Patriot Games by Tom Clancy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
First of all, way better than the movie. Harrison Ford is awesome, but there is so much emotion and thought process that can’t be laid out as well when it is done on the big screen. Books are better, period. (having said that, I do see Harrison Ford in my mind’s eye every time I think of Jack Ryan)
Second – not as good as the first book in the Jack Ryan series. This one really seemed to drag in the middle. Lots of detail and then some action. I must have read this book ten years ago and remember loving it, but it didn’t hold well to the test of time I guess. Some of the dialogue seems really off putting now. If I ever talked to my boss like Jack did, or showed as little thanks for being brought into the security fold (on the satelite images) I would have been kicked out the door. I get that part of it was a test, but the dialogue comes off as very rough. I think Tom Clancy has always done the action/technology part of it very well, but dialogue doesn’t seem to be a strong suite.
Sadly, I’m now weighing my options on what to read next. Follow my obcesive compulsive need to read thorugh a series once started, or switch over to something a bit lighter and more fun?
I think the three I am giving this may force me to switch over to something a bit less serious and save the rest of the Jack Ryan books for the long winter nights.
