Customer Reviews

10lb Penalty

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A few days ago my father told me that I should try out "10 lb. Penalty", saying that I might like it. And I surely did enjoy it! Totally hooked, I finished the book in about three days, each page an excitement and pleasure to read.

Here's the main plot: Young soon-to-be eighteen-year-old Benedict Juliar's hopes of becoming a steeplechase jockey are all dashed when he is fired for reason he can't understand. But things become clear as he realizes the whole idea was his father's. George Juliard is a businessman battling a Dorset by-election for a street level entry into politics. And he now needs his son to help him in his campaign. Benedict has no choice and agrees. Unfortunately, things get bad as many strange and dangerous incidents occur. Can Benedict protect his father from a mysterious attacker?

Dick Francis has a style all his own, with a plot which is believable and realistic. But one of the best things I liked about "10 lb. Penalty" is the wonderful array of characters. Each individual has his or her own personality, flaws, and characteristics put on paper so well that you can't help but feel that you know each person. There's characters like Benedict Juliard, George Juliard, Orinda Nagle, Mervyn Teck, Polly, A. L. Wyvern, Usher Rudd, and others. In the story also there is a quality of humor to it, making me chuckle at times. But still this book is ONLY for older people, NOT for younger children, due to language and innuendos.

Most of the reviewers have given less than 5 stars for this book, saying it was very different and not as good as Dick Francis' other books. I cannot agree or disagree with that since this is my first book of his to read and I think 5 stars is very much indeed accurate. I'm now also reading "To the Hilt" which I'm finding VERY interesting and exciting to read!

This novel is tangentially about horses, and it is a mystery, but I think it is also an attempt by Francis to try something a little bit different. It is a coming-of-age novel, with a promising by very young hero, and it also has some elements of the long tradition of the British comedy of manners.

While it will nver be in my top ten percent of Francis' novels, it has a sunniness and good cheer that makes it a good light read.

This book was dissappointing. There was very little mystery, and no thrill. The best part was the attempted sabotage of the automobile, but even that was not followed up well. I found it hard to believe that Julliard's rise in British politics went so fast. Dick Francis has a great reputation. Surely his other work is better.

The story is a good one until the halfway point and then seems to wander aimlessly. Still, worth reading if only for the likable characters and the message of morality.

Another exciting thrill ride from one of my favorite authors. In this book, "the turf" takes a supporting role behind a much nastier arena, the world of elective politics. The narrator, Benedict , is the teenage son of George Juliard, a charismatic upstart parliamentary candidate. The father-son relationship forms the centerpiece of the story with some very dirty politicking to keep things interesting. The typical Francis "voice" sounds just a bit out of place coming from a 17-year-old, but as everyone around him learns very quickly, Ben is no ordinary teenager. The villains are predictably nasty: a local codger with a wandering eye and a taste for arson, and a slimy corporate type who wants to be the power, if not behind the throne, then at least behind the movers and shakers in Parliament. There's also an absolutely poisonous journalist/papparazzo who pops up with the odd character assassination every once in awhile Their cumulative efforts to get revenge on Ben and his increasingly prominent father get lamer as they go along. But at the same time, the father-son story becomes more and more compelling. Francis' grasp of the minutiae of the political process is dead on. Even if you've never experienced an election in the UK, many of the activities and characters have their equals on this side of "the pond" as well. This has joined my top list of Francis books, along with Wild Horses and Straight. I only hope that Mr. Francis' health stays robust so he can keep entertaining us for many a year!

An extremely mature work. Most mysteries are about disgusting people doing disgusting things. Suddenly, Dick Francis pops out of the blue with honorable people trying their hardest to do the right thing. I actually came away from the work wanting to meet the characters.

I don't know what's up with the negative reviews. I guess if you have a negative self image, you wouldn't like, or even understand, a book about decent people.

I have been an avid fan of this author's work, but I am sorry to say this is nowhere near his best. I thought his sketch of the wise, heroic seventen year old protagonist would have been more appropriate for juvenile literature. This fired jockey shifts career gears instantly to become the expert bodyguard for his father? His father rises quickly and without a single misstep to become prime minister? Better spend your money on almost any other Francis book.

I've read all of Dick Francis's books which are consistently readable and interesting. Some of them of great, especially his earlier, grittier works. However, I've noticed a tendency in his more recent books for him to focus on the problems of the wealthy. Maybe this betrays a little boredom with his work, or fatigue. Having a wealthy protagonist of course makes a lot of problems easier to solve, but it also makes the novel's problems not very interesting. This is true of 10 Lb. Penalty, a pleasant read, but hardly his best work.

Few writers have as keen an insight into what motivates people as Dick Francis. And he creates a story that is hard to put down, if for no other reason than you want to see if you have figured out the "bad" guy's motivations. What a shame that this is his last book! He has taught us so much about how people work, the meaning of honor and courage, and captured such wonderful sippets of life. I've been honored to share in his learning experiences and travels. Thank you, sir, for your wonderful tales!