pro libertate net

Clive Cussler’s Tronjan Odyssey marks a small break in his successful Dirk Pitt series. After the introduction of Dirk Pitt’s offspring in the last novel it is time for retirement from the adventurous escapades of Pitt senior’s former life. Thus, there are two interwoven plot lines installing Pitt junior as his father’s successor in future installments of the series. Neither Pitt is on a personal vendetta, rescue missions and intelligence gathering are the central elements of this novel.

This time Cussler is going a bit farther out on a limp than usual, hinging his background plot on a rather obscure theory of the location of Troy advanced by a lay historian, Iman Wilkens (Where Troy Once Stood).

Nevertheless, entertaining as ever.

It is curious how one little detail can spoil a whole story. If it was not for this one little detail Cussler’s Valhalla Rising would be a really good and entertaining novel. It still is, of course. I liked the references to Jules Verne. I kind of liked the ending when the hero finally gets to know his offspring. A family moment that, in the end, will keep the series going on even when Pitt, sen. retires.

Yet, I really hate that science fiction crossover. Dirk Pitt novels are about adventure, a little mystery, bringing down the villain, marine science, and the invincible womanizing hero himself. Though often the plot, some elements of the plot, are quite a stretch everything stays within what is currently (almost) possible. The odds of some of the events may be astronomical, the technology is state of the art — not something far beyond current technology. But please, teleportation? This really spoils everything. Especially, if the technology is used for one thing and subsequent explanations for why teleporting living beings is not possible are totally bogus given the explanation for what is done with the non-animate matter. Cussler, stick to your last.

My problem with Cussler’s Dirk Pitt novels is that even though they all follow the same basic structure I cannot stop reading them. And as long as there are still some unread volumes on my bookshelves there is no reason to – except of course that I also like some diversity.

Atlantis Found invokes two different opinions in me. First, it is once again a superb, tantalizing adventure. Second, Cussler becomes too practiced. There are some phrases you have to read more often than you would like them to read in one single novel. There are a few plot elements that appear too often in this series and that hurt the credibility of its characters. Lukily, Clussler also breaks with some of his traditional story elements in Atlantis Found and thus introduces a new twist. Finally, the series’ protagonists mature. Their social relations change what may open the door for new developments.

Given that Cussler’s business is to entertain, writing fictional novels that are a mix of adventure and mystery, it is quite astonishing how he almost always embeds his indestructible hero Dirk Pitt in a plot of international political, ecological or economic crises.

This time he broaches the issue of illegal immigration, its probable social and political consequences for the United States on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the ecological and economic issues related to a dynamic, even skittish natural environment like the Mississippi river. The usual love interest, mayhem and personal vendetta are thrown into this mix, too. The result: one of Cussler’s better Dirk Pitt novels.

I think I have not noticed this before but with Shock Wave it became rather clear. One of Cussler’s strengths is setting up the historical backdrop of his novels. Once in a while, I would really like to read only these parts if they came as a full fledged novel on their own.

Or do I become a little tired of Dirk Pitt? Always the hero, indestructible and with his luck never running out. Maybe Cussler felt the same. Two years after Shock Wave he published the first NUMA Files novel that features a different protagonist while still taking place in the same timeline and universe he created with Pitt. Actually, these novels got me started with reading Cussler.

That being said, Shock Wave was fast paced and exhilarating as ever. A new evil (economic) super power is introduced, almost Bond-like I dare say. I wonder whether they will re-appear in the next novels as a more active ingredient to mix of adventure, science, global politics, and secret agents.

It is already two months since my last Clive Cussler novel. Given the backlog on my to-read-shelves I should read one Cussler novel per month so that I will get a new truck load of books as presents this December. Yet, there are so many other books. Lukily there are some weekends when I have more time to read than otherwise. Easter weekend is one of these relaxing reading weekends. It’s really nice to spend all day sitting in the garden enjoying the sun and reading an enthralling novel.

Inca Gold is another of Cussler’s Dirk Pitt adventures. And this time it’s a real treasure hunt as a second party is also searching for the old Inca’s Gold. As most times there is a little (acurate – at the time) political background information. I really was pleasantly surprised to find the Shining Path who are mentioned in the book also mentioned in this week’s Economist. So Cussler really does a little research for his tantalizing novels to inflict some knowledge on his readers.

I guess by now I am already used to the sometimes rather brutal violence in Cussler’s novels. There are a few inevitable deaths. Though, this time I was not as repelled by them as when reading some of the earlier Cussler novels. Indeed, they felt kind of right.

Since this novel was rather absorbing, more than Sahara I think, I wonder why they did not adapt this book for film instead of Sahara.