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nonna7's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not usually a fan of spy novels, but the period prior to WWII has always interested me and the description was intriguing. The book takes place during the waning days of the Spanish Civil War, a war that has also been referred to as a rehearsal for WWII since it was, essentially a training ground for Fascism. The book's central character is Cristian Ferrer, an attorney with a well known law firm with offices both in Paris and New York. They are sympathetic to anti fascist causes. Ferrar's boss flew in WWI. Ferrar's family fled Spain when the civil war began. He is the only breadwinner for the family which consists of his father whose main purpose in life is to track down rare stamps, his mother, his religious sister and his Abuela (grandmother) who really runs the household and is the only one, other than Cristian, who is grounded in reality. Cristian is approached by a member of the Spanish Republican government to assist with arms shipments to Spanish soldiers. It's all but impossible for the Spanish Republic to get the arms they need thanks to British and American laws, but apparently Franco gets everything he needs from his fellow Fascist. Even war and intrigue can't stop Cristian from having an active love life though. The descriptions in the book are both elegant AND erotic. The book is rich in detail also. What food they are eating,the music, the clothing and more. I can picture this as a really well done HBO or British miniseries also.
persey's review against another edition
2.0
Furst phoned this one in. The characters, settings and dialogue are sketchy and formulaic, even as he explains things any dunderhead would know and repeats plot points in case we missed them the first time. A very disappointing effort from an author who's given me much entertainment in the past. This barely earns two stars.
cjmichel's review against another edition
1.0
I found that I could just not get into this book. I was reading and reading but nothing absorbed and when I stopped for the day, I couldn't retain anything I had read. I would start again the next day and still couldn't connect it with anything I had read the day before. I have never had this happen to me with a book before. I stopped halfway through the book.
mimima's review against another edition
2.0
I used to overpack books, taking far more than I needed on a trip. The last couple of times, I've underpacked resulting in an emergency book purchase at Hudson News. This was one I picked up in that situation. I've never read, although he's been recommended, Alan Furst before. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it was a mildly entertaining story of pre-war Europe.
abookishtype's review against another edition
3.0
In 1937, Cristián Ferrar is a senior partner for Coudert Frères. He has a comfortable life in Paris, keeps his family in style in a town out in the French country side. He's not married, but has no trouble finding women to spend time with. He's got a reputation as a problem solver so, when an official with the Spanish Republican intelligence service is killed in Madrid, Cristián is summoned to take his place in getting arms and munitions to Spain. Midnight in Europe, by Alan Furst, shows us a year in the life of Cristián Ferrar as he rushes across Europe "seeing what he can do."
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from Edelweiss for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from Edelweiss for review consideration.
alba89's review against another edition
3.0
Fascinating setting with a plethora of intriguing characters, beautifully written, but not emotionally engaging. No arc, main character wasn't changed. He was the same at the end as he was in the beginning. No emotional journey. He didn't even seem very affected by the dangerous work he was doing. I felt like the author relied too much on the dramatic setting of the Spanish Civil War and build up to WW2 in lieu of creating an emotional arc for the main character. In the end nothing really happened. Maybe that was the point, I'm not sure. Their side lost and the bigger war seemed inevitable. Fate was sealed.
I wasn't bored. It was entertaining. But it didn't sweep me away.
This is the first book I've read by this author, whom I've been wanting to read for a long time. I don't know if this one is typical. If all his books are like this, maybe he's just not to my taste.
I wasn't bored. It was entertaining. But it didn't sweep me away.
This is the first book I've read by this author, whom I've been wanting to read for a long time. I don't know if this one is typical. If all his books are like this, maybe he's just not to my taste.
howgreen's review against another edition
4.0
Reading Alan Furst is an education in history, accompanied by entertaining story telling.
alextorres's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 it was nice, well written, and just an easy read :) I like ferrar he’s a cool character