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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
It was OK. After "Any human heart" I expected something at the same level. During reading "Restless" I couldn't resist feeling that Boyd was practicing writing on this novel. Lots of plots developed at the beginning didn't have any meaning in the end (e.g. wheelchair...), main character (Eva) was inconsistent - her young version was totally different from her old/adult character. I read it to the end but was quite happy to finish it.
Having enjoyed previous novels by William Boyd, seeing that the BBC was doing an adaptation of Restless over Christmas. I firstly bought this novel in order to attempt to read it before the show, and then failed reading the novel or watching the TV version.
However, I finally got round to reading Restless, and really enjoyed it. It tells the story of Eva, a spy during the early years of the Second World War, during her time in action and in the 1970s, where the tale is told from the perspective of her daughter, a single mother who teaches languages. This means that the novel ticks my love of spy-related things and even Cold War-related things which was great. Boyd's writing style, as I've previously mentioned, is fast paced and managed to make both strands of the novel very engaging.
Character-wise, Boyd writes both the women very well. Both Eva and her daughter Ruth are well created and formed, I was a little concerned after Waiting for Sunrise as I felt Hettie was not necessarily the best character. However, Eva in particular was a really intelligent, strong female lead and it was really great to read her. In terms of the other characters, I particularly liked the Iranian student that Ruth was teaching who's desperate attempts to woo her were really quite sweet. Romer, Eva's spymaster, was a really interesting character who the reader, like Eva, hardly truly gets to understand.
I'm hoping to get stuck into another Boyd novel soon, he's really becoming a favourite.
However, I finally got round to reading Restless, and really enjoyed it. It tells the story of Eva, a spy during the early years of the Second World War, during her time in action and in the 1970s, where the tale is told from the perspective of her daughter, a single mother who teaches languages. This means that the novel ticks my love of spy-related things and even Cold War-related things which was great. Boyd's writing style, as I've previously mentioned, is fast paced and managed to make both strands of the novel very engaging.
Character-wise, Boyd writes both the women very well. Both Eva and her daughter Ruth are well created and formed, I was a little concerned after Waiting for Sunrise as I felt Hettie was not necessarily the best character. However, Eva in particular was a really intelligent, strong female lead and it was really great to read her. In terms of the other characters, I particularly liked the Iranian student that Ruth was teaching who's desperate attempts to woo her were really quite sweet. Romer, Eva's spymaster, was a really interesting character who the reader, like Eva, hardly truly gets to understand.
I'm hoping to get stuck into another Boyd novel soon, he's really becoming a favourite.
Ok before jumping to the review part I just wanted to admit some things
First of all I enjoyed reading it more than I thought I would and I think it was partly because it was a borrowed book from a very lovely friend sort of person of mine.
Second of all the other reason that I liked this book was because I am Iranian and I was kinda exited to see a Persian character in the book!
Now the review:
I know it says thriller on the cover but I wouldn't exactly call this kind of book a thriller !
LITERALLY NOTHING HAPPENED til page 214!
The other thing that bothered me so much was some characters that were completely pointless! This Ludger guy who just wondered around the house, his partner and Hamid the Persian guy who went to Indonesia!!!!
And I've had higher hopes for the ending part which truly let me down.
But ok I can't deny the fact that it truly was a page-turner book and made me not to think about things for a while.
So here's three stars for the three good features that this book had for me!
First of all I enjoyed reading it more than I thought I would and I think it was partly because it was a borrowed book from a very lovely friend sort of person of mine.
Second of all the other reason that I liked this book was because I am Iranian and I was kinda exited to see a Persian character in the book!
Now the review:
I know it says thriller on the cover but I wouldn't exactly call this kind of book a thriller !
LITERALLY NOTHING HAPPENED til page 214!
The other thing that bothered me so much was some characters that were completely pointless! This Ludger guy who just wondered around the house, his partner and Hamid the Persian guy who went to Indonesia!!!!
And I've had higher hopes for the ending part which truly let me down.
But ok I can't deny the fact that it truly was a page-turner book and made me not to think about things for a while.
So here's three stars for the three good features that this book had for me!
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A different view than the normal historical spy thriller. I thought the mother/daughter relationship did not ring true, but that didn't distract too much from the overall story.
★★★★★★★☆☆☆ 7/10
I was myself surprised how much I enjoyed this spy thriller set in WWII. This book will have you hooked after a few pages, I just couldn't stop reading. The plot was interesting but what I enjoyed, even more, is the author’s style of writing. I am not a huge fan of fiction but I've already put other books by the author on my to-read list and look forward to reading them.
GOOD: addictive and well-written
VS BAD: some things just seemed too unrealistic to me
IS THIS A BOOK FOR YOU? If you enjoy war thrilling novels, definitely a book for you.
I was myself surprised how much I enjoyed this spy thriller set in WWII. This book will have you hooked after a few pages, I just couldn't stop reading. The plot was interesting but what I enjoyed, even more, is the author’s style of writing. I am not a huge fan of fiction but I've already put other books by the author on my to-read list and look forward to reading them.
GOOD: addictive and well-written
VS BAD: some things just seemed too unrealistic to me
IS THIS A BOOK FOR YOU? If you enjoy war thrilling novels, definitely a book for you.
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
William Boyd can do no wrong according to me. Every book I have read is great.
This was such a good read! It's set in Oxfordshire, England in the late 1970s and in various European locales during WWII. The modern story is of a young single mum who learns that her mother was an agent in an ultra-secret branch of the British Secret Service during the war. Her mum reveals this truth because she is certain someone from her past has reappeared and is trying to kill her.
The contemporary sections of the novel are narrated in first-person by the daughter and the tone is quirky, sweet and irreverant, Kate Atkinson-ish. The parts set during WWII cast the reader as observer and are John Le Carre juicy spy stuff.
Again, it was a story, an approach and a set of characters that surprised me and kept me eagerly turning the page. I love a great yarn!
The contemporary sections of the novel are narrated in first-person by the daughter and the tone is quirky, sweet and irreverant, Kate Atkinson-ish. The parts set during WWII cast the reader as observer and are John Le Carre juicy spy stuff.
Again, it was a story, an approach and a set of characters that surprised me and kept me eagerly turning the page. I love a great yarn!