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The Adventures of the Librarian: Quest for the Spear
Hidden beneath the monolithic Metropolitan Public Library is a repository for mankind's greatest secrets. From the Golden Fleece to Pandora's Box every enigma and artifact from every known and unknown civilization is protected from the forces of evil who, if given the chance, would use the priceless treasures for their nefarious plans. Only one man can keep them safe: Flynn Carson -- the man known as the Librarian.
245 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 18, 2007
Okay, so it was a movie tie-in novelization and poorly written. I admit it is pretty much just brain-candy and no challenge whatsoever. I did enjoy the TV movie and the book because at the time I was a high school librarian. I guess the idea of being in charge of THAT kind of library was intriguing at the time.
December 17, 2014
Really good adaptation of the film. :)
January 29, 2018
I haven't seen the movie in ages, and even then I suspect I never saw all of it in one go. However, this book gave me plenty of flashbacks and I almost watched the movie again.
Like the movie, the book is corny, but also a light, fun adventure. The archaeology-adventurer genre punches through even though the main character is a Librarian. Both of these cliches are cliches I love and appreciate. However, the stereotypical objectifying of the female lead and falling in love over night (and surely break up by the next movie because they never had an long term prospects) romance is a cliche I never liked. It doesn't make much of a difference that the girl is the brawn in this one. It's still a vehicle to create a black and white secondary character.
To create a corny, lighthearted adventure, writers often create an overall shallow work. While this book has been a slightly better than OK experience, I would never get into the habit of reading movie and TV adaptions because they tend to lack the emotional and environmental depth that I expect of a book. Meanwhile, it's always interesting how poorly likeable movies don't translate well into book form because of the depth issue. I suppose because movies and TV shows play faster than we read and supply visual environments and emotional music they don't seem near as cheesy as they are when the script moves to a novel format.
On another note, I appreciate how well the story ties in everything from beginning to end. There are no details left to exist in of themselves. I don't particularly mind that--sometimes a chair is just a chair, or rain happens to come regardless what a person is up to--but it is nice to see initially innocent details tie together by the end. Assuming you don't think too hard about geography, logistics, or general between-the-lines logic, of course.
Overall, The Adventures of the Librarian: Quest for the Spear, was good in terms of a nostalgia trip and seeing how an adventure movie could be written as a book, but ultimately most adventures first written as novels have better depth in their characters and atmosphere.
Like the movie, the book is corny, but also a light, fun adventure. The archaeology-adventurer genre punches through even though the main character is a Librarian. Both of these cliches are cliches I love and appreciate. However, the stereotypical objectifying of the female lead and falling in love over night (and surely break up by the next movie because they never had an long term prospects) romance is a cliche I never liked. It doesn't make much of a difference that the girl is the brawn in this one. It's still a vehicle to create a black and white secondary character.
To create a corny, lighthearted adventure, writers often create an overall shallow work. While this book has been a slightly better than OK experience, I would never get into the habit of reading movie and TV adaptions because they tend to lack the emotional and environmental depth that I expect of a book. Meanwhile, it's always interesting how poorly likeable movies don't translate well into book form because of the depth issue. I suppose because movies and TV shows play faster than we read and supply visual environments and emotional music they don't seem near as cheesy as they are when the script moves to a novel format.
On another note, I appreciate how well the story ties in everything from beginning to end. There are no details left to exist in of themselves. I don't particularly mind that--sometimes a chair is just a chair, or rain happens to come regardless what a person is up to--but it is nice to see initially innocent details tie together by the end. Assuming you don't think too hard about geography, logistics, or general between-the-lines logic, of course.
Overall, The Adventures of the Librarian: Quest for the Spear, was good in terms of a nostalgia trip and seeing how an adventure movie could be written as a book, but ultimately most adventures first written as novels have better depth in their characters and atmosphere.
January 21, 2024
Permanent student Flynn Carson is forced to find a job in the real world - and what a job! He's the new Librarian, charged with recovering mythical objects that can cause havoc and destruction in the modern world. With the aid of his Guardian, Nicole Noone, he is forced to take on the Serpent Brotherhood in a quest to find the Spear of Destiny.
The novelization captures the manic spirit of the pilot movie perfectly. Nicely written and fast-paced, a most enjoyable read.
The novelization captures the manic spirit of the pilot movie perfectly. Nicely written and fast-paced, a most enjoyable read.
September 18, 2020
If you love the movies, you must read the book!
September 26, 2020
This book certainly isn’t going to win any literary prizes. It’s cheesy, but it’s fun. No slow parts to this book, you’ll never be bored. Entertaining way to spend an afternoon.
February 20, 2025
This was such a fun, exciting and intriguing story, which I enjoyed. Four and a half stars.
August 19, 2016
Talk about a quick read! It only took a couple of hours to get through, but it was entertaining. All of the characters were likeable, and the plot was fast enough to never get boring.
After reading, I watched the movie and it is basically the exact same thing (not a surprise for a novelization). Still, it was cute. It was probably more along the lines of Warehouse 13 than Indiana Jones, but I quite liked the former. For anyone who's looking for a lighthearted action story with a touch of romance and a hint of the paranormal, this is a good read.
After reading, I watched the movie and it is basically the exact same thing (not a surprise for a novelization). Still, it was cute. It was probably more along the lines of Warehouse 13 than Indiana Jones, but I quite liked the former. For anyone who's looking for a lighthearted action story with a touch of romance and a hint of the paranormal, this is a good read.
August 18, 2012
Cool Indiana Jones type concept, but a little corny. Still a fun read.
July 2, 2013
It was fast and easy read but nowhere as good as the movie. I'm biased tho, love the movie too much.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews