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paw2904's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Furst is clearly a brilliant writer, but this novel was all over the place. No logical flow. So much so that I lost interest. A struggle to finish. However the quality of the writing makes me think I may check out a more mature work.
kanejim57's review
4.0
I became interested in Furst after recently perusing his latest work at a Barnes and Noble.
Night Soldiers begins in Eastern Europe and winds from there to Russia, Spain, France as well as side trips to New York and the Middle East starting in the mid-1930's to postwar 1945.
At times I had trouble staying with the narrative but overall I really enjoyed the novel and look forward to reading the series.
Night Soldiers begins in Eastern Europe and winds from there to Russia, Spain, France as well as side trips to New York and the Middle East starting in the mid-1930's to postwar 1945.
At times I had trouble staying with the narrative but overall I really enjoyed the novel and look forward to reading the series.
bluedijon's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I really did like this book overall, but the pacing was just something I needed to be in the right mindset for. What I did love was that this showed a very different side of WWII and espionage than is usually featured in English books. This had deep specificity in the culture of the characters, and it was fascinating and a well-appreciated perspective shift in the typical spy genre. Maintaining momentum was my only problem with this book.
cemoses's review against another edition
4.0
I was surprised how much I liked this book considering I thought one of Furst's Paris books was mediocre. I liked the Balkan/Russian aspect of the book-not the Paris part.
morvan's review against another edition
3.0
Εντυπωσιακά ζωντανή και λεπτομερής απεικόνιση μιας πολύ ενδιαφέρουσας περιόδου και των τότε πολιτικών γεγονότων και ισορροπιών.
Πολύ καλή και ενδιαφέρουσα γραφή, στρωτή, περιγραφική και ιδιαίτερη όσο πρέπει, χωρίς να κουράζει. Ο Furst είναι αναμφισβήτητα εξαιρετικός στο να περιγράφει ολοζώντανα σκηνές και καταστάσεις.
Σχετικά καλή σκιαγράφηση χαρακτήρων: χωρίς να θέλει(?) να αποτελεί το βιβλίο του ένα ψυχογράφημα χαρακτήρων, ο Alan Furst κατορθώνει να δώσει κάποιες διαστάσεις στους χαρακτήρες του.
Με αυτά τα στοιχεία θα μπορούσε να είναι ένα εξαιρετικό βιβλίο.
Όμως,
Η πληθώρα χαρακτήρων που ενώ όταν εμφανίζονται περιγράφονται αναλυτικά, στη συνέχεια εξαφανίζονται ή εμφανίζονται σε κάποιο άλλο σημείο, χωρίς ιδιαίτερη σύνδεση με τα προηγούμενα.
Και κυρίως,
Η απουσία κεντρικής πλοκής : Διάφορες ιστορίες ακολουθούν η μία την άλλη, χωρίς να συμμετέχουν σε κοινή πλοκή. Ο μόνος κοινός συνδετικός άξονας πλοκής (ας πούμε) είναι η εξιστόρηση της ζωής του κεντρικού ήρωα Khristo Stoianev, ο οποίος βρέθηκε σε διάφορα σημεία της Ευρώπης την περίοδο 1934–45. Πέραν τούτου θα μπορούσαμε αν μιλάμε για μικρές ιστορίες εντελώς ασύνδετες μεταξύ τους. Τόσο ασύνδετες όμως, που από τη μέση και ύστερα με κούρασε τόσο η απουσία πλοκής που ήθελα να το παρατήσω, κάτι που και δεν κάνω ποτέ, αλλά και ειλικρινά είχε τόσο εξαιρετικά στοιχεία που αισθανόμουν "ενοχές" να το αφήσω ...
Κρίμα, γιατί θα μπορούσε να ήταν άνετα ένα βιβλίο 5/5.
Πολύ καλή και ενδιαφέρουσα γραφή, στρωτή, περιγραφική και ιδιαίτερη όσο πρέπει, χωρίς να κουράζει. Ο Furst είναι αναμφισβήτητα εξαιρετικός στο να περιγράφει ολοζώντανα σκηνές και καταστάσεις.
Σχετικά καλή σκιαγράφηση χαρακτήρων: χωρίς να θέλει(?) να αποτελεί το βιβλίο του ένα ψυχογράφημα χαρακτήρων, ο Alan Furst κατορθώνει να δώσει κάποιες διαστάσεις στους χαρακτήρες του.
Με αυτά τα στοιχεία θα μπορούσε να είναι ένα εξαιρετικό βιβλίο.
Όμως,
Η πληθώρα χαρακτήρων που ενώ όταν εμφανίζονται περιγράφονται αναλυτικά, στη συνέχεια εξαφανίζονται ή εμφανίζονται σε κάποιο άλλο σημείο, χωρίς ιδιαίτερη σύνδεση με τα προηγούμενα.
