Since we have so many new members lately I thought I would take this as an opportunity to try something new.
Lets take a look at every book.
First up Pacific Vortex.Although it was the first written it wasn't released until after Night Probe.
What are your opinions?
What did you like or dislike in each book?
How would you rate it?

I like PV.It's a simple start for Clive.It doesn't have the complicated plot lines of the later novels but it's still an enjoyable read.
This is also our first introduction to 3 of the main characters.Dirk on page 1,Al on page 186 and Sandecker on page 40.Rudi is mentioned but does not appear physically in the book.
It has been said on another thread that this book may have been heavily edited or heavily rewriten by either Clive or an editor.
On a scale of 1-10 I would rate it as a 7.


What are your thoughts on the start of the Dirk Pitt saga?

What a better way to start a series! Good guy falls for beautiful woman. Loses woman. Battles evil guy. Starts his heroic mission to save innocent people and battle evil-doers. It's the only way to kick-start the hero complex. But this one is humble and not egocentric. And he has a best friend with whom each are comfortable with and the humour of their close relationship comes out as we learn about both as they have adventure after adventure and unlike some heroes fall down and get hurt but get back up and dust themselves off. With Al and Dirk you not only learn their depth of character but you care for them more and more and root for them. Also they do get mad as in some stories Dirk does get murderous without pity. And despite the plots that Dr. C puts Al and Dirk in they are not overwhelmed by the complexities but can simplify it for us readers but they reveal the human nature at both its basest and goodness. And now that they have grown older and continue they have learned along the way. I still love these two guys and the situations they manage to get themselves in and out. :)

Raise The Titanic was my first Cussler novel. After that I read Night Probe. As time went by I collected them all. I must say that I like each and every book, but I enjoy the more complex plots in his later novels. I too would give PV a 7. The plot may be simple but I love the way Clive fleshes out his characters and locations. I'm able to visualize what he's writing and to me that makes it a entertaining read.

Talk about consistancy! I also would rate PV a 7. His later books being better overall in my opinion.

I too love Dr. Cussler's writing technique. While I do not place myself in the story, as I read I can visualize what is happening as if I were watching a movie. The way he describes the characters, the surroundings, the events that are occurring, it is easy to forget you are reading a book. That to me is the sign of a great writer. Good literature beats a video tape anyday.

In a sense, the way Dr. Cussler writes is responsible for all the debate on who is and who should play the characters in a movie. He describes them so well, we each have this visual image that we keep of the characters throughout the series. As we "know" what they look like (in our minds), any deviation from that image hits us wrong.

Clive Cussler is simply the best! th:

Like others, I cracked open the pages of this novel knowing it was the actual first novel, and knowing that it wasn't supposed to be up to the 'standards' of the later Pitt novels.
That being said, I still found the book an enjoyable read. Sure, the plot was fairly staightforward, not something we're used to in the later novels, but it was still a great action/adventure story, and kept my intrest the entire way though. (Then again, all Cussler books have done that thus far...)

I just reread PV about a month ago and would have to agree with all of you. It is straightforward and it doesn't take as long for Clive to flesh out his charactters. It's still a great read. The thing that amazes me is even though it was written in the '60's and edited for release in the '70's it still reads like a modern novel. When I read it it just didn't seem like it was out of date. A solid 7.

Cheers beer:

PV has everything. It was a good book. I couldn't put it down. I read it in one night. Although it wasn't published for a long time after it was written it has all you could want in a Dirk Pitt novel. They only get better. w:

That is what I wanted to say.......Thanks th:

I'll give it an 8

My rating for PV ia a perfect 10! As I started with Night Probe then PV I Would also give Night Probe a 10 too!!!! snor:

Pacific Vortex has the bones of a great story, and works well in the Dirk Pitt universe, but after just rereading it, I completely understand why it took a while to see the light of day.
The action is first rate. Most of the characters are very realistic, and I especially like the undercurrent of tension between Pitt and Boland--they are obviously cut from different cloth, but at crunch time, they're in it together. PV also features what I believe to be the first occurence of the "I'll pull the spear out on 3. 1...2...(pull)" which has turned up once or twice in various movies. This also might be the first time Navy SEALs ever turned up in a mainstream action novel.
Where I think this story falls short... if you'll pardon the pun... is it's length. We hardly get to know the villain. Delphi has a lot of presence and would be a great foil, but isn't even revealed until the last third of the story. There isn't enough development of the Dirk & Summer romance for me to find it credible, much less life-changing for Pitt. I also would like to know more about the seamount and some of the technologies Delphi used; for example, the guns and rebreathers the bad guys use are mentioned, but not really described at length.
That is not to say I really want to see it turned into a thousand page technical manual (a la Clancy) I like it fine for what it is. It gets a 7, not because it's bad, but because on my scale, Deep Six alone rates a 10 while my least favorite Dragon, gets a 4.

