***** A
cursed heritage
Although this is the umpteenth story of a Nazi conspiracy set decades
after the end of Nazism, this novel by Ludlum knows how to be original and
intriguing. The protagonist, Noel Holcroft, caught me immediately. It’s easy to
feel connected to him and worry about him while realising how he is putting
himself in trouble. The author, in fact, shows the unfolding of the story from
different points of view and the reader is always one step ahead of the
characters, both good and bad ones.
This novel shows again the winning scheme,
already seen in the Bourne trilogy, of a male protagonist, who is physically
strong but in difficulty, and a female one who helps him (and eventually they
fall in love).
The only downside I found is the presence of
the usual cliché of super-evil and crazy Nazis, who do the worst atrocities
without the slightest remorse, and who also have followers willing to kill
themselves for the cause. In developing this concept it escapes to me what’s
the cause they are pursuing, apart from their folly. Is it possible that they
are all crazy? There must be some crazy one, but at least someone should have
other motives, such as survival (at least) or self-serving. Brainwashing as the
sole engine of actions hopelessly flattens the negative characters, thus
belittling the positive ones.
Fortunately, the novel ends with an absolutely
unpredictable open ending that makes you forget all the clichés.
The Holcroft Covenant on Amazon.
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