Op-Center

Tom Clancy's Op-Center #1

by Jeff Rovin, Tom Clancy (Series Creator), Steve Pieczenik (Series Creator)

Renegade South Korean soldiers set off a bomb in Seoul during a festival and make it look like it was done by North Korea. Op-Center must prove that North Korea had nothing to do with it before the situation gets hostile.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Adventure, Espionage, Military Fiction, Action, Mystery

387 pages, Paperback

First published February 28, 1995

Reviews

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-El nombre con tirón comercial, el que planificó todo en la sombra y el “negro literario”.-

Género. Novela.

Lo que nos cuenta. El libro Op-Center (publicación original: Tom Clancy’s Op-Center, 1995) nos presenta una agencia secreta del gobierno de los Estados Unidos de América que, tras un atentado en Corea del Sur y a pesar de ser el objetivo de un ataque informático con virus, analiza y contrarresta la verdadera amenaza en la región.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...

[Jeff Cheney · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a decent book with plenty of action and thrill...I just don't like Tom Clancy's style. He spends a lot of time telling you stuff that's really irrelevant; going on about what gauge and model the shotgun is and what type/brand of ammunition it holds and how many per clip, etc. I don't care about any of that information. It doesn't help the story progress and it certainly isn't fun to read unless you are a firearms aficionado...which I'm not. I respect the research that goes in to something like that but it just isn't necessary. The characters aren't necessarily the best either. They get the job done as far as plot progression and there are times that you find yourself rooting or booing them but on a whole, they just don't have the depth they need to be truly memorable. All in all, this book is OK. Good for reading on the bus during rush hour...not at home in your spare time.

[George K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Το βιβλίο το έγραψε κάποιος Τζεφ Ρόβιν, αλλά πίσω από την ιδέα και το όλο πρότζεκτ κρύβονται οι Τομ Κλάνσι και Στιβ Πίτσενικ. Έστω και εμμέσως, αυτή αποτελεί την πρώτη μου επαφή με βιβλία του Τομ Κλάνσι (όχι όμως γενικά με τον Τομ Κλάνσι, μιας και όταν ήμουν Γυμνασιόπαιδο έπαιξα τα φοβερά Pandora Tomorrow και Chaos Theory της σειράς βιντεοπαιχνιδιών Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell).

Λοιπόν, οπωσδήποτε πρόκειται για Αμερικανιά, αλλά κατά τ'άλλα έχουμε να κάνουμε με ένα αρκετά συναρπαστικό θρίλερ, γεμάτο πολύ ενδιαφέρουσες λεπτομέρειες από τον τρόπο λειτουργίας των διαφόρων Αμερικάνικων κυβερνητικών υπηρεσιών σε καταστάσεις επικίνδυνες και κρίσιμες για το μέλλον του κόσμου. Μια τρομοκρατική επίθεση στη Σεούλ, καθώς και κάποια στημένα περιστατικά δολιοφθοράς σε Κορέα και ΗΠΑ, είναι γεγονότα που μπορεί να σταθούν ικανά ώστε να ξεκινήσει ένας πόλεμος ανάμεσα στη Βόρεια και τη Νότια Κορέα, με τραγικές συνέπειες. Ποιοι θέλουν έναν τέτοιο πόλεμο και τι θα κάνουν οι Αμερικάνοι για να τον αποτρέψουν; Ευτυχώς υπάρχουν οι σωστοί άνθρωποι στις σωστές θέσεις, που δίνουν τα πάντα (ακόμα και τη ζωή τους), για να σταματήσουν τα σχέδια κάποιων λίγων αλλά πολύ φανατικών και έξυπνων ανθρώπων.

Μιλάμε για ένα βιβλίο είκοσι και πλέον χρόνων, οπότε πολλά πράγματα τεχνολογικής, στρατιωτικής και πολιτικής φύσεως έχουν αλλάξει, όμως όπως και να 'χει σαν βιβλίο διαβάζεται άνετα και σήμερα, με τη δράση, την αγωνία, την ένταση και τις ρεαλιστικές καταστάσεις που προσφέρει. Η γραφή δεν είναι τίποτα το ιδιαίτερο, αλλά αν μη τι άλλο είναι λειτουργική και ευκολοδιάβαστη, σίγουρα κάνει καλά τη δουλειά της. Γενικά πρόκειται για ένα δυνατό κατασκοπευτικό/στρατιωτικό θρίλερ που θα κρατήσει το ενδιαφέρον του αναγνώστη από την αρχή μέχρι το τέλος. Κρίμα που δεν έχουν μεταφραστεί άλλα βιβλία της σειράς.

