Stephen O'Connor (2)
Autor von Smokestack Lightning: Stories
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Stephen O'Connor is the author of "Will My Name Be Shouted Out?," his account of his years teaching creative writing in a New York inner-city school. Katha Pollitt called it "a wonderful, heartbreaking, enraging book." His is also the author of "Rescue," a collection of short fiction. O'Connor, an mehr anzeigen adjunct professor of creative writing at Lehman College, also teaches at the New School & Rutgers University. He resides in New York City. (Bowker Author Biography) weniger anzeigen
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- Werke
- 2
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- 7
- Beliebtheit
- #1,123,407
- Bewertung
- 4.4
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- 2
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- 35
The Spy in the City of Books follows the unlikely hero of the elderly Martin LeBris, a former World War II OSS agent (Office of Strategic Services), as his dark past comes back to haunt him. Nearly 60 years after the war, some of LeBris' old European friends and contacts are systematically assassinated as a heartless killer closes in on him, intent on settling an old vendetta and on finding a priceless family artifact.
The novel transitions smoothly between LeBris' modern day experiences and his daring World War II activities as the mystery unfolds. It sets up a nice juxtaposition between youth and age…and how strong Martin was versus how weak he is now. Of course, true strength doesn't always lie in the physical.
For me, the heart of The Spy in the City of Books lies in LeBris' World War II experiences. Loosely based on some of the exploits of former OSS spy Edwin Poitras, one of twelve or so men whose file is still classified nearly sixty years later (what the hell was he doing over there?), the flashback scenes are gripping and intense, and lend the book a strong narrative.
O'Connor has done his research well, and I had the opportunity to hear him speak about The Spy in the City of Books awhile back. Don't quote me on it since it's been a year or more, but I'm pretty sure I heard him say that one of the events depicted in the book actually happened: Odette, a kingpin (or should it be queenpin?) of the French Resistance against the Nazis, once escaped interrogators with a bar of soap. Seriously. These people were legitimate badasses.
O'Connor's prose is direct, efficient and carries the story well. There were a few elements however that I would've liked to see strengthened. Characters surrounding LeBris, such as the hardscrabble detective Gerry O'Neil, could have used a bit more depth. Also, O'Connor spends a bit of time comparing one of O'Neil's sins from Vietnam with some of Lebris' World War II activities, but for me that comparison was apples and oranges - one was a sin, while the other was duty. Maybe that was the point because there is some self-justification surrounding what LeBris and his people had to do in order to survive, but if so, the comparison came across as a bit obtuse for me, since I wasn't sure how its emergence related to the conflict.
The Spy in the City of Books had enough suspense to keep me turning pages however, and the conclusion did not disappoint. I'd recommend it.
~Vlad Vaslyn~
Paperback: 334 pages
Sons of Liberty Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1456344894
O'Connor's work has appeared in numerous literary journals and magazines, and he is the author of a collection of short stories entitled Smokestack Lightning (Loom Press, 2010) as well.… (mehr)