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Brokenclaw; Reviews & Ratings


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Poll: How do you rate 'Brokenclaw'?

How do you rate 'Brokenclaw'?

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#1 Qwerty

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Posted 16 December 2007 - 03:13 AM



This thread is intended for reviews and ratings of Brokenclaw by members of the The Blades Library Book Club here. Be sure to add your review if you do vote in the poll!

The Blades Library Book Club will be reading Brokenclaw from: 15 December 2007 - 15 February 2008



#2 Harry Fawkes

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Posted 11 January 2008 - 09:35 PM

Not, I must note, my favorite Gardner Bond novel.A page turner to the last and full of action and wonderful characters. I would give it 7 out 10. A must read none the less!

Harry Fawkes MRQ

PS I loved the title

#3 ACE

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Posted 12 January 2008 - 12:39 AM

What was the impact of having the most regular lit Bond fix since the 1950-60s actually like? By now, the quality of Gardner Bonds was variable and would grow increasingly erratic. Gardner's 9th Continuation Bond novel in 1990 was yet another inconsistent entry.

The excellently titled Brokenclaw has an impressive, over-the-top villain, original setpieces but a silly and familiar story. The plot revolves around kidnapped scientists, a submarine tracking MacGuffin which can detect a submarine by its wake and some ho-hum Chinese as villainous topicality, post-the Tianamen Square massacre. There are some pedestrian North American locations, meals ripped directly from Fleming (apart from Bond drinking tea!) and things that just don't make sense. The regular Gardner Bond reader by this stage had developed a Pavlovian reaction to the imminent double crosses which would be inserted with about as much finesse as a robot proctologist. But we read on to pan the book for the gold of the odd inspired sequence and the finale of Brokenclaw is good.

#4 Qwerty

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Posted 08 February 2008 - 12:51 AM

Keep the reviews coming!

#5 quantumofsolace

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Posted 18 April 2008 - 05:21 AM

The Gardner books often read like films, so do we really want another action film set in North America? I think not.
The ending was horrid and too gruesome for a Bond book. The plot also felt by-numbers(maybe under orders) but was getting boring now.
I was never bored reading the book, but afterwards i wanted something more. Less gore, more interesting locations and...
Gardner didn't like this one . Gardner was right

#6 Jim

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Posted 18 April 2008 - 07:40 AM

One of the ten worst books I've yet read. Rampagingly inadequate.

It's a shame; generally I'm quite fond of his stuff but this is tired, obvious and dull.

#7 Johnboy007

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Posted 20 April 2008 - 01:18 PM

John Gardner really started to drop off at this point. The characters and plot are forgettable and the writing itself is a plodding. It's one of those best left forgotten.