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This was perhaps my very favourite, along with The Black Shrike, The Satan Bug, The Golden Rendezvous, and Night without End.
There are twists and surprises as well as tension and fisticuffs throughout. It may not be paced quite like thrillers today, but it's pretty enjoyable, and it made for a film version that kept me on the edge of my seat as a kid on TV. Unfortunately it seems to be a bit hard to come by today unless you want to rent it for $9.99 on one of the streaming services.
...moreImagine, I read a book that I read sometime around 1968-69. That's more than four decades ago. I'm a teenager then; probably 15 or 16. I read the book today in 2015 - reading it online is painful, but what can a man do? - and I can feel the pace, the verve,
I remember reading this book more than four decades ago. Fast-paced, thrilling, a stunning opening. I decided to read the book online; it took a whole day. The book merits 5 stars. Superb. Nobody writes thrillers better than Alistair Maclean.Imagine, I read a book that I read sometime around 1968-69. That's more than four decades ago. I'm a teenager then; probably 15 or 16. I read the book today in 2015 - reading it online is painful, but what can a man do? - and I can feel the pace, the verve, the vitality, the thrill, the suspense, the plot unravelling. And so much research gone into the book - about oil-rigs and bathyscapes and boats and storms and stuff which other writers would avoid. But not Maclean; he makes it authentic. It's real. You can feel it happening; the book drags you inside. You are gripped; you have to read it till the very end - it's 8.20 pm now, and I began reading this online from 11 am onwards with no time for an afternoon nap!
Any day, Alistair Maclean outbeats everyone else!
...moreThe first short chapter tells us what happened in the past to the main character, Talbot, to make him work so tirelessly and selflessly to achieve his ends. From Chapter 2 onwards we find him in court on serious charges, only for him to escape with
This is the second book by Alistair MacLean I have re-read recently (Sept-Oct '18) and is much better than the first one, which was published in 1973. This novel, Fear is the Key, came out in 1961 when MacLean was at the height of his literary powers.The first short chapter tells us what happened in the past to the main character, Talbot, to make him work so tirelessly and selflessly to achieve his ends. From Chapter 2 onwards we find him in court on serious charges, only for him to escape with a female hostage and cause mayhem in the process. Could this be the same man? Why is he doing this? The action is not slow in coming, but the storyline is intriguing – we have an inkling he is really a 'goody', but we don't know this until a third of the way through the book; neither do we know whether he will succeed in his revenge on those who sinned against him or suffer a hideous death at their hands, until the end.
MacLean, who passed away in 1987, was a prolific writer and hugely popular author from the early 1950s until his death, although arguably his best work was produced in the '50s and '60s. His stories are all adventuresome, full of larger-than-life heroes, evil baddies and thrill-a-minute plots that race along. You have to keep reading to see what will happen next and see if the hero will be able to extricate himself (they're nearly all men) from his latest precarious situation. His list of massively successful novels (many of which were made into films) is extensive: The Guns of Navarone, Force 10 from Navarone, H.M.S. Ulysses, Where Eagles Dare, The Golden Gate, Ice Station Zebra, The Satan Bug, Breakheart Pass – and more. Not only are MacLean's heroes in the mould of James Bond but the plots match Bond as well for audacity, boldness, difficulty in execution and excitement – definitely Saturday night fare.
This tale is set in Florida and involves a wealthy retired general running an oil company, complete with his own oil rig, the X-13; a silky-smooth and ruthless villain who always gets his way; his hired hitman accomplice who is also smooth, evil-to-the-core, highly skilled and who enjoys his work; a tough but sophisticated chauffeur; and the general's daughter, who is by turns haughty, charming, scared witless and feisty. Then there's Talbot, who is intelligent, tough as nails but nice with it, though a skilled actor able to suppress the niceness and his physical pain when he sees fit.
What sets this novel apart from some other thrillers is MacLean's writing. Some of the dialogue comes across as old-fashioned, but that is to be expected from an author born in 1922 and does not detract from your enjoyment of the story. What surprised me was that I alternated the accent in which I read Talbot's dialogue in my head (does everyone do that or is it just me?): he is English, but much of his dialogue comes across to me as classic American noir, Ã la Chandler and Hammett. What adds to this feeling is that the tale is told in the first person, often in short, staccato sentences - Talbot is telling it and giving us a running commentary of his thoughts. For example:
I finished my drink and got up. The heavy library door opened outwards into the passage and Royale, gun in hand, stood to one side to let me pass through first. He should have known better. Or maybe my limp deceived him. People thought my limp slowed me up, but people were wrong.Valentino had disappeared. I went through the doorway, slowed up and moved to one side round the edge of the door as if I were waiting for Royale to catch up and show me where to go, then whirled round and smashed the sole of my right foot against the door with all the speed and power I could muster.
