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The Benevolent Terrorist
A QUEST FOR EXCITEMENT AND ADVENTURE LEADS TO A DARK PLACE
The Benevolent Terrorist is a thinking person's adventure story, in the vein of various novels by Graham Greene, Robert Stone, and Patricia Highsmith. It tells the tale of a troubled young American named Jack who's been wandering the world for extended periods on an increasingly desperate quest for excitement and adventure. Jack is traveling with a likable and beautiful Australian woman, who's quickly getting fed up with him. In Athens, they meet a mysterious loner, an ex-Army guy who recently finished working construction in Tunisia. The unlikely trio travels to a Greek island where a romantic triangle develops. Jack's deep desire to escape boredom and his theory of benevolent terrorism - �fighting terrorists with terror - lead the two men on a dark and violent adventure. The novel explores with intelligence a number of the disturbing aspects of life and artfully straddles the boundary between commercial and literary �fiction.
"A fantastic, existentialist thriller with visceral charm...offers a trio of vivid character studies while �filling [the narrative] with sinister tension...sharp, philosophical, and occasionally surreal prose."- Kirkus Reviews
The Benevolent Terrorist is a thinking person's adventure story, in the vein of various novels by Graham Greene, Robert Stone, and Patricia Highsmith. It tells the tale of a troubled young American named Jack who's been wandering the world for extended periods on an increasingly desperate quest for excitement and adventure. Jack is traveling with a likable and beautiful Australian woman, who's quickly getting fed up with him. In Athens, they meet a mysterious loner, an ex-Army guy who recently finished working construction in Tunisia. The unlikely trio travels to a Greek island where a romantic triangle develops. Jack's deep desire to escape boredom and his theory of benevolent terrorism - �fighting terrorists with terror - lead the two men on a dark and violent adventure. The novel explores with intelligence a number of the disturbing aspects of life and artfully straddles the boundary between commercial and literary �fiction.
"A fantastic, existentialist thriller with visceral charm...offers a trio of vivid character studies while �filling [the narrative] with sinister tension...sharp, philosophical, and occasionally surreal prose."- Kirkus Reviews
246 pages, Paperback
Published October 18, 2016
3 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 25, 2017
Danny Wynn’s The Benevolent Terrorist is a thoughtfully written and engaging character study about drug-addicted world traveler and his two unlikely companions: a beautiful and self-assured Australian named Timmy, and a secretive Vietnam war veteran, named Jenkins.
Set in 1980s Greece, the story follows American Jack Ferris as he struggles to find meaning in the vagabond life he’s made for himself. Suffering from a deteriorating psyche, he’s ultimately convinced that his personal salvation can only come from him inflicting punishment on the doer of some great wrong. An idea that takes such a firm hold that he’s eventually compelled to act upon it.
All three of the main characters are complex, and the story moves along quite quickly for a piece without a lot of action. Definitely worth a read.
Set in 1980s Greece, the story follows American Jack Ferris as he struggles to find meaning in the vagabond life he’s made for himself. Suffering from a deteriorating psyche, he’s ultimately convinced that his personal salvation can only come from him inflicting punishment on the doer of some great wrong. An idea that takes such a firm hold that he’s eventually compelled to act upon it.
All three of the main characters are complex, and the story moves along quite quickly for a piece without a lot of action. Definitely worth a read.
January 30, 2017
The Benevolent Terrorist is a great book! Full of adventure and wonder. All of the characters are well-developed plus they all compliment one another. The story goes along quite smoothly and the pace is steady. At times I did feel that the book did need an "umph" factor to it. The Benevolent Terrorist is like a typical adventure read with a twist of word play. You can tell, as the reader, the amount of emotion he channels through Jack, that Jack is supposed to be that depressed-twisted character in the trio. The Benevolent Terrorist showcases the consequences for chasing the excitement, wanting that and needing it. Overall I give The Benevolent Terrorist four stars.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews