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retired_to_alternate_universe's review
4.0
I was in the mood for a good cold war espionage thriller. Having not read any of Len Deighton's works, I arbitrarily picked this one up. It was just what the doctor ordered.
sandin954's review against another edition
3.0
Published in 1964, I found this deftly plotted cold war suspense tale to be an enjoyable read.
dbutlergallie's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
gsatori's review against another edition
5.0
This is not a casual read. The plot is complicated, there are numerous devastating plot twists, and a shocker reveal at the end. in my opinion, this is the best of Deighton that I've read so far, and book number three of the Palmer series, although that character is unnamed in these books.
bonaldi's review against another edition
4.0
‘You live only once,’ said Stok. ‘I can make once do,’ I said.
Drier wit and none of the technological digressions that mar other Deightons; avoids the cliches while coining his own.
Drier wit and none of the technological digressions that mar other Deightons; avoids the cliches while coining his own.
tomfairfax's review against another edition
4.0
My first Len Deighton book and a very good read. The (unnamed) protagonist is imperfect, witty, capable and sufficiently unreliable to keep the reader in suspense. He is an everyman who voices barrack-room opinions somewhere above the misanthropy of Callan but closer to it than to other agents one could mention. The plot is intricate yet believable, driven by human motivations rather than vague megalomania. The footnotes were an unexpected bonus, explaining the structure of various intelligence services, the post-war situation, German idioms and so on. I picked the book up in a charity shop and will look out for others with the same protagonist. Having seen the Ipcress File film, one does picture and hear the narrator as Michael Caine despite him coming from the north of England: will have to research some alternative actors.
blueskygreentreesyellowsun's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book just fine, but I would have liked it even more if I had understood what was going on.
paul_cornelius's review against another edition
4.0
A wide ranging spy novel, which is quite the opposite of the film version. Whereas the 1966 film with Michael Caine locks onto Berlin as its locale for action, Deighton's book actually ranges over France, Eastern Europe, and spends as much or more time in the UK than in Berlin. For it's not just a spy story that Deighton has written, it's a commentary on the aftermath of World War II and the quagmire into which escaped war criminals, wartime opportunists, and those who wanted to forget their past could disappear. Thus it is no surprise to see so much of the plot take place in seedy run-down garages, hotels, rented rooms, and the like. The glamour of the James Bond type spy doesn't exist, here.
One thing missing from Deighton's earlier success is the wry witticisms that gloss the culture of the times. Instead, this takes plot takes its commentary on chess at the beginning of each chapter and sets its protagonist and other characters against the almost predetermined moves and limits of the pieces on the game board.
One thing missing from Deighton's earlier success is the wry witticisms that gloss the culture of the times. Instead, this takes plot takes its commentary on chess at the beginning of each chapter and sets its protagonist and other characters against the almost predetermined moves and limits of the pieces on the game board.
phileasfogg's review
5.0
The third in Len Deighton's 'nameless spy' series provides more witty, well-written, spy action. I enjoyed it more than its predecessors; its highs are higher, though it sags a little in the middle. Colonel Stok and Hallam are great fun. The climactic scenes are the best Deighton has yet written, action-packed, laugh-out-loud funny and sad all at once.
Jean, such a good character in The IPCRESS File, is barely present, and might have been better served by being absent entirely.
Deighton exercises a new writing muscle, injecting a few chapters of close third-person narration in amongst the series' usual first-person, abandoning the idea that we're reading a real agent's secret reports.
The movie is very different, and is in some ways better than the book. In particular, the 'funeral in Berlin' of the title plays out very differently, so differently you could see the movie and consider much of the book unspoiled. Sam Steel is more developed: the screenwriters found a better reason for her to be there. But it's a shame the book's superior finale wasn't used.
My copy - a Penguin 1966 - has a few interesting features. It has a great blurb talking up how popular Deighton's books are, invoking Bond and the Beatles. It claims Americans waited in line for hours to get into cinemas showing The IPCRESS File. There are some great excerpts from reviews, including a few surprising names, such as:
A fireworks manufacturer successfully sued the author or publisher (wikipedia is unspecific, and I can't find a better source), over a character's lengthy criticism of the use of fireworks on Guy Fawkes night. They frighten the animals and blind and burn children. Who gains? 'Brock's Fireworks,' says the hero.
At least one later edition had much of the offending conversation removed. My copy strangely has the name of the manufacturer 'redacted' with black texta. It must have still been in a warehouse when the lawsuit was decided, and was made sellable by manually removing the company name.
Jean, such a good character in The IPCRESS File, is barely present, and might have been better served by being absent entirely.
Deighton exercises a new writing muscle, injecting a few chapters of close third-person narration in amongst the series' usual first-person, abandoning the idea that we're reading a real agent's secret reports.
The movie is very different, and is in some ways better than the book. In particular, the 'funeral in Berlin' of the title plays out very differently, so differently you could see the movie and consider much of the book unspoiled. Sam Steel is more developed: the screenwriters found a better reason for her to be there. But it's a shame the book's superior finale wasn't used.
My copy - a Penguin 1966 - has a few interesting features. It has a great blurb talking up how popular Deighton's books are, invoking Bond and the Beatles. It claims Americans waited in line for hours to get into cinemas showing The IPCRESS File. There are some great excerpts from reviews, including a few surprising names, such as:
Tremendously gripping and very well-written. - P.G. Wodehouse
Absolutely perfect - suspenseful, intricate and coldly logical. - Ogden Nash
A fireworks manufacturer successfully sued the author or publisher (wikipedia is unspecific, and I can't find a better source), over a character's lengthy criticism of the use of fireworks on Guy Fawkes night. They frighten the animals and blind and burn children. Who gains? 'Brock's Fireworks,' says the hero.
At least one later edition had much of the offending conversation removed. My copy strangely has the name of the manufacturer 'redacted' with black texta. It must have still been in a warehouse when the lawsuit was decided, and was made sellable by manually removing the company name.
spacestationtrustfund's review
3.0
The fact that Len Deighton is an accredited historian in his own right is no surprise, and it's also one of the reasons this novel works so damn well. Anyway, here's my favourite thing Len Deighton has ever said: "The best thing about writing books is being at a party and telling some pretty girl you write books, the worst thing is sitting at a typewriter and actually writing the book."