Relic (Pendergast, Book 1)
by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child
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Book Summary Information
Author: Douglas Preston, Lincoln ChildEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1996-01-15
ISBN: 0812543262
Number of pages: 480
Publisher: Tor Books
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780812543261
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Relic (Pendergast, Book 1)
Book Review: The forming of Pangea: Relic - 7.5/10
Summary: 4 Stars
Let me begin by saying that I probably would have rated this novel higher if I hadn't seen the movie (which is a true example of adaptation decay, as opposed to the far more preferable adaptation distillation) long before reading the book it was based upon. The movie took all the originality and nuanced developments of this novel, crafted so precisely by Preston and Child, and transformed it into a watered-down action film devoid of the novel's intelligence and subtle plot revelations, let alone character depth (the movie even completely omitted the most enthralling character, FBI Special Agent Pendergast). This isn't to say I didn't enjoy this novel, but I will give a word of warning to anyone interested in reading this novel and enjoying it fully: avoid the film like the plague, at least until you have finished reading the book first.
Relic is the first novel by Preston and Child, a pair who have, by now, firmly established themselves in the techno-thriller genre - a field normally associated with and dominated by military/war writers such as Tom Clancy - but this novel shows the first of many reasons for that establishment and their much-deserved acclaim from book critics and fans alike. The subtle didactic style of their novels is juxtaposed with their superior skill in plot advancement and character development, resulting in amazingly well-balanced mysteries with convincing casts, engrossing action sequences, and fascinating settings resplendent with wonderful historical milieu. Together Preston and Child have formed a whole fiction universe, which they call Pangea [sic], in which most of their novels take place (of the novels they have written together thus far, only Riptide does not take place within this universe). The books within this universe often share characters and story arcs, and there are little offhand references to previous novels or events within them that are easy to miss if you haven't read all the novels previous to that. Relic, being their first novel, is the first in this Pangea universe, and also the first appearance of their much-praised Pendergast character - an enigmatic, prim-and-proper Southern gentleman who also happens to be a brilliant, albeit unconventional FBI agent who applies his myriad abilities to the most unusual of cases.
The plot of Relic is pretty straightforward, and for a first outing, it's quite successful in taking a somewhat overdone theme (a monster in a famous building, run!) and injecting into it a great degree of originality, fascinating characters, and downright good writing. The fascinating mystery figure that is Agent Pendergast, although not the primary character in this novel, is complemented by a cast of other characters, who fit a bit too easily into character stereotype molds for me to rate this novel higher, but whose depth still far exceeds characters fashioned by so many other authors (and whose depth is increased in Preston and Child's later novels). There's Margo Green, the graduate student working at the New York Museum of Natural History (a fictional museum, but one which is clearly modeled almost exactly on the American Museum of Natural History in New York City) who gets embroiled in the mystery of a rumored Museum Beast and the gruesome murders which begin to color the stately halls of the museum red, and all this just in time for the opening of a spectacular new exhibition called Superstition. Then we have Bill Smithback, an overly nosy but singularly charming journalist who has been assigned to document the Superstition exhibit in a book for the museum, a task he finds to be banal and quite beneath him, and thus begins to dig into the whispered stories of the Museum Beast and the murders that begin to take place, much to the chagrin of the museum's administration. And, of course, there's Lieutenant Vincent D'Agosta of the NYPD, a somewhat overweight police officer, going on middle age, who is assigned to the investigation of the museum murders, and who becomes acquaintances with Special Agent Pendergast, who offers his help on the case, which is, of course, much to the chagrin of the NYPD (and FBI) higher-ups.
Admittedly, it sounds a bit of an overdone tale, but I guarantee you that upon reading it you will find it to be quite refreshing in its creativity and you'll find yourself more than happy to plunge into the finely-crafted ambience of the Museum of Natural History which Preston and Child have so lovingly fashioned here. The plot itself is well-balanced, with just the proper amount of ambiguity to the truth mixed with subtle clues as to the ultimate answer to the mystery, and just the right amount of action to induce you to continue reading to remove that pit in your stomach. Additionally, the ending is not only satisfying and probably a little surprising (if you haven't seen the movie, something I must again emphasize you not do before reading this), but also leaves it wide open for a direct sequel, Reliquary.
Overall, it was a very good novel whose craft I thoroughly appreciated, but whose twists were spoiled for me by the bumbling film adaptation, and was, I am more than happy to admit, was surprisingly good for a first venture. However, Preston and Child have managed to improve on this theme and genre so much in their consecutive novels, that by comparison, Relic is one of the less remarkable of the bunch; which says more than a little something about their skill in writing novels of this ilk.
Summary of Relic (Pendergast, Book 1)
Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human...
But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.
Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who-or what-is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?
But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.
Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who-or what-is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?
A series of bizarre and brutal murders is taking place in the halls of the New York Museum of Natural History, only days before a massive exhibition is set to open. Margo Green knows that the killer is something not human, something that's not even supposed to exist. Where did it come from, how did it get into the museum, and how can it be stopped?
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