Scan barcode
nigellicus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
5.0
It's hard not to feel sorry for the hapless Vadassy, roped into a plot, forced to hunt for a spy, a task for which he is woefully unprepared and which he goes about with a bumbling desperation. This is the anthisesis of one of those books where a clever slueth probes the doings and stories of a series of characters all confined to a single location, eventually, putting the clues together and seeing through the deceptions to finally reveal the culprit. Poor Vadassy acts in a way that probably more closely resembles how the rest of us would act in that situation, completely out of our depth. In the end, the hidden world of espionage and intrigue are larger and nastier than he could ever have imagined.
adrianjd's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I enjoyed this book. Set in a tumultuous time in Europe, as is most of Ambler’s work, this book will keep you guessing until the end
theaurochs's review against another edition
3.0
A paranoid and tense novel. The locations are well painted and populated with vivid if caricaturesque people. Vadassy, the archetypical spy protagonist, is thrust against his will into a world of intrigue- much imagined but much not. As the story progresses it becomes clearly that noone at the Hotel de la Reserve is exactly what they seem, and may or may not be trustworthy. Until the very last moment I did find find myself along with Vadassy unsure of who the culprit actually was, which is clearly the sign of competent plotting.
Vadassy himself is unique in his distinct blandness; often a passive protagonist as events unfold around him. This may be for the best though as the rest of the crew are, to say the least, of their time.
What surprised me was how little action takes place; beyond a brief chase sequence at the climax of the book, most of the novel is concerned with sowing unease and uncertainty, to reasonable effect. The lengthy conversations though can seem rambling and sometimes unclear in purpose.
The insight into the political climate of the late 30s is refreshing, and if anything could have taken more of a forefront.
A solid novel with tension and plot that holds up some 80 years later, and would probably be more greatly appreciated by a fan of the genre.
Vadassy himself is unique in his distinct blandness; often a passive protagonist as events unfold around him. This may be for the best though as the rest of the crew are, to say the least, of their time.
What surprised me was how little action takes place; beyond a brief chase sequence at the climax of the book, most of the novel is concerned with sowing unease and uncertainty, to reasonable effect. The lengthy conversations though can seem rambling and sometimes unclear in purpose.
The insight into the political climate of the late 30s is refreshing, and if anything could have taken more of a forefront.
A solid novel with tension and plot that holds up some 80 years later, and would probably be more greatly appreciated by a fan of the genre.
barts_books's review against another edition
3.0
A pleasant and entertaining spy novel that feels just a little faded.
fhackland's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
liamhaswings's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
alundeberg's review
4.0
Random fact: I have a weakness for Penguin Modern Classics. So when I spied Eric Ambler's "Epitaph for a Spy" with its artsy cover featuring a train in the distance headed of to some evocative setting on "The Great British Bump Off" table at Waterstones on Piccadilly, I had to get it. This is how I came into possession of a genre I do not typically read: the spy novel.
However, Josef Vadassy, the spy in question, is no spy. He is a quiet, taciturn language teacher on vacation in the south of France when he is mistakenly arrested for espionage. He is also a man without a country-- the machinations of shifting borders and political intrigue after the First World War has left Vadassy reliant on France's good graces for a home. Determined to prove his innocence and facing deportation, Vadassy agrees to act as a spy to find the real culprit out of the twelve other guests who are also staying at his hotel. What happens next can only be expected from a man tight on time, whose life's on the line, and has no experience playing the hero. Ambler's novel is in turns funny and dramatic as Vadassy tries to become an extrovert, take charge of his fate, and rise to the occasion.
I felt like I was going to go straight to hell for laughing at Vadassy's foibles, but he is so inept and the other guests comically prove that human behavior can never be predicted. But this is what makes this book so entertaining. Ambler perfectly captures what it is like to stay with a bunch of strangers and how the veneer of vacation hides a complex reality and no one is what they seem. While the mystery is comical, it also reveals the dark undertones of 1938 Europe on the brink of war; the Nazis have been sending political opponents to concentration camps, citizens have been displaced, forces have been mobilized, and predicts that everyone will be a Vadassy: thrust into playing uncomfortable new roles for survival.
However, Josef Vadassy, the spy in question, is no spy. He is a quiet, taciturn language teacher on vacation in the south of France when he is mistakenly arrested for espionage. He is also a man without a country-- the machinations of shifting borders and political intrigue after the First World War has left Vadassy reliant on France's good graces for a home. Determined to prove his innocence and facing deportation, Vadassy agrees to act as a spy to find the real culprit out of the twelve other guests who are also staying at his hotel. What happens next can only be expected from a man tight on time, whose life's on the line, and has no experience playing the hero. Ambler's novel is in turns funny and dramatic as Vadassy tries to become an extrovert, take charge of his fate, and rise to the occasion.
I felt like I was going to go straight to hell for laughing at Vadassy's foibles, but he is so inept and the other guests comically prove that human behavior can never be predicted. But this is what makes this book so entertaining. Ambler perfectly captures what it is like to stay with a bunch of strangers and how the veneer of vacation hides a complex reality and no one is what they seem. While the mystery is comical, it also reveals the dark undertones of 1938 Europe on the brink of war; the Nazis have been sending political opponents to concentration camps, citizens have been displaced, forces have been mobilized, and predicts that everyone will be a Vadassy: thrust into playing uncomfortable new roles for survival.
mlc2175's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25