My Indy book reviews

Indy86

New member
The idea of this thread is that I give my reviews on all of the Indy books.

I've just started in the book Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi. Which is the one book in the adult novels in which he is the youngest. This is a book, I haven't read just as many others. I've only read the opening and chapter 1 and 2. It started pretty nice with Indy on the evening of his graduation from college pulling a prank. He does get reprimanded for it but is allowed to go to France. And that's about as far as I have gotten.

Even though I have my reservations somewhat for Indy in the 1920's, maybe for no good reason at all. There was already a nice reference to the Allied victory in Europe for World War I. Maybe I should turn my reservations into curiousity. It's the 20's, the prohibition, jazz and actually it's peace time. Something different then we're used to with a grown up Indy facing other adversaries besides the Nazis.

Anyway, despite this is the thirteenth book, and Indy is barely in his 20's, I started with this because I wanted to follow the timeline. I don't know if I can get through the 23 books though but I will give it shot and read one book at a time and than we'll see when I don't get ahead. :whip:
 

Indy86

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Made it to chapter 7 and Dorian Belecamus' intentions are becoming slowly clear. Interesting note is that Indy doesn't call himself an archaeologist yet.
 

Indy86

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I'm about halfway now and the book catches up on the moment when Indy nearly fell in the chasm while retrieving a tablet at the beginning of the book.

I'm not going to lie and maybe the book is going to get better but right now, I'm far from impressed. It takes way too long to get back where the book started. There's no action in it. Upon this point, the book is a bit of letdown.
 

Dr.Sartorius

New member
Indy86 said:
I'm about halfway now and the book catches up on the moment when Indy nearly fell in the chasm while retrieving a tablet at the beginning of the book.

I'm not going to lie and maybe the book is going to get better but right now, I'm far from impressed. It takes way too long to get back where the book started. There's no action in it. Upon this point, the book is a bit of letdown.

The McGregor books are less action-oriented than the McCoy books. Hang in there until at least Genesis Deluge. That one is pretty good.
 

Indy86

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Got to admit I remember Dinosaur Eggs and the Feathered Snake. But Dinosaur Eggs more. It's been about two years now since I've read those. But was disappointed with the Philosopher's Stone from McCoy. Maybe a second read will make me see it otherwise.

However back on MacGregor. I liked his novelization of Last Crusade though. Delphi is the first one I've read in years from him. I had about fifteen books fifteen years ago and I read them all but can barely remember them. About a year or two ago, I found six others and this year the remaining two. So I have them all now. But if this is MacGregor's writing style: no action, slow-paced... this is going to be a lot harder. I intend to read it according the timeline so I have to get through the Unicorn's Legacy, Dance of the Giants and the Seven Veils first. I hope I can remain interested enough because I'm rather curious to Deirdre.
 

Dr.Sartorius

New member
Indy86 said:
Got to admit I remember Dinosaur Eggs and the Feathered Snake. But Dinosaur Eggs more. It's been about two years now since I've read those. But was disappointed with the Philosopher's Stone from McCoy. Maybe a second read will make me see it otherwise.

However back on MacGregor. I liked his novelization of Last Crusade though. Delphi is the first one I've read in years from him. I had about fifteen books fifteen years ago and I read them all but can barely remember them. About a year or two ago, I found six others and this year the remaining two. So I have them all now. But if this is MacGregor's writing style: no action, slow-paced... this is going to be a lot harder. I intend to read it according the timeline so I have to get through the Unicorn's Legacy, Dance of the Giants and the Seven Veils first. I hope I can remain interested enough because I'm rather curious to Deirdre.

I could be wrong (it's been a while since I've read these books) but I believe the timeline goes according to publishing history: Peril at Delphi, Giants, Veils, Deluge, Legacy, World, Witch, Pirates, Stone, Earth, Eggs, Sphinx.

I know the McCoy books were released in the correct order: they all have the Crystal Skull thread to tie them together.
 

Indy86

New member
Well, yes. I mean I'm going to follow the Indy timeline from here. I know what you mean though, that majority of the book of Legacy is set in 1928. So Dance of The Giants follows after Delphi in 1925. Some books starts in one year and the next chapter is set a couple of years later. So the opening chapter is actually a flashback.

