Tuesday, October 12, 2010

The Cobra - Frederick Forsyth

The master storyteller’s eagerly awaited latest book, "The Cobra", has all the elements for a successful Forsyth novel. The plot is humongous, the characters are plenty, and the story unfolds in different continents. The plot involves the US SEALS, the British SAS, the premiers of these two nations, the CIA, the DEA, the FBI, and various other governments and their agencies. There is also a mention of Karnataka and Goa states from the Indian sub-continent. Forsyth has brought in two of his main characters from "The Avenger", Paul Devereaux and Cal Dexter. The duo (though they weren't best of pals in The Avenger) team up in this novel to end the multi-billion dollar cocaine industry.

The story begins with the death of a young teenager, due to drug abuse, in a slum (yes, you read it right, it is a slum) in Washington D.C. The death starts a chain of events, which supposedly should culminate in the end of the drug mafia. The destruction of the cocaine industry and thereby other drugs is the crux of the novel. The message on drugs from Forsyth is loud and clear. I will quote his exact words "That is what drug abuse does to a young mind. It destroys it". So simple, yet so striking. The lead duo plans and executes an operation, which ultimately destabilizes the mafia.

The story is gripping from the word go. The narrative is swift, except at a few places where the author takes time to describe the environment. There are no emotions involved, just plain "facts". You would love to hate the ruthlessness with which the mafia deals with their "betrayers". There is no chasing amongst the characters, no personal adventures and hardly any individual contributions. The story only deals with the system and the characters are just part of the scheme of things.

The climax to such a magnum opus plot is dull. Just like in "The Afghan”, the ending to the story is pretty lame and doesn't meet the build-up created by the entire plot. It even has a nasty twist for which there is no reasonable explanation. You wonder why would a reptile turn turtle (no, it is not the correct usage of the idiom, but you will understand when you read the novel).

Overall, it is a good book to read and definitely one to add to your personal library. Go grab the book if you haven't done so already.

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