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jimmacsyr's review against another edition
4.0
The background is Germany (specifically Berlin) through the eyes of post ww2 Berliners in the soviet sector. The intrigues of all sides as the lines begin to harden are the main focus of this well written (and in this edition's case, read) thriller. I enjoyed it very much.
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
5.0
Alex Meier fled Germany as a young man, and then returned to Berlin in 1948, forced out of the US when he refused to cooperate with Senator McCarthy. The Soviets are eager to build their stable of prominent writers and Meier is in need of a country. His real intention is to find a way to return to his son in the US, but as both the Americans and the East Germans are eager to use him, the possibility of doing so becomes more unlikely than ever. He also meets up with people from his past, people who were scarred by the war and who have agendas of their own.
Joseph Kanon knows Berlin and he's good at both writing morally complex characters and intricate plots. With Leaving Berlin, he's playing to his strengths. This is a fun spy thriller, with a bunch of twists and a large dose of moral ambiguity. It was a solid vacation read.
Joseph Kanon knows Berlin and he's good at both writing morally complex characters and intricate plots. With Leaving Berlin, he's playing to his strengths. This is a fun spy thriller, with a bunch of twists and a large dose of moral ambiguity. It was a solid vacation read.
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
4.0
I like Joseph Kanon's spy thrillers because he does Berlin in the aftermath of WWII very well. In The Berlin Exchange, a scientist who was caught slipping nuclear secrets to the Soviets is released from a British prison in an exchange with East Germany. He wants to go to East Germany, specifically Berlin, because that is where his ex-wife and son are. And the reunion goes well, but East Germany isn't a place that will allow him to live peacefully and get to know his son and there are undercurrents that quickly sweep away his plans. And so a desperate plan to return to the west is born.
There's a lot going on, which is what one wants from a spy thriller. Kanon does a good job of making a man who helped the Soviets get a nuclear bomb sympathetic. And Berlin, as well as East Germany, under communism, is vividly described. This is a fun thriller with good writing. Kanon makes even the bad guys complex and paces this novel well.
There's a lot going on, which is what one wants from a spy thriller. Kanon does a good job of making a man who helped the Soviets get a nuclear bomb sympathetic. And Berlin, as well as East Germany, under communism, is vividly described. This is a fun thriller with good writing. Kanon makes even the bad guys complex and paces this novel well.
jmclincoln's review against another edition
3.0
I was fortunate to win this book in a Goodreads giveaway. The story explores how complicated opinions and viewpoints were between the two world wars. With hindsight, we can appreciate how history played out. We can understand what shape Communism took as it was implemented. But without that historical perspective, returning to when Communism was just a philosophy not yet realized as a social/governmental structure, it’s easy to see how it may have had an allure (on paper, in philosophical discussions). This story takes place in 1963 after the tight restrictions of communism were firmly in place. This story follows the efforts of one man who realizes the folly of his ways and wants to get himself, his son, and ex-wife out of East Germany.
Unfortunately for me this story was a bit slow. There are many characters to track who are mentioned briefly but have important if limited influence on the success or failure of the escape. There’s also a lot of soul searching about the role the main characters played in the early days, spying for Russia and East Germany, believing they were building a better world. Broken dreams—lots of repetitive soul searching.
The main emphasis in the story is no one is trustworthy.
Thank you, Goodreads Giveaway, for the opportunity to read and review The Berlin Exchange.
Unfortunately for me this story was a bit slow. There are many characters to track who are mentioned briefly but have important if limited influence on the success or failure of the escape. There’s also a lot of soul searching about the role the main characters played in the early days, spying for Russia and East Germany, believing they were building a better world. Broken dreams—lots of repetitive soul searching.
The main emphasis in the story is no one is trustworthy.
Thank you, Goodreads Giveaway, for the opportunity to read and review The Berlin Exchange.
jyaremchuk's review against another edition
4.0
Liked this book, but it was a bit of a slog at times and took longer than I would predict for a 4 star spy novel. The ending is great.
lizella's review against another edition
3.0
Interestingly, this is the second Kanon book I've read this year and it is also set in post-WWII Berlin. While elements of the story are similar to The Good German, the central characters are different. Alex Meier is a Jewish writer who fled Berlin before the war and finds himself back after being deported for communist leanings. Soon after arriving back, he is caught up in the machinations of US, German, and Russian espionage while he reconnects with an old flame.
Its a spy thriller with an untrained spy at the center, trying to get himself out alive and back to the son he lives for. While it gets a bit unbelievable at times, it is a well-paced novel that is begging to be turned into a motion picture.
Its a spy thriller with an untrained spy at the center, trying to get himself out alive and back to the son he lives for. While it gets a bit unbelievable at times, it is a well-paced novel that is begging to be turned into a motion picture.
wanderlustqueen's review against another edition
2.0
I gave up on this. The premise was good, but there was a lot about the writing that irritated me.
lweihl's review against another edition
3.0
I'm always interested in WWII based stories so I picked this up in clearance section. I had a really hard time getting into it but about half way through the story got mote compelling. The ending turned out to not quite be what I expected and I'm still not sure it was a satisfying end.
egrupenhoff's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the historical aspect of this book and the surprise ending was a nice twist. I thought the characters could have been built up more throughout the book.
gvorb's review against another edition
3.0
Spy thrillers aren't my usual genre, and I can't say this one did too much for me. It was a quick read and, having spent a short time living in Berlin, it's always fun to read a book that's set there. Apart from that, it's nothing I would run out to recommend to anyone.