The Clive Cussler Adventures: A Critical Review

by Steven Philip Jones

Overview

The author of more than 50 books—125 million copies in print—Clive Cussler is the current grandmaster of adventure literature. Dirk Pitt, the sea-loving protagonist of 22 of Cussler's novels, remains among the most popular and influential adventure series heroes of the past half-century. This first critical review of Cussler's work features an overview of Pitt and the supporting characters and other heroes, an examination of Cussler's themes and influences, a review of his most important adventures, such as Raise the Titanic! and Iceberg, and a look at adaptations of his work in other media. Cussler joins the pantheon of such as Rudyard Kipling, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Ian Fleming, and this overdue volume demonstrates that beneath Cussler's immense popularity lies a literary depth that well merits scholarly attention.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786478965
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	05/20/2014
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	688,857
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Writer Steven Philip Jones lives in North Ogden, Utah.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vi

Foreword Mike Grell 1

Preface: Negative Evidence of Scholarly Production 3

1 Clive Cussler and Dirk Pirt 9

2 Cussler's Characters, Part 1: Dirk Pitt and Family 18

3 Cussler's Characters, Part 2: The Other Heroes 37

4 Cussler's Characters, Part 3: Heroines/Other Women and Villains/Villainesses 53

5 Women in Green: Cussler's Thematic Preoccupations 65

6 Influences from the Golden Age of Pulps, Movies and TV 94

7 Apotheosis: The Hero Reborn 111

8 Cussler's Evolving Structures and Plots 146

9 Adaptations and Cussleresque Adventures 164

Afterword: A Review of the Review 191

Chapter Notes 195

Bibliography 245

Index 255