The Pool of Fire: 35th Anniversary Edition: Amazon.ca: John Christopher: Books

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Product Description

Book Description

Will Parker has managed escape from the City of Gold and Lead, where he served as a slave to one of the Masters who rule the modern world. And he has not only discovered what lies behind the Tripods' power, but how the Masters heartlessly plan to destroy the Earth. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Ingram

"The book is worthy of its predecessors (The White Mountains and The City of Gold and Lead). No higher praise is possible. The suspense is chilling, and the ultimate triumph finely salted with a question--having mastered the Masters, can we master ourselves?"--Washington Post Book World. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Everywhere there was the sound of water. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

16 Reviews

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.4 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews)

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3.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Ending, May 8 2004

By	Xavier E. Suarez (Bak Middle School of the Arts_West Palm Beach, Fl USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pool of Fire (Mass Market Paperback)

The Pool of Fire is the last of The Tripods Trilogy. In this novel the reader enters the fascinating world where humans no longer are in control of the planet, but are enslaved by the ruling cast referred to as the masters. Will, Jean-Paul, Henry, and fritz are left with the challenge of aiding the rebellion in hope of destroying the Masters before it was too late. John Christopher has a wonderful style of capturing the readers and especially my attention in this novel. Of course there are some very important details that John Christopher could have done to improve the novel and to reach its full potential, such as the descriptions of many of the events and actions that were undertaken by Will and his companions. This left me with some sense of yearning and disappointment for more descriptions of the events that took place. Also it left me astonished that John Christopher did not attempt to mold the character of Will by the end of the story or even all three of the books that this character has been in. The ending was also vague and skipped many years in a short amount of pages. This left me wondering what happened between the time of the defeat of the Masters and the development of a space ship. This was disappointing considering that I was looking forward to reading this book and finding out that the ending was in all not that exciting or interesting. Considering that this is the last book of the Trilogy John Christopher should have taken more measures to see to it that the ending was more informative of the aftermath of the events. After the climax it just completely died and just left me. John Christopher also did not manage to say how the world recovered from the grip of the officious Masters. Yet despite these faults, there were many qualities that Christopher John managed to succeed. I was bonded into the world created which was filled with adventures and dangers, with John Christopher's style of writing. Another quality that makes this book worth reading is that John Christopher involved all four of the main characters to fit important roles that make the reader highly interested. Though the novel had some weak descriptions the overall flow of events were incredible and left me wanting more. Most of the book was upfront about the events, even though John Christopher could have elaborated more. The good thing about the ending was the situation that took place, which left me and probably many readers in complete awe. John Christopher also has the gift of surprising his readers by leading them onto a certain path and then completely turning the tables on them and knocking them off their feet. At least that's what happened to me. Not only did John Christopher entertain the reader but he also had some messages that could be interpreted there. This novel also teaches the importance of unity and the things that could be accomplished if man could work together in peace.

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1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed in this book, Jul 22 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Pool of Fire (Mass Market Paperback)

Although I had to read this book for a school assignment, I was all eager and ready to enjoy it. My teacher had greatly enjoyed this series, and had infused me with her own enthusiasm, so I picked up this book with high expectations. Boy, was I disappointed. In addition to being very poorly written, and employing terrible grammar, this book was incredibly boring and slow-paced. I don't usually mind a quiet, or slow-developing story, if it is well-written and interesting, but this was neither- it was simply a sleeper. It wasn't that I didn't try- I really did attempt to like the book, and to interest myself in it. However, my efforts were in vain, and as I read I often found myself falling into a stupefied trance, where I would read five to ten pages, and not take in a word. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get this book to interest me. It wasn't only the plot and the bad writing that disappointed me- the characters weren't much either. Bland, boring, monotonous and one-dimensional, it was incredibly hard to distinguish one from the other. The one exception was Will, the main character, who could only be distinguished by his incredibly self-centered attitude, his extreme selfishness, his disgusting self-pity, and his revolting egotism. I wouldn't have minded these traits so much if by the end of the book he had undergone some character development, and perhaps confronted his faults and become a better person. However, this did not happen, and he remained the same unlikeable person from beginning to end. Overall, I would not reccommend this book to any but those who are suffering from extreme insomnia- and even then, a big mug of chamomile tea is better than this book.

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4.0 out of 5 stars The saga concludes, Jul 6 2002

By	David Bonesteel (Fresno, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Pool of Fire (Mass Market Paperback)

In the exciting conclusion of the Tripods series, the resistance movement has finally reached the point where they are prepared to take decisive action to foil the alien Masters' final plan to claim the Earth. Will, Beanpole, Henry and Fritz, the boys who have figured prominently in the previous two novels, are destined to have pivotal roles in this final struggle as well. The strengths and weaknesses of the other books are evident here, too. John Christopher has devised a great story with a satisfying ending, as our central characters rededicate themselves to the challenges confronting a post-Masters Earth. However, Christopher's story is really too big for the minimalist style he has adopted. Years pass in the course of a few pages and I was left with the feeling that I was being allowed only a glimpse of what could have been a richly detailed, fascinating world. Of course, this book was written with young readers in mind, so brevity was a natural concern. Christopher's Tripod books follow the primary adage of show business: always leave them wanting more.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Now we fight back!
The exciting conclusion to the White Mountains series does not disappoint the reader.

Will and Fritz have escaped the City of Gold and Lead and return to the White Mountains... Read more

Published on May 5 2002 by Philip B. Yochim

5.0 out of 5 stars POOLS OF FIRE IS SWIMMINGLY RICH
I was immediately drawn in by J.Christopher's excellent use of thought-evoking descriptiveness. I felt like such a part of what was going on,it was too personal. Read more

Published on Nov 1 2001 by K. Ballard

4.0 out of 5 stars Crammed Wrap-Up to the Tripods Trilogy
This third, last installment of the Tripods Trilogy is definitely worth reading, but it doesn't quite live up to its predecessors. Read more

Published on May 17 2001 by Robin Stimson

5.0 out of 5 stars The Pool of Fire was "COOL"
This was and excellent book. If you are online trying to find a fast-paced action-adventure thriller, look no further. The book is amazing. Read more