[Brett C · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't get into this one to be honest. I think Tim Clancy's older books are way better. This was a decent story but Hunt for Red October and Clear and Present Danger still set the bar for Tom Clancy. Not a bad book I just thought it was OK...way better than Power Plays Politik.

[Arnis · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://poseidons99.wordpress.com/202...

[Karen F · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent book. I’d rate it 3.25 which may or may not be a fair assessment as I was multi-tasking during a lot of my listening. It did keep my attention.

The problem is there are so many books in this genre that are great. Competition is stiff! I’m going to read additional books by this Tom Clancy team of writers.

[itchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

eponymous sentence:
p16: Like Donald, she felt the press has never given him a fair shake--not when he was Ambassador to Korea twenty years ago, and not when he became the adviser on Korean affairs for Op-Center just three months before.

ocr:
p95: The sudden death of long-time leader Kim II Sung in 1994 left enough of a power void that they could have moved in if they didn't like what was happening.

cement:
p156: "...Sometimes bright guys miss something, and sometimes trucks full of bombs get through cement barricades---!"

eh?:
p212: He continued to ignore Cho's eyes, which were shifting like Ping-Pong balls.

spelling:
p244: He tried to grab the open car door to brake his fall.

I've read this at least once before but nothing felt familiar. I've confused this title with a different book.

[Justin Roberts · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unrealistic

[Alexander Hutchison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am totally hooked on this series. I loved the setting in Korea and the overall plot development. I couldn't put it down.

[Rithun Regi · Rating 4 out of 5]

War is a crime foisted on us by the Hawks of the world. This book of fiction is about a crisis management team led by a man who has a part of his soul devoured by the stress and pressing crisis of the Korean Peninsula. It is important to understand the magnitude of a Peninsula which technically is at war since 1950 filled with hatred,mistrust and darkness. Politicians,military and diplomats all figure in this quagmire of a drama which will leave you on the edge of your seats.A good read

[Richard · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure how Tom Clancy's name got on this book, but it has none of his style. Let's look at the problems. There is an organization with all sorts of power, established by the President, to handle certain situations that may arise. As would have to be the case, such a situation arises, and the President calls on the Op Center - then totally ignores their recommendations.

*** Spoiler alert ***

These are not in any specific order.

The Op Center has a psychologist who creates profiles of people. Good idea. But said psychologist also creates profiles of foreign dignitaries (based on what is released to the public) - and these profiles of how the individuals will react in various situations are used in the decision making process. However, when it comes to Op Center personnel (they have profiles as well), no one catches on to the fact that one Op Center employee is going after the boss with sex on her mind, even though the boss is happily married. Or if they do catch on, they figure that's OK. Talk about a way to mess up an office - even in 1995 (the copyright date) that was illegal, so why allow it to continue?

Two generals - one who signs a requisition to take nerve gas off-base as though he were giving a friend a three-day pass, and another one who chews out a US Senator on the phone. Neither is believable.

A former ambassador - now working for Op Center - who somehow gains access to a secure military communications facility and sends a message from South Korea to North Korea requesting a meeting. North Korea is believed to be at fault in the bombing of a civilian target - and then the same general who chewed out a US Senator decides to go with it. And don't get me started on how a former ambassador (who doesn't seem to have any military background at all) would be able to run the equipment, know the appropriate frequencies, etc.

The idea that satellites can be retasked in a matter of minutes, and with such good imagery that they can identify someone based on facial features from earth orbit. Not only that, but that can also read numbers off of a display.

Thinking that a number of soldiers can, by hand, push a SCUD missile launcher over onto its side. If it's stable enough to hold steady during a launch, soldiers aren't going to be able to push it over.

A USAF plane overflies North Korea - and gets itself shot for its trouble. That's one. But the idea that US military personnel then complain about it is utterly ridiculous. Overflights of another country without permission are a breach of their sovereignty; doing so with a military aircraft can be considered an act of war, not something for which there are procedures to force the plane down that do not involve shooting at it.

An US military team heads into North Korea to check on something - really?!? That, in and of itself, is an act of war (called "invasion"). Once they get there, they manage to convince a North Korean officer (note that the NK officer doesn't speak English and the GI officer doesn't speak Korean) to work with him.

