Bear Island - Alistair MacLean > Reviews > Bear-ly there

Author's product rating:   

Would you listen to it again?	Maybe
Story	Satisfactory
Characters	Satisfactory
Listenability	A good listen when you've got the time
How does it compare to audio works by the same author?	Poor

Advantages:	Goodish stroyline and some strong characters
Disadvantages:	Rushed, and little action in truth

Recommend to potential buyers:

no

Full review

I have all of MacLean's novels on my bookshelves and have just finished reading Bear Island for I think what is the third time - Every time I really want to like it and every time I come away feeling a bit cheated.

Bear Island followed Carravan to Vaccares, which is a far better novel, and Bear Island was the first to be written in first person narrative.

The basic premise is that of a film crew taking a trip on the converted trawler, the Morning Rose, in order to do some filming on Bear Island. The movie itself is shrouded in mystery and there is a board of directors for the film company, alongside actors and other crew.

The central character to the book is Dr Marlowe, a medical doctor hired to accompany the film crew, and as such is something of an outsider. The rest of the film crew all know each other.

So far so good, a journey by ship is food and drink to MacLean, and he should be in his element. There is though less emphasis on the boat and more emphasis put on the events that are occurring inside it. There is death, and death applenty. At first it looks like a simple case of food poisoning, although with four people dead, Marlowe soon thinks that the deaths are more deliberate than accidental.

Unfortunately with the actual arrival on the island the story goes down hill fast. There are 30 suspects about who the murderer is, and more focus is put on the who dunnit aspect than the actions behind it. There is Nazi gold involved and yet to a large extent this fact is actually brushed over.

There is too many characters to make it an easy read, and is easy to forget just who knows who from when, and who is related to each other. It becomes almost lost the Otto, the director, is father to the leading lady, who is married to the lead male, who both knew the daughters of a drunken actor, who has known the directors for many years.

The ending seems rushed and there are questions left unanswered, and actions which could and should have been included that are not. It is rare to say it but the Sutherland film actually has some positives over the book in this respect.

There is all the elements of a good action thriller, but it quickly turns in to more of a murder mystery which is not MacLean's strong point. There are a few twists with characters, including Marlowe, not being all they should be, as you would expect from MacLean.

There are some things that pick the story up, with a good arctic background a strong male lead, and some intrigue. Thi smakes is a good read but not a great one.

So Bear Island is not MacLean's worst work but it is a long way away from reaching the heights of Where Eagles Dare or Guns of Navarone. Can't say I would recommend anyone going out to buy it unless they pick it up second hand.