Atlantis Forgotten (Atlantis Found - Clive Cussler)

Member Name: Pinotage

Product:	Atlantis Found - Clive Cussler
Date:	04/03/01 (46 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy page turning read

Disadvantages: gaping plot holes and laughable dialogue.

A ripping yarn - with gaping plot holes and laughable dialogue.

Clive Cussler has read Graham Hancock's theories about a vanished ancient advanced civilisation and incorporated them into this action novel featuring his tiresome superhuman hero Dirk Pitt.

He sets up an intriguing scenario - ancient chambers of incredible technical construction are found inscribed with an unknown language that appears to warn of an impending stellar catastrophe. But the chambers are guarded by ruthless killers who assassinate anyone who discover them. Dirk Pitt appears on the scene to save one such exploration team. Dirk is 'director of Special Projects at the National Underwater and Marine Agency'. As director he seems to have no responsibilities and can hare off all over the world pursuing the secrets of the chamber and those that guard them.

Clive intrigues by setting up mysterious finds, black obsidian skulls, perfect mummies, warnings from the past and more. But half way through the book he seems to tire of this and doesn't develop the themes or answer the puzzles he poses in the first part of the book. Instead the plot turns into the old 'Mr Big who wants to rule the world' versus Dirk Pitt and even revives those nasty Nazis yet again.

That's not to say the book isn't a page-turner, but it?s a production number rip off of James Bond. And there are parts that are so bad I couldn't help thinking that Cussler was seeing how far he could push the joke. How about this? The ultra smooth agent is having dinner in the poshest restaurant in town with his senator girlfriend. Quote:

Pitt didn't attempt to pronounce the menu courses in French. He held to straight English. "For the hors d'oveures we'll have the house pate with truffles followed by the vichyssoise."

The French will be surprised to learn that 'hors d'oveures', 'pate' and 'vichyssoise'
are straight English words.

And when he orders wine the wine waiter smarms

"A very excellent choice, sir. Not many of our patrons know it exists."

It's on the wine list and the other patrons don?t know it exists? Can't they read?

When Pitt asks his girlfriend what car a baddy escaped in she replies "a black Chrysler 300M series with a three-point-five litre, 253-horsepower engine. Zero to fifty miles an hour in eight seconds". As one does during a car chase. Not.

Dirk Pitt thinks with his testes instead of his brain. The climatic ice fight where Pitt on his own saves a commando raid consisting of elite US special forces, defeats the enemy and saves the world could have been avoided and the same end achieved with a simple warning. (I won't say more for fear of spoiling the book, but please email if you want to know)

In summary, it?s a cracking page turner, a perfect airport book to ease a long flight, spoiled by sloppy dialogue and plotting.

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