On the other hand, the same NK officer gave control of his missiles over to a South Korean officer because the ROK officer shot him in the hand; I would hope that an officer in charge of a SCUD battery would be a little more resistant to handing over control of his missiles to a stranger from another country.

Op Center has the most powerful computers out there, and they're completely disconnected from the rest of the world. Great idea! But still someone manages to get a rogue program into said system, one that not only includes enough fake satellite imagery to provide data for at least 24 hours, but also can spread that data over a phone line to another incredibly secure computer system.

The fake imagery - somehow those who created the fake stuff knew exactly the time of day, year, and satellite angles to duplicate so that there were no continuity errors from one frame to the next - not within the fake imagery, but between the fake imagery and the real imagery that preceded it (something any decent analyst would have caught).

Tunnels that are four feet in diameter, dug for the specific purpose of transporting containers of nerve gas, but which provide no way to do so other than to have someone crawling down the tunnel pushing the container in front of them. Even the prisoners in Stalag Luft III (The Great Escape) built rails for trolleys to move people and equipment more easily and rapidly.

In short, it's not worth reading. Even a little bit.

[Elyse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decided I wanted to re-read the Op-Center series. Previously enjoyed the balance of intrigue, espionage, and high-tech complexity.

This time, the first volume in the series struck me as really dated. Dated in terms of the technologies, of course. But even more so in the stilted roles for women. One of the female associated characters (wife of Hood) is conveyed as family-absorbed and unable to grasp the robustness of her husband's life and responsibilities. The other female secondary character seems hormone-absorbed (coworker of Hood). Yuck.

In addition, the tedious minutiae of weapon variety, vehicle description, and similar stuff is mind-numbing for me. I don't know these weapons and vehicles; so all of these details contribute nothing to the story for me. That's part of Clancy's narrative style that I had forgotten.

Might read one or two more in the series. We'll see.

[John Michael Strubhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this back in 2001 when I was recovering from having my right elbow shattered into 14 pieces. I was high on Lortabs most of the time, so I had totally forgotten everything about the book. I only remember having it with me in the waiting room for my doctor and physical therapist.

I did enjoy the read, even though Tom Clancy wasn't the actual author. If you're interested in political personal play (which I am not), you'll enjoy this book as there is much of those shenanigans in the story. The action is well written and the author is clearly very knowledgeable about the technology used my intelligence agencies and the military of the mid 1990s. This is definitely equal to any technothriller penned by Clancy himself. So, go march forth and start the series! I dare you.

[Tim Lyons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tim Lyons 9/24/18
English H Period 8

This is the evaluation of Paul Hood by a government official in the aftermath of the book Tom Clancy’s Op-Center by Jeff Rovin. Paul hood is the director in charge of the National Crisis Management Center, also known as Op-Center. The people of Op-Center were working towards solving the case behind a bomb and u I planted in Seoul during a festival and finding the perpetrators. It was discovered that the attacks were part of a plan to attempt to start a war between North and South Korea, and also to launch nukes from North Korea towards Japan in an attempt to start a war that would wipe out North Korea entirely. Op-Center under the leadership of Paul had discovered the terrorists plan and sent in soldiers of their response team to North Korea to stop the group behind it. The terrorist group had been stopped short of a nuclear attack on Japan and were all killed by Op-center’s response team. The agency is now evaluating Paul Hood for the details of what happened and some more personal psychological evaluation of Paul himself to see if anything may get in the way of his duties, like the health problems

Q1: Who were the men behind this attack?

A: They were all soldiers from South Korea, under the leadership of Major Lee, they were cunning and clever in their planning and managed to outrun us as long as they did. They disguised themselves as North Korean soldiers down to the boot imprint after the bomb

Q2:What did they intend to cause from their actions?

A:They intended to launch a nuclear missile towards Japan from North Korea which was most likely going to start a war. They also snuck a poisonous gas into the North Korean base and tried releasing it into the ventilation, trying to kill a highly esteemed officer in North Korea. This soldier was shot and killed by North Korean guards in the area. The other men on the sight of the missile were killed by our Striker team who then deactivated the launch. If they had been successful then the already tense relationship between the North and South would break and North Korea would invade the South for the death of the officer and Japan would get involved as well.

Q3:Why did they intend for this to happen?

