The Codex

Rating:
Summary: Treasure Hunt
Review: A lot of fun, if you don't take it too seriously. Like 'The DaVinci Code,' this book pretends to be more complex and mysterious than it really is. Still, it's quite a fun read - Sort of 'King Lear' meets 'Congo.' The writing is not as polished as I would expect from half of a bestselling writing team, but it doesn't get in the way.

Rating:
Summary: Passable
Review: The premise behind this book is that a wealthy collector of antiquities bequeaths his collection worth 500 Million to his sons. The only problem is that he has buried his collection along with himself somewhere in the world. The sons' task is to find it.

This had the makings up front of a great book along the lines of The Da Vinci Code where you would be tracking down clues to find the ultimate goal. However, it didn't work out that way. The brothers almost immediately know where their father went and hire some unsrupoulous indivduals to help locate him in some remote Hondurus jungles.

It then slogs along till about 250 pages in the book where it starts to pick up and the last 100 pages are pretty good.

Based on some of the other Preston/Child works I was expecting something a lot better though. The author does plug his partner's book Utopia about halfway through the book.

Rating:
Summary: Reads like a movie script but it's still fun!
Review: I'll have to agree with many of the reviewers that the writing isn't spectacular but the story line is still fun! This is an easy to read book and makes for the perfect type of read for a plane ride or vacation! I hope they make this into a movie -- it was great fun!

Rating:
Summary: Good Story Drowns In Terrible Writing
Review: This book actually had a decent story concept, but none of the actions/motivations were believeable because of appalingly immature charater interactions. I honestly was wondering whether the book was written by a junior high school student. When I learned that it was actually written by a successful author, I was astounded. Obviously there are readers out there who enjoy this kind of writing since Mr. Preston is a NY Times best selling author, but I have to wonder how such a book could appeal to a reader with a fully developed sense of social interaction.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing.....
Review: I am a big fan of Preston and Child. I thought The Cabinet of Curiosities was one of the best books I've read in a long time. I wasn't expecting much of Still Life with Crows and thought that was excellent as well. So, I was anticipating the Codex with great excitement. Unfortunately, I was let down.

The premise is pretty good, but the story is way too shallow, as are the characters. Most things are fairly unbelievable and the plot just seems get more and more unrealistic as they venture further into the jungle. The love story is completely pathetic. Why even make the love story part of the plot when you are going to devote about 1 full page to developing it, and most of that consists of a sexual encounter in a hut after struggling through the jungle for a week to the point of near exhaustion? I got about 7/8 of the way through the book then decided it was not even worth my time to reach the conclusion.

I'm looking forward to Brimstone.

Rating:
Summary: the elusive Codex...
Review: I just finished listening to the UNabridged audio (CD) version. Books on CD are a "must try" if you haven't. In the car, while working on the computer, OR you can even listen in bed (or Lazyboy) on a DVD player and then click off if you get sleepy.

The premise of "the Codex" couldn't be better; how far will a family go for an inheritance? Some of the reviewers are too harsh. Yes, there are some slow places when the jungle adventure begins and perhaps the writing is a bit cliche at times, but the story is great and the adventure is worth taking.

(WARNING: next para reveals info.) I'm with another reviewer, tho, who asks what the heck happened to the Codex?? There was never a resolution to the bridge incident. That is a rather serious flaw, in my opinion. But, the end is fun -- look who ends up back in Santa Fe. Since I'm from NM, all of that was enjoyable.

It's definitely worth a LISTEN or read. Great fun!

Rating:
Summary: Nifty Thriller of a Yarn But . . .
Review: Preston has written a tornado-paced action/thriller/mystery that kept me flipping the pages to see what next would befall the three disgruntled sons of Maxwell Broadbent, a wealthy dying ego-maniac, who has given them a quest. Maxwell has buried himself in a tomb with all his treasures in hopes that greed, if nothing else, will mold his sons into hardy men of action and adventure.

Now, I agree the plot sounds crazy, yet it's still worth the read because of Preston's flair for inventing and describing scenes so alarming and absorbing you almost don't notice the stand-up-ripples-of-hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck.

And although most of the characters are merely engaging two-dimensional people, Preston does gift the reader with a fascinating, eccentric fourth son and a scoundrel with a nice flair for the dramatic.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book..as expected
Review: I have read quite a few titles from this author as well as from his collaborations with L.Child. The idea of this novel was rather original. The characters were well drawn and I really liked the central villian as well. Three brothers heading into the jungle in search of their Father's fortune. As always the journey is the best part. There is a little bit of everything in this book, keeps you turning pages which to me is the MOST important part of a good book.

Rating:
Summary: grand adventure!
Review: Rebeccasreads highly recommends THE CODEX as a rip-snorting memorable read, about three brothers taunted into finding their dying father & the loot of a lifetime, secreted away in the Sierra Azul of South America, where the villains are crafty & deadly, the searchers are both fools & pragmatists, & the wildlife & the Natives are equal parts gloriously intelligent & liberally lethal!

Could not put it down!

Rating:
Summary: How to insult your readers
Review: Readers over grade 4 level beware: this book will confuse you. Despite good media reviews, The Codex is so badly written it's almost impossible to read. The writer uses amateur writing techniques for descriptions, his dialogues are stale and inane, characters are unidimensional and cliché. The story is interesting, although hardly original. Even if the story were the best ever, this novel cannot be read but plowed through.

This is one case where the author's name, rather than the quality of writing and plot, is selling the book.