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A review by paul_cornelius
Golden Fox by Wilbur Smith
1.0
After the first two books in the first and second series of Courtney family novels, it has been mostly downhill. Wilbur became a hack, his writing a money minting machine. Golden Fox is bad. Almost the entire first half reads like an especially poor imitation of a Harlequin romance. "Oh, Ramsey!" as we constantly hear from heroine Isabella Courtney in various stages of undress and sexual intercourse. It's some of the worst cliched bodice ripper trash I've ever run across. Additionally, Bella is stupid. Amazing, because she seems to be able to knock off a PhD in political theory without hardly trying. Then, she claims never to have heard of the Young Pioneers. How does someone get a PhD in political theory during the Cold War and not know what the Young Pioneers are? But that was just a minor irritation. Idiot Bella manages to be duped, tricked, and deceived at every turn. She is the worst Courtney so far encountered.
Somewhere in this novel, there is also a story about South African and international communists, especially the Russian mastermind from Spain, Ramsey Muchado. "Oh, Ramsey!" Things run insipidly for about 90 percent of the novel. Then, suddenly, there is a chase, a plot, and a race to prevent a terrorist attack. Wilbur could have saved his boring novel had he started down this path originally, instead of going "Oh, Ramsey!" for most of it.
All of the Courtney novels seem to be text books about poor parenting and bad choices. This made me look up Wilbur's recent obituary. One of them said Wilbur saw himself in the heroes of all his books. That is alarming. Because most of his heroes are decidedly unattractive people at one level or another. So I read with interest that Wilbur had four marriages and was estranged from all his children. So, yes, he was a Courtney--the name apparently taken from the first name of one of his grandparents. The pity of this mess of a book is that Wilbur does a good job when he writes about the veldt. I like his historical adventures set in the wilderness and in the initial stage of building a country. But these latter books of an indulgent, entitled family that slurps up brand names and gorges on expensive food and wine all the time, these books begin to wear me down.
Somewhere in this novel, there is also a story about South African and international communists, especially the Russian mastermind from Spain, Ramsey Muchado. "Oh, Ramsey!" Things run insipidly for about 90 percent of the novel. Then, suddenly, there is a chase, a plot, and a race to prevent a terrorist attack. Wilbur could have saved his boring novel had he started down this path originally, instead of going "Oh, Ramsey!" for most of it.
All of the Courtney novels seem to be text books about poor parenting and bad choices. This made me look up Wilbur's recent obituary. One of them said Wilbur saw himself in the heroes of all his books. That is alarming. Because most of his heroes are decidedly unattractive people at one level or another. So I read with interest that Wilbur had four marriages and was estranged from all his children. So, yes, he was a Courtney--the name apparently taken from the first name of one of his grandparents. The pity of this mess of a book is that Wilbur does a good job when he writes about the veldt. I like his historical adventures set in the wilderness and in the initial stage of building a country. But these latter books of an indulgent, entitled family that slurps up brand names and gorges on expensive food and wine all the time, these books begin to wear me down.