Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: '48 by James Herbert, William Dufris ISBN: 0-7531-0696-5 Publisher: Isis Audio Pub. Date: January, 2000 Format: Audio CD Volumes: 10 List Price(USD): $99.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 2.96 (25 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: A middle of the road effort for Herbert.
Comment: '48 is as about as action packed as you can get. It starts off running and never really stops, the book is almost exhausting to read.
The plot is pure b-movie pulp. Hitler uses an unstable chemical weapon that, ala The Andromeda Strain, turns blood to dusty clots in the veins of victims. Too bad it spreads and kills everyone in the world, except for a lucky few. The luckiest of the dead died quick, in a matter of minutes. But some live on, clots slowly forming throughout their bloodstream and causing gangrene and other nasty and terribly slow ways to die. It is from these last few, and quite insane, hangers on that our mixed bag of immune heroes must alternate between fleeing and fighting.
Most of the novel uses plot points taken from either the cult classic Mad Max or the cheese classic The Omega Man. It's a quick enough read that is easy to forget. Mr. Herbert may have written far better books, but this one is as about as exciting as a plate of literary whipped cream can get. Recommended to those looking for light, fast paced, and exciting reading.
Rating: 4
Summary: Don't be put off by the nay sayers!!
Comment: It seems that '48 was a huge let down for the vast majority of people that have given their reviews here. Although it seems that Majority Rules would be speaking volumes in this instance, decrying the book as nothing more than pulp, I want to offer a more balanced opinion.
Firstly, James Herbert is a master of horror fiction, he has always had a great ability to write with an immeadiacy that quickly pulls the reader into his world. Notice how, even though many people critisized the book, the resounding agreement was that '48 was an action packed, fast paced read. A curious oxymoron since many great reviews of populist fiction will often include the words "fast paced", "a page turner", "non-stop action". How did these reviewers turn these comments into negatives?!!
Approaching '48 as an example from the Horror genre is the first mistake when reading this book. It's clear to me that the tone of '48 is dervived from the "Boy's Own" style of action/adventure stories popular in the era in which the book was set. Kudos then need to be payed to Mr Herbert for deciding to write a period piece in the style of popular fiction from the period it illustrates. On that level it was clearly a resounding success.
'48 is without a doubt an exceptionally visceral novel. It doesn't make any claims to be of any social relevance, or offer any intellectual or political dogma. It is just a story created to offer high level, low brow entertainment, something you can pick up and throw yourself into on a rainy afternoon.
In cinematic terms, sometimes you feel like watching "Schindlers List".... sometimes you feel like watching "Die Hard with a Vengeance".... In this case '48 is a "Die Hard". I loved it.
Rating: 4
Summary: What a page turner
Comment: This sci-fi/horror/thriller page turner from James Herbert takes place, obviously enough, in 1948, after the allies have lost the second world war in ravaged London. Due to one of Hitler's biological devices, the vast majority of the citizenry have been killed, while only those with the extremely rare AB- blood type have been spared, and a slightly larger minority have been condemned to a slow, lingering death.
The main character, Hoke, is one of the fortunate few that has been spared the disease, and he spends a good deal of his time fleeing those who are dying the slow death (they are attempting to capture him to steal his blood and in theory his immunity to the disease through a transfusion). Along the way he meets a few other survivors, and, of course, races towards a final showdown with his pursuers.
By no means a deep, meaningful, or socially conscious novel, '48 simply offers vivid scenery and top notch entertainment, and I was completely incapable of putting it down. (I stayed up till 4AM to finish it) It's non-stop action from cover to cover, and its the perfect answer for an otherwise quiet evening. Don't listen to all the negative reviews, because in terms of sheer entertainment value this book is quality. Enjoy.
 |
Title: Some Will Not Die by Algis Budrys ISBN: 1587760290 Publisher: Vivisphere Publishing Pub. Date: 01 December, 2000 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
 |
Title: The Children's War by J. N. Stroyar ISBN: 0743407407 Publisher: Washington Square Press Pub. Date: August, 2002 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
 |
Title: Long Voyage Back: A Novel by Luke Rhinehart ISBN: 1557501300 Publisher: United States Naval Inst. Pub. Date: April, 1995 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
 |
Title: A Gift Upon the Shore : by M. K. Wren ISBN: 0595143415 Publisher: Backinprint.com Pub. Date: 01 November, 2000 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
 |
Title: A Wrinkle in the Skin by John Christopher ISBN: 1587152355 Publisher: Wildside Press Pub. Date: December, 2000 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