A:They wanted to end any idea of the North and South getting along. Since we are allied with South Korea it is most likely that we would have been dragged into the fight. They wanted the North to look bad from their attacks so no other country would have a problem in completely leveling them and their government. Though both militaries would take heavy losses from a second Korean War they really just wanted the peace to end. Afterwards, South Korea would once again be in deep conflict with the North because they don’t want to see the north and south together

Q4:Do you think you handled the situation effectively?

A: I feel I did everything I could to help my men. I stayed aware and awake and helped with what I could during the attacks. I managed the team and tried to stay involved with what was happening. I did have a few conflicts that kept my mind off work but everything worked out in the end.

Q5:Did your crew run into any problems that we need to know about?

A:Yes. I will admit despite our success that we had encountered many problems in finding the enemy. First of all, our tech team had ran into a huge problem with their computers, which had been hacked by someone without our knowledge. They had somehow made it past one of the most secure computers in the world, according to our tech weenies.

Q6:Did you take any big losses from the situation?

A: Although overall we came out on top, many people’s lives were still lost in these attacks. Members of our striker team had been killed in their mission and we even lost a well renowned politician in the South’s American Embassy, Gregory Donald. He was shot and killed by North Korean guards but we wouldn’t have stopped the terrorists without him pointing them out. We lost too many people to celebrate stopping them

Q7:How do you feel your crew handled the attack?

A: My crew did everything they could but they did struggle to keep it together at times. I thought we’d almost lost it when our computers got hacked. My team did pull through everything and the striker team took out the last of the terrorists who were still standing. I couldn’t ask for a better team and they really pushed through on this.

Q8:Who do you value the most on your team?

A: Definitely the techno weenies. They can break down anything online and come to me with an answer and any secret it could hold. They know this type of thing better than the back of their hand and even help me with my sons games.

Q9:What do you value the most in life?

A: I’d say I value my family most of all. My son had just gotten sick during the attack and I was too focused on the job to help. If anything happened to him I don’t know what I would do. He has always been the most important part of my life and I hope for the rest of it.

Q10:would it ever be a danger to your duty?

A: I know what my job means and the responsibility I have. I know how much my son matters to me but if their is a threat to the US I will always work towards helping that first. I had to leave my son while he was sick just to work on the attacks and tracking people down. No matter what happens I know my duty is important to the US and the world and I will always be ready to do what I must.

[carl clause · Rating 5 out of 5]

CC1

Excellent introduction to P-Center. The whole plot would defend exist in today's politics. Paul and crew did excellent job in managing the crisis. Can't for book 2. Great job!!!!!!! Carl Clause

[High Voltage · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a true page-turner to kick off the series. The chapters are very short, but always include valuable information that advances the story along. The author did a wonderful job of weaving various storylines together, and it was often not until several chapters later that you'd find out what happened in one part of the story.

The characters in this book are top-notch. It was impressive how such a large number of characters were built up where I could picture each of them when they were mentioned. Gregory Donald is an especially memorable character, and I'm looking forward to the dynamic between Paul Hood and Ann Farris hopefully continuing in the next book.

I don't understand the reviews complaining about the book being outdated, as it was released in 1995. I for one enjoyed the backdrop of mid '90s Korea as the setting for much of the story. Acknowledging the real-life 1994 death of Kim Il-Sung added depth and legitimacy to the storyline, despite the book using a fictional US President and never mentioning North Korea's then-new leader by name.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants an exciting read and is interested in international relations and politics.

[Michael Rugnao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great entry into the world of espionage books 📚

[Ján Gordulič · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great holiday book, thilling, easy to read, fun to follow the story.

[Ismael Martínez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una excelente historia de acción, con personajes con mucha profundidad emocional. Recomendadísimo

[Josh Jeter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a lot of fun; my first time entering the realm of Clancy books that don’t directly deal with Jack Ryan. I enjoyed it- it was a great companion for 2 days of long driving!

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A terrorist attack in Seoul raises tensions on Korean peninsula with war looking likely, but a new federal crisis management team is task to figure out who and why before things escalate too far. Op-Center through bearing the name of Tom Clancy, who along with Steve Pieczenik created the story, was ghostwritten by Jeff Rovin about a government agency tasked with handling both domestic and international crisis.

Renegade South Korean soldiers attack an official celebration of the founding of the country implicating the North Koreans. Op-Center director Paul Hood suddenly finds himself appointed head of Task Force by a President looking for a big foreign affairs accomplishment; however evidence and a cyberattack complicate Hood giving the President a clear go ahead to launch a war. On the peninsula, a former Ambassador to the country and his friend in the KCIA take their own individual routes to lessen the growing tensions between the two sides. But the renegade squad is racing towards their next attacks—the North Korean barracks at the DMZ and Tokyo—and the only thing that can stop them is Op-Center’s paramilitary response team, Striker with Hood’s deputy General Mike Rodger along for the action.

Set roughly around the time of book’s publication a little over 20 years ago, the plot reads almost like alternate history today but still holds up fairly well. While the primary plot is very good, the subplots connected with different characters were more of a problem. Hood is torn between crisis in Korea and with this son’s health that makes him look sympathetic while his wife appears too needy given that she knew something like this could happen, Rodgers appears to be in a mid-life crisis wanting to get back to his glory days instead of being at his post, and many of the female Op-Center personal are painted broadly with a brush in various stereotypes that back when I first read the book as a teenager didn’t pop out at me but certainly did now.

While the characterization of many of the principal characters is bland, the plot and the action are very well written making this a quick and fun read for the most part. While at the time Rovin wasn’t given his due as the book’s author, he did a good job in setting up a series that would eventually reach 12. While Op-Center is not the greatest book within the action and thriller genres but those that like those genres will find it a good read.

[Gil Smolinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in the 12-book Op-Center series created by Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik, and written by Jeff Rovin (the main writer), Dick Couch, and George Galdorisi. The books are about a National Crisis Management Center (op-center), an organization in charge of taking care of domestic and international crises. The op-center consists of a team of operatives that uses intelligence, surveillance, and defensive technology to get the job done, with the center’s director reporting directly to the president of the United States. It is the government’s port of call when it comes to intelligence and crisis management. As can be imagined, this is an excellent stage for a range of gripping stories in typical Clancy style. Full review: https://smolinskiblog.co/2020/06/07/t...

[Ra Fe · Rating 4 out of 5]

They are interesting times that we are living in and it was intriguing to go back and reread this book with everything happening in the world today and especially with the recent uptick in potential relations with North Korea (we can only hope they continue).

It goes without saying that some of the technology is out of date, but the relationships, politics, and trust (or distrust) play pivot roles in both the real world and we find out in the world of Op Center.

I would recommend this book even though it may be somewhat dated. The story line is well developed for the genre and after all of these years I still found it entertaining.

[Chad Tindall]

Good Read, However Not Like Jack Ryan Seriez

This is my first Op-Center book, as I enjoyed the read, i'm reminded how different take it is from the Jack Ryan series. Not to say that's bad but different.

[John Burnham · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not going to rate this book. Let's call it the second worst book I ever read. Tom Clancey took a moderately good story and then surrounded it with loads of not very interesting detail and supposed facts that just were not true. YUK!

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Je n'ai jamais beaucoup apprécié les romans de Tom Clancy et celui-ci n'a pas fait exception à la règle...

[Tuti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Op-Center is still very new when its Director Paul Hood is suddenly appointed by the President as the head of the task force to deal with the situation after a bomb exploded in South Korea, killing dozens of people.

I read the 10th book before this one, and the team has definitely changed. There are a lot of tensions within the team, centering around Paul Hood and attorney Lowell Coffey. Mike Rodgers defies Hood, Liz Gordon resents him, and Martha Mackall wants his job. Ann Farris, on the other hand, wants to sleep with him. Liz Gordon and Ann Farris can't stand Coffey. Matt Stoll is angry that everybody is pushing him around. In the mean time, Paul Hood also has domestic problem with a kid in the hospital and a wife who doesn't appreciate his unavailability. I suppose the purpose is to show how the team ends up gelling at the end.

The book throws around a lot of characters. Even though I've made it a habit of writing down character names, after a while there are just too many of them that I started skipping them. Naturally, the one I missed was actually important to the plot and I couldn't even remember which group this person belonged to.

Paul Hood is very human in this book. His relationship with his wife is a bit confusing. I thought at the beginning that everything was fine, but then there was mention of being sexually frustrated and that the wife has been making digs at him.

Mike Rodgers' "defection" seems rather selfish. He does what he feels like, instead of thinking about the best thing for Op-Center, and in the process he displaces a member of Striker team. Luckily he ends up at the right place to deal with the situation, although Squires, the leader of Striker, ends up with barely any role.

My favorite character is actually Kim Chong, the person who was forced by circumstances to be a spy. However, unlike Mike Rodgers, she chooses to do the right thing. I wish her well.

