Archangel
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Before political journalist Robert Harris turned to fiction and resurrected Hitler for his best selling novel Fatherland, he also wrote a hugely entertaining account of the farce surrounding the publication of the hoax Hitler diaries. Archangel, with the obvious exception of substituting Hitler for that other 20th-century ogre Josef Stalin, can be seen as something of a combination of these previous projects. The novel opens in present-day Russia where a louche Oxford academic, Christopher "Fluke" Kelso, is attending a conference on the newly available Stalin archives. Kelso quickly becomes embroiled in a quest for some of Uncle Joe's still secret papers--and also a quest to make his own academic reputation--but soon uncovers more than he bargains for. The ghosts of the old authoritarian past exert a peculiar and all too powerful tug on Yeltsin's fragile capitalist democracy and as Kelso is drawn ever nearer to the secret that lies in the remote White Sea port of Archangel so the tragedies of the past become hideously more plausible in the present. Harris is historically sound, politically astute and his acute insight into the apparatus of state repression and minds of despots is unnerving. But most of all he tells a terrific yarn and Archangel sees him on top form. This is his best yet.--Nick Wroe
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
Praise for
ENIGMA
"Elegant, atmospheric . . . a tense and thoughtful thriller." --"San Francisco Chronicle"
"Literate and savvy . . . It's always a pleasure to encounter a historical thriller this subtle and detailed. . . . [ ] brims with wartime intrigue and paranoia." --"The Washington Post Book World"
FATHERLAND
"A stunning debut." --"Boston Globe"
"An elegant thriller, a thoughtful, frightening story of complicity." --"San Francisco Chronicle"
"An absorbing, expertly written novel." --"The New York Times"
ENIGMA
"Elegant, atmospheric . . . a tense and thoughtful thriller." --"San Francisco Chronicle"
"Literate and savvy . . . It's always a pleasure to encounter a historical thriller this subtle and detailed. . . . [ ] brims with wartime intrigue and paranoia." --"The Washington Post Book World"
FATHERLAND
"A stunning debut." --"Boston Globe"
"An elegant thriller, a thoughtful, frightening story of complicity." --"San Francisco Chronicle"
"An absorbing, expertly written novel." --"The New York Times"
"From the Hardcover edition." --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Intelligent page-turner,
By
This review is from: Archangel (Paperback)
I don't generally read bestseller popular fiction but have been very impressed with this book and his other, first novel, Fatherland. It's not just that he tells a cracking tale but he has some interesting ideas and the quality of his writing is good, not too pulpy. Harris paints a compelling portrait of modern Russia, particularly Moscow but at the same time introduces some fascinating theories and ideas about the political direction Russia is taking and the burden of the past it drags behind it. The result is that you are simultaneously gripped by an exciting piece of fiction but also slightly horrified at how true to life much of this could be.
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another historical hit for Harris,
By Heather "Heather" (London, England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Archangel (Paperback)
I really enjoyed Archangel. Having previously studied Communist Russia, I recognised many of the political figures featured in the book, but am now looking forward to reading even more about the subject.That said, you don't need any knowledge of the subject to enjoy this book (though concentrating on the many Russian names is vital!). As with Harris' other excellent thriller Fatherland, I found myself instantly empathising with the characters of Archangel, namely 'maverick' academic Fluke Kelso (in Moscow to attend a conference about the newly opened Soviet archives), and desperately willed him on in his quest to find out whether Stalin's secret notebook does indeed exist. However, Harris cleverly shows the many sides to the effects of Kelso's investigations, and also draws a sympathetic picture of the long-suffering Russian police chief Suvorin, who too suspects there are many secrets buried in Russia's history but knows unearthing them may have a much greater impact than that of a 'scoop'. As the plot moved on I was compelled to rush through the always evocative descriptions of 'New Russia' to get to its conclusion. Archangel is exciting, fast-paced, eerie as well as sad. A fantastic book.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good thriller with meticulous historical detail,
By
This review is from: Archangel (Paperback)
Fluke Kelso is in Moscow to attend a conference on the recently opened Soviet archives. He is a Oxford historian and Mr Harris's novel tells the story of four days in Kelso's life which starts one night when a former NKVD officer visits him in his hotel room. He claims to have been the bodyguard of Lavrenty Beria who was at the time the chief of the secret police just before Stalin's death. According to him, he witnessed Stalin's death when he had his fatal stroke and he also saw Beria steal his papers among which was a black notebook.The following day, Kelso decides to verify the man's story at the Lenin Library. At this point he doesn't know that his enquiry is the beginning of a breathless chase from Moscow to the port of Archangel located on the White Sea in order to unveil Stalin's last secret which has been hidden for nearly fifty years. Good suspense, plenty of action and an interesting historical background are qualities in this novel which place Robert Harris at the same level as writers like John Buchan, John LeCarré and Len Deighton.
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