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Simple Genius (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell #3)
by David Baldacci - 4/5
Simple Genius was told in a simple vocabulary and in simple terms. I remember quite little of it, although because of some salient stuff, I won't confuse it with any other book. A more demanding reader or maybe someone of greater intelligence will not be impressed by Simple Genius. For the first half of it, I was thoroughly entertained. I thought 5 stars were a given. But Baldacci couldn't sustain the ethereal and intangible schema that made the book impossible to put down. The ingredients into the making of a page turner are untraceable for me. Word after simple word, sentence after sentence are put together in such a fashion as to make the book a delight to read. In the hands of another author, I'm sure the plot would have resulted in a different finished product. I can't begin to say how much bedazzled but grateful I am.
I was reluctant to give Simple Genius a go. I thought that prior to 2010, Baldacci was inconsistent. Also he possibly still can misfire or prove to be uninspired. But maybe one needs to read a handful of his works to find him irresistible. Having said that, I am far from having blinding faith in maybe my most favorite author. Before tagging Simple Genius as the next to be read book, I read some reviews of the book and didn't like all that I read. Well, the ending was much better than I thought it would be. Romantic people, at least those that don't stick to romance novels, will take much heart from the ending. I do think that's misleading. I will be very surprised if King and Maxwell become a couple.
I've been reading another book along with this one. A fantasy book. That book has a hero who is super intelligent and precocious. There's a difference between him and the characters of Baldacci. The latter's characters are easier to like. Just like the hero of the fantasy novel, King and Maxwell are above average. Here end the similarities. King and Maxwell are a detective team. They seek out danger in the course of making a living. They are vulnerable. But the fantasy hero is overpowered - not in the bad way. Everything bad happens to him. That makes him, in my eyes, as a Gary Stu, or Marty Stu. It all comes down to preference and to how many people like the same thing. The fantasy book I'm speaking of is more highly rated and liked than our book. What can I say, I can only talk freely from my own point of view.
I started reading Simple Genius as a distraction before getting down to the business of reading a series of Urban Fantasy books that's very popular these days. But now that I've read Baldacci's book, the shoe is on the other foot and I can't let go. The sole reason for moving on is that I know Baldacci has not written a ton of books. I must pace myself. Baldacci publishes one book every year. Along with my desire to read another Camel Club book, I hope to be able to follow, and like, all of the good books that this author releases. It's an advantage when one's go to author is not much older than yours truly. This means that we have more in common than, say, a Matt Groening, a James Cameron, or a John LeCarre. It all boils down to preference and the existence of a writing style that Baldacci has cracked and is compatible with me and people who think like me. Not knowing how to crack the same code, I do the next best thing...I read.
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