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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
Saw the movie of this one years ago, and liked it.... but the book is much better. Forsyth writes in a very straightforward fashion, so much so that you believe that this is true, even when parts of it are fiction.
A good page turner. Can imagine that this was quite shocking that such things happened and still existed in the 1970's, when the book was first published.
A good page turner. Can imagine that this was quite shocking that such things happened and still existed in the 1970's, when the book was first published.
adventurous
tense
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This book starts with a news reporter named Peter Miller chasing ambulances in Hamburg, Germany looking for a story. He stumbles into a suicide scene and comes to possess the dead man Tauber's diary which details the horrors he experienced during the Holocaust. This leads Miller to search for the SS commander of the Riga concentration camp who Tauber claims to have seen in recent months. Miller's search has suspense, emotion, and an element of surprise. There is a personal reason for Miller's commitment to finding and punishing the SS commander. This leads him into the dark and dangerous world of ODESSA, the international organization of former SS men who evade prosecution for their war crimes.
Pretty good. The ending was a bit 'meh'. Those Nazi SS officers were proper evil bastards though weren't they?
espionage tropes are kinda not my cup of tea. nevertheless, i loved the suspense!
Read this ages ago and should read it again soon. It was a quite a revelation when it first came out and they did not ruin it as the movie. Something we all suspected, just like allied soldiers were spirited out of occupied Europe, post war too many Nazis were helped to escape retribution. No doubt based on his research while a journo it is a convincing story with action aplenty and real pace.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
maybe 4.5
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Odessa File was a fun read. Many of the twists and turns of the story are predictable, but the book remains a page turner. The novel's appeal comes mainly from its setting, which is based on historical facts.