This is the first Tom Clancy book I have read, and I am ashamed to admit that I saw the movie before I read the book (please don't judge; I wouldn't do that to you). While Harrison Ford kicked butt as the main character, Jack Ryan, in the movie version, I will stick to the somewhat new adage of "the book was better."
Not only was the book better, it was also significantly different than the movie. I think I even read a tidbit of trivia that stated how Tom Clancy disassociated himself with the film after he read the script.
Tom Clancy is altogether a different bird than what I'm used to reading. While the book is packed full of action, you don't really get the sense of action-packed due to the extreme introspections and reflections each character goes through. I will admit, it did make the book go by faster for me (see 540 pages) once I figured that out and was able to skim through the sections that had little bearing on understanding the plot.
Overall, I am not disappointed that I read Patriot Games. It definitely takes patience, and one has to admire Clancy's gumption with the plot (assassination attempt of the royal family...come on!).
Oddly, this was also the first Tom Clancy book I ever read, but that was a good 25 years ago. For what it's worth, Clear and Present Danger is also much better than the movie.
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