Reviews

Airport by Arthur Hailey

sailorthemoon's review against another edition

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5.0

Wow. Just wow. That's all I have to say right now. I'm not sure that I can think. I've just finished Airport and for me it is one of the best book that come to my hands lately.

I'm already acquainted with Arthur Hailey's writing as I read his other novel Hotel and I loved it. It was a great book to start. But Airport is completely on another level. Both novels are pretty similar with slow build-up of plot, introducing the characters and very brief and not overbearing flashbacks from their past. And of course, I can not mention, how masterfully the airport setting was set up. This is the case, when there is a lot of technical information in the novel, but from it, the plot only gets richer and doesn't remind encyclopedia at all. Actually, it reminds me a lot of my favourite documentaries - X-Ray Mega Airport, Ultimate Airport Dubai and Heathrow: Britain's Busiest Airport.

Regarding the characters, I don't know how they could've been better written. We got to meet with a dozen of characters throughout the novel, and each of them was memorable and so real, that it felt as if I can touch them.

I don't know what to say anymore. I enjoyed the novel so much, that it seems that my ears are still ringing from all the tension of the finale.

Definitely a must read, that I can recommend to anyone who likes a great deal of suspense and aviation.

octavia_cade's review against another edition

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adventurous tense slow-paced

3.0

This airport thriller was first published back in the 1960s, I think, but a lot of it still feels contemporary. I think it's because of the very effective focus on all the different interlocking parts of the airport and the people who work in it. Hailey has clearly done his research, and the different jobs, stresses, and priorities of everyone from traffic controllers to mechanics to pilots, administration, and stewardesses are given genuinely thoughtful treatment; the parallels to today are easily drawn. I enjoyed it, and the last third, in particular, was tense and exciting... but my goodness, the glacial pace of the first two thirds! Because there's so much focus on all these different characters and elements, this book is heavily weighted to set-up. I didn't give the blurb much of a read, to be honest, before I started on this, so at the halfway point I was genuinely wondering if I'd misunderstood the genre and this was just going to be a slice-of-life novel about tensions at an airport during a snowstorm, or if something thriller-ish was actually going to happen. Well, it did happen. Eventually. 

Very eventually. And it was worth it when it did, but it took a long while to get there. 

humito's review against another edition

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adventurous informative medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

katewryna's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional informative reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

raeleechoins's review

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I just really didn’t care about anything that was happening or any of the characters 

catsflipped's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book started off fairly slow as we were introduced to the characters and their lives, the personal problems that were going to impact on their day.  The storm making everything just that bit harder, delaying getting the job done.

As we progress through the chapters the pace slowly builds, things are becoming clearer and the impending disaster unfolds.

The last few chapters start racing by, can anything be done to save the day, will decisions made earlier come back to haunt us.

The gripping final pages are edge of your seat stuff, brilliantly written keeping you in suspense to the very end.

sanchan's review

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informative slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.5

starcake's review against another edition

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3.0

This book was ok.I read it on a request of a friend who realllyyy wanted me to read it so I obliged.Reading the blurb I wasn't sure what to expect so I went in blind. The book is from the perspective of many different airport employees who go on with their daily lives and how they manage the airport and later deal with an emergency.
The start was slow and took some time to read as I wasnt really sure where it was leading.The middle where it really caught my interest as it all started leading up to the somthing big. Alas, the ending felt a bit anticlimactic to me as the said big thing they were leading upto ended rathar quickly.
The book ended up disappointing me with the finale that felt a little rushed.On the bright side,I did learn a lot of things about the airports back then.

alenab's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

jbrito's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25