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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
I would have given it five stars when I read it as a teenager. Holds up ok.
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Historical fiction in the form of a mystery - based on the effort to track down the former SS men who fled at the end of World War II and ended up in South America or the Middle East. A good plot, and well written, although a few of the twists and turns were a bit too far-fetched.
This was a lot of fun and exactly what I needed right now - a thrilling romp through history. It doesn't approach being literary but is fun. There are a few too many coincidences and things that work out perfectly, but as an example of the early spy/thriller novel, it makes sense. Had a great time and will continue to read works by the author.
The infamous Nazi organization ODESSA, internationally famous for its war aids after the Second World War, is discovered in its labyrinths by a journalist researcher.
The German journalist finds a common thread when investigating the reasons for the suicide of an old Jew, finding some accusing documents of the deceased against ahead of a Nazi extermination camp.
All this immerses him in a vortex where, surprisingly, he must face facts of his family past.
Forsyth's novel is compelling, forcing the reader to understand both the characters and the action, especially in this case where what is fictional merges with the reality of what was that horror of genocide.
The German journalist finds a common thread when investigating the reasons for the suicide of an old Jew, finding some accusing documents of the deceased against ahead of a Nazi extermination camp.
All this immerses him in a vortex where, surprisingly, he must face facts of his family past.
Forsyth's novel is compelling, forcing the reader to understand both the characters and the action, especially in this case where what is fictional merges with the reality of what was that horror of genocide.
This books gives perspective on how some Germans felt about their infamous history. Very detailed. A revenge of the guy against a particular war criminal for reasons better known to him. His personal life making an appearance here & there.
1st half is all about set-up where as
2nd half is were we see things moving.
1st half is all about set-up where as
2nd half is were we see things moving.
I enjoyed the book even with Miller's stupidity. I really wanted to find a good spy type novel and this was the first one that popped up, I had never heard of it but was sucked in quickly. Took me about 3 days to read and gave me the desire to find out more about post war Germany.
2.5: The writing is best when Forsyth is unpacking some of the fictionalised constructions of Nazi actions and atrocities, and exploring the harrowing accounts of Holocaust survivors (e.g. Tauber’s diary). You get the sense that Forsyth consulted others about their experiences and adapted his notes of those conversations to add impressive flavour to this book. Unfortunately, that’s where the strengths end. The plot is rather dull, but decent in the first two thirds. It then takes a strange tangent toward the fantastical, as if Forsyth suddenly thought, “I’m supposed to be writing a thriller - better get on with that, then“. The last third of the book is very poor. Additionally, Forsyth’s protagonist, Miller, is a textbook Mary Sue, and you get the sense that Forsyth is inserting his own desires into the character, right down to the Jaguar he references in painful detail seemingly every five pages. Women are totally secondary in this tale of - wait for it - ‘revenge’. The only female character mentioned more than once or twice is Miller’s partner, Sigi, an exotic dancer who is mostly present to fulfil Miller’s sexual needs. Oh, and her only real aspirations are to get married and have children. The book is definitely readable, primarily because of the factors mentioned at the start, but by the time the back cover is closed, you’ll have forgotten - or care to have forgotten - most of the characters and hackneyed plot devices and dialogue.