... If you have read my review of The Pact by Jodi Picoult and the following Jodi Picoult reviews you will know that the first book that I read from our list I thought was excellent and have now been reading every book that I can find by her. I was hoping that this book may be a similar finding ... Read review
Advantages: Something to fill the time and pick up bits of Itallian Disadvantages: Not much excitement
...given a new identity by the CIA and then left as a sitting target, it was actually more of a look into Itallian culture and language for myself.
How I came across the book:
I am in a book club at work, and this came up on our reading list. If you have read my review of The Pact by Jodi Picoult and the following Jodi Picoult reviews you will know that the first book that I read from our list I thought was excellent and ... ...author.
The Characters:
The characters are quite believeable. The main characters is Joel Backman/Marco Lazzeri, an ex-lawyer, recently pardoned from a 20 year prison scentence who believes that he is being given a whole new identity in Italy to help to keep him alive and safe. We see most of the story through his eyes, how he adapts to his new life, how he learns the language, the sights which he sees, the people he ... more
Overall View:
Although this book is obviously meant to be a thriller about a criminal who has been pardoned and given a new identity by the CIA and then left as a sitting target, it was actually more of a look into Itallian culture and language for myself.
How I came across the book:
I am in a book club at work, and this came up on our reading list. If you have read my review of The Pact by Jodi Picoult and the following Jodi Picoult reviews you will know that the first book that I read from our list I thought was excellent and have now been reading every book that I can find by her. I was hoping that this book may be a similar finding especially as there are many books out by this author.
The Characters:
The characters are quite believeable. The main characters is Joel Backman/Marco Lazzeri, an ex-lawyer, recently pardoned from a 20 year prison scentence who believes that he is being given a whole new identity in Italy to help to keep him alive and safe. We see most of the story through his eyes, how he adapts to his new life, how he learns the language, the sights which he sees, the people he meets, and how he plans to get on with his life.
We then meet his new companian Luigi, who is there to help him learn the culture of Italy, provide him with money and food and to show him how to fit in without causing attention so as not to lead people to him. We see some of the story from his side too, so that we know the things that are going on in the background, which the main character doesn't know about.
We are told some of the story from other aquaintences to fill in the blanks from what has happened in the main characters past, and what is going on with the various governments that are trying to eliminate him.
The Story:
The story starts off quite well. Telling us why this man is being pardoned, and what this is meant to lead to. We are told some of the history of the characters and get a feel for the story so that we can understand the events that are about to unfold.
We are then introduced to the main character and his perspective of the events. the journey that he takes, and what happens to him are all explained very well and we start to get into the story and wonder what is going to happen as the tale unfolds.
Unfortunately once we get to the middle part of the story/book, it dries up alot. There is too much of the book taken up with how the main character comes to grip with his new life. Luckily I am very interested in trying to teach myself new languages at the moment, so I was quite interested in the middle of the book as it taught me quite a bit of Italian. I will also probably look back through this book at times to refresh my memory of these phrases and words. I also liked the detailed explanations of the sights of Italy. I have never been there, but I can clearly see in my mind what it would be like and how the people would behave. I am hoping to visit the country at some point and it will be interesting to see how well these images match the reality.
Other than finding learning about the culture interesting this would have really put me off the book. I found that although the book was meant to be a thriller, and although Joel/Marco schooled himself to act like a spy the middle really took all of the suspense and 'thrill' out of the book.
The end was also quite well written, but I think maybe a bot of a let down too? I am actually trying to decide whether I like the ending, as when I look back over it, it did have a few moments of suspense, but because the middle had 'dulled' it I didn't really realise this as I was reading it. I also found that the end wrapped up a little too nicely.
Price:
As I am finding with alot of the books that I am reading at the moment I could pick this up from ASDA for £3.65. Even cheaper than I have managed to find on EBAY, although I believe that amazon have a few used copies for £2.75ish.