Ann Farris' obsession with Paul Hood is a bit creepy. The guy is married. Leave him alone!

The story itself is a bit long and very slow in places. I kind of lost interest somewhere around 2/3 of the book and had to make an effort to keep going.

[George Laymark · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Op-Center" is a gripping thriller that had me hooked from the opening pages. Right from the start, I found myself immersed in a world of covert operations, political intrigue, and high-stakes drama that kept me eagerly turning the pages.

The author's storytelling is fast-paced and action-packed, delivering a rollercoaster ride of suspense and tension. The characters, especially those at the heart of the Op-Center, are well-drawn and engaging. The narrative skillfully weaves together multiple storylines, creating a complex and thrilling tapestry that spans the globe.

What sets "Op-Center" apart is its realistic portrayal of international relations and the covert operations that shape the political landscape. The novel doesn't just rely on adrenaline-pumping action; it delves into the complexities of geopolitical conflicts, adding a layer of authenticity to the story.

The pacing is relentless, with plot twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. The author seamlessly combines military strategy, intelligence operations, and personal dynamics, creating a narrative that feels both relevant and exciting. It's a story that keeps you guessing until the final pages.

In conclusion, "Op-Center" is a must-read for fans of military and political thrillers. If you enjoy high-stakes scenarios, global intrigue, and a cast of characters navigating the complexities of modern warfare, this book delivers on all fronts. The author's ability to blend realism with heart-pounding action makes "Op-Center" a thrilling and immersive experience for readers who crave an adrenaline-fueled adventure.

[Socrate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gregory Donald sorbi din paharul cu whisky şi cuprinse din priviri barul aglomerat.
— Ţi s-a întâmplat vreodată să te gândeşti la trecut, Kim? Nu la ce-a fost azi-dimineaţă sau săptămâna trecuta, ci la ce-a fost demult?
Kim Hwan, directorul adjunct al KCIA, Agenţia Centrală de Informaţii Coreeană, învârtea paiul roşu, împungând felia de lămâie care plutea în paharul umplut cu Coca Cola dietetică.
— Pentru mine, Greg, azi-dimineaţă înseamnă „demult”. Mai ales în zilele astea. Ce n-aş da să fiu acum la pescuit, cu unchiul Pak, în barca lui, în Yangyang…
— Tot aşa morocănos e şi acum? întrebă Donald râzând.
— Mai morocănos decât îl ştiai! Ţii minte că avea două bărci de pescuit? Ei bine, de una dintre ele s-a descotorosit. Susţine că nu suporta ideea de a avea un partener. Uneori, mă gândesc că aş prefera să înfrunt furtunile pescuind, decât să trebuiască să mă lupt cu birocraţia. Ştii şi tu ce înseamnă asta…
Cu coada ochiului, Hwan îi urmări pe cei doi bărbaţi de alături, care se ridicară şi plecară, după ce îşi plătiră consumaţia.
— Da, îmi aduc aminte. Ăsta a fost motivul pentru care am plecat.
Hwan se trase mai aproape, aruncând priviri circumspecte în jur. Îşi miji ochii şi trăsăturile sale delicate căpătară un aer conspirativ.
— N-am vrut să vorbesc cât timp ziariştii de la Seoul Press erau prin preajmă. Îţi dai seama, mi-au interzis decolarea elicopterelor.
Donald îşi arcui sprâncenele, în semn de uimire.
— Au înnebunit de tot?

[Valerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a slog.

Which surprised me after I'd enjoyed "The Sum of All Fears". At first, I genuinely thought that this was a faaaaaaaar earlier work of Clancy's as it felt a lot more unpolished, the writing more immature. So, color me surprised when I discovered it was written 3 years *after* "The Sum of All Fears"!

I'm not sure if it was Steve Pieczenik being added to the mix, or if Clancy was just edited less after his earlier success, but something definitely happened to bring the writing downhill, and fast.

The blatant sexism also really got to me. I'd picked up on some of it in the earlier book, but there simply weren't enough female characters to be entirely certain of if it was just how some of the male characters thought, or if it was an underlying narrative coming in from the author. Here it's much more clear. When *every* character displays the same prejudice, even the ones purporting to not be biased, then it starts to become clear it's not just a less nice facet of a complex character. It's the author's prejudice showing through.

Combined, all of this just made me quite uninterested in the characters, which made me not really care about the stakes that were supposed to drive the suspense and, with it, the plot.

So, not impressed, and will be giving the book away asap.