigation was mobilized using three boats to seed the loch with sonar buoys to find the monster. The leader of the investigation was none other than nemisis David Caldwell.
Zach meanwhile was doing his own inquiry being helped by his friend True and his sister, Zach's love interest, the sultry Brandy, a skipper of a Loch Ness based boat. While investigating, Zach became aware of the existence of a secret local group called the Black Knights, descendants of the ancient Knights Templar. There presence was somehow connected to the happenings around the loch. Zach was convinced that something was fouling up the ecosystem of the loch. The schools of salmon that were common there were absent. Predators of the loch would therefore require other sources of food, namely humans.
Zach's ongoing investigation leads to a fantastic series of events that unlock the legends surrounding the fabled Loch Ness. As part of the plot there are excerpts from the 1330 diary of Sir Adam Wallace, telling of a Black Knight related mission concerning the monster inhabiting the loch.
Alten created a novel that was a terrific read while sticking close enough to established fact and theory to make his propositions plausible.