|
The Architect: A Novel (Frank Clevenger)
From Publishers Weekly Starred Review. The strong fifth entry in Ablow's well-received series about FBI forensic psychologist Frank Clevenger (after 2003's Psychopath) features an impressive and sharply detailed heavy, architect West Crosse, who's hailed as a genius for his design skills. But underneath Crosse's art lies a dark soul, a man who wants to engineer human beings to match his perfect buildings at any cost. When a link surfaces among several bodies, each dissected with a brilliant surgeon's skills, Clevenger gets on the case. Crosse, who gave himself a jagged facial scar at age twenty to deliberately spoil his perfect beauty, is now 38. He shocks prospective clients with his opinions ("This is Walter Gropius's house. It has nothing to do with you," he tells a magnate who proudly inhabits a home designed by the legendary German) and seems not to care if he gets any more work. As for Clevenger, he of course has some personal problems of his own. But Ablow manages to keep them from taking over the story and—miracle of miracles—focuses on the serial killer, that too often poorly drawn staple of so many psychological thrillers, who emerges as a fresh and fully realized creation. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From AudioFile A new and intelligent spin on the serial killer genre, Ablow's novel seethes with obsessive-compulsive lust, loyalty, and religious fervor within the rarefied air of moneyed Yale graduates. Ablow's prose would be demanding of any reader, but Denis O'Hare has little trouble separating characters by tone, accent, mannerism, or intent. He also expertly conveys the subtle political satire woven into the story. When he focuses his craft on the killer's psyche, his characterization is chilling and memorable. A disturbingly graphic and yet refined listen, THE ARCHITECT builds anxiety on a blueprint of psychosis and violence. D.J.B. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition. Reader Reviews I'm not a fan of Dubya but this book represents one of the most offensive attempts to push a political worldview that I've yet seen --- and one of the most incompentant. The sheer idea that none of the victim's families are grief-stricken after their husbands, daughters, and wives are killed and trussed-up in ridiculous, degrading tableaux would be laughable if it weren't so sick. What sinks this book however, is not it's heavy-handed politics.... it's the adolescent style prose. Ablow seems unable to construct sentences longer than a few words, his characters are nothing but talking heads, numerous sideplots abound that if well written could be compelling, but as they are they're mere filler. And yes, the book, as another reader noted, is filled with BLANK SPACE. Chapters that should be nothing more than a scene-break abound. What really galled me, when I managed to make it to the end, is the sudden switch to non-character specific narration in Chapter 52. If the author choosed to use his own voice before this point, it may have worked, though with prose this badly written it is hard to tell. This was just the final nail in the coffin, but it's a good measure of the ineptness of the book. The character of West Crosse is interesting, but, like other inventions of Ablow, he's not developed as anything but a right-wing whack-job. He could have been so much more, but that might have compromised Ablow's agenda. As I said, I am NOT a Dubya-lover or Republican, but this book is nothing but poorly-written propaganda. It's sad that so much crime/thriller fiction has to be this incompetantly helmed, but I guess it's what sells as "entertainment." One thing it did do for me, though, was provide insight that Dems can be as zealous as Repubs in ramming their ideas down other people's throats at whatever the cost. For that, I give it one star. Oh.... I can't give it zero? Oh well. Comment (1) | | (Report this)
|
 |
|||
|
|||
|
|||
Current Page: engineeringbookmonster > A-Z Architects > The Architect: A Novel (Frank Clevenger) Try the Arcspider search for hard to find A-Z Architects texts and references. Locate authoritative works by top researchers and authors in A-Z Architects and other science and engineering fields. Our database includes a huge collection of tools for the practicing engineer or student. Find the latest edition of a textbook, specification or an obscure periodical - and buy at a discount!
NOTE: All prices, specifications, and availability Copyright © 2008, engineeringbookmonster.com info@engineeringbookmonster.com Privacy Policy |
|||
