Reviews

The Spies by Luís Fernando Veríssimo

yasminlibrarian's review

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fast-paced

3.0

bluestarfish's review

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3.0

Bored publisher workers jump at the chance to lift up their mediocre lives when a mysterious instalment of a life in the faraway provinces crosses their desks. An operation of spies is conceived in the bar and so this farce, or comic-noir, starts rolling. The farce takes over somewhat detracting from the ending of their efforts.

lotte_898's review

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funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

andrew61's review

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5.0

A great little read which I chanced upon in the library. The plot is about a publishing house editor receiving a mysterious manuscript from a small town in south of brazil. He sends variously his drinking buddies to rescue the writer in this 5 a side football obsessed place referencing le carte style subterfuge. It was funny and engaging and a really good read, I'd recommend it.

happybeartoes's review

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dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I read this in the original Portuguese, so I can't comment on the translation. 

tonka_blue's review

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3.0

Na stolu urednika male izdavačke kuće završava misteriozni početak knjige za koji doznaje da ga je napisala Arijadna, žena biznismena sumnjiva morala. I naravno kako to ide urednik i njegovi prijatelji iz birtije kreću u suludu pustolovinu kako bi je spasili.

Ova knjiga je imala jedan od najduhovitijih početaka ikada. Napravila sam pogrešku i počela je čitati u kafiću dok sam čekala prijateljicu i uvjerena sam kako su svi prisutni mislili da sam luda s obzirom na to koliko sam se smijala. Knjiga je sama po sebi spaljena, prepuna pomalo ekscentričnih, no opet koliko-toliko realnih likova.

Ima li određenih problema? Da. Kraj knjige nakon preduhovitog početka i domišljate sredine je kao šamar mrtvom ribom. Em se raspadne, em ostane samo smrad. Isto tako, trenutak kad glavni junak slini nad slikom 15-godišnjakinje koja je u tom trenutku odrasla žena je jednostavno creepy i to nije trebalo.

Mjesto gdje se radnja događala kao i likovi su bili nevjerojatni, te mi je u neku ruku pomalo žao što više vremena nije posvećeno njima.
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