Clancy's "Without Remorse"

Cafe Society
1

I haven’t read a Clancy book in a long time. I’ve been wanting to read the John Clark story and I’m finally reading WR. Now either I’ve outgrown Clancy books or WR is his worse novel. Clark’s inner struggles are at par with teen fantasy stories. His war against the street druggies is about as mall ninja as one can imagine. Do you have to be a SEAL veteran to walk up to a sidewalk pusher, point a gun to his head, and do him in? The only thing I liked so far was how he allowed his cockiness to get the better of him, and get his girl killed as a result. He must have thought he can invade a druggie’s turf and just blast away with his .45

I read “Debt of Honor” more than 10 years ago and I thought he had matured in his writing style. WR came before DOH but the former is bad even for a first attempt.

2

Clancy’s writing style was not the primary attraction of his books. Just so you know. He is kind of obsolete in the post 9/11 world.

3

But DOH was kinda prescient for 9/11, don’t you think?

4

Nah–they get progressively worse as Jack Ryan becomes more and more insufferably perfect… :rolleyes:

5

Well, it wasn’t the book that soured me forever on Tom Clancy but it was a ways along that path…

6

I’ve read all of them and he’s back in fine form now that he’s working with co-authors again. Threat Vector, his latest, was actually surprisingly good considering it’s a semi-sequel to The Bear and the Dragon. I also really liked Against All Enemies, which is a newer novel not set in the Jack Ryan universe (although there is a Ryanverse cameo at the end).