Και κυρίως,
Η απουσία κεντρικής πλοκής : Διάφορες ιστορίες ακολουθούν η μία την άλλη, χωρίς να συμμετέχουν σε κοινή πλοκή. Ο μόνος κοινός συνδετικός άξονας πλοκής (ας πούμε) είναι η εξιστόρηση της ζωής του κεντρικού ήρωα Khristo Stoianev, ο οποίος βρέθηκε σε διάφορα σημεία της Ευρώπης την περίοδο 1934–45. Πέραν τούτου θα μπορούσαμε αν μιλάμε για μικρές ιστορίες εντελώς ασύνδετες μεταξύ τους. Τόσο ασύνδετες όμως, που από τη μέση και ύστερα με κούρασε τόσο η απουσία πλοκής που ήθελα να το παρατήσω, κάτι που και δεν κάνω ποτέ, αλλά και ειλικρινά είχε τόσο εξαιρετικά στοιχεία που αισθανόμουν "ενοχές" να το αφήσω ...
Κρίμα, γιατί θα μπορούσε να ήταν άνετα ένα βιβλίο 5/5.
kanejim57's review against another edition
4.0
I became interested in Furst after recently perusing his latest work at a Barnes and Noble.
Night Soldiers begins in Eastern Europe and winds from there to Russia, Spain, France as well as side trips to New York and the Middle East starting in the mid-1930's to postwar 1945.
At times I had trouble staying with the narrative but overall I really enjoyed the novel and look forward to reading the series.
Night Soldiers begins in Eastern Europe and winds from there to Russia, Spain, France as well as side trips to New York and the Middle East starting in the mid-1930's to postwar 1945.
At times I had trouble staying with the narrative but overall I really enjoyed the novel and look forward to reading the series.
iceberg0's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic read that seemed to be impeccably researched. A detailed look at WW2 espionage that was not sensationalistic but character driven and very interesting.
lekakis's review
3.0
I liked the book but I found the writing cheesy at times. Cheesy because the author packs it with so many details which create a nice atmosphere but at times the writing makes some huge logical jumps to further the plot. Something that left me wonder why it had to be so long and why all the story lines had to be reach to a conclusion. At the end were all the storylines necessary to reach to a conclusion?
Also, I found the representation of women shallow and one-dimensional.
This was the second attempt to finish the book and I’m glad I did. I believe that the first 3.5 parts are great
The life of the protagonist is not glamorous but harsh and I believe the author the reader a pretty good idea about the ins and outs of having a life like this.
I wish the book was shorter and more focused.
Also, I found the representation of women shallow and one-dimensional.
This was the second attempt to finish the book and I’m glad I did. I believe that the first 3.5 parts are great
The life of the protagonist is not glamorous but harsh and I believe the author the reader a pretty good idea about the ins and outs of having a life like this.
I wish the book was shorter and more focused.
jacki_f's review
4.0
Alan Furst has written fourteen books set in Europe in the 1930s and 1940s. They form the "Night Soldiers" series and they are loosely inter-connected but all are also standalone novels in their own right. This is the first book in the series and it differs from the most recent books in both length and scope. It's a sprawling novel that starts in 1934 and doesn't end until 1945. It begins in Bulgaria but takes us all over Europe: Russia, Spain, France, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. While centered on one character, it encompasses a host of others, many of whom only have small walk on parts but a few of which will appear repeatedly over the years. It's a book that you immerse yourself in.
The main character is Khristo Stoianev, a Bulgarian who in 1934 is recruited by the Russians to train as a spy. This takes him to Moscow where he forms tight and enduring bonds with some of his classmates. Once training is complete, Khristo is sent to Spain to support the Republican efforts in the Civil War. Around him, he sees the effects of Stalin's purges as others are called back to Russia and not heard from again. Eventually he receives a warning that he will be next and opts to escape to France, where for a time he lives under the radar as a waiter at the Brasserie Heininger. However his entanglements with the Russians are not over.
One of the distinctive features of Furst's writing is the way that he introduces so many characters, gives them full back stories and then writes them out again. He's a bit like a drunk at the bar who can't stick to the narrative. I've read several reviews from people who find this irritating and if you do, then he's probably not the writer for you. Personally, I love this feature of his writing. He's not just presenting us with the story of an individual, he's giving us an entire continent in glorious panorama, richly populated with rounded and real characters. You don't get lost in a story, you get lost in a world. Yes, at times you're not sure what's happening but things always come back together. It's a masterpiece.
The main character is Khristo Stoianev, a Bulgarian who in 1934 is recruited by the Russians to train as a spy. This takes him to Moscow where he forms tight and enduring bonds with some of his classmates. Once training is complete, Khristo is sent to Spain to support the Republican efforts in the Civil War. Around him, he sees the effects of Stalin's purges as others are called back to Russia and not heard from again. Eventually he receives a warning that he will be next and opts to escape to France, where for a time he lives under the radar as a waiter at the Brasserie Heininger. However his entanglements with the Russians are not over.
One of the distinctive features of Furst's writing is the way that he introduces so many characters, gives them full back stories and then writes them out again. He's a bit like a drunk at the bar who can't stick to the narrative. I've read several reviews from people who find this irritating and if you do, then he's probably not the writer for you. Personally, I love this feature of his writing. He's not just presenting us with the story of an individual, he's giving us an entire continent in glorious panorama, richly populated with rounded and real characters. You don't get lost in a story, you get lost in a world. Yes, at times you're not sure what's happening but things always come back together. It's a masterpiece.