I Am Pilgrim: A Thriller

I enjoyed reading I Am Pilgrim if it wasn't for the hate and prejudice and degrading comments on Arabs and Muslims. I usually don't finish a book or a movie that carries this much hate, but I wanted to read till the end. The way the author describes Islam, Muslim men and women, illitracy and stupidity of a civilisation that was one of the first civilisations that contributed to modern science is unbearable. What I hated most is that as a work of fiction, the author's plot was during real world events that would only add to more people thinking this was closer to a non-fiction work rather than fiction.Things I hated most:The usual commentary by the author from one chapter to another: "Thank you Saudi Arabia" for giving us terrorists, "we, like the Jews, believed in the goodness of mankind" implying that Americans and Jews believe the good in people unlike Muslims, "over 45% of Muslim women cannot read or write" ~ where the hell did he get these statistics from, and the overuse of the superior tone and implying Ara bs and Muslims in general are stupid and inferior, how Arabs are garbage... Pure hate and an overdose of Islamophobia.I gave it two stars because it was a good thriller that I didn't want to stop reading.

I do not touch the thriller genre. The craziness wrought by Dan Brown really destroyed it for me. I do not know how I came to be reading I Am Pilgrim; probably it was one of the Kindle Daily Deals. From the outset the writing captivated me. I once read that we are not captivated by a book's subject matter; we are captivated by the way it is written. Terry Hayes is a masterful writer. Every word, every sentence, every paragraph exquisitely crafted. He could have been writing about ANYTHING and I would have been captivated. The story is complex and nuanced, shifting from first person to third, present to flashback; the plot is dangerously complex, but Hayes manages to pull all of the threads together into a beautifully woven, textured fabric (when was the last time you heard anyone describe a thriller like THAT). Some have criticized Hayes for this, no doubt longing for the point A-to-B plot, annoying sentence structure and over-the-top special effects that populate Dan Brown's novels and made reading them so tedious. Hayes's characters are well-defined and dimensional; even the antagonist, the Saracen, was so finely crafted that I found myself sympathizing, empathizing and hoping that he would realize his revenge. In other words, Hayes creates characters the reader can care about even if they are doing evil, hateful things. Far from being distracting (some readers and reviewers here clearly have short attention spans and a limited capacity for abstract thinking) the flashbacks and digressions greatly enriched the journey -- some of them would provide ample material for novels of their own!! I am looking forward to Hayes's next novel (do I really have to wait until 2018???) and, in the meantime, I heartily recommend this read. Even if you do not like the subject matter, even if you do not like the genre, you will be captivated by craftsmanship of a master wordsmith.

A flavor of noir-detective (but not too "hard boiled") at the beginning of novel, combined with secret agent thriller as main ingredient. Far better than many of the novels in these genres--more depth in character development and plot, greater accuracy and detail in depictions of geography, culture, government and covert operations, etc. The two adversaries ("Saracen" and "Pilgrim") are equally brilliant and dangerous; even the secondary characters are well developed, i.e., "Ben" of the NYPD. "I am Pilgrim" by Terry Hayes involves an intelligent, complex plot that transports the reader from various locations, including the U.S., Middle East, Europe and Russia. Most spy thrillers skate you through action and more action (like the "Jason Bourne" series), often using a worn-out template for plot and character development. If you want to take a deep dive into a unique and brilliant spy thriller, I highly recommend that you read this novel. Also, check out the author's bio--it made me realize why he is a such a fine writer.[Feb. 2018--P.S.: Author James Patterson's book, "Instinct" (formerly "Murder Games"), will be the basis for a new TV series, "Instinct", on CBS this March. Patterson's book was originally published in 2017, Hayes' in 2013. The premise is virtually identical: An author and university professor comes out of retirement as a CIA operative when a NYPD detective asks for his help--the serial killer is using the professor's book as a tutorial. This makes me wonder about the originality of Patterson's novel, since it was published 4 years past Hayes' novel. In any case, Hayes is a MUCH better writer, engaging one in a complex globe-trekking thriller. If you want to choose between the two books, pick "I am Pilgrim". Brilliant!]

First of all, the first 100 pages were interesting, then it went downhill, too much unnecessary details, complete paragraphs that are there as fillers. Not including all the racist remarks about all kind on nationalities and people. Literally Calling "all muslims dogs" at some point, " 45% of arab women can't read " where does get the nerve.The plot is not original and wildly exaggerated. I had to finish it for the hell of it.

Fairly racist and misogynistic throughout - not just overtly against Muslims but also lazily prejudiced against Eastern Europeans and other Arabs. Plot feels like it's been written by a teenager and there's 850 pages to get through. The storyline about the terrorist is better but the protagonist is the epitome of a self-righteous, self-glorifying, smug American arse! I found myself rooting for the 'bad guy' in the end. The amount of coincidences and dramatic last-minute plot twists begins to really grind after the first 200 pages.

Read this for book club. It started well. The first chapter was great but then it was all down hill from there. The story was an interest idea but it was overly long and poorly written with lazy characterisation. I didn't care about any of them and actively disliked the main character. One of the most irritating thing about it was the constant references to things that were to going to happen i.e. 'I should have taken more notice/if only I'd known what was to come/If only they'd been just 10 seconds faster we could have avoided what was to come' style comments. I don't need constant teasers to keep me reading a book and it's a bit desperate to include so many. Needs a really heavy edit and it would be half the size.

Im just about to read again .. 3rd time. The first time i had no idea of how this book would grip me..but it did. Alarming in parts, gruesome too but i could see that this book would take me on an uncomfortable journey and it really did.i searched for and read other books in this genre but most fell flat against Pilgrim .. so i read it again but still had to devour it. It's not a book to read over a long period of time (for me) as once into the story it doesn't let your mind take a break.Why I'm going to read again? .. because it's an amazing book and no matter what else I read I still think of Pilgrim.Obsessed .. I think I am.

Absurd hokum with numerous plot inconsistencies and whopping, plot-critical technical errors (SPOILER ALERT: however much you process the silvering, you cannot use a mirror as a camera. Duh!!! But the plot entirely hinges on that!!!) If you have any scientific knowledge, you might be offended by this novel.Having said that, and despite its rather sickening American nationalism and Islamophobia, there was something about this long-winded book that made me want to finish it. I read mainly before sleep at night and it was wonderfully soporific. I won't be bothering with Hayes's follow up novel.

It’s a very difficult choice to make, initially and about 200 pages in I honestly thought this was going to be a 5 star and beyond, I was gripped. I seriously love the authors writing, his meticulous study, he doesn’t forget anything, everything gets covered, I am sure there are flaws in the plot line, but I was really swept away by TH style of writing. I felt that I got on well with Pilgrim, and I really liked Ben and his wife, nipping in and out of time lines always appeals to me. It was heavy going, I do like that though, and I love to chose a lengthy old book, I don’t think I got confused as its so detailed that I cant see how anyone would get muddled. I agree with other reviewers it was a bit cliched, and contrived, and I didn’t mind that, sometimes you pick a book up and resign yourself to that, and you let that go, I often find that the best part of escapism through books. However, I just cant put my finger on why its a 4 star and didn’t top the bill for me, I think it was because I wondered if a story or two, or a lengthier plot line could have been cut shorter. I didn’t think it rambled I just think that there seemed to be too much padding it out. I will definitely look out for his next book, this was a page turner and although I have criticised it slightly, I still say for anyone who likes high adventure, twists and turns, and a bit of a crazy storyline go for it.