I'd have to give PV a 8/10

A well written book.

Although I have to say I enjoyed other books such as sahara and inca gold a smidge more.

PV is the very first Cussler book i ever read, and i didn't really read much of anything before it. This book got me hooked on Cussler. Afterwards i read every one of his books in order (except for the first couple). It was the best book i ever read at the time, but after reading all the other Pitt books, it was definately overshadowed. I also recently re-read it. I still enjoyed it, but it is more simple, and a little too short. I'd give it an 8 because it got me reading everything else, but he's done much better too.

Great book. Story is a little bit short but still enjoyable. Like Nick Kismet said, i also would like to know more about the technology Delphi uses.

I give it a 8.

What got me was the BIG plot hole about "Aloha Willie".

How did the deejay get the super-secret phone number of the command center, unless DP was transmitting it over open frequencies?

Remember the sequence? Admiral Hunter gets a phone call from the deejay Aloha Willie, saying that he would win a prize. Then the radio is tuned to the commercial frequency so that "Big Daddy" and "Our Gang" could do their coded double-talk.

HOW DID WILLIE GET THE PHONE NUMBER TO CALL? AND IF SO, WHY BOTHER WITH THE CODED DOUBLE TALK???

It was Crowhaven that contacted Aloha Willie via the radio station's commercial frquency from the Starbuck. He would have given Willie the 101st Headquarter's phone number and asked him to contact the Admiral. The reason for the "double-talk" was in case Delphi's men were listening in on the commercial air waves.

A very good start. It's romantic, it has energy. And it's dramatic.
7/10

I *really* liked this story! The plusses in it wayy outnumber any minuses!! .........

A good start for Dr. Cussler, but it wasn't his best work. I'd give it an 8.

I never did understand why Dirk was STILL sullen over Summer even 20 some years later. Sure, she was gorgeous and all, but I think someone like Loren would have been enough for him to put Summer in his past and fall madly in love with one of my favorite characters. I really feel badly for Loren, having to sit on the sidelines all those years and loving Dirk more than he realized while he sat wondering what COULD have happened with Summer. He barely knew her and one of the three times they met she tried to kill him. How romantic. I guess he was young and impressionable in those days. None of this materializes until the later books, though, and thus did not detract from my PV experience.

However, I thought the way Dirk acted towards the beginning when he first went into the navy base was a little out of character. Maybe it's because he's famous and everyone knows him in the later books.

PV also has one of my alltime favorite scenes, when they're diving on the sub and Dirk has to use Barf the magic dragon. The whole sub searching scene is great.

And, Al saving Dirk's life by giving up his pinky finger is what best friends are for. Greatly written. th:

I've given others a *hand* a lot of times before, but never a "pinky finger." Hope I could do it if it came to that ... think I could (or, actually I guess it would probably be without thinking).

I quite like this book! It has a few holes in it, here and there but in all its a very enjoyable book. Once you have read the collection up to that point you can see that it was the first book written. Not one of my favourites but its a Clive Cussler so its in my favourite books shelf.

Well, my boyfriend read his first Clive Cussler book recently and I made him read this one! He wants to read from the first book (In the series) to the latest, so I gave him this one, I had a few after thoughts though about if he should read Pacific Vortex first or not. In the end we chose this one, he seemed to like it though he's more into sci-fi. You can tell that Clive is a very 'fresh' writer in his first books, he didn't have the experience he does now to back his books up. A great book none the less.

I don't have a problem with this book being the first one in someone's Cussler reading activities. I think it holds up well enough for most to want to go on to the next one.

Since Clive Cussler was recommended to me, i decided to start the first book in the series. Although it is not my favorite Dirk Pitt Novel it was easily enough to get me hooked to the series. For this reason i must give this book a 10.

Pacific Vortex is the perfect quick read. Great for taking on vacation or to the beach. Plenty of action with a tropical setting and Dirk Pitt Kicking toosh as usual. Al's finger getting blown off cements the unbreakable friendship and bond between the two in my mind. from then on nothing has to be proven between them.

