2007-11-30 Over-plotted, over-long and over here

Did I struggle with this book. Buried beneath 500-plus pages of complicated story-telling is a worthy suggestion of the murky post-war 'appeasement' of Nazi scientists by a technological America desperate for their expertise. Once that's out of the way every other aspect of the story brings on a huge 'Who Cares?' The only thing I cared about was how long it was going to take me to get to the end (answer: far too long).

I've seldom come across characters I cared about less since . . . let's see . . . ah yes, 'A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian'. Although here the characters are bumped off willy-nilly in ridiculous shootings and Wild-West-style set pieces.

The shooting of a Russian general, a (relatively) formative character in the first half of the book is never referred to again. The 'love interest', such a driving force in the beginning, fizzles out like a wet firework.

The same, of course can be said of this plodding, boring novel. On a long plane journey you'll find the clouds more exciting.