This is a little late, but a few weeks ago I read Pirate Latitudes, Michael Crichton last book. It was actually found as a finished manuscript in his desk after he’d died, and I blew through it in about a day.
As it’s name suggests, Pirate Latitudes is a traditional pirate novel in setting, but Crichton makes it a heist film, as its protagonist, Captain Charles Hunter, is charged with stealing a fortune in gold from a feared Spanish fortress and puts together a crack team of professionals to help him pull it off.
It’s a great concept and Crichton creates great characters, but there’s a rushed feeling to the book. It lacks the descriptive depth that Crichton generally puts into his books and there’s so much action crammed into the narrative, it seems like a series of books was condensed into a novel.
While the concept is rich, and the characters are compelling, the execution of the novel is a bit lacking, and I’d chalk that up to Crichton’s passing. I still recommend it, as the good outweighs the bad, but I can’t help but think that if he’d had more time, this would have been an epic, rather than just plain fun.
Posted on February 5, 2010
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