The Swarm: A Novel of the Deep: Amazon.co.uk: Frank Schätzing: Books

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Review
"* 'An effervescent cocktail of adventure' - Spiegel * 'A gripping thriller starring nature unleashed' - Stern * 'The world could collapse around you [while reading DER SCHWARM], and you wouldn't notice.' - Die Welt * 'A monster of science-fiction, rich in facts' - Stern * 'After these 1000 breathtaking pages you see the sea with different eyes.' - Focus"

Product Description
Frank Schatzing's amazing novel is a publishing phenomenon with translation rights sold around the world, drawing rave reviews for both pulsating suspense and great scientific knowledge.The world begins to suffer an escalating and sensational series of natural disasters, and two marine biologists begin to develop a theory that the cause lies in the oceans, where an entity know as the Yrr has developed a massive network of single-cell organisms. It is wreaking havoc in order to prevent humankind from destroying the earth's ecological balance forever.The Americans, under the ruthless General Judith Lee, take a more pragmatic approach than the scientists, seeking to wipe out the being of the deep.The scene is set for a massive confrontation...

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Customer Reviews

33 Reviews

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

3.6 out of 5 stars (33 customer reviews)

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Science thriller with real depth, 15 April 2007

By	T. Kus (Gloucester, UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Swarm: A Novel of the Deep (Paperback)

This book was a surprise bestseller in Germany and the paperback verison I got for Christmas was already the 10th reprint edition within a year. So I took it on a one week holiday in January and despite the 700 densely packed pages it ran out well before the return flight. This is not only a riveting read ala Michael Chrichton it is also an introduction into a huge number of current scientific theories that are brought across with both ease and depth alike. Not only will you be turning the pages to find out how the story unfolds you will also learn a great deal about marine biology, geology, genetecis, intelligence theory and numerous other scientific advances without actually realising it on the go. This is a book I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone and when the next holiday comes along I might just read it again...

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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unstoppable reading treat, 22 Mar 2006

By	"spr47uk" - See all my reviews

I have read this book in German. Even though the theme of deep sea science does not match my usual fields of interest I simply could not put the book down and I read it as fast as no book in the recent past. The plot is intelligent, extremely well researched (as I found out after watching a documentary on this book and author on German television) and reasonably plausible. The story is gripping, the characters compelling. I was also astonished to find out that most of the leading scientists mentioned in this book are real people and experts on the field of deep sea exploration and that Frank Schätzing extensively conferred with them during his researches.
I can highly recommend this book to anyone, even outside the Sci-Fi community.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great, good, but boring and bad, also, 31 Jul 2007

By	Andrew Kyle "Fangg" (Glasgow, Scotland) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Swarm: A Novel of the Deep (Paperback)

I have seldom been so torn in the review of a book. In retrospect i have so many fond memories of this, and yet at the same time i remember the long periods of time when i simply couldn't be bothered picking it up to read because the narrative was flailing and little seemed to be happening. The opening part of the book is simply stunning, i don't deny. Some of the (for want of a better description) set-pieces involving whales and zebra mussels are simply excellent and some of the ideas brought into the novel throughout reflect this early enthusiastic and imaginative approach to the "monster movie" plot. Some of the characters are nice and believable, and each has their own personal demons to contend with, which makes the mix that little bit more exciting.
Scientifically the plot seems sound; i don't claim to know much about the genetics of amoebae, but i do know a fair whack about whales, dolphins and other denizens of the sea (I'm a Marine Biologist). I wasn't expecting a scientific account with no holes, i was expecting a Jurassic Park-esque almost-believable story, and thats near enough what i got.
The novel fails, however, on three counts. One; the middle section. Not much happens for a great deal and unless you're on a flight or have a particularly nice sunny day for some outdoor reading, or have a great deal of time (none of which befalls a marine biologist masters student in Scotland) then its difficult to battle through the lull in the pace. Two: the ending. Too complicated for its own good, it would have been easier to flunk for something less scientific and less confusing. However, it's original, i'll give it that. Three; the wish / desire to be the monster movie its alluded to be. I love reading novels and picturing my favourite actors in various roles, etc. It helps me visualise the action. So i don't lke it when the author tells you who his characters look like. Maximillian Schnell, Jodie Foster, to name a few, get name dropped, just in case the reader was having difficulty picturing their characters. Plus, in the same vein, the plot (or rather, confusing elements of the plot) are explained by using examples from other movies. To this end, The Abyss and Contact are referenced. There is simply no need for this. The reader should be able to use thier own imagination / intelligence to understand whats going on.
However, the reason it does manage 3 stars is that there ARE some truly spectacular moments; the global disaster half way through being a good example.
I fight to decide whether i actually recommend this or not. Its a bit of a struggle for non-committed readers to keep returning to, but where it is good it really does excel.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Hard to put down
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