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Neanderthal
 
 

Neanderthal (Hardcover)

by John Darnton (Author) "Akbar Atilla rested his AK-47 against a tree trunk and moved away from the campfire in search of a place to relieve himself ..." (more)
2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (139 customer reviews)

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5 new from CDN$ 13.94 36 used from CDN$ 3.45 1 collectible from CDN$ 6.00

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Product Description

From Amazon.com

An exciting novel that will do for pre-historic man what Jurassic Park did for Tyrannosaurus Rex.


From Library Journal

Matt Morrison and Susan Arnot, archaeologists and ex-lovers, are summoned to investigate an odd find: an apparently new Neanderthal skull. They rush to Tadjikistan and foray into some of the least hospitable terrain in Asia. Not too unexpectedly, they find their quarry only to discover a long-lost mentor who is guarding unsettling moral, political, and archaeological secrets that threaten their lives and those of the reclusive Neanderthals. Untangling the puzzle involves figuring out why one tribe is vegetarian and peaceful, the other martial and carnivorous; why their brains are larger than those of contemporary humans; and how they communicate without speech. When government agents intrude and threaten the scientific find, the two scientists must survive, rescue their old friend, deceive American and Russian intelligence gatherers, and balance a study of an astounding archaeological find with the interests of the tribes. This first novel by a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter is very Indiana Jonesish; in fact, movie rights have been sold to Steven Spielberg and Dreamworks. Recommended summer reading, if not to be taken seriously. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 4/1/96. Originally scheduled for release in August, this novel was rushed into print in response to the publication of Petru Popescu's Almost Adam, another novel about the discovery of modern-day cave dwellers, reviewed on p. 85.?Ed.]?Edwin B. Burgess, Combined Arms Research Lib., Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
-?Edwin B. Burgess, Combined Arms Research Lib., Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Customer Reviews

139 Reviews
5 star:
 (26)
4 star:
 (22)
3 star:
 (24)
2 star:
 (27)
1 star:
 (40)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
2.8 out of 5 stars (139 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as I remembered, Jun 4 2004
I first read this book a few years ago (as a teenager) and enjoyed it then. So when I was looking for a book to entertain me while trudging away on the treadmill, I thought it would be a light, exciting -- and perhaps mentally stimulating -- read. Hmmm ... it wasn't what I remembered. The first half, while the team is on the quest for the lost Neanderthals, was pretty intense and interesting. But as soon as the team found them (not a spoiler, you KNOW they're going to find them or there wouldn't be a book), the book plummets into boredom. I found myself trudging through the book as well as on the treadmill.

Also, this time around, I noticed a lot of cheap writer tricks. The worst and most obvious was using dialogue between characters to explain concepts to the audience. These highly educated individuals would not have needed to explain this stuff to each other. But we do need it, so the author thinks we'll enjoy it more coming from the mouth of one of our charmingly two-dimensional characters.

This little trick and the others are nothing new in popular fiction. But they really stick out compared to more literary fiction. If you're not worried about how good the writing style is, maybe you'll love this book. It does put forth some interesting ideas about Neanderthals, but by the end such unbelievably silly things are happening that you don't really care anymore.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Exciting then Mundane, Jul 8 2004
By Nathan E. Gargus "natedog_mp" (Bryn Mawr, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This book started out quite exciting with the idea of creatures that were of the Ice Age and yet had developed a capability beyond ours RV/ESP. The first 1/3 of this book was very interesting, but once the characters escaped the hominids the first time the book became predictable and mundane, and the ending wasn't well put together as it only was composed of the last few pages. The author wrote a decent book and then obviously didn't put nearly enough time or effort into the ending.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Good entertaining read, Mar 1 2004
But not very memorable. The story line supposes that a tribe of Neanderthals still survives in a hidden Himalayan valley. Our hero, a scientist out exploring, stumbles upon them and ends up helping to save them from another race of beings who live underground in nearby caves. It's perhaps an entertaining read for a vacation or a lazy afternoon in the hot tub, but not going to set the world on fire. It's formula fiction with a variation on a classic plot. Entertaining to read all the same.
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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars EXCITING AND FULL OF ACTION
THIS BOOK IS ONE OF THE BEST AND MOST EXCITING NOVELS I'VE READ.
THE OTHER REVIEWERS HAVE ALREADY DETAILED THE PLOT LINE AND NO DOUBT BORED YOU WITH THEIR CRITICISM

- I... Read more

Published on Mar 14 2004

3.0 out of 5 stars Great idea, bad execution
I picked this story up because I was fascinated by the concept. The idea that neadersal man could developing ESP I thought was very cool. Read more
Published on Dec 16 2003 by General Pete

1.0 out of 5 stars Insipid and Shallow
I was very disappointed by this book after reading the glowing review using such phrases as "breathtaking suspense" and "dazzling storytelling", both of which... Read more
Published on Nov 9 2003

2.0 out of 5 stars No Jurassic Park
No Jurassica Park here. Whereas JP inspired me to turn every page quicker than the last, the only thing this inspired me to do was to turn larger clumps of pages after the last... Read more
Published on Oct 24 2003 by Carissa L. Pavlica

3.0 out of 5 stars beach read,
This is at best a good beach read. Fluff with some substance. Darnton sets out an interesting premise and lay outs some of the science behind it. Read more
Published on Oct 7 2003 by D. H. Richards

2.0 out of 5 stars Mediocre
I picked this book up at a used bookstore because it looked pretty interesting and I had recently read Clan of the Cave Bear, which piqued my interest in the Neanderthals... Read more
Published on Aug 30 2003 by sterno128

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, Shangrai-La Story
We've seen all those B-rated movies about lost groups of people (usually young and good-looking) who get lost and run upon a place hidden from the outside world for thousands of... Read more
Published on Aug 29 2003 by Avid Reader

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Bad for Its Genre
This is a very easily classifiable work. It is the "unknown man-like creature" genre. Such other notable works in this grouping are Congo by Michael Crichton and The... Read more
Published on Aug 21 2003 by Harkius

1.0 out of 5 stars ATROCIOUS!!!
I was browsing through the bookstore when I saw the title Neanderthal. I have always been fascinated with that period of history, so I decided I would purchase it. Read more
Published on Aug 16 2003 by L. Goldstein

3.0 out of 5 stars somewhat entertaining
a somewhat entertaining tale of neanderthal man discovered by modern man who witnesses two clans of neanderthals combatting eachother. Read more
Published on Aug 3 2003 by William D. Tompkins

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