Favorite Adventure Novel

[MathGirl]

What is your favorite ADVENTURE novel, and why. Let's limit it to one novel per post & 20 words per 'why.' This might be interesting. I'll start the ball rolling.

"The Count of Monte Christo"

Has everything. Romance, foul deeds, dirty bastards, danger, wealth, evil Frenchies, sword fighting, costumes, cool hero, revenge, good guy wins.

 

[gauchecritic]

Hmmmm. Favourite adventure eh? I have a large choice here but I think I'd have to nominate "Tom Jones" by Henry Fielding. Very swash, lots of buckle (no pirates) and all in period costume too.

(I'll have to dig it out again for another read now that you've reminded me)

Gauche

 

[MathGirl]

Classic adventures

Gauchie and I have chosen real classic adventures. Anyone have something written less than 120 years ago?

I think "Man in the Iron Mask" is right up there with "Monte Christo." Gotta give old Al Dumas his due. The man could spin a yarn.

Richard Chamberlain was soooooo ............. sigh.

 

[SlaveMasterUK]

Please define 'adventure' novel? Wouldn't want to post a silly answer...

ax

 

[MathGirl]

Please define 'adventure' novel? Wouldn't want to post a silly answer...ax

Oh, thank you very kindly for such an easy one to answer! Sheesh ...... Ummm........ Well ........ No love stories, not the Bible, no nonfiction (I know, I know), lots of action, well.... adventure, evil bad guys, physical confrontations, good guys, danger. Not Charles Dickens or Harlequin Romances. Whew! Oh, "The Cat in the Hat" does not qualify. No, Svenska, not the autobiography of Ingnemar Johanssen.

 

[karmadog]

I was going to say 'The Three Musketeers' but...

Speaking of 'Iron Mask', have you ever found the full novel it is excerpted from 'The Vicomte de Bragelonne'?

How about 'Lonesome Dove'? Does that count?

Or 'The Crossing' by Cormac McCarthy?

 

[SlaveMasterUK]

Aah I see...

Against a Dark Background, Iain M. Banks

Murder, blackmail, love and hate, family bonds and ancient feuds, inheritances and legacies, and a bizzare type of antiques enthusiast...

This is also my favourite book of all time. I think it qualifies as an 'adventure'

ax

 

[jfinn]

The Danger by Dick Francis.

It's about professional kidnappers and the private consultant called in to act as go between with the police, the family and the criminals.

Not only exciting, it's a wonderful study of the psychological effects of kidnapping on the community, family and especially the victims.

Oops, that's 44 words. Sorry Diane, can't do it in less.

Jayne

 

[pop_54]

OK

OK you're going to think I'm a bloody sight dafter than you do already, but I've just finished reading an entire set of kids adventure tales to my daughter, and it took me back to my chidhood when I read them first, good old fashioned kids fantasy.

"The Famous Five" by Enid Blyton.

(Daughter's 12 and reads very well, but she claims she loves the way I put on the voices and take the piss out of the characters)

pops.................

 

[MathGirl]

Novels

Oh, swell. Next we're going to have the Harry Potters listed as great adventure novels. Well........ maybe ......... Hey, I just started this thread, I'm not some kind of judge.

"Against a Dark Background" Haven't read it, but it sounds like something worth going to the library for. "Murder, blackmail, love and hate, family bonds and ancient feuds, inheritances and legacies, and a bizzare type of antiques enthusiast..." Sounds like a get together of my family.

Dick Francis - Let me guess.. It's got jockeys in it. Never thought of mysteries as adventure, but why not?

"Lonesome Dove" I don't care whether that's classed as an adventure. It's one of my five all-time favorite novels.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

What is your favorite ADVENTURE novel

Anything by Frederick Forsyth, including "The Day of the Jackal," "The Odessa File," and "The Dogs of War."

Rumple Foreskin

 

[MathGirl]

Re: What is your favorite ADVENTURE novel

Anything by Frederick Forsyth, including "The Day of the Jackal," "The Odessa File," and "The Dogs of War."
Rumple Foreskin

Oh, yes. Especially "Jackal." Incredible buildup of suspense. "Dogs" wins the prize for bloodiest novel. Good, too.

I'm afraid I'm not your average female reader. My dad taught me to read when I was little, and I just naturally started reading the books he was finished with. When other girls were reading Nancy Drew, I was into "Dogs of War," and "TaiPan"

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

MG,

It was "Dogs of War" that taught me how to get a new indentity including a new social security number. Like they say, reading improves your mind.

RF

 

[Just_John1]

I have to admit...

It would be "The hobbit" read it when I was 12 read it again when I was 20 and have read it several times since. I had nightmares when I was 12, figured it was Tolkein's euphamism for the Nazis when I was 20 and now think it was a drug induced dream... Still a good yarn.

JJ1

 

[daisie]

Does Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas count?

D

 

[daisie]

Re: Novels

Oh, swell. Next we're going to have the Harry Potters listed as great adventure novels.

Harry Potter? No way. Give me Pippi any day.

D

 

[The_old_man]

I read very few fiction novels 'til I began reading SiFi. My favorite book is(I still have it) "I married adventure", by Ona Johnson.

Others were the submarine salvage books by E.E.Elsburg.

All of these books had, suspence, danger, all the factors that go into good fiction, but were factual in content.

 

[TheEarl]

Not the End of the World by Christopher Brookmyre. Very believable, excellent characters (esp Madeleine), and possibly the greatest section of text on a double life of porn/erotica that I've ever read.

The Danger's a dman good book as well.

The Earl

 

[MathGirl]

Catching up

I find a thread like this to be enjoyable and instructive. Here I thought I was widely read, and people keep coming up with things I've never heard of.

I'm accumulating a large reading list, and I can hardly wait to get started.

Anyone else? Haven't heard from any Edgar Rice Burroughs fans yet.

 

[karmadog]

I loved Edgar Rice Burroughs when I was a kid. I think I had everything he'd ever written, but I donated them to a VA hospital when I discovered Hunter S. Thompson (that guy lives in another world) which led inevitably to William S Burroughs, and that was the death of simplicity.

So, in short, I think Fear and Loathing qualifies as an adventure.

 

[MathGirl]

HST

I love Hunter Thompson. I wish he had written more. Burroughs is too...... what? ........ disjointed for me. He's hard to follow.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

No, Svenska, not the autobiography of Ingnemar Johanssen.

Scheisse...

Well, I will stand up and defend Harry Potter. These ARE adventure novels, ladies and gentlemen - and all the rest of you, too!

Then again, Harry Potter books are not only adventure novels, they are also love novels, children's books, fantasy books, coming-of-age books, adolescant books, comedy books...

 

[Madame Manga]

The Prisoner of Zenda. Hands down. Not talking about the movies--they are a bit sappy, though the swordfighting is pretty good in both the 1936 version and the 1952 version. I re-read the book itself on a regular basis. Palace intrigue, identical cousins, star-crossed romance, a really evil villain and his even more evil henchman, with tons of action and horseback riding and swimming moats at night to liven things up. Man, I love that book. ;-)

MM

 

[MathGirl]

The Prisoner of Zenda. Hands down.
MM

I hadn't thought of that book in years. Good choice. I don't know who wrote "Zenda" but the story is something Al Dumas might have come up with. Hell, maybe he did write it.

Leave it to Svenska to defend the indefensible. Oh, well, somebody's got to do it, I guess.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

The way he dealed with that basilisk in The Chamber of Secrets, I'd say that Harry can fight for himself very well without my help, but...

I like Harry.