The Dark Of The Sun

[John R]

Ok, so out of nowhere realy, i've decided to read this book. I believe it was his follow up to When The Lion Feeds back in 1965. Has anyone read it yet? I'll be posting my opinions as i go along.

[WSI]

for me not one of the best, so just a 6 (yes, WS wrote some more weak stories IMHO).

it was the book right after lion, so the third in this writung history

[Monsoon]

One of my early reads so it is hard to remember very much from the book. I do remember i enjoyed it during a lot of WS reading so i think an 8 is in order for me. Though i will say it's probably not one of those books that should be read too soon after one of the strong standing WS books.
Have seen the film aswell but it was made so long ago!

[Matbow]

7 from me...I actually only read this last month. Not his greatest, but still a good read. Easy reading and brilliantly funny in places.

I thought River God was going to be your next book John!

[Monsoon]

I thought River God was going to be your next book John!

That's what i thought aswell! In fact i've been eagerly waiting to see what JR makes of the book, coz i've got this sneaking feeling.

[Nefer]

Yeah John!! I'm waiting for your reader diaries very anxiously!

[John R]

lol sorry to disappoint! I was sure that RG was next on my list but then I went off on this strange Jeffery Archer phase (read 'Honour Amoung Thieves', and then 'First Amoung Equals' which i really enjoyed!) and then I was wondering what next, and for some unknown reason, The Dark Of The Sun was calling out to me! Maybe it's because it's such a short book, and also because it's along the same lines as 'A Time To Die' - which i just love!

River God is DEFINITELY next on my list! ....i hope

[VMS]

I did like the book, but when comparing to many other WS books it's not one of his best work. So just 7 from here.

[John R]

Just finished it, will give this one a 7. Slow in parts but brilliant in others. At times i found it similar to 'A Time To Die' (which is a good thing!) , it was certainly as savage.

The main character Bruce is possibly the most complex character Smith has ever created - judging from the 10 or so Wilbur books that i've read - and the brute of a man that is Wally Hendy is quite a sick son of a b**ch! The attack on Bruce's girlfriend left me feeling rotten, which tells me that at times this book is quite powerful.

overall, Enjoyable.

[Matbow]

So...River God next then?!!?

[John R]

Well I have kind of started reading The Burning Shore, mainly because i started it a while back and never finished it, so i'm determined to complete this book. maybe then river god....

[Jester]

The Dark of the Sun and Cry Wolf are for me the two most disappointing WS books. I did Finish DotS but I gave up on Cry Wolf near the end. I feel that one of the great strengths of WS's writing is that the stories and characters can go on for several books. As such the stand alone books in general aren't as good.

[John R]

I would probably agree with you, wilbur's stand alone's are generally not as good as the series books - such as the Courtney's.

Perhaps with his stand alone books you don't get to know the character that well because wilbur doesn't have as much time to actually develop them the way he does in a series - for e.g. Birds of prey to Blue Horizon - here you get to know the character very well. Characters like Tom or Dorian Courtney are in Monsoon and Blue Horizon, so in a way it's like one big book! Or about 1400 pages if you will. Dark of the sun is only 200 odd pages, not much time to get to know Bruce Curry.

[ARC]

Hmm...I`ve got a question about The Dark of The Sun and realy don`t known whom should I ask. Did anyone found out where are Port Reprieve and Msapa Junction? I mean...I know they shoulda be in Katanga (DRC) if only they are not fictional:) Well I was trying to find them on a map near the river Lufira, but none is there:( Perhaps it`s up to Mobutu (renamed several towns)... perhaps not. Anyway I would be thankful to someone who make it clear for me.

[John R]

I'm afraid i don't no sorry. Don't know if anyone else can help, but i think they would have replied by now if so

[Son of the Silver Fox]

Early WS work about the white mercenaries in the Congo, considering the subject matter he didn't do much with it. Cardboard characters, lousy dialogue, not enough background. Still hollywood made it into the movie The Mercenaries, so WS made some money and to that we may owe the enjoyment we got out of his earlier and later books. 1 out of 10

[John R]

1 out of 10 though? seems a bit harsh to me, still we all have our opinions. Def not one of his better books, but i thought it was good.

[ARC]

It wouldn’t be much worse than Rocky 4(USA vs USSR?) perhaps. Just because a Rocky movie shouldn’t be a realistic, but only a funny one. The movie was more far from perfection in every detail about USSR than my English from James Aitchison’s.
So…if they will put enough money…some special effects…you know – that still could be funny too. You can change, I can change, everybody can change… That’s funny.
And of course, along the topic – it appears that I saw three movies motivated by WS books. The Mercenaries, Diamond hunters, Brutal (?) justice. The Mercenaries was the best of three, but all of them are fade shadows of the books. Did I say fade shadows? Not right. Sad mentions – what they are. The directors cut off much of stream. OK… They change the ways of action and relations between the characters. OK… But the characters, their actions are fading with very rare exclusion. Instead of bright furious cover corporation struggle for power – episode for fifteen seconds: two men are meeting in a street café. One is saying: I just trying to keep things working (nearly this). Another is smiling. That is it? And if want you want to know what (and why) is going on in movie you’d better read the book. That is why I call them sad mentions.

[John R]

sorry you lost me at "my English from James Aitchison’s" lol

[ARC]

That is quaint. The message(Thu Dec 07, 2006 1:03 am) is to be in topic about books that were made in to film. Here are my pardon for mistake and my thanks to anyone who’d fix that (because I can not do it myself). Now about James Aitchison from Napier university, the author of “English” – the very book I am studying the English. I mean he is proff in that, while my language skill is five by five. And even that difference is less, than all about USSR in Rocky movie from reality. However, that was funny to watch it in USSR and Brigitte Nielsen was …pretty.