Andrew

I was interested in this book, partially because the movie was tremendous (Best Picture), and generally books are even better than movies adapted from books, but this was the opposite. The movie was far and away better. This book was tedious,long, drawn out, and boring. I was very disppointed.

Great fictional tale of very real events. If you have any intererst in the reign of Henry VIII and his dissolution of England's monasteries, this novel is for you. Excellent view into life in those monasteries, and the reasons why the crown wanted the monasteries dissolved (get their money) and how it transpired.

This was a fairly good Arthur legend story; lots of battles with the Saxons, Arthur, Lancelot, other knights were trained by the Romans who ruled Britian at that time. It is far from a complete tale of Arthur, doesn't get into Guinevere switching her affections to Lancelot, nor of her becoming queen. Arthur is not king either, takes place before he would have been king. Interesting take on Merlin as well.

Saw the movie back in the 1980's, always remembered it. This is an excellent novel, of a small town beginninning in the 1920's, needs and hires a police chief, finds mysterious deaths occurring of teenage boys. The book follows the town for decades, through several chiefs, the deaths always lurking in the under currents. Quite a good listen; I plan to listen to it again. The narrator did great.

This was a decent thriller but not nearly good as a Da Vinci Code, which was a real page turner. The plot here was pretty unrealistic - jumping out of a helicopter a mile up and surviving?

Another excellent Follett WWII novel, good reading of a German spy desperately trying to make his way safely out of England to report on the deception of where the D-Day invasion will take place. The final battle on the island was a bit unrealistic but made for pretty good fiction. I could hardly stop listening to this, as with all Follett's WWII novels. Thought the narrator did a good job.

I am kicking myself for wasting money on this stupid, ridiculous autobiography of a drug using moron of a woman. Simply dreadful, and its only redeeming feature was that the sex was not explicit at all.

This was a page-turner about life in the Soviet Union after the second war. It was a good tale, classic Ludlum, with many twists and turns, ups and downs, the worst and best of the Russian people. I enjoyed it but was a bit surprised by the ending. I recommend if you have any interest in Cold War and/or Russia v Germany topics. The narrator did a solid job.

Perhaps Daniel Silva's best - outstanding tale of Gabriel Allon investigating his friend's death, uncovers corruption inside the Vatican, and allies himself with the fictious Pope Paul VII. If you miss the clearly defined good vs evil of the Cold War, this one brings some of it back, as well as tells a wonderful tale, set in Europe, of the humble art restorer who moonlights as an Israeli Assassin.