Royale got nailed neatly between door and jamb. Had it been his head that was caught it would have been curtains. As it was, it caught his shoulders, but even so it was enough to make him grunt in agony and send the gun spinning out of his hand to fall a couple of yards down the passage. I dived for it. I scooped it up by the barrel, swung round, still crouched, as I heard the quick step behind me. The butt of the automatic caught the diving Royale somewhere on the face, I couldn't be sure where, but it sounded like a four-pound axe sinking into the bole of a pine. It took only a couple of seconds to push him off and change my grip to the butt of the pistol, but two seconds would always be enough and more than enough for a man like Jablonsky.
I can almost hear Humphrey Bogart narrating this story (what a great audiobook that would make!) Here's some dialogue:
'Alright, Royale.' I said without turning my head. 'You can put your gun away. The show's over.'
But the show wasn't over. A hard voice said: 'Go pick up that gun, Talbot. And the clip. Put the clip in the gun and give it back to Larry.'
I turned round slowly. Vyland had a gun in his hand and I didn't care very much for the whiteness of the knuckle of the trigger finger. …
'How would you like to go up top and take a walk over the side?' I asked.
'I'll give you to the count of five.'
'And then what?'
'Then I'll shoot.'
'You wouldn't dare,' I said contemptuously. 'You're not the type to pull triggers, Vyland. That's why you employ this big hatchet-man here. Besides, who would fix up the bathyscaphe then?'
'I'm counting, Talbot.' As far as I was concerned he'd gone nuts. ' One … two–'
'O.K., O.K.,' I interrupted, 'so you can count. You're a swell counter. I bet you can even count up to ten …'
See what I mean?
In keeping either with publishing guidelines at the time, MacLean's sensibilities or perhaps because it widens the book's appeal, i.e. clever marketing, there is no swearing, though references are made by Talbot to unprintable words being used, so it is only the ruthless violence that may prevent you allowing early teens to read this – though I suspect they see far worse while playing their computer and console games, so I wouldn't worry too much about that.
The final chapter or two are sublime. The action slows right down but the tension is ramped up to the heights, one step at a time. The characters' feelings are described continuously as they develop, their emotions shredded, their physical discomforts minutely interpreted until you can almost feel their fear, and fear, as we know, is the key.
Five stars.
The Handsome Hero stands firmly planted wearing a Chartreuse Sports Jacket, matching pants with slightly bulging crotch, with flaming bright red* hair and a scar** from his right eye to the angle of his right mandible, he is in the act of firing a Pistol with his Right hand, and clutching with his Left the terrified beautiful blonde Heiress with the skimpy green halter top and tight white pants. In the background we see an airplane that has been shot down heading in a
THIS COVER IS SO FABULOUS.The Handsome Hero stands firmly planted wearing a Chartreuse Sports Jacket, matching pants with slightly bulging crotch, with flaming bright red* hair and a scar** from his right eye to the angle of his right mandible, he is in the act of firing a Pistol with his Right hand, and clutching with his Left the terrified beautiful blonde Heiress with the skimpy green halter top and tight white pants. In the background we see an airplane that has been shot down heading in a dive straight for the ocean, carrying the Hero's brother, wife and toddler son tragically to their deaths. Hence, the need for REVENGE, a dish that is certainly served up coldly and calmly in this Classic 1961 Dick Lit Genre Novel by Scotsman Alistair MacLean.
If this weren't enough, depicted on the cover, in addition to the Firearm, are other Penis Extenders: a Helicopter, an Oil Derrick, and last, not certainly not least, a Bathyscaphe.
Everything on the cover is in the Book. Every. Single. Thing.
I am hooked on MacLean. Glad I have so many more to read. Warning: I am never going to rate a MacLean less than 4 stars, even if just for the British English and the writing.
We discover much later:
*hair dyed to fool the Greedy Bad Guys
**scar created surgically also to fool the same GBGs
But otherwise, I'd argue that this is one of MacLean's better efforts, up there with his more famous works. And speaking of Ian Fleming, I would wager that MacLean is in fact the better writer, but is less remembered today largely for the fact that he didn't create a memorable series character like Bond, Jack Reacher or Alex Cross.
Oh, fun fact: this book was also turned into an unmemorable movie starring Barry Newman. But bad-guy Royale was played by...Ben Kingsley, with hair and in his first film role!
...moreThe author has a certain whimsical humour in his writing, which adds an enjoyable counterpart to all the gung-ho stuff. This is the classic, action-packed, 'one man takes on a load of bad guys and wins' story, much loved by Hollywood film companies. It is a good one however, with lots of plot twists and challenges for our hero to overcome, and at least he hurts when beaten up and gets tired sometimes.
