***** Prophetic
I really
like Ludlum’s books, although I realize how the author often reuses the same
types of characters (especially the protagonist, who, in the end, is always the
same) and the same themes. He has the ability, however, to readjust them to
situations, settings, and plots that manage to maintain a certain amount of
originality. In particular, I am fascinated by his older works, precisely
because they show a present that is very different from the current one and in
which a spy’s (or similar figure) life was made a little easier by the fact
that technology did not permeate every aspect of reality.
“The
Prometheus Deception”, on the other hand, is one of Ludlum’s last books (the
penultimate, if I’m not mistaken), in fact, it is from 2000, so while reading
it, you find yourself inside a more familiar reality. This is even more true
thanks to the author’s ability to imagine invasive privacy technologies that,
unfortunately, have largely become reality. The incredible thing is that he
wrote about it before the 11/9 attack happened, but at times you get the
impression that he had the chance to peek into the future to get inspiration.
To tell the
truth, I guess Ludlum didn’t really believe that what happens in his book had a
chance to come true. His was obviously a creative endeavour. Often a writer
shows extreme scenarios just for the sake of trying to imagine the consequences
and to create a conflict where throwing their characters almost in jeopardy, to
see how they cope. In doing so, however, he was nothing short of prophetic.
Sure, it’s
a long book with a truly complex plot, unfolding through a series of characters’
turnarounds and twists around every corner. On the other hand, the word “deception”
in the title gives you a hint about that. You have to be patient and go all the
way to be able to put all the threads together. When there are a few pages to
go, it really seems all lost for the protagonists, but even then, there will be
a nice twist, which will change everything, again.
The Prometheus Deception at Amazon.
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