I guess I missed something, 20 odd years later twins turn up, was my copy of PV edited? Or did they concieve by osmossis? or did I just not see it in the book?

You didn't see it in the book ;) Clive has admitted that he goofed!

The Clive Cussler Code also deals with the goings on in Pacific Vortex!!

Wow you rate easy :lol:

I would have to say a 7 out of 10 also.

The plot just wasn't thick enough for me. I guess I'm just so spoiled with Clive's other complex plots in his other novels, that when he writes a book with a normal plot, I'm not as impressed j:

But still a great book anyway th:

This was actually one of the last books I read of his, which is probably why, but I'd have to rate this one a 7. I was really disillusioned, because I only went back and read this one after reading VR. Which is probably the main reason for the low rating. Other than the Summer plot having no consumation of the children, the fact that our hero tells her he loves her after only 2 meetings really just made my jaw drop. But CC is still by far my favorite author and I think he more than made up for this book with his later ones.

Just my $0.02

Id give Pacific Vortex an 8.5 out of 10. Some of Clive's newer novels (TO, BW) lack the page turning category. I sped through Pacific Vortex, I simply could not put it down. As Sean said, I couldn't find how Dirk still mourns about Summer some 20 years later, their relationship didnt seem too realistic and all. Giordino giving up his pinky for Pitt shows the bond between them, but I would have liked to seen more development in Delphi's character. All in all, it was a fun read, great for a weekend. p:

Was a very quick read for me. Not only was it easy to read, I couldnt put it down.

I read 3/4 of it in one sitting and the rest after I had a short break.

Good Intro on the hero that is to be Dirk Pitt. Good hero, good enough bad guys. Story wasnt complicated.

Summer's immaculate conception made me LOL.

I've read almost all of the books now. I didnt know Al was missing a pinky finger !! Or did I misread that part ?

I say 8 out of 10

I know the missing pinky is mentioned in Med. Caper in the beginning, but I'm not sure if it's mentioned in any of the other books.

Yeah, the mystery conception has always made me giggle also. So when, in the story, do you think it happened? Im thinking maybe the night Delphi showed up at Dirks hotel room to confront him...then have him killed. Of course, Summer was there, behind the curtain, and saved him. I think it happened that night...I don't know??? What do you guys think?

We had a contest last year to *write* the missing pages.They are all still there in the Fan Fiction thread.

http://s4.invisionfree.com/CLIVE_CUSSLER/i...?showtopic=1524

There were some very interesting takes on that account as well...good writing!

:unsure: Sorry! PV is one of the one's I havn't read.Look foreward to reading it after reading your comments.
Read it in one night...unheard of!!
happy reading to all.

After reading a couple of the later Pitt books, I decided to go back to #1. All in all, a good read with a couple of unusual points. Dirk Pitt in an AC Cobra? Sure it's classic, but it's not exactly a 1930s car. Not to mention a Mauser instead of a Colt .45 and a pack of cigarettes a day. Clearly an early years book.

However, there were a lot of good points to the book. It was taut, and I liked the overall plot concerning Kanoli and the Starbuck. The villain felt a little underdeveloped, but on the whole a good plot. Also, I really liked the inclusion of the hammerhead shark and Barf to spear. They added a nice treasure-hunter flavor to the book.

All in all, a good read. Not up to par with Raise the Titanic, but a good, fast read. On to the next one.

I joined the forum so I could ask about the "conception by osmosis"- question answered...

The whole romance thing happened too fast, and while I realise that something like that could affect you for a little while, I have to agree that 20 years is way too long. Especially with Loren on the sideline. And the fact that he sleeps with a whole bunch of other chicks... it's a romeo and juliet situation where he's fallen too hard to fast.

A good yarn though, remind me of 20,000 leagues under the sea a bit. I rate it a 6 though cause I sort of started at Valhalla Rising and worked my way backwards, so I'm biased in favour of the newer books.

Big-ups to CC for making these books popular right from the 60s/70s though.

Welcome to the forum, the bandit! Hopefully now that you have your question answered you will stay around a bit. Enjoy your time here!

Erik

This may have been discussed before - so apologies in advance.

I have read all Clives books but 9 :)

Just finished the Pacific Vortex.

I don't see how summer could have conceived Pitts Children without them sleeping together. I didn't find that in the book.

Second Al losing his pinky - I haven't read (that I remember) in anyother book mention of his pinky missing.

curious and I have read black wind and later novels so I was wondering how the kids were conceived :o