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Lädt ... The World at Night (1996)von Alan Furst
Books Read in 2023 (843) Lädt ...
Melde dich bei LibraryThing an um herauszufinden, ob du dieses Buch mögen würdest. Keine aktuelle Diskussion zu diesem Buch. I wasn't in love with this - maybe it was a little too subtle for my tastes in spy fiction. The setting of occupied Paris was very convincingly evoked, but it isn't a setting in which I'm desperately interested, so I don't feel like I'm the target audience. But it felt believable and was well-crafted. I would pick others by Furst off a shelf, but would not actively seek them out. This could almost be titled, almost anyone can do it, or anyone can be drawn into this game, even at the double agent level. I knew this premise even before I read the book. Yet I came to it skeptical. Could anyone become a double agent? Doesn't that take more planning, motivation, training, chutzpah? But Furst draws us in. For the first hundred pages of this short book (257pp) there's not even a whiff of spies or espionage. Instead we learn about a somewhat successful film producer who enjoys living the good life in Paris before the world goes into its second crazy war. But it starts and even though he briefly gets mobilized with his old unit from the first war France is quickly defeated by the hated Bosch. Even though they take his and everyone else's car he can still find ways to make a film. He's briefly contacted by British intelligence to do something small. They explain they sought him out because his profession allowed him to travel widely without much question. So he takes on a small request and he quickly learns it may be simple but it's still dangerous so he decides basically enough of that, I can just ride out this war by keeping out of it. But not so fast. The Germans know he was contacted by a woman they know is working for the British. He's able to convince them he was asked but didn't accept. But the Germans say we want you to accept, just tell us what they want you do. Now he's in a bind. Does he want to work with the Germans who have conquered his country? Thus the everyman becomes a double agent. He didn't ask for it, they found him. Now we know anybody could be caught in this web. No special talents needed. In addition to watching our hero get drawn in there's lots of graphic romantic interludes to keep the story going. There's even a love story buried here to keep us wondering, do they finally get together? Read it to find out how it turns out. keine Rezensionen | Rezension hinzufügen
"First-rate research collaborates with first-rate imagination. . . . Superb."--The Boston Globe Paris, 1940. The civilized, upper-class life of film producer Jean Casson is derailed by the German occupation of Paris, but Casson learns that with enough money, compromise, and connections, one need not deny oneself the pleasures of Parisian life. Somewhere inside Casson, though, is a stubborn romantic streak. When he's offered the chance to take part in an operation of the British secret service, this idealism gives him the courage to say yes. A simple mission, but it goes wrong, and Casson realizes he must gamble everything--his career, the woman he loves, life itself. Here is a brilliant re-creation of France--its spirit in the moment of defeat, its valor in the moment of rebirth. Praise for The World at Night "[The World at Night] earns a comparison with the serious entertainments of Graham Greene and John le Carré. . . . Gripping, beautifully detailed . . . an absorbing glimpse into the moral maze of espionage."--Richard Eder, Los Angeles Times "[The World at Night] is the world of Eric Ambler, the pioneering British author of classic World War II espionage fiction. . . . The novel is full of keen dialogue and witty commentary . . . . Thrilling."--Herbert Mitgang, Chicago Tribune "With the authority of solid research and a true fascination for his material, Mr. Furst makes idealism, heroism, and sacrifice believable and real."--David Walton, The Dallas Morning News Keine Bibliotheksbeschreibungen gefunden. |
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Google Books — Lädt ... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999Klassifikation der Library of Congress [LCC] (USA)BewertungDurchschnitt:
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If you are looking for a spy thriller with lots of violence, The World at Night is not for you. The dangers are subtle and barely suggested. Instead, Furst is a master of detail. From fashion and the automobiles to the food and drink and music, the culture of Paris lives and breathes alongside its society. Furst's imagery is perfection: what do you picture when he describes a young woman as having "hen-strangler hands"? Furst takes you into 1940s Paris with love. A commentary on authenticity. I believe authenticity comes from the ability to faithfully mimic primary sources; the ability to take first-hand accounts and recreate them exactly. Once you see faithful details repeated you assume a truthful interpretation. Such is The World at Night.
Speaking of characters and love, I could not help but fall in love with Jean-Claude Casson. His mature passion for beautiful women and the way he makes each one feel as though she were the only one in his life...sigh. When he finally settles on one particular woman you root for them to be together. ( )