Advantages: good lead character, last 100 pages Disadvantages: boring, long middle part that does not do much for the storyline
...than remaining at large in the real world. This is the life of Joel Backman, a once powerful broker, who people believe has obtained secrets that could compromise the world's most sophisticated satellite surveillance system, JAM.
Backman is surprised when he is visited in jail and is informed that the outgoing President intends to grant him a pardon for the crime he has plead guilty to. Backman is suspicious of this development, but when he is put ... ...the pardon. Though acutely aware that something is not right about this pardon, nobody is aware that it comes as a result of the CIA exercising an enormous amount of pressure on the soon-to-be ex-President.
Backman is smuggled out of the country and halfway across the world to Italy and is given a new identity and a new name. Much to his amazement, Joel Backman is renamed Marco Lazzeri and has become an Italian national - even though the only words ...
Delicate_Orchid 31.01.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Broker - John Grisham
Advantages: Takes you into Italy and schools you on it. I was satisfied with the ending Disadvantages: Too much filler in this thriller. Plus, the pacing was sluggish
In the Author's Note there is the following disclaimer: "It's all fiction.. I know very little about spies, electronic surveillance, satellite phones, smartphones, bugs... If something in this novel approaches accuracy, it's probably a mistake" and also: "Im more terrified of high-tech electronic gadgets today than a year ago". Reading this makes me ask my self, Why then did you write this book? Well further in the Note, we find that it was his love ... ...endless) amounts of story where the main character is just learning and repeating Italy's language. You end up thinking.. I should keep reading because? The Story The Broker is the survival story of a man named Joel Backman. He was an extremely powerful person who had political connections like no one else and could "open any door in Washington". Sitting at this high position and making ten million dollars a year, he came to be known as "The Broker". ...
zenmachado 17.12.2005 (18.12.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Broker - John Grisham
Advantages: Easily readable. Disadvantages: Slow at the start and at the end.
...feel one is there.
The bulk of the story involved the main chatracter, Joel (or Marco), trying to come to terms with the Italian language, in an attempt to pass himself off as an Italian Canadian. This is in order to hide from the various factions who are determined to kill him in revenge for a double-cross some six years previuosly.
Although Grisham goes into great detail with this part of the story, it does become quite tedious and sometimes ...
boozecruise 03.02.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of The Broker - John Grisham
Advantages: Indepth desciption of Italian small town life Disadvantages: unbeliable character
...a bit longer. Its the tale of a high class broker who loses everything in shady circumstances and ends up being hidden away from his family and possibly his future killer(s) in a govenment cover up.
You follow him on his journey from prison to small villages and towns in Italy, but it seems to lack pace and i lost some of the 'thrill' of the book becsue of this. Apart from some handy Italian phrases i didnt feel i got anything from this book. Definitely ... ...and never quite delved into the mind of the main character Joel Blackman - apart from the fact that he was slightly afraid and enjoyed Italian clothes. It felt like you were skimming the surface of the charcter and his transformation from high roller to passive submissive was a little over exaggerated.
Worth a read if you are intrigued by the possability of govenment and a hint of Italian life, otherwise id unfortunately give this one a miss. ...
takanoa 07.12.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of The Broker - John Grisham
Advantages: you know somthing will happen Disadvantages: when it does the book is finished
Lets start at the beginning, thats where all stories should start right?. You know a beginning middle and end, well this book has all three!
Great character introductions and story plot at the beginning.
good continuation with story and keeps you interested.
An end of story tieing up all loose ends putting a smile on your face.
So what happens? well Ill try and tell you without giving away too much because after all I am recommending this to ... ...complicated at all and considering the Author John Grisham has wrote lots of novels around this subject so you could call him a somewhat expert it it all kept simple and easy to understand.
And baisically the book is about the authors two fav subjects, goings on in the white house and a small little town in Italy.
His character gets A pardon by the president and is hidden away in Italy where he has to try and blend in and learn how to speak, talk, ...
d155408 13.02.2006 (16.02.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of The Broker - John Grisham
