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davidjeri60's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I really do like Alan Furst's books but I wish I liked them more, if that makes sense. I've read three so far and they have the same static style, periods of parties and voyeurism mixed with pre-WW2 espionage. They're very good tourist reads and good espionage reads out of the Eric Ambler mold. It's just so difficult to kind of go from flat line to action in a brief time with little transition. It makes for a very herky-jerk pattern for the reader, which is frustrating. Still a good book, however, and I'll keep reading him.
judithy's review against another edition
4.0
Furst always writes a great read about the eve of WWII.
ekmook's review
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Death, Violence, Suicide, and Murder
writerlibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
A strong 3 1/2 stars. A different kind of pace for Furst in this one. A more cerebral, nonchalant hero. Nicolas is quite a different hero than what Furst has usually. This is an aristocrat, an Hungarian count, that is caught in the spying game almost by boredom and family loyalty at first. Gets terribly frighten and then well.. becomes a reluctant hero. The style is subdue, all in shades of grey. Different from The Polish Officer, different from Blood of Victory or even the more intellectual hero of Spies of Warsaw. It's a enjoyable change of pace.
smartipants8's review against another edition
5.0
Very elegant and warm engaging main character. Its a seductive vision of pre-war Paris and good escapism.
pussreboots's review against another edition
3.0
Kingdom of Shadows is the second Alan Furst novel I've read. This one follows the opening days of the war with Hitler's rise to power but from the point of view of the owner of an advertising agency in Paris who is balancing his time between work, his mistress and some espionage for his Hungarian uncle.
Nicholas Morath and his small group of friends remind me of the idle and bored characters of F. Scott Fitzgerald's, with [b:Tender is the Night|46164|Tender Is the Night|F. Scott Fitzgerald|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170314348s/46164.jpg|8272] coming specifically to mind. The only difference is that their parties are set against the backdrop of the early days of WWII. Family duty forces Morath to attempt heroic acts at a time when he (and most of the rest of Paris) is having trouble believing what is on the horizon.
As with Dark Voyage, the middle section of the book drags a bit as Hurst pauses to let the historical events play out. The characters step aside and the book becomes more of a book report than a novel. While it's good to get things in context, these interludes are best when skimmed.
Nicholas Morath and his small group of friends remind me of the idle and bored characters of F. Scott Fitzgerald's, with [b:Tender is the Night|46164|Tender Is the Night|F. Scott Fitzgerald|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170314348s/46164.jpg|8272] coming specifically to mind. The only difference is that their parties are set against the backdrop of the early days of WWII. Family duty forces Morath to attempt heroic acts at a time when he (and most of the rest of Paris) is having trouble believing what is on the horizon.
As with Dark Voyage, the middle section of the book drags a bit as Hurst pauses to let the historical events play out. The characters step aside and the book becomes more of a book report than a novel. While it's good to get things in context, these interludes are best when skimmed.
komet2020's review against another edition
4.0
In reading "KINGDOM OF SHADOWS", I saw echoes of "The Third Man". Furst does a superb job here of making you feel 'in the moment', in the midst of a time in which Europe stood on the brink of war. 'Europe 1938' lives again through Furst. I liked von Morath and admired his style and sang-froid. His relationship with his mistress was tender and endearing. More than anything, I loved the cinemagraphic sensations this novel evoked in me. "KINGDOM OF SHADOWS" reads as good as any of the best movies of "film noir" you'll ever see. Highly recommended.