The Ludlum novel, The Apocalypse Watch, was written by Robert Ludlum (earlier musings) , and it has all the usual pace, plot, and global conspiracy. I needed another “cleanse the palate” read a couple of weeks ago, and found this hardcover on the shelf while culling some titles to make room for more in the future. This book now goes on to a new home. Verdict: a quick covert action thriller, but not worth its space on the shelf long-term.
One note on the villains… published in 1995, Apocalypse Watch employs a neo-Nazi group as its global bogeyman, which seems mildly old-fashioned in the post 9/11 world. Recall how the Mel Gibson/Danny Glover movie Lethal Weapon 2 used apartheid-era South Africans as the villains of choice in 1989? Very politically correct villain, in that few potential viewers would be offended or identify with those being pursued, killed, and otherwise brought to heel. I’m interested in catching Syriana at theaters in part because it seems partisan, or at least unafraid to take a side. That doesn’t mean the movie is any good, of course.