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zimaconfession's review against another edition
5.0
I stopped reading after only a few pages. For some reason I didn't like the writing, it was strange and confusing. So why have I given five stars?
Many months later I tried again. This time I ploughed on through the parts that I had dismissed as propaganda and found the story to me much more nuanced than I had first thought. In fact, it's one of the best and most interesting stories I've ever read. Apparently, it's not particularly true to the real facts (not in every respect). I think this can be excused. How many real facts are definitely known about a man in this position?
Many months later I tried again. This time I ploughed on through the parts that I had dismissed as propaganda and found the story to me much more nuanced than I had first thought. In fact, it's one of the best and most interesting stories I've ever read. Apparently, it's not particularly true to the real facts (not in every respect). I think this can be excused. How many real facts are definitely known about a man in this position?
fayster's review against another edition
3.0
He may have been an "honest" spy, but the book itself was a fictionalized account of his life, which was weird. Why do a book about a real-life person and make it into a fictional account with made up wife, daughter, etc. Overall, though, interesting read, fabulous story - somewhat tragic in the end. But since that part's not real...guess it doesn't matter.
ssindc's review
3.0
Not your everyday WWII spy novel, and by no means perfect, but a sufficiently gratifying pick from the Kindle First heap and a relatively quick read.
As for genre, this seems to be a mash-up between historical fiction, a garden variety page-turning spy novel, and ... something else, but I'm not sure what. On one level, the novel chronicles - and, apparently, takes any number of liberties with - the career of a (subsequently) celebrated spy, an actual historical figure, of whom there, apparently, was a rather definitive biography written in 2003 (in French), later translated into German (2004) and English (2004 or 2005), A Spy at the Heart of the Third Reich: The Extraordinary Story of Fritz Kolbe, America's Most Important Spy in World War II. Having not read the non-fiction version - which one must assume is more factually accurate but also more dry than this story - it's impossible to compare. Frankly, I wish I'd read the biography first so that I could compare them; but, having read this, I don't see myself rushing out to read another 300 pages on the same topic (particularly now that I spent some time doing online research and figuring out what portions of the story do and don't align with the mostly widely accepted historical record)...
Of course, we're reading a translation, so I'm in no position to fully apportion my (mostly minor) frustrations with the book between the author and the translator. There's no question that it's a compelling story, and any life, let alone such a life, at such a time and place, must have its share of joys and sorrows. My gripe with the author is that I didn't find two of the major artistic decisions worth the candle. The temporal ping-pong between the retelling and the action story didn't seem worth it (to me) in light of the minimal pay-off at the end; nor did the introduction of a reporter and a photographer (two additional voices that, again, to me, felt like interlopers) add much to the suspense, texture or overall presentation. (OK, introducing romantic tension between characters unrelated to the historical story line had me scratching my head, particularly since we learn that the definitive biography of Kolbe was written long after his death.) Other than that, I wasn't inspired by the prose, and I found the vocabulary inconsistent and, in spots, disappointing. But these are mostly quibbles that kept an enjoyable, entertaining, informative, page-turning read from being something really special.
As for genre, this seems to be a mash-up between historical fiction, a garden variety page-turning spy novel, and ... something else, but I'm not sure what. On one level, the novel chronicles - and, apparently, takes any number of liberties with - the career of a (subsequently) celebrated spy, an actual historical figure, of whom there, apparently, was a rather definitive biography written in 2003 (in French), later translated into German (2004) and English (2004 or 2005), A Spy at the Heart of the Third Reich: The Extraordinary Story of Fritz Kolbe, America's Most Important Spy in World War II. Having not read the non-fiction version - which one must assume is more factually accurate but also more dry than this story - it's impossible to compare. Frankly, I wish I'd read the biography first so that I could compare them; but, having read this, I don't see myself rushing out to read another 300 pages on the same topic (particularly now that I spent some time doing online research and figuring out what portions of the story do and don't align with the mostly widely accepted historical record)...
Of course, we're reading a translation, so I'm in no position to fully apportion my (mostly minor) frustrations with the book between the author and the translator. There's no question that it's a compelling story, and any life, let alone such a life, at such a time and place, must have its share of joys and sorrows. My gripe with the author is that I didn't find two of the major artistic decisions worth the candle. The temporal ping-pong between the retelling and the action story didn't seem worth it (to me) in light of the minimal pay-off at the end; nor did the introduction of a reporter and a photographer (two additional voices that, again, to me, felt like interlopers) add much to the suspense, texture or overall presentation. (OK, introducing romantic tension between characters unrelated to the historical story line had me scratching my head, particularly since we learn that the definitive biography of Kolbe was written long after his death.) Other than that, I wasn't inspired by the prose, and I found the vocabulary inconsistent and, in spots, disappointing. But these are mostly quibbles that kept an enjoyable, entertaining, informative, page-turning read from being something really special.
bbnut45's review
3.0
Wish that I had read the true story of Fritz Kolbe rather than this fictional account. The story was good but kept wondering “did this really happen?” Amazing bravery was shown by Mr. Kolbe.
christycd25c's review
4.0
this was a really good look at a side of the war we dont usually see. well drawn characters. enough ambiguity to be interesting not so much as to be annoying. worth your time.
arnicas's review
3.0
Annoyingly histrionic main character does things like stab pictures of Hitler with a fork. Along with the spying of course.
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