Gene

by Stel Pavlou

Detective James North is called upon to deal with a young, mentally unstable man holding a child hostage at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. When he arrives, he is disturbed to discover that - although the bad guy is a complete stranger - he's been asking for North by name.

The hostage situation goes wrong, and North finds himself injected with a substance that causes hallucinatory nightmares and flashes of memory that are not his own. He begins to hunt through New York for his attacker, a man he feels inexplicably compelled to kill - a man called Gene.

As he does so, North unlocks the secret of his past, a past that stretches back over 3000 years. GENE is the story of forgotten Greek warrior Cyclades who fought and died in the Trojan Wars, and was fated by the gods to be reincarnated seven times. Locked in a cycle of battle with the Babylonian Magi Athanatos, Cyclades must once again strive to defeat him and thwart his quest to achieve immortality.

Cyclades and Athanatos, North and Gene. But in this incarnation, neither man knows which is which, or why each of them has the instinctive need to kill the other.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Science Fiction, Crime, Fantasy, Action, Historical Fiction

512 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Stel Pavlou is the British international bestselling author of adult fiction. Daniel Coldstar: The Relic War is his first novel for young readers. Stel has written screenplays for Morgan Freeman and Samuel L. Jackson, and stories for Doctor Who. He lives in Colorado with his family, a dog named Rocket, and the ghosts of two chickens.

Reviews

[Asghar Abbas · Rating 3 out of 5]

An OK book, speculative fiction? Maybe. Wasn't coherent enough for me to form an opinion.

Well, this third entry comprises of the books that I have in the weird genre. Not the surreal genre, but just weird as fuck nonsensical things that actually got published genre.

The list goes like this ;

Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

The Haunting of James Hastings.

this

Gene by Stel Pavlou

[Martin Belcher · Rating 1 out of 5]

I almost gave up reading this book on about five occasions, it starts very promising and is an original concept but quickly lost me with strange references to the past which seem to ramble on with very little connection to the story.

I hung on to the end to see what happened and quite frankly I was annoyed and even more confused by the ending.

One of the worst books I have ever read.

[Álvaro · Rating 3 out of 5]

La sinopsis de la historia promete grandes cosas, pero el libro me ha decepcionado un poco. Tal vez sea porque me tomé muy al pie de la letra el título y empecé a montarme mi propia historia en la que había siete pruebas físicas/reales que tendría que hacer el detective North para resolver este caso que le transporta a la guerra de Troya, pero aun así logré disfrutarlo.

Sí que es cierto que en los capítulos narrados en el pasado me perdía de vez en cuando (no estoy tan puesto en mitología como pensaba), pero nada que una relectura de capítulos anteriores no pueda solucionar.

El final que tanto esperábamos durante toda la novela fue un poco chasco, ya que me esperaba un desenlace más elaborado, pero, en líneas generales, es un buen libro para pasar el rato.

[Mort · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't recommend this one and feel terribly conflicted about my rating...

I read this book more than two years ago. It was not what I expected, was sometimes hard to follow and I can't even remember how it ended.
However...
after all this time I can still recall two separate scenes vividly.
Which brings up the question:
If you've read something that you can't get out of your head, hadn't the author done his job and doesn't it deserve a high rating?

Sigh...

[Dale · Rating 1 out of 5]

Worst book I have ever read, the storyline was a good idea, but the way that it was written was confusing and it was as though the writer was trying to show us how clever he was at describing things that had nothing to do with the story. The ending was dreadful. It was a difficult read

[Christian · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the beginning I thought this could be an exciting story. Although I don't like the idea of reincarnation I was curios what Pavlou was going to do with Gene. What happened to him and Detective North in the past?
The first chapters are promising. But it's getting more confusing page by page...
This could have become a great book. Unfortunately it's a little disappointment.

[George K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Έχω δυο δυσκολίες όσον αφορά το βιβλίο που μόλις τελείωσα.

Πρώτη δυσκολία είναι η κατηγορία στην οποία πρέπει να το κατατάξω. Συνδυάζει το σκληρό αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα (hard-boiled αγγλιστί) με την ελληνική μυθολογία και την επιστημονική φαντασία με την αρχαία ιστορία και την περιπέτεια, οπότε καταλαβαίνω τον βιβλιοπώλη που δεν θα ξέρει σε ποιο ράφι ακριβώς να το βάλει. Μάλλον μαζί με τα άλλα του φανταστικού.
Δεύτερη δυσκολία είναι στο πως ν'αρχίσω την κριτική μου, δίχως να μαρτυρήσω στοιχεία της πλοκής και παράλληλα να σας δώσω μια ιδέα για το τι να περιμένετε απο το βιβλίο.

