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jdelloso's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
tuomosuominen's review against another edition
4.0
A very well executed book, but a slight disappointment after Furst's absolutely splendid earlier work.
kathyemmons's review against another edition
4.0
Another compelling read from Alan Furst. It’s the first of his books I’ve read which takes place in Western (as opposed to Eastern) Europe, and I learned quite a bit about the German campaign to win the minds/attitudes of the French cultured class (and lower their resistance) before Germany’s 1940 invasion.
Perhaps Furst’s greatest skill is in conveying the blanket of doom that descended inexorably on Europe in the inter-war years. To have lived through that wretched time, unable to alter the enormous forces of war — again! — must have killed part of the soul. It’s sobering to be reminded of how safely I live in the 21st century.
Perhaps Furst’s greatest skill is in conveying the blanket of doom that descended inexorably on Europe in the inter-war years. To have lived through that wretched time, unable to alter the enormous forces of war — again! — must have killed part of the soul. It’s sobering to be reminded of how safely I live in the 21st century.
mattl's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
orangebug's review against another edition
3.0
Rounding up. Spy novel?! First, at least half of the book, I was like, oh my god this is dull but then as books do, it picked up and especially after Fredrik went to Berlin and hooked up with Renate, things got more interesting. Also about the compromise over the Germans/Sudenland/Czechoslovakia with Germany before WWII..... hopefully we are not in a similar situation with Russia currently!
librarian_lisa_22's review against another edition
4.0
A more approachable spy novel, with characters you can see in your mind as on the silver screen.
kfreedman's review against another edition
Spy novel, not my favorite genre - but the sex scenes were good and the writing is good quality overall. Not disappointed about the couple of days it took for me to read.
eclectictales's review against another edition
4.0
I was approved of a galley copy of this novel for review. This was my first Alan Furst novel (has been meaning to read his work for a very long time now) and I highly enjoyed it. The reader follows actor Frederic Stahl as he encounters an array of different characters while filming in Paris, some of whom are Nazi sympathisers and operatives. It was also interesting to follow him as he films the movie; I don't know much about how movies were filmed abroad during this time so it was a fascinating read.
The espionage aspect was a slow burn but also realistic, with a few twists and turns along the way to up the suspense. Along the way, the reader also learns more about who Frederic Stahl is as a person, where his convictions lie and about his past. Overall, I greatly enjoyed this novel and recommend it to fans of the espionage genre and novels set during in and around World War Two.
My complete review of the novel was originally posted at eclectictales.com: http://www.eclectictales.com/blog/2013/06/12/review-mission-to-paris/
The espionage aspect was a slow burn but also realistic, with a few twists and turns along the way to up the suspense. Along the way, the reader also learns more about who Frederic Stahl is as a person, where his convictions lie and about his past. Overall, I greatly enjoyed this novel and recommend it to fans of the espionage genre and novels set during in and around World War Two.
My complete review of the novel was originally posted at eclectictales.com: http://www.eclectictales.com/blog/2013/06/12/review-mission-to-paris/