Excavation
by James Rollins
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Book Summary Information
Author: James RollinsEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2000-07-03
ISBN: 038081093X
Number of pages: 438
Publisher: Harper
Book Reviews of Excavation
Book Review: Non-stop action that bores
Summary: 3 Stars
At this point James Rollins' novels have all had a somewhat similar premise which is high octane adventure in an exotic setting. Other Rollins novels have taken place in the Arctic (Ice Hunt&Subterranean), the Saudi desert (Sandstorm), the Amazon river (Amazon), and in this novel Rollins delves into the lush jungles of South America. This type of adventure novel definitely appeals to me and I was looking forward to reading my first Rollins novel. Unfortunately I believe I picked the wrong novel to get started as Excavation is a sub-par novel in many respects.
The plot is messy and all over the map but I'll try to simplify it as much as humanly possible. Deep in the jungles of Peru, a team of student researchers uncover an Incan temple that seems to store many ancient artifacts and riches beyond anyone's imagination. However the temple is not deserted like the researchers previously thought it was. Inside, there are still ancient Incan tribes who will do anything to protect their shrine. The researchers are not the only ones interested in exploring the depths of the temple but also money-hungry monks whose ancestors were Spanish conquistadors who in the past were in a bloody war with the Incas. With these three groups going at it someone is bound to get hurt...
This novel really should have been good as it has an exotic setting, many mysteries and yes tons of action, although it doesn't kick into high gear until halfway through. The first half of this book is very pedestrian, mostly involving scientists theorizing about the artifacts and the lost tribes. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Michael Crichton, to use an obvious example, is able to do this in an entertaining style and his expertise really shines through in his writing. I never got that feeling with Rollins.
Where the book kind of picks off is once Rollins finally gets down to what he does best: writing action. I admit that many scenes were supremely entertaining, especially once he brings us into an underground world of tunnels and mazes filled with menacing creatures. What kind of bothered me however was how much this all felt like a movie script. You can almost hear Rollins begging to the folks in Tinseltown "Come on guys make this into a movie, please?" Maybe Rollins should consider a career as a scriptwriter instead.
Yet even action can get boring after a while and this happens during "Excavation". Despite the non-stop action I found that I didn't want to read the book in anything longer than 10-page increments. There's something wrong with this. Is it Rollins' writing style? Or that his characters are so underdeveloped and stereotypical that we don't give a darn what happens to them? Oh well, I gave Rollins a try and I must say I am very disappointed with what I've read. But I'm not giving up on Rollins just yet since he writes the kind of stuff that I love. I just hope that he's written better novels than this one.
Summary of Excavation
High in the Andes, Dr. Henry Conklin discovers a 500-year-old mummy that should not be there. While deep in the South American jungle, Conklin's nephew, Sam, stumbles upon a remarkable site nestled between two towering peaks, a place hidden from human eyes for thousands of years.
Ingenious traps have been laid to ensnare the careless and unsuspecting, and wealth beyond imagining could be the reward for those with the courage to face the terrible unknown. But where the perilous journey inward ends--in the cold, shrouded heart of a breathtaking necropolis--something else is waiting for Sam Conklin and his exploratory party. A thing created by Man, yet not humanly possible. Something wondrous . . . something terrifying.
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