Η ιστορία αρχίζει με την επίθεση ενός αγνώστου στο Μητροπολιτικό Μουσείο της Νέας Υόρκης και τον τραυματισμό κάποιων τουριστών και αστυνομικών. Ο άγνωστος άντρας, προφανώς παρανοϊκός, ζητάει έναν συγκεκριμένο αστυνομικό, τον Τζέιμς Νορθ. Ο Νορθ δεν γνωρίζει καθόλου τον άγνωστο άντρα και μετά από διάφορες σκηνές, αρχίζει ένα κυνηγητό μεταξύ τους. Κάποια στιγμή ο Νορθ εκτίθεται σε μια ουσία και σιγά-σιγά αρχίζει να βλέπει διάφορα περίεργα πράγματα.

Συνειδητοποιεί ότι είναι μετενσάρκωση ενός πολεμιστή, του Κυκλάδη, που πέθανε στην Τροία καταραμένος και συνάμα ευλογημένος απ'τους Θεούς να μετενσαρκωθεί πολλές φορές για να εκδικηθεί τον θάνατο της γυναίκας του. Εχθρός του Κυκλάδη είναι ο Αθάνατος, ο οποίος επίσης έχει αναγεννηθεί πολλές φορές.

Αυτά που βλέπει ο Νορθ είναι οι αναμνήσεις των προηγούμενων ζωών του και οι αναμετρήσεις του με τον Αθάνατο. Από την αρχαία Τροία έως την Ρώμη του Νέρωνα και από την Αραβία των σταυροφοριών έως το Βυζάντιο και την Πράγα των αλχημιστών.

Η ιστορία συνεχίζεται με την αναζήτηση του Νορθ για τον άγνωστο και πως αυτός σχετίζεται με τα οράματα που βλέπει μες στο μυαλό του και τι ρόλο βαράει μια εταιρεία γενετικής. Παράλληλα εμείς οι αναγνώστες ταξιδεύουμε από την σύγχρονη Νέα Υόρκη σε διάφορα μέρη και σε διαφορετικές ιστορικές περιόδους και προσπαθούμε να βγάλουμε μια άκρη.

Στο Goodreads το βιβλίο παίρνει μάλλον μέτριες κριτικές και μπορώ να καταλάβω τον λόγο. Αν δεν δώσεις προσοχή στην ιστορία και αν γενικά δεν σ'αρέσουν οι τρελές πλοκές και τα κάμποσα flashbacks, τότε έχεις αρκετούς λόγους για να θάψεις το βιβλίο. Όμως εμένα μου αρέσουν και τα δυο, οπότε έμεινα πολύ ευχαριστημένος. Δεν μπορώ βέβαια να πω ότι κατάλαβα τα πάντα, αλλά το γενικό νόημα το έπιασα και μου άρεσε.

Η πλοκή είναι απόλυτα συναρπαστική, γεμάτη δράση, μυστήριο, αγωνία, δυνατές σκηνές και έντονες εικόνες, που σίγουρα θα ικανοποιήσουν τους φαν της περιπέτειας. Η γραφή του Παύλου μου φάνηκε εξαιρετική, ευκολοδιάβαστη και διόλου κουραστική, με έντονες περιγραφές γεγονότων και τοπίων και πειστικούς διαλόγους. Οι χαρακτήρες στην πλειοψηφία τους ήταν ενδιαφέροντες.

Γενικά το πρόσημο είναι απόλυτα θετικό, διάβασα μια πραγματικά ξεχωριστή και περίεργη ιστορία, που ταίριαζε πολύ με τα γούστα μου. Ίσως κάποιες περισσότερες απαντήσεις θα ήταν ευπρόσδεκτες, αλλά μην τα θέλουμε και όλα δικά μας.

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although published by a major publisher in the UK, Gene “scared off a lot of editors in the US.” After reading it, the reasons are clear. It wasn’t for lack of a good story, nor was it for lack of a good reason. In short, the editors had no idea in which section of the bookstore Gene belonged. If a bookstore can’t shelve a book correctly, they can’t expect to sell it. Pavlou’s solution was to skip both the publisher and the bookstore to give interested readers in the US a chance to find his book on their own.

If forced to boil it down to the essence, I would describe Gene as part police procedural and part fantasy, with elements of mythology, science fiction and history thrown in. There is a mystery to be solved and risk for a main character if it isn’t solved soon, which also makes it a thriller.

