The Philosopher's Stone opens with a blatant rip-off of the opening to Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indy is deep in a Latin American jungle, accompanied by a jittery local guide. They approach an ancient ruin that holds a mysterious artifact that may possess magical properties. After overcoming a series of booby traps and obstacles, Indy's prize is taken at the last possible moment by a new rival- not Renee Belloq in this case, but instead an Italian Fascist named Sarducci. In spite of being out manned and outgunned, Indy springs into action and makes a daring escape- alive, but without his artifact.
How did it feel to be reading an Indy novel with an opening "template" that borrowed so heavily from Raiders? Simply put: fantastic. Philosopher's Stone is the first of four novels in the series written by Max McCoy. Particularly on the heels of the disastrous Caidin books, McCoy's approach is a welcome change. Formulaic? Sure, but who cares? It's INDY.
This is one of the aspects that I enjoyed the most about the Philosopher's Stone- I believed that McCoy understood the character and what made him great in the first place. He is closer to the Indy of Raiders than the Indy of Crusade- a roguish risk-taker who is not unaccustomed to finding himself in dangerous situations surrounded by shady characters. McCoy also nails characterizations of supporting characters- such as Marcus Brody and Sallah - while introducing compelling new figures to the Indy canon.
One of the great ironies of Philosopher's Stone is how much it has in common with Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull- in spite of the fact that it came out 13 years earlier. (Frankly, I wish they had based this movie on this novel rather than Koepp script.) Indy is chasing down the Crystal Skull and, after his failed expedition, is fired from his academic post by the Dean of Princeton as a result of pressure from the United States Government. Government agents pressure Indy to help them track down the mysterious (and real) Voynich Manuscript, which some believe may hold the secrets to alchemy (turning objects to gold). Fans of Harry Potter will appreciate some of the lore discussed here, specifically in regards to the philosopher's stone and Nicholas Flamel.
The adventure takes Indy from the jungles of central America, through Princeton, a great sequence in NYC, a harrowing transatlantic flight, a visit to London, a trip to Italy, and ultimately through the deserts of Libya. Danger lurks around every corner and he must choose his friends carefully.
McCoy gets (nearly) everything right here- strong characters (both good and bad), a compelling macguffin that blends historical fact with mystery, and wonderful, varied locations that all seem very "Indy". There are good "set pieces" as well, with Indy wandering the dark streets of New York late at night before discovering a creepy rare book shop, an exploding apartment, a daring escape from a hijacked junk boat, and a deadly sandstorm.
The only complaints that I have about this one are fairly minor and "nit-picky". It breaks with the canon on a few points - particularly Indy's lack of language skills (doesn't understand any Italian, which conflicts with Young Indy), and the fact that this adventure is not acknowledged in the Crystal Skull movie (I care less about this point). There was also a plot point regarding the Crystal Skull and a curse that will "cause you to destroy all that you love." This "legend" is enough to keep Indy from becoming physically involved with the spunky and attractive love interest for the novel, Alecia Dunston. It seemed decidedly out of character for Indy to be chaste with her as a result of an alleged curse. (I think Indy would take his chances in this situation.) Regardless, these complaints are admittedly minor, particularly when compared with the mountains of problems in the Caidin books.
All in all, this is a great first effort by McCoy and one that I hope continues in the following books. He strikes a great balance for an adventure that is up-tempo, fun and rollicking, with some neat historical details thrown into the mix. Skip the Caidin books- Indy's back with this one!
Indy rating: 9/10
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