The Patriots Club – Christopher Reich

The Patriots’ Club was one of those books that I had been wanting to read for quite sometime now. I have read several books by Reich in the past and considering this was one of the first of his books to have been made into a movie, I was all excited about it. But, as with any book where the expectations are very high, there is a high probability of disappointment too.

The Patriots’ Club is about a secret Club of , well patriots, whose super computer system detects that Thomas Bolden, your regular investment banker is a threat to the security of the world’s super power. One day, Thomas Bolden is basking in the warm sunshine of his immense achievements at Harrington Weiss, the company for which he works, and the next day, he is America’s Most wanted criminal and all because a little toy, controlled by the rich and powerful decides that he needs some looking after. This action packed thriller follows Bolden through some of the most dangerous parts of New York as he and his girlfriend Jenny try to beat the system, which is pretty much everyone from the FBI to the guy next door, who are bent on getting a piece of Bolden, preferably alive. Without giving away much of the story, suffice it to say that there are a few twists towards the end, which the reader definitely does not see coming.

The ideas and conspiracies that Reich exposes are quite thought provoking. It makes you sit back and think about how much technology advances can swiftly turn into the biggest threat, when they get into the wrong hands. Reich always introduces difficult concepts in the guise of fiction so the average reader can grasp the enormity of the issues surrounding the world. As with any of his books, the story is set around money and banking.

Despite all these great things going on for The Patriots Club, it does not stand out as a book par excellence because the idea of one man against the system and beating them over and over again just seems a little too un-palatable. There are too many chance co-incidences, too many opportunities when the bad guys end up making basic mistakes that it just seems quite unbelievable. It was probably a book that Reich wrote keeping in mind a movie, as some of the scenes might seem quite convincing in a movie format.

The book is definitely worth a read for all the conspiracies that it tries to expose but set aside your belief cap when doing so.

Book Rating – 3.25/5

Book Stats:-

No. of Pages:- 342;

Year Published:- 2005;

Publisher:- Headline Book Publishing

Book Setting:- US;

Reading dates:- 27/Mar/2010 - 02/Apr/2010

Christopher Reich is a great writer and though The Patriot’s Club is not his best, I would definitely recommend these:-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was quite taken in my Kamila Shamsie’s Burnt Shadows and so I went ahead and picked up Broken Verses. Do watch out for the review coming up shortly.

The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

This is one of those books where, you know when you have read just a couple of pages that you are going to fall in love with the book. In fact, you are already in love with the book. I fiercely held on to the book for four days and wanted to keep reading it and yet did not want the book to finish. In short, I loved the book.

The author has dealt with a difficult concept - Time travel, yet at it's very core, the book is a love story, albeit a poignant one at that. Henry DeTamble has all the makings of a regular book hero and yet, he is not, at the very core. One minute he is here and the next minute he has left behind a pile of clothes. An average reader can deal with spatial displacement quite easily, however to come to terms with time displacement is a bit harder and the author has taken great pains to ensure this imagery is complete.

The scenes shift from one period to another with Henry scuttling the streets of Chicago as a regular citizen in search of drinks and women and then, a sober middle aged man just longing to be with Claire, who in turn is a budding teenager, against the backdrop of the meadows. The time periods have been clearly annotated making it easier for the reader to wander through Henry's "travel expeditions".

As Claire and Henry come to terms with his unusual condition, which has several handicaps, it does raise the moralist's eyebrow when they decide to use it to their advantage. The other interesting point raised in the book is around destiny. Did events unfold because Henry sees it that way in the future or did they happen in a certain manner and Henry a mere bystander, more of a future reporter? The contradictions and associated dillemma experienced by them is permeated to the reader. Food for thought, eh?

One of the highlights of the book is that the story is told through the view point of both Claire and Henry.All through the book one cannot but marvel at how much Claire and Henry are in love with other. It makes one want to really believe in true love. Claire comes across as a loyal, passionate person and her stray abbherations are but quickly dismissed by the reader. Music permeaded through the book quite a lot and reminded me of some scenes from "An Equal Music - Vikram Seth".

I watched the movie after reading the book, and though the movie has captured the essence of the book, so many of the little details that added to the beauty of the book could not make it to the movie.

Although a tome, I would urge anyone who wants to travel through space and time to reach out for love to add this book to their collection.

Book Rating 4.5/5

If you like this book you would also like -: An Equal Music - Vikram Seth; The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera

Watch out for my next review - The Great Indian Novel - Shashi Tharoor