I can see how this could scare a reader off. Someone who dislikes any of these genres might feel that Gene isn’t right for them. But if you’re interested in being taken out of your genre-comfort-zone, you might find that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **

[Ghost14 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scary ..surreal ...gothic

Makes the reader feel like they are walking in a dream. Non fiction advocates might hate the unreal quotient. But for those who worship gothic/psychedelic fantasy, this is the book ...period!!

[Antonia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book confusing to follow, boring and just plain dull.
I did enjoy parts at the beginning but the whole intertwined souls stuff? no thanks.
Unfinished and wouldn't waste time try to finish.

[Dawn Kurtagich · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting read.

[Unda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay. I got through it. If you have something better to do, please, just keep to that.

[Graham Downs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um. Erm. Wow....

As I sit here staring at the proverbial blank page asking what I thought of this book, I can but scratch my head and say, “I honestly don’t know.”

This is a deep story with lots of levels, some of which flew right over (the cuckoo’s nest) my head. It’s twisty and turny, full of surprises; “Diabolical” was the word used by the friend who recommended it to me, and on reflection, I think that’s spot on.

Officially, it’s supposed to be a thriller, but I think that barely scratches the surface. There are elements of fantasy, historical fiction, crime, and mystery. It all works, but I found it confusing at times, and I’m not ashamed to admit that after I turned the last page, I went and read the synopsis on Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_(n...) to understand exactly what I’d just read and discover what I’d missed — which turned out to be quite a lot.

I think if you know your Greek mythology well, you’ll probably get a lot more out of this book than I did. Also, a bit of Indian mythology and the theory of reincarnation. Also, the science of genetics... Again, there’s just so much depth to this book, it’s... Wow. Just wow.

Click here to find out where you can get your hands on a copy: https://books2read.com/u/boElZp

* Note: That's an affiliate link, so if you click through to a store and end up buying anything, I might earn a commission from your purchase.

[Tegan]

CW transphobia in book, use of outdated terminology to describe a transgender person
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Got through a hundred pages of encumbering descriptions (I rolled my eyes easily twice a page) before hitting my deal breaker. I can deal with flimsy plot and under developed characters - I was a third of the way through after all. The unnecessarily long descriptions stuck in my craw but I powered through and gave it a chance.

What I will not put up with is explicit transphobia. Yes, this book is from 2005 but that isn't and shouldn't be an excuse. The characters clear revulsion at having to speak to a [outdated term used by the author for a transgender person, most often used negatively] and refusing to accept their femme-aligned name as their real name was distressing to read. The transphobia lasted maybe one page and was written in a way that assumed we would understand and identify with the protag's thoughts and behaviour. Ugh.

You, Stel Pavlou, make my skin crawl.

0/5 stars and I'm glad I bought the book second hand for $1.

[Powersamurai · Rating 2 out of 5]

This almost got only 1 star. It almost got up to 3, but I wanted to give it 2.5 stars. This is one of the most confusing books I've read in ages. I almost gave up many times in the 1st half, but I have a policy of not giving up on a book, no matter how bad it is. That way you can appreciate good books even more. North kept me reading. The flashbacks were what really did my head in. I was at the last straw when I went online to see what others thought of this book. I was not alone on Goodreads. I read the Wikipedia page and it sort of put things in perspective for me. When I went back to reading, it because easier. Again, wanting to know what North's up to was my main motivation. If I didn't have North, maybe I would've given up. Then came the Nero chapter. That should've come earlier, I think, to put the readers more in the picture instead of leaving them scratching their heads for 2/3rds of the book.

[Bohemian Book Lover · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Grips you from the onset,
*Engrossing with its intriguing premise. The plot &
*Narrative had all the
*Elements I enjoy in a historical fantasy thriller (flashbacks, etc). However, I felt it fell short for being too drawn out & overdone, being built up towards an unsatisfactory finale I forced myself to get to simply out of diehard, invested curiosity.

[Natasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted this to be better than it is. The premise is interesting, but the execution is confusing and vague.

[theashtrees · Rating 1 out of 5]

This had some amazing writing in it

but

Can we stop writing about incest? TIA

[Yoglaxx · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lo abandono, no me enganchó. Quizá no fue el momento adecuado o la historia no es para mí.

[Mar · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Lo cool fue el final

[Slo Hurry · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

[Darth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gene is the story of 2 men linked for thousands of years throughout time, reborn again and again.

I like Stel Pavlou, and I really enjoyed Decipher, so I hunted down a copy of Gene.

