Clive Cussler - OK for nine year old?

[amazzie]

My son picked up the audiobook Poseidon's Arrow by Cussler at the library. I'm worried about possible romantic scenes. Do you think it should be OK?

[melbotoast]

I've read a few and I do remember a brief scene in one.

[Dana]

My initial response is, "Good grief! No!!!"

 

I read a lot of Cussler - up until the mid-90s where he started putting himself in the books (Dirk Pitt meets a character and has a conversation with him, then comments, "That guy seems familiar.").

 

Ick, ick, ick, ick!

 

In Raise the Titanic!, there's a scene where a woman strips in front of a bunch of men.

I don't know if he's branched out in recent years to young adult books, but I would cheerfully let my 10 yo son read Hunger Games before I'd let him read Cussler. Cussler just writes so very very very very very poorly.

 

And I say this as the owner of a number of Cussler books. I even bought a couple in hardback when I was in college or soon after - before I finally gave up reading him at all.

 

I'd give him Stephen King before I'd give him Cussler.

 

Ick, ick, ick. No, no, no!!

 

In the Dirk Pitt books, Cussler seems to be trying to create a Bond-type of character. In Night Probe Pitt runs into Bond in a wheelchair being cared for by Moneypenny (although they aren't named).

 

We were actually talking about Cussler last night (or I was on a diatribe about him). My son is reading Bright Shark by Bob Ballard. It's from the late 80s/early 90s and I think was written to see if Ballard's name could compete with Cussler. It's fiction and has lead to some discussions. I think I probably should have pre-read or not gotten it from the library.

 

And there may be some YA Cussler books that shouldn't just be burned. This may be one of them.

But poor writing is only the start.

 

I'd avoid ;)

[amazzie]

Wow, Dana, I'm glad I asked!

[Dana]

We were just talking about this last night!

I have strong opinions ;)

 

If you're going to consider it, you may also want to read amazon reviews.

[Dana]

And I just checked amazon.

This is a Dirk Pitt book.

Absolutely inappropriate for a child.

There'll be sex and violence and very poor writing.

[triadofchaos]

He actually did write some children's books too. I haven't read them, so I don't know about quality. They are adventure novels as well-- just much shorter and meant for kids. ITA- I wouldn't introduce a 9yo to Dirk Pitt at all. My DH reads them for mindless pleasure reading.

[Erica in OR]

I read most of Cussler's Dirk Pitt adventures back in high school/college and enjoyed them as a previous poster said, for mindless pleasure reading. I attempted to listen to one of them on audiobook once—it really highlighted just how over-the-top the premise of the book was and how non-stellar the writing was. Hearing it all out loud put me off of Cussler for a long time. Don't know why it was much different than reading it myself, but it was.

 

I wouldn't recommend them for a nine year old and wouldn't recommend them on audio much either for anyone else.

 

Erica in OR

[Deniseibase]

Ha, this thread reminds me of when I volunteered in my school library in 7th grade, putting away books. At the time, there was a HUGE controversy over whether Judy Blume was going to be carried in the library - and one of the most popular books in the library was Raise the Titanic, which was so popular because it had EXPLICIT scenes in it. I remember thinking that the grownups at my library really oughta be a little more consistent :-)

[tomandlorih]

Definitely not for a 9 yr old.