Without Remorse by Tom Clancy Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Without Remorse
Book Review: All in all, a strictly average read.
Summary: 3 Stars
I would not recommend this book. As nearly all Clancy books it is looooong. In this book Clancy attempts to develop the history of the character "John Clark" aka John Kelly. But, unfortunately, Clancy has become such a big star in the publishing industry that he obviously can trump the suggestions of a good editor. And this book woefully needs an editor - ANY editor.
The story: John Kelly looses his wife to an automobile accident, then picks up with a girl he meets hitchhiking who is killed by her former pimp setting Kelly off on a killing rage. Intertwined with this story is another largely superfluous story of Kelly as the point man in a Vietnam prisoner rescue operation. This latter less interesting and predictable story takes up over half of the book.
The story line of Kelly seeking revenge is a good albeit hackneyed one and he should have run with this one. The end, to my mind was tortuously unbelievable. I simply do not believe that Kelly's character would have acknowledged these crimes particularly since he went to such great lengths to protect himself. Kelly also gets improbably sloppy at the end which to my mind was completely out of character.
This will be my last Clancy book. The promise revealed in "The Hunt for Red October" and developed in subsequent novels seems to have run aground.
Book Review: An Excellent Starter to the Series
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of Tom Clancy's best novels yet- and surprisingly it doesn't way over a pound. It misses the mark by 1 ounce. This book was actually created after The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games, but is the first in the series. It is- more or less- a prelude to the series. Amazingly enough, Jack Ryan does not play a particuly big role in this book. But none the less, Tom Clancy shows how one man can change from a normal citizen into a cold-blooded killer who will stop at nothing to reach his goal. I suggest this book to anyone who likes Tom Clancy and is willing to devote some time to a book. This is one of my favorite books in the series right next to The Hunt for Red October, which has to be the best. This is just the book to start off the series.Book Review: An engrossing "John Clark" novel
Summary: 5 Stars
This story is a favorite among many Tom Clancy fans. Chronilogically, this is the first story to take place in the "Jack Ryan Universe", although it's only a two page scene where an 18 year old Jack discusses going into the Marines that we see the hero of the Clancy novels.The rest of the novel centers around CIA operative, instructor, and all around bad-ass John Clark. We get to see what brought Clark into the CIA in the first place, as well as learn why is true past has been kept such a secret in the course of this story, which takes place during the '70s.
Much of this novel is a story about revenge. Picture a Navy Seal with a vendetta, and some of the outcome is obvious. But what Clark is doing is highly illegal, and police investigators are closing in. And Clark's expertise and military experience get him called in as an advisor, and later operative, in a daring mission to rescue POW's in Vietnam.
Since he appears later, you obviously know John Clark survived. But until you read this book, you don't know Clark.
Book Review: An interesting character just got better...
Summary: 4 Stars
Without Remorse is just what the doctor ordered in regards to filling in some of the mystery behind special agent John Clark.I found Clancy's characterization of Clark to be deep and well thought-out; a good man forced by fate/circumstance to do some not so good things.
I found the ending to be a little too convenient, after so much detail on the part of Clancy... But then again, isn't that how most of Clancy's novels are structured?
Regardless, this is an enjoyable read, full of suspense and action... It makes me wish we could take the law into our own hands sometimes.
Note: The small cameo of a young Jack Ryan was a nice touch too :)
Book Review: An outstanding book. Don't know anything like it
Summary: 5 Stars
Though I really like the big save-the-world kind of books, this book is even better. John Kelly is put in a situation where his abilities fail him, his personal life is destroyed once more and the only possible payback is revenge. Personally I think this is how drug dealers ought to be treated in general - killed. Nice side issue with a prison camp to make things more varied. Actually I've read this book twice, and I hardly do with such long books.