Without Remorse by Tom Clancy Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Without Remorse
Book Review: A little inside information about Without Remorse...
Summary: 5 Stars
I was introduced to Tom Clancy in high school shortly after "Hunt for Red October" was released, and have been a fan ever since. I have only reviewed a couple other things, and decided to write this to explain something about why some people are not giving this book five stars, as I believe it deserves.
Mark Twain once said that the heart of great writing was being able to draw upon universal experiences with which all readers could identify. Clancy has taken that idea and (bravely) put it out there without the "everyone" clause. If you haven't lost a loved one tragically, your interest in this book will diminish. If you haven't worked on something for years only to see it stolen away from you, you will call some of the phrasing trite or repetitive. If you haven't failed horribly based on your own pride, you won't get half the book. This being said, many reviewers that didn't mention these things STILL gave the book five stars. That is a testament to world class writing.
If you have experienced these things, you won't put this one down. It covers the history of a man who reacts like many of us wish we could (perhaps secretly) when things like this happen, but in the realm of fiction Clancy can work out how to make it happen. He brilliantly has the reader both cringing and cheering for the vigilante actions and plotting of Kelly. As is typical in (at least the first 10 or so) Clancy books, the pace accelerates as it nears the end as all the plotlines come together. Even though you know he's going to survive based on the other Jack Ryan series books, the ending chase scene is still one of the most exciting endings to a book I've yet read.
Now here's something you may not know - I had a friend who was beginning to fail high school because he didn't like to read, and his vocabulary was weak because of it as well. He was into military things, so I suggested this book. He never looked back - he's been an avid Clancy fan ever since. I wrote an email to Tom to thank him for that, and also to ask where in the world he got the decompression chamber idea. To my surprise and delight he wrote back. It was short, but it was very Clancy. He wrote: "For the first part, thanks. As for the decompression chamber, I have a friend who has one, and when I saw how it worked the idea began to surface. Besides, the little b______ deserved it."
I hope this was helpful in explaining why this doesn't have a perfect five star rating from everyone. It is understandable; Clancy took a bit of a gamble going this deep into Kelly's psyche. In my opinion it paid off; this is a book I have read on multiple occasions and enjoyed every time.
Book Review: A mature storyline, good cohesion, logical suspense!
Summary: 4 Stars
This is an extremely good read. Being the second book that I have read in the Ryan series. So far this is the best. John Kelly (Clark) is an excellent character who I hope Clancy will make more books about. This was a believable book from page 1 to the end. I couldn't stop reading it!Book Review: A meandering plot
Summary: 2 Stars
This novel really did not hold my interest. It starts out with a number of seemingly unrelated incidents. The author apparently knows where he is and when he is, but it would be nice if he would share that with his readers. The novel then proceeds with a bunch of parallel plots, jumping continually from one to another. That is compounded by the author occasionally telling you how to build a watch when you just wanted to know the time. Do we really need a manual on building sound suppressors for handguns?The various plots eventually start to come together but, by that time, I was losing interest and skimming over substantial amounts of material trying to get on with the story. I regret that I followed the advise of the majority of reviewers, who rated it with four and five stars, and purchased the novel. It is a skimmer rather than a page-turner, and it is not on my listing of recommended novels for other readers.
Book Review: A non-Clancy Clancy novel
Summary: 5 Stars
Finally, a novel by Clancy that's not techno-porn. And, really, that's why it's both the highest-rated and best of his works. Unlike, say, a good third of Cardinal of the Kremlin (which was also good) or a good half of Sum of All Fears, this is driven by character and plot development, not technology. In addition, this novel doesn't star Jack Ryan and doesn't deal with the Cold War (comparatively). Maybe Clancy should've stuck with this type of writing.
Yes, this is a good novel. Clancy includes some of the espionage-type of narrative without actually dealing with spies or international politics, and he even wraps up all the subplots nicely. Since there aren't a thousand things going on at all times, like in most of his other works, he can focus on believability with this one. Without going into details, for instance, the change in Sandy's attitudes about what John does is natural. The foundation of Clark's methods, attitudes, and profession here are both fascinating and believable. This is a very engaging read with an intriguing, well-developed plot that focuses on character development and not every detail in both the construction and detonation of a hydrogen bomb. That is why all the reviews here and elsewhere paint this as the best of Clancy's novels (or among the best) and why it's a great read even without knowing every detail of decades of Jack Ryan's life. Recommended.
Book Review: A piece of perfection
Summary: 5 Stars
I loved reading this book. It is a great book. It is a great book to read as an introduction into the world of John Clark. John Kelly, who is the main character of the book, is known in other Clancy books as Mr. Clark. I thought that this book was a masterpiece, and showed me that Clancy is a very good writer. I want to read more of his books. I was hooked right from the beginning. I kept reading because I could not put the book down.