A review by byashleylamar
Midnight in Europe by Alan Furst

2.0

I read a lot of WWII fiction and I watch a lot of WWII movies so it's possible that being so over-saturated in the genre has caused me to become overly critical. I try to consider each book, and each film, on its own merit but I find that I can't help but compare books to one another. When I do that it is inevitable that one eventually disappoints me and unfortunately that is what happened here in Midnight in Europe. It's a good book but it just cannot stand up against some of the more incredible WWII novels I've read recently.

Midnight in Europe very simply didn't feel finished. It didn't read like a finished novel with well-developed characters, a complex plot and a style that forces readers to lose track of time as they wander through the pages. This felt like a well-perceived draft but it didn't feel finished. It felt rushed, as though Furst was racing to meet a deadline and submitted this book on time, in the 11th hour, just to avoid being late and yet knowing full-well that it isn't his best work.
I picked up, and put down, Midnight in Europe at least four times before actually finishing it. I received this book as an advanced copy prior to its publication in July, 2014 and it is now September. It took months to finish a book I would have normally finished in 2-3 days. There is just something major missing; the hook isn't there.

It's truly unfortunate. The best thing I can say is do not judge Alan Furst based on this work. He has written many other (much better) novels that I am certain readers will enjoy. As for Midnight in Europe, skip it.