McCoy's use of the Crystal Skull was a nice surprise when I read Dinosaur Eggs. I totally forgot about crystal skulls when the movie came out and didn't even remember it was used in the books. That moment in the book when he meets Belloq and that Nazi U-Boat, that just breathes Indiana Jones all over your face. :D

Back to the book. I've read another chapter today. Indy's trapped and rescued from the chasm. Still I think it was a little confused written. He's dangling over the deep, loses his ropes, one torch and his hat (which I think was nice touch) but somehow manages to hold on between the tablet and the torch holder he hit in the rocks. Maybe I just have to read it again because the way I pictured it in my mind just seemed impossible for him to hold on whatsoever. He was holding on the torch holder and tablet. Or maybe it's a poor translation since I read the books in Dutch. Also after he fell he had this vision about his spirit animal and his flashback on when he met an indian and they went to a mesa where he had to wait till he was approached by an animal. That just don't make sense to me. I know he was delirious from his fall but, it just didn't seem to work for me. On the good side is there was finally a little more suspense. Funny thing was listening to the belly of the steel beast actually helped a bit too.
 

Indy86

New member
Well, I am going to read that one again, when it's up in the timeline. But I don't know, I picked that one out last year, still remembering the Dinosaur Eggs but it just was disappointing. I actually chose it because it's the thinnest out of all the Indy books with only 184 pages. I don't know what it was or what I expected. Maybe a second read will change my mind.
 

Dr.Sartorius

New member
Indy86 said:
Well, I am going to read that one again, when it's up in the timeline. But I don't know, I picked that one out last year, still remembering the Dinosaur Eggs but it just was disappointing. I actually chose it because it's the thinnest out of all the Indy books with only 184 pages. I don't know what it was or what I expected. Maybe a second read will change my mind.

I don't understand what timeline you're talking about. Are you reading them out of order for some reason? Pretty sure if you read them in the order they were released the timeline will make sense.
 

Attila the Professor

Moderator
Staff member
Dr.Sartorius said:
I don't understand what timeline you're talking about. Are you reading them out of order for some reason? Pretty sure if you read them in the order they were released the timeline will make sense.

I believe he means the one from over on the main site, though I'd venture to say that this one offers a tidier approach.

Dr.Sartorius said:
I could be wrong (it's been a while since I've read these books) but I believe the timeline goes according to publishing history: Peril at Delphi, Giants, Veils, Deluge, Legacy, World, Witch, Pirates, Stone, Earth, Eggs, Sphinx.

Nearly correct. Sky Pirates comes before White Witch, and Dinosaur Eggs comes before Hollow Earth.

***

I recall liking the MacGregors, personally. He seemed more interested in the mythological and cultural elements than Caidin was.
 

Indy86

New member
What Atilla says: the timeline of the main site. Indy's life timeline. :)

Now just wondering, how do you keep your books on your shelves? I have mine starting with Raiders, Temple and LC first and than I ordered them according to thickness starting with Stone and ending with Ship of the Gods.
 

Dr.Sartorius

New member
Attila the Professor said:
I believe he means the one from over on the main site, though I'd venture to say that this one offers a tidier approach.



Nearly correct. Sky Pirates comes before White Witch, and Dinosaur Eggs comes before Hollow Earth.

***

I recall liking the MacGregors, personally. He seemed more interested in the mythological and cultural elements than Caidin was.

That's right...Unicorn's Legacy had a flashback/prequel chapter.
 

Indy86

New member
I made it to chapter 18 now and there seemed to be a bit of action now. Indy taking out Grigoris and even threatening to kill him twice. Haven't touched the book in two almost three days now. If I finish this one I don't know about starting another one. And especially not one by MacGregor. It's a bit of let down. There only six chapters left so I'm going to try and finish it anyway.
 

Indy86

New member
I finished the book now and I gotta say I didn't like it very much. I'm glad I'm through it but I'm not going to read it again. The last chapters took up some speed but it was too late to turn it around for me. The final vision which showed Indy his future as archaeologist and adventurer and the reconcilation between him and his father was nice but it just wasn't Indy for me. I don't know about the next one or which one. I think the next one should be something else maybe Raiders or Temple again or maybe Sphinx. It's gotta be something more action driven. I don't know about another McGregor book right now. I still have another book to finish as well which has been laying around here for months.

Final score for Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi... maybe one whip out of five or two. One is not enough, two is too many so I go with :whip: and a 1/2.
 

Indy86

New member
Tomb of the Gods? Did that one came after the release of KOTCS? I got mine from a second hand store in town. After nearly 14 years I found the ones that I missed but I never found anything than came after the release of the fourth movie. I'm actually surprised I found everything of the original series after all these years.
 
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