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4.0 out of 5 stars
Not a bad first impression -- 1st Repairman Jack novel, April 21 2004
Although "The Tomb" is the 1st of the Repairman Jack novels, it was the 4th one I read, after "Legacies", "Conspiracies", and "All The Rage". Serving as a basic introduction to the character, "The Tomb" lays out a great deal of the origins and motivations for Jack's lifestyle and beliefs, as well as introducing some of his recurring adversaries.
Generally, I prefer when this kind of info is gradually leaked over the span of a series, than spelled out in the initial effort. Since I didn't read The Tomb first, Jack was more enigmatic in the other books, than after reading it. Even when events/people from The Tomb are referenced in later works, the un-initiated (like I was) can still follow along.
Wilson has really hit his stride, and the later books develop Jack beyond "The Tomb". I recommend trying out the books "Legacies", and "Conspiracies" first, and then reading "The Tomb", to fill in the gaps before tackling "All The Rage", "The Haunted Air", or "Hosts".
No matter what order it's read, "The Tomb" is still a solid effort in Thriller/Fantasy. Like all the Repairman Jack novels, it's a quick page-turner. The strength of Wilson's writing can cause a captive audience syndrome in his readers whenever Jack is involved.
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Fun but not fantastic, April 4 2004
By A Customer
After all the hype about the character of Repairman Jack and the series of books I decided to hunker down and read "The Tomb".Short review: it's Kolchak The Night Stalker plus The Equalizer, is what RJ is trying to be and fails on many levels. The characters are flat, and not nearly as fleshed out as they should or could be. You never get a real sense of RJ's mind. It's all surface details. The story while interesting is predictable but at one point, page 252, the end of Chapter 7 is what lost the whole novel for me. There's an opportunity there for a fantastic twist on the story adding action, tension and revelation but Wilson ignores it for some unfathomable reason. Instead Jack and the plot plods along after that point until Jack gets the info himself rather than what would have been the info coming to him. It boggles my mind how it was missed and is in fact such a glaring missed opportunity it's now an example of how not to pad out a novel for me. Such a waste. Chapter Eight could have been so fantastic. The novel is written well, sprinkled with flashbacks and memories too often rather than digging into RJ's or any character's head. After the last page RJ was still enigmatic and that's the place for a filmed version of RJ, not in his debut novel. There are better novels out there and better characters for you to spend time with. Sorry, Jack.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Repairman Jack - An Icon in the Making!, Jan 6 2004
For the life of me, I can't understand the folks who haven't been captured by the spell of Repairman Jack, especially in this first appearance. The Tomb is a classic peice of "Pulp" fiction, and Jack is an Icon for our times! Wilson has created a character that is unlike any other, and at the same time has spun a tale that is captivating and compelling. The pages flew by! I've read "The Tomb" 5 times, and each time it's been time well spent. The only thing you need to enjoy this is an imagination!
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