Small Reviews (4): Fatherland, Angels and Demons, Eaters of the Dead & Batalhão de Choque & Vi-os Morrer

This is the fourth time I will do this. This novels I've read it and some of them are pretty good and others are just plain dull... I will make a small review of Fatherland -Robert Harris, Angels & Demons - Dan Brown, Eaters of the Dead - Michael Crichton and two novels by Sven Hassel.

Fatherland by Robert Harris. I remember reading this book when I got my new job back in 2005. I remember as well having afraid of showing this cover on the streets. At that time I was a bit touched by the Far Right so I read several novels with that thematic. Nowadays I'm still a Far Right supporter but I refuse to believe that violence is the way to power and I abhor anyone that says himself a Far Right supporter that worships (for lack of better term) the Nazism. You can be a Far Right supporter but don't believe in violence or support that some races are superior to others. That's bullshit. We are not equals. There are differences between each culture and every culture must perserv his own culture but never destroying or trying to convert others. Sorry for this thoughts... And for anyone who will write criticisms for my thoughts and not the reviews ... "Fvck Off I really don't care"

Now this book is about a detective in a dystopia where Nazism prevails after several dozen years. Hitler is meeting President Kennedy for a historic meeting. The dystopia novel is pretty good for a first time writer (yet he is a journalist). He shows us how history could have been so different with small changes... As March (our detective) tries to uncover the truth behind a murder of an important member of the nazi party he mets a american journalist and both travel far and wide to discover the truth. Gestapo is killing one by one the officials that planned the Holocaust (most population in general are unaware of the events). As they go to one place to another March is apreenhed by the Gestapo because his son ran him out. They torture him to reveal the location of the american journalist but March doesn't falter. Gestapo officers have an idea and stage a rescue but the inspector realizes what they intent and lead them to auschwitz to let the reporter arrive safe in the neutral swiss. The end was that kind of book that makes you wonder since in the end has March uncovers a brick that belong to the extermination camps so he pulls a gun and the story ends leaving us to think what happen (it's pretty obvious no?) There is a dozens upon dozens books in the "what if" universe that depicts Nazi victory. One way or another the writers depict the germans/nazis the same way. Even nazizm. It happens the same in the history of what if in the North vs South. This book deserves 8.5/10.

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown.

It was the only book I've read by Dan Brown after all the hype in his first book. It was a fast book that delivers a good detetive story. My only problem with this book is the informations that were plainly wrong. Because the rest of the book is not that bad. The characters are well represented. I will not dwell much more because everyone knows this book. If not go read Wikipedia or one of the thousand reviews in Amazon. I will give 5/10

Eaters of the Dead - Michael Crichton

This book as so much to say. I read this book because I love Thirtheen Warrior with Antonio Banderas. Probably the movie I've seen more times. This novel has got some differences from the movie. Besides giving us a detail information about the differences between the northman and the arabs and the byzantins it also tell us about a civilization in the eyes of a foreign. In this novel we follow Ahmad Ibn Fadlan as he sent to the King of the Volga Bulgars; now for a historic information. In the VII century some turkish people from Mongolia and Central Asia settle in nowadays Bulgaria/Romania and founded the Old Great Bulgaria. Then they devided and the Eastern Bulgars migrated near to the Volga and settle there. The first were conquered by the Byzantine Empire and then the Ottomans and the latter were conquered and annexed by the Golden Horde.... That's where this embassador went, 200 years before the Invasion of the Golden Horde... and so as I was saying... Well he never arrive there. He is capture by the Vikings (the movie something different happened) because he was their... lucky charm as the thirteen warrior. In the land of the northman they battle an odd looking tribe related to the neanderthals called Wendol. This novel is tell as a scientific with fictious and real documents. That made this novel so good... This book reminds me of Beowulf (it was partially inspired in that old story) and even to the mad writer of Necronomicon. Buy the book and watch the movie. They are worth it. Unless you hate history, fantasy, battles and Antonio Banderas. This book with the help of the movie deservs a solid 10/10

In the end we've got two novels that I read in portuguese called Batalhão de Choque and Vi-os Morrer by Sven Hassel. I can't remember their english names but I bet the first was Legion of the Damned. Well this two books depict the adventures of the writer Sven Hassel as he writes his memories in this books. There is a lot of contorversy about the veridicity of this novels. I really don't care. The first book is excelent and that's good enough for me. If it wasn't Sven Hassel that had this experience he sure writers as he as being there. The second book was not that good comparing with the first. There are some books out there that try to depict the life of a german soldier in WW2 but most of them are not that good and are also by people who weren't there. This guy sure writers as being there. Well our main character was convicted and thrown into a penal legion along some interesting characters. I can still remember the death of some and how I cried as they died... I still remember the memorable cat drinking vodka... Oh my.. such memories... The first book would receive a 10/10 but the latter will receive 6.5/10.

Batalhões de Choque, Eaters of the Dead and Fatherland are books that I will read in the future. I have so many books and only a few of them receive this honor...