The Book of Spies: An Anthology of Literary Espionage FROM THE PUBLISHER
Here is an extraordinary collection of work from some of the finest novelists of the twentieth century. Inspired by the politics of tyranny or war, each of these writers chose the base elements of spy fiction - highly evolved spy fiction - as the framework for a literary novel. Thus Alan Furst offers a diverse array of selections that combine raw excitement and intellectual sophistication in an expertly guided tour of the dark world of clandestine conflict.
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
One look at any best seller list will remind reviewers, readers, and librarians of the popularity of the mystery, spy, or espionage novel. In this compilation of some of the greatest works of espionage literature, Furst, a widely recognized espionage writer (e.g., Kingdom of Shadows; Red Gold), reminds readers in the introduction, citing the Old Testament, that spying is one of the oldest professions known to humanity. This volume-which features work by such writers as Eric Ambler, Anthony Burgess, Joseph Conrad, Maxim Gorky, Graham Greene, John Steinbeck, and Rebecca West-doesn't break new ground, but it does place the genre in perspective, using it to explain human nature within history, national security, and the context of war. Furst used two standards for including writers in the anthology: five of the authors, having served in the intelligence services for their country, write from "practical, firsthand experience," while others had experience with living under or working in a particular political climate, where they learned to view the "world as a theatre of deception." This very literary look at a popular genre is recommended for all libraries with large collections of thrillers. [This anthology is published to coincide with the paperback release of Furst's 2002 best seller Blood of Victory.-Ed.]-Pam Kingsbury, Florence, AL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
A master of the form culls from the cream of the cloak-and-dagger crop. Having possibly already supplanted le Carr� as the most popular writer of the spy genre, Furst (Blood of Victory, 2002, etc.) is as good a choice as any to headline this anthology. In an introduction, Furst lets us know he's not after any old Bond knock-offs here, but wants good writing ("we are here in the literary end of the spectrum") and "the pursuit of authenticity." To that end, he made some excellent choices (fortunately taking sections out of novels as opposed to using only shorter pieces) that more than fulfill the rules he set for himself, where the characters "work at the sharp edge of the Manichean universe." Things start off promisingly, with Eric Ambler's 1939 "A Coffin for Dimitrious," about a mystery novelist who pursues the ghost of arch-criminal/political operative Dimitrious across Turkey and the Balkans. Ambler's voice is martini-dry and brilliantly focused on the details, but the real genius is the fleeting face of Dimitrious himself, who could well have been the inspiration for Keyser Soze in The Usual Suspects. Le Carr�, of course, shows up here, but unfortunately, it's a good-enough but unspectacular bit from "The Russia House" (George Smiley is the great, notable absence in this volume). A gem mostly forgotten is W. Somerset Maugham's semiautobiographical "Ashenden," whose titular British WWII spy is fey and given to extravagance: Oscar Wilde on a mission and saddled with a conscience. A memorable episode from Graham Greene's The Quiet American is another surprising but excellent choice (a lesser editor would have assumed that Our Man in Havana was the one to go with), while Steinbeck's TheMoon Is Down, Anthony Burgess' Tremor of Intent, and Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel round things out quite nicely. Twelve expertly chosen tales of secret operatives: shadowy and elusive, cunningly written and thrillingly fraught with peril.
Home