The author has a certain whimsical humour in his writing, which adds an enjoyable counterpart to all the gung-ho stuff. ...more
This book was recommended to me by a very good friend, who said it was her favorite MacLean book. Since I really enjoyed Where Eagles Dare, I thought I'd give it a go, and it was quite good. Still like WED better (maybe because it's set in WWII) but Fear is the Key was definitely worth my time. Favorite character? Jablonsky. And now I want to re-read FITK sometime so that I can piece everything together the way it REALLY was. ;)
Actual rating: 3.5.This book was recommended to me by a very good friend, who said it was her favorite MacLean book. Since I really enjoyed Where Eagles Dare, I thought I'd give it a go, and it was quite good. Still like WED better (maybe because it's set in WWII) but Fear is the Key was definitely worth my time. Favorite character? Jablonsky. And now I want to re-read FITK sometime so that I can piece everything together the way it REALLY was. ;)
...moreLike every MacLean book, you have a sort of 'everyman' anti-hero caught up in a dangerous, thrill
Alistair MacLean is my focus author for September. Fear is the Key was originally published in 1961 and is my first book of the month. I read many of MacLean's books back in the late '60s as he was a favorite of mine. But when I came to the Valley in 2001, I found his books again and over time have begun exploring his work again. So with that boring preamble, these are my thoughts on Fear is the Key.Like every MacLean book, you have a sort of 'everyman' anti-hero caught up in a dangerous, thrilling situation. Of course this man is more than he seems and this will come out as the story progresses. In the prologue to this story, a small cargo aircraft carrying cargo (of some value it seems) from Colombia to Florida is shot down by a fighter jet. This is witnessed (via radio communication) by the partner (and pilot's brother) of the cargo business. Also on board is the wife and child of the man witnessing the event.
The story jumps to a trial in Florida many years later. The defendant escapes, taking along a woman as a hostage. People are killed during this escape. And so begins an action-filled, far-fetched but totally entertaining thriller. The adventure will take John Talbot to the 'home' of multi-millionaire oil baron, General Ruthven and then to his oil well off the coast of Florida during a hurricane. He will battle hardened criminals, search the ocean floor for a mystery cargo and ultimately risk his life for vengeance.
As I say, it's often far-fetched, as most of MacLean's books are. His stories are often hit or miss. Fear is the Key is a hit, exciting, non-stop & filled tension. If you like to escape to this kind of story, try Fear is the Key. Most enjoyable. (4 stars)
...moreMy first taste of Maclean and I must say I was very impressed particularly with the way he structured the plot and kept the key twist from becoming too obvious until the last thirty pages. I was also surprised by the dialogue which contained more than a few Chandler-esque similes that actually came off. A solid & fun 4/5 read.
Fear Is The Key is from the late 50s and while it was written during MacLean's heyday, it's not his best effort. I enjoyed the setting and the main character. Both had a lot of depth and MacLean seemed to particularly enjoy expanding on the descriptions of the section of Florida where the s
I started reading Alistair MacLean back in the late 60s, when I was only nine years old. While I didn't like his novels written after the early 70s, I've re-read many times all his novels from the 50s and 60s.Fear Is The Key is from the late 50s and while it was written during MacLean's heyday, it's not his best effort. I enjoyed the setting and the main character. Both had a lot of depth and MacLean seemed to particularly enjoy expanding on the descriptions of the section of Florida where the story is set. Supporting characters were decent, though formulaic even in that early effort. (MacLean's novels from Circus onward had a tiring repetition of cut-out characters that made me abandon him.)
Despite the down-checks, however, Fear Is The Key is certainly worth the first read and followup re-readings. It doesn't compare favorably to his truly good novels like When Eight Bells Toll, The Golden Rendezvous, Night Without End, The Black Shrike, or Puppet On A Chain. But Fear Is The Key does fit in with that list, even if toward the bottom.
...moreThe role of Talbot and the development of the character was clear but for a long while it wasn't clear what was actually happening and how it wa
After an early uncertainty about the plot and the style, unfortunately they didn't get any better. Whilst an interesting enough plot and series of characters, Fear is the Key didn't really do anything for me. The writing was OK but was written simply and without a great deal of depth so didn't really feel like picking it up and reading a few more pages.The role of Talbot and the development of the character was clear but for a long while it wasn't clear what was actually happening and how it was relating to the general idea of the story. Within a relatively quick time the whole plot had been unraveled and broken down quite matter of factly and the mystery had disappeared.
I can imagine this story to be revisited by another author who could add another dimension to it and to be frank can equally imagine it would be a much better read.
I'd recommend it if you didn't have any other books to read and you wanted something straightforward but it won't do much else.
...moreI will give credit to the author where it is due, the story is not overly predictable, an ailment that mindless action is usually crippled by and offers some fairly engrossing insights into the world of deep sea exploration without suffer "Fear is the key" is a mindless action adventure thriller and does not purport to be anything more. The opening plot is slightly incredulous, what with the courthouse jailbreak, but that's acceptable and encouraged in the genre I suppose. And it is written well.
I will give credit to the author where it is due, the story is not overly predictable, an ailment that mindless action is usually crippled by and offers some fairly engrossing insights into the world of deep sea exploration without suffering from unnecessary pedantry. It's an unremarkable story written by a talented author, and makes for a thoroughly entertaining reading experience.
Definitely recommended for fans of the genre.
...moreMaclean is the author of twenty-nine world bestsellers and recognised as an outstanding writer in his own genre. Many of his titles have been adapted for film - The Guns of the Navarone, The Satan Bug, Force Ten from Navarone, Where Eagles Dare and Bear Island are among the most famous.
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Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/149612.Fear_is_the_Key