Treasure Of Khan by Clive CusslerMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
I figured it was time to try reading a Clive Cussler novel. I knew the character of Dirk Pitt from watching the movie version of Sahara with Matthew Mcconaughey. Not the best movie, but a good enjoyable no brainer type movie. I wish I could say the same about this book.
I found myself skipping large parts of paragraphs because it was just too much pointless information that wasn't needed. Too much explaining about the surroundings for most every scene. Maybe this is what Cussler fans have come to enjoy, but it's not for me.
The other thing that just totally got to me was the amount of pure coincidence through this book. Dirk and his companion Al Giordino miraculously just happen to come across all of these random findings. They aren't looking for them, but of course, it turns out to be exactly what they needed to find in order to progress the story. And to make it worse, Dirk's children, who have absolutely no knowledge as to what Dirk is up to, just happen to come across a wreck off the coast of the big island of Hawaii that directly relates to the same things that Dirk and Giordino are investigating in Mongolia. Five and a half thousand miles away, no knowledge of what the other is doing and they both happen to accidentally investigate the same mystery at the same time. And there are quite a few other coincidences that happen throughout the book that just take away from the believability of the story.
All of the negativity aside, the main reason I still give it 2 stars is that I enjoyed the history behind it all. Cussler, if anything, does a great job at researching and thus teaching the reader what he has found out. I learned more about the times of Genghis and Kublai Khan by reading this book than what I was ever taught in school. And it was all interesting.
I doubt I'll be reading anymore Cussler after this one. If I do, it will be a long time until I even think of trying out any of his other works.
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