Robert Ludlum
Paperback | Pages: 411 pages Rating: 3.89 | 12435 Users | 130 Reviews
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| Original Title: | The Gemini Contenders |
| ISBN: | 0553282093 (ISBN13: 9780553282092) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Commentary Supposing Books The Gemini Contenders
Salonika, Greece: December 1939. In the dead of night, a clandestine order of monks embarks on a desperate mission: to transport a mysterious vault to a hiding place high in the Italian Alps. The sinister cache, concealed for centuries, could rip apart the Christian world. Now, as the Nazi threat marches inexorably closer, men both good and evil will be drawn into a violent and deadly hunt, sparking a relentless struggle that could forever change the world as we know it. Praise for Robert Ludlum and The Gemini Contenders “[Robert Ludlum’s] most ambitious novel . . . Its twist and turns carry the reader on a fast bobsled run. . . . A marvelously unflagging imagination.”—The New York Times “A winner . . . one of those books you intend to put down after just one more chapter . . . suddenly it’s two in the morning and you’ve read the whole thing.”—United Press International “A skyrocket of a book . . . The action never stops for a second.”—The Plain Dealer “Packed full of excitement.”—The Denver PostParticularize Out Of Books The Gemini Contenders
| Title | : | The Gemini Contenders |
| Author | : | Robert Ludlum |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 411 pages |
| Published | : | July 1st 1989 by Bantam (first published January 1st 1976) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Thriller. Mystery. Spy Thriller. Espionage. Suspense. Adventure |
Rating Out Of Books The Gemini Contenders
Ratings: 3.89 From 12435 Users | 130 ReviewsAppraise Out Of Books The Gemini Contenders
I first read The Gemini Contenders a little under forty years ago and remembered that I enjoyed it very much. I was looking forward to a second read. I'm disappointed to say I was slightly underwhelmed.Like all off Ludlum's novels, the plot is convoluted, twisting and full of red herrings. It's also a load of nonsense but that's what you expect from the author of the fabulous Bourne Trilogy. The narrative of The Gemini Contenders stretches from 1939 to 1973. In a sense it's a religious thrillerThis is a 1976 entry in the fanatical/psychotic Christian sect - world shattering Religious Artefact supressed for centuries sub-genre of the thriller. It's a good deal more competent than a more recent such book that also features a trip to the Louvre, but then so are my schoolboy fictions.It deviates somewhat from the standard Ludlum formula, being one of the few with a historical setting and straggling through three generations of protagonists. This latter is a bit disconcerting but this
I love early Ludlum. Been quite a while since I've read any of his books, and I got a itch that had to be scratched. Rereading it now, I still love the feel of the early scenes - of this dark train filled with priests fleeing into the mountains. The rise of the Nazi Party. Fascism in Italy. Ludlum does a great job of capturing the feel. It is ancient history to us now, but quite relevant and recent when it was written. He still very excessively uses exclamation marks, and the sons come into it
secrecy, generational conflict, WWII aftermath, but author's development of characters is excellent at the beginning of the story and then becomes unbelieveable as the story progresses.
This is the second audiobook version I have listened to for this book. Listened to the abridged version read by Anthony Heald back in the day. After listening to the unabridged one, I think I like the abridged one better. The abridgment cut out a lot details that were really unnecessary, and a bit too needlessly graphic. The story is a good airport paperback in that it would be a book you pick up in an airport for a long plane ride. It is interesting, with a lot of excitement and suspense, but
On the cover of the paperback a NYT reviewer called this book Ludlum's "most ambitious" novel. I would call it undisciplined. One has the distinct impression that he got near the end of a pretty good story and then just kept going as if he did no know how to end it. The second part introduces new characters, re-runs of characters in the first part, and ends with a melodramatic finish. Sure it is just a novel, of the beach vacation variety, but it could have been better.
I read this for the 2019 Popsugar Challenge category of "A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in title". I have read quite a bit of Ludlum over the years, but apparently missed this one when it was published in 1976. I have to say, I didn't like this as much a I expected to. I found the writing a bit overwrought at times, and saw way more typos than I would expect from an author at this level. I don't know whether my tastes have changed over time, or this one just wasn't one of his best.
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