The Eye of the Tiger

When a friend found out that I am a big fan and avid reader of the Dirk Pitt novels, he said "if you like Cussler, you'll love Wilbur Smith." I followed his advice and tried out Eye of the Tiger. This is the first Wilbur Smith novel I've read, and it definitely will not be the last. I'm definitely hooked!Why am I so hooked? It's an engrossing page-turner, it has lots of lively action, the bad guys are eminently hate-able without being cartoonish, the heros are believable and all the more lovable because they have such human foibles, and everything in the story is so believable.The hero (Harry Fletcher) is a manly-man who is able to think and fight his way out of apparently impossible situations, yet at the same time never comes across as an invincible superman. I think I also like him so much is that he is a reluctant hero. Circumstances are forced upon him, rather than him being sent in to save the world because he's the only one who could do it. In some ways, he is almost like Hemmingway's Old Man and the Sea, except that Wilbur Smith likes for his Hero to come out ahead in the end.But I think the part that I most appreciated was that there were so many unpredictable surprises and twists, yet in hindsight, all the clues were there. Let me explain. My wife refuses to watch a movie with me the first time she sees it, because the clues are so ibvious that I usually figure out who dunnit or what the big surprise will be early on, and can explain why. Either that, or I get mad because the clues are never presented at all and the hero figures it out only through knowledge of some totally arcane trivia or by way of some clue that the author never actually presents to us in the book (or movie). This sucks! At least give me a chance.Not so with this book! There were some wonderful twists that I found myself very happy to see because, in hindsight, the clues were all there, and it was totally valid for the hero to catch them, and I should have caught them to. For example, I didn't have to know about Flame Coral to draw the same conclusion Harry drew - I should have understood the implications of the other diver not knowing what it was. (You'll understand once you read the book).Bottom line: my friend was right. If you like Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels, you WILL definitely like Wilbur Smith's Eye of the Tiger. I have already ordered a bunch more of Wilbur's books to add to my stack of Cussler novels.

Although Wilbur Smith is more known for his Courtney or Ballantyne series of novels, this first-person adventure is a wonderfully funny and action-packed novel that is, when finished, bemoaned to be too short. Harry Fletcher, ex-soldier, ex-thief, trying to go it straight in St Mary's, is sucked back into a life of crime, and this is all you need to know. There are guns, friends, betrayals, beautiful women and hissable enemies. Along with "Eagle in the Sky" and "The Sunbird", this is one of my favourite standalone Smith novels.

Why in the world is Hollywood not beating down this guy's door? I have never seen an author who so dependably delivers solid characters, deep plots and such a grip on the pace of action throughout. Reading his books are like watching great movies in your mind and this book is no exception. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll chew your fingernails down to nubs and howl with victory! Somebody please option this guy's books!You're missing out on a freakin goldmine!

Reading this book was like reading Crichton or early Grisham except there was also something old-timey about it, too - like reading H. Rider Haggard, Conan Doyle, Dumas, Burroughs or Jules Verne for the first time when you were a kid. Sheer pleasure. It was a winner, a completely engaging book - and it went on my shelf of books worth re-reading. The kind of book you smile about, remembering how enjoyable it was to read.

Having read nearly all Wilbur Smith's books, and having spent my entire teenage years with a Wilbur Smith book close at hand, (and being a writer myself) I feel entitled to say a few words about "Eye of the Tiger" and Wilbur Smith in general. First of all, "Eye of the Tiger" is one heck of a great read -- I must've read it 15 times myself, and have given it to all my friends (and girl-friends!) to read at one time or another. Harry Fletcher (the main character) is like an old friend to me; I feel I know the guy. And what a great guy he is, too! And as for the story, well it just zings along so smartly you'll be in heaven. What I love so much about Wilbur Smith is that (at his best) his language and description borders on literature, though HE doesn't agree, I'm told. This is not the case with all his books, however, and in recent years I have been disappointed. But most of the first 20 books he wrote are marvels of story telling, and one day I look forward to picking them up and starting all over again. It'll be a pleasant reminder of those dreamy teenage years. And quite frankly, after having read Hemingway and Melville and other giants of the adventure genre, I'm never so happy as when I'm immersed in a Wilbur Smith novel. If you have never had the pleasure, I envy you; you have some richly rewarding discoveries ahead. Thank you, Wilbur Smith for countless hours of reading ecstasy. Andy Todes (Born in South Africa, 1971, raised in Australia, currently living in the United States).