Cathedral
by Nelson DeMille
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Book Reviews of Cathedral
Book Review: DeMille always delivers!
Summary: 4 Stars
One of my all-time favorite authors showed his extraordinary talent once again in Cathedral, in which Irish terrorists gain control of St. Patrick's Cathedral on St. Patrick's Day, with the help/encouragement of various government agents. The suspense and action is palpable and you'll be on your seat until the very end, wondering whether or not the Cathedral will remain standing....
While not my favorite of his novels (I would recommend The Charm School, Plum Island, Gold Coast or Wildfire for first time readers), this one holds its own and shows how Mr. DeMille can write about virtually any topic and make it interesting and keep the reader on the edge of his/her seat until the last page. He also has this amazing sense of humor that never fails to shine through in his characters and his skillful diaglogues.
I thought I had read every one of his books until I recently came across this one and although it was written in the early 90's it is perhaps more relevant and relatable to day in a post 9/11 world. Highly recommended!!!!
Book Review: Hope you don't like good guys
Summary: 2 Stars
Technically, I have no argument with this book. It's well-written and fast-paced, with well-developed characters (among the terrorists, anyway) and a decent plot structure. The problem is, I just couldn't enjoy it.
My complaint comes down to the fact that there is not one single character in the book that I was able to cheer for or sympathize with. The supposed "good guys" are, without exception, a lot of scheming, manipulative, incompetent fools, whose cynicism is so extreme that they evidently don't care what happens to the cathedral or the hostages, so long as they manage to look good in the end. The hostage negotiator never displays a single moment of competence; indeed, the only characters with any imagination, resourcefulness, or principles are the terrorists themselves. After a while, this dynamic becomes predictable, frustrating, and vaguely sickening.
Evidently a lot of people have no difficulty living with this state of affairs in a novel; but I can't manage it. I wish someone had told me before I purchased it.
Book Review: Oh Danny Boy. Oh . . .
Summary: 4 Stars
Irish fanatics take over the symbol of Ireland in New York City, St. Patrick's Cathedral, to bring to the world's attention British oppression in Northern Ireland.Also at play is some of the more sinister elements of the British Secret Service, some members of whom would seek to permit the worst to happen in an effort to further their own goals in cracking down on Belfast. So like John LeCarre's image of "love your country, fear your government," virtually everyone has a hidden, perhaps evil agenda.
But DeMille is a master storyteller and the descriptions are vivid, beautiful and frightening. His recreation of the Cathedral at night, with two terrorists playing Gaelic hymns on the organ and bells, is extraordinary. An excellent novel told of strife thousands of miles away brought to the five boroughs of New York.
One point. It's one of DeMille's earlier works written in the early '80's. Readers might recollect some of the Catholic - Protestant tensions that are now gratefully dimminishing.
Classic DeMille. Worth the effort.
Book Review: Another must-read by DeMille
Summary: 5 Stars
Cathedral is absolutely one of the top ten best books that I have ever read. DeMille gives the reader a great history lesson on the struggles of Northern Ireland, an indepth look into the psyche of the people who know no other world than one of violence begetting violence, and a glimpse at what our government officials will do to further their own careers no matter the cost. This is my fourth Nelson DeMille novel, and I find it interesting, having read some of is later works first,how his style has evolved over the years. I found that Cathedral read much like The Charm School as far as the writing syle went, and possibly Burke's character in Cathedral laid the groundwork for John Corey in DeMille's later works, Plum Island and The Lion's Game.
With each novel I have a greater appreciation for DeMille. He may not pump out books every 6 months like some of constituents, but the time in between each novel is obviously spent doing painstaking research. He leaves no stone unturned.
Keep 'em coming Mr. Demille
Book Review: Outstanding
Summary: 5 Stars
I've read a number of books by DeMille.I've fouind them to be intelligent, well-written and highly entertaining.
Cathedral, which describes an abortive attempt by some IRA defectors to blow up St Patrick's cathedral in New York, has deep resonance in view of the attack on the WTC.
The plot was engaging and gripping. Flynn, the Irish protagonist was the perfect anti-hero. Indeed, I found myself longing for him and his band of conspirators to win - odd, as I spent a number of years fighting against the IRA in Ulster.
Plots within plots, strings being pulled by unknown puppet-masters, the story drew me from page to page like a driven animal. I just had to find out what happened. The book was unputdownable!
One thing i noticed (being English) is that Demille uses English forms of verb past tenses rather than American. Wonderful!! At last an author whose characters 'shone a light' rather than 'shined a light', who 'lit a cigarette' rather than 'lighted a cigarette'.
I'd happily buy any book from this author.