Robert K. Tanenbaum Message Board
Jill Adels posts on 4/6/2009 5:38:38 PM
I was so bewildered when I read HOAX that I wondered if Tanenbaum had had a stroke. I was going to write him via his publisher, just to point out, mercifully, that St Theresa is NOT a martyr as he kept repeating, then noticed this site which seems to explain the problem. I will check out Gruber.
David posts on 3/1/2009 11:03:18 AM
As a person who reads 80 to 100 books a year I have a eclectic range of books. Tanenbaum's Karp series I have found to be a wonderful insight into NYC goings on. If the books have changed I've found that David Grail is not as featured as in some of the past books. Are the books unreadable? NO they may have changed, but they still are enjoyable and I will continue to buy the hardcovers as they come out.
Dave Robinson posts on 2/28/2009 8:19:41 PM
Cher:
Yes, there is a big difference - see my post from 7/16/2007 on this board. It's true, Michael Gruber and Tanenbaum collaborated on the 1st 15 books, with Gruber supplying the style and much of the writing. And the books since then are quite different in style. Michael Gruber has written 5 really excellent novels since - if you liked the style of the 1st 15 Karp books then you'll like those 5. They are: Tropic of Night, City of Bones, Night of the Jaguar, The Book of Air and Shadows, and The Forgery of Venus.
Cher posts on 2/28/2009 7:34:25 PM
David: Have you noticed a difference between the first 15 books and the last ones? I did some exploring and found Michael Gruber's website --- seems like Robert Tanenbaum hired Gruber to write the first 15 books for him! At least, that's what Mr. Gruber says on his web site.
I am going to order a few books which have been written by Gruber and see if I can once again find that magic that was in the first 15 books in the Butch Karp/Marlene Ciampi series!!!
David posts on 2/27/2009 1:52:40 PM
In August 2006 I discoverd Butch and his family and ordered the 1st 18 books which I read in 7 weeks. My only problem is that I have to wait a year to get each new book in the series.
Cher posts on 2/26/2009 8:13:54 PM
Yep! Someone else is definitely writing Tanenbaum's books now. Counter Play and Malice were horrible, and I am just starting Escape, but I'm afraid that that one will be the same drivel that has been cranked out in the other two.
He was one of my very favorite writers and I loved his characters, but the dialogue in these last two actually had me cringing in horror --- I could have written better stuff myself!
Mr. Tanenbaum, please, PLEASE, go back to writing your own books! It's not fair to have a reader pay for a book with your name on it but is written by a "ghost writer" --- in fact, I think its criminal!
Marlene Cintron posts on 1/12/2009 12:27:52 PM
Just read Counterplay. It contains two errors (maybe more) but these were important to me:
1. Puerto Ricans are not immigrants. They are US Citizens. PR is a territory of the US, just like Washington, DC. Our men go to war just like the rest of us, but they cannot vote for the President that sends them if they live on the island.
2. The word "de nada" (you're welcome) is written just like I wrote it, not "denada".
Love his stuff. Probably because the heroine's name is Marlene.
Willing to proof read spanish content in his upcoming books for the privilege and so that I will not lose my cool if I have spent ten bucks on it.
LCW posts on 11/27/2008 10:16:31 PM
Tanembaum should stop writing unless he and Michael Gruber can resolve their differences and begin to work together again.
LCW posts on 9/12/2008 7:08:09 PM
We used to buy every new Tannenbaum in advance to be sure we got it the day it was published. No more--the recent ones without Michael Gruber aren't worth reading. Apparently the editors don't spend much time with them either as they are full of spelling and grammatical errors. Too bad they couldn't work together with Tannenbaum's ideas and Gruber's writing skills and share credit as co-authors. Have read Gruber's books--while they are far better written tna the later Tanenbaum's, they aren't nearly as good as the early Tannabaums.
bobm123 posts on 8/13/2008 11:28:57 PM
Fool me once, shame on you; Fool me 4 times , I'm an idiot.... for actually thinking Tanenbaum's books were going to improve. The last 4, including Malice, are so immaturely written, and so poorly researched, that the reader wonders how he gets them published.What was once an enjoyable series, has deteriorated into something less than pulp. Please folks, read these reviews before you spend money on this author.
Click Here for Messages:
1 - 10
11 - 20
21 - 30
31 - 40
41 - 50
51 - 60
61 - 70
71 - 80
81 - 90
Note: the views expressed here are only those of the posters.
