I have a general rule of thumb about books. If the author can't get me interested in 50 pages, I stop reading. I gave this author 100 pages then quit out of boredom. Plodding plot, uninteresting characters, and prose that was almost academic in its blandness. Threw it away.
Not as profound as some critics might say and the ending fight is a bit much, but it's still great fun. In this post-Cold War era, spy thrillers seem to be feelig their way around, but this one is a step in the right direction.
I liked it very much; i kept trying to cast the movie as I read it.