It starts out very fast paced, and interesting, with a great premise. There is a compelling interaction between to characters, and I climbed onboard and got ready for the ride.
After the first 125 pages, it bogs down badly, and in turns is very predictable, or utterly unfathomable. Not to say I didn't follow it, but the continuity is so poor.

Example:
Suddenly the cop has a long term relationship with a hooker we haven't heard ANYTHING about all book?
And she is the analogue for Cyclades wife? Disjointed comes to mind...
Also, past generations of Cyclades knew who they were, and took up the hunt for Athanatos all on their own, but North, and Porter, and the African girl are all flawed and cant even really recall who they are, or what they are supposed to do, so they just scribble in a notebook?
It feels like something is missing in the weaving of the tale there.


I know Stel is more known as a screenwriter, and I think it shows in both books, in this one to detriment though. You can see in the writing style that it is written like it was for the screen, down to the fact that almost all dialogue has an unspoken component, where in a movie, you would hear the voiceover, then the quotes, and the actors voice would come in.

The flashbacks can be argued either inform the telling of present day events, or enlighten the back-story, but only a few of them got the job done. By page 300 I was tired of them, and I didn't feel like they all added to the story. At one point it broke out into a chapter that I think decided it was a Greek Epic Poem itself.

maybe this one just rubbed me the wrong way, but I cant figure out why some people have such a high opinion of this, unless they are friends of the author, or think the idea is so good that the execution doesn't matter.

That is what makes life interesting though, we all like different things, and get to have our own opinions.

[Maggie Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Why do I have to give this only 5 stars? Why not 50? From what I know of the author, this just shows the range of his talents. Within this book is a good mix of history, myth, current times, science, literary fiction and horror. I pretty much agree with Al in that if I were a mainstream author, I wouldn't know where to put it, either. But who cares? It's certainly a good cerebral read.

In any event, there will be a full blown review shortly. You'll find it where I usually publish those things: accidentallymars.wordpress.com. Good job, Stel. Good job. (By the way, I totally geeked over your mention of Cold Harbor Springs Laboratory. I thought I was the only one who gave them full study on a fairly regular basis.)

[Chris Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wins the prize for being the worse book I’ve ever read. Started off ok, bit of action some interesting theological points then “poof” off Pavlou goes on this rollercoaster of disjointed, surreal, bewildering ramble. I willed myself to continue, I pushed myself to finish the book. Once I closed the cover I threw it in my log burner. At least that way I got something out of it and did my bit to rid the world of this dross. I’ve never felt more annoyed after reading a book, if you want to feel emotion….read this pile of rubbish!

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the subject of the book intriguing and original but as i was reading i became board of it. Got half way though then could not finish it. I think this is because it jumps around a bit with the characters unclear manner and is slow to get to the point. I did not like how it switched to the past regularly with little warning.
In some books I have read this works well if written in a clean and flowing way, it can make the book more entertaining but this example just does not work for me.

So overall full points for the idea but half points for execution.

[Nefeli · Rating 2 out of 5]

What the hell did I just read?


Κυκλάδης: an interesting idea, lost in execution.
I went into this book expecting a fascinating story, but all i got was confusion. I enjoyed the action and the historical references, but the story jumped around too much making it hard for me to follow. The ending fell, also, flat for me; there was no resolution; it seemed to be unfinished.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a pretty good novel. I love Stel Pavlou's style and storytelling. This book had a few dry spots, but only because I'm really not interested in certain parts of history. Other than that fantastic book. My only complaint is that I want an ending. The end of the novel came too fast, after an amazing buildup, and you become vetted to the characters, the ending doesn't compete with the rest of the book. I want a resolution.

[Anne Mellstrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book showed real originality and a plot that would have become a series of books had Mr. Pavlou developed the historical settings and the up to date settings alongside a really gripping plot. Who am I to judge? I just felt he rushed through leaving me the reader confused at times; though I still loved it and wanted more facts and details of what happened in the future.... Thanks

[Evander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating premise, but I think it did remain obfuscated just for that little bit too long. Also, I was happy that Cyclades was sometimes reborn as a woman, but then we had that extremely transmisogynist scene where North went to the club and there was just no need for the disgust. Otherwise, without both of these issues, I'd have given it a 5.

[Leila · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me parece que entre con muchas expectativas y quedo corto. Hubo partes muy interesantes, pero otras ciertamente me parecieron forzadas, y en otras ocasiones poco desarrolladas. La premisa con genetica moderna y, al mismo tiempo, leyendas griegas era muy interesante, pero sentí que quedaba corta la explicación brindada varias veces.