- Hardcover: 677 pages
- Publisher: Thorndike Press; Lrg edition (12 July 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0786277262
- ISBN-13: 978-0786277261
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 14.7 x 3.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
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Product Description
Review
"Who is Martin Odum? A retired spy or a 'legend' a false identity, created by the CIA? The answer is in Legends, the new novel of unrivalled psychological complexity and gripping action, by the author of The Company. Legends tells the story of Martin Odum, a one-time CIA field agent, now a discharged spy turned private detective in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, struggling his way through a labyrinth of memories of past identities - 'legends' in CIA parlance."
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Sunday Times
‘Robert Littell has long been among the subtlest of espionage magicians’
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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First Sentence
THEY HAD FINALLY GOTTEN AROUND TO PAVING THE SEVEN kilometers of dirt spur connecting the village of Prigorodnaia to the four-lane Moscow-Petersburg highway. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
THEY HAD FINALLY GOTTEN AROUND TO PAVING THE SEVEN kilometers of dirt spur connecting the village of Prigorodnaia to the four-lane Moscow-Petersburg highway. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I was introduced to this book after another of Robert Littell's spy novels, The Company, wound its way on to my PDA to read on long journeys.
In Legends we follow one Martin Odum as he... no that's not right. We follow three Martin Odums. One is an Irish bomb expert, one a civil war Marksman, and the other a teetotal gumshoe who finds lost dogs for a living. He's been undercover so long in so many different "legends" that he's forgotten which one is really him. Running automatically on an encyclopedia of tradecraft he is being driven slowly insane by the different people living in his head.
And just to round it off, it would seem a lot of people are trying to kill him (or them).
This is a tense, tightly plotted novel that revels in the psychopathology required to lead multiple lives. It also highlights, however, that each of us have our own legends which we deploy for our own purposes to a greater or lesser extent. I'm becoming a big fan of Littell's and am looking forward to getting the next batch of his well-written books.
In Legends we follow one Martin Odum as he... no that's not right. We follow three Martin Odums. One is an Irish bomb expert, one a civil war Marksman, and the other a teetotal gumshoe who finds lost dogs for a living. He's been undercover so long in so many different "legends" that he's forgotten which one is really him. Running automatically on an encyclopedia of tradecraft he is being driven slowly insane by the different people living in his head.
And just to round it off, it would seem a lot of people are trying to kill him (or them).
This is a tense, tightly plotted novel that revels in the psychopathology required to lead multiple lives. It also highlights, however, that each of us have our own legends which we deploy for our own purposes to a greater or lesser extent. I'm becoming a big fan of Littell's and am looking forward to getting the next batch of his well-written books.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is brilliant. If you enjoy fast-paced thrillers and modern spy stories then you'll love it. It's ideal for reading on a plane, train or beach -- and it was so good that I spent an extra half hour on an exercise bike to finish it!
That was the fast review for people without much time... here's a few more thoughts:
I don't understand why there aren't more reviews of Robert Littell's work. His original Cold War era spy stories were terrific and, even though they are dated now, they still make good reading and give huge insights into global politics 30, 40 and 50 years ago.
His modern books are stunning.
I can understand that anyone who picks up The Company might stagger under the weight and run away screaming -- it's a huge book and its span is massive. (It's totally rewarding though so worth dedicating a couple of weeks to it).
Legends is a much easier proposition.
It's a relatively short, tightly-plotted and fast moving detective story, which moves into the realm of the CIA, KGB and spooky ops of the 1980s. It's a story about a single individual, but from that focused viewpoint you suddenly discover that Littell has revealed a plausible explanation of the current world political picture.
It is *such* a clever novel that I'm still awestruck by how subtle the clues and plot development were. One minute I was wondering whether the hero really could have been alive at the time of the US Civil War (or is he just bonkers?), and in the next I was gawping at the idea of what really went on behind the rise to power of the oligarchs in post-Soviet Russia.
The characters are real enough to draw chuckles and tears. Best of all, there's even an upbeat ending, rather than the bitter betrayal which usually finishes off most spy stories.
So why are there no other reviews?
Isn't anyone else reading modern fiction like this?
-gulp-
That was the fast review for people without much time... here's a few more thoughts:
I don't understand why there aren't more reviews of Robert Littell's work. His original Cold War era spy stories were terrific and, even though they are dated now, they still make good reading and give huge insights into global politics 30, 40 and 50 years ago.
His modern books are stunning.
I can understand that anyone who picks up The Company might stagger under the weight and run away screaming -- it's a huge book and its span is massive. (It's totally rewarding though so worth dedicating a couple of weeks to it).
Legends is a much easier proposition.
It's a relatively short, tightly-plotted and fast moving detective story, which moves into the realm of the CIA, KGB and spooky ops of the 1980s. It's a story about a single individual, but from that focused viewpoint you suddenly discover that Littell has revealed a plausible explanation of the current world political picture.
It is *such* a clever novel that I'm still awestruck by how subtle the clues and plot development were. One minute I was wondering whether the hero really could have been alive at the time of the US Civil War (or is he just bonkers?), and in the next I was gawping at the idea of what really went on behind the rise to power of the oligarchs in post-Soviet Russia.
The characters are real enough to draw chuckles and tears. Best of all, there's even an upbeat ending, rather than the bitter betrayal which usually finishes off most spy stories.
So why are there no other reviews?
Isn't anyone else reading modern fiction like this?
-gulp-
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Robert Littell has always been one my heroes, all his books are so clever and special they are among the few novels I will never part with. My all time favourite of his is "The revolutionist", which is a bit out of character for him since it is not some thriller-spy story, but all his books in general would make other authors pale with envy. Believe it or not the only one I have not read is ... the Company, which I plan to read this summer given its massiveness. As per this book, well another reviewer wrote what needed to be: brilliant as ever. We all age, maybe loose some neurons, but Robert is still on top. And his son does not seem too bad either ;-) Thanks Robert.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Jekyll and Hyde CIA Style
There is something a bit too clever about this book which deals with the different identities - or "legends" in CIA-speak - that agents assume when playing roles in the Great Game... Read more
Published 2 months ago by John Fitzpatrick
A total flop
I can not believe I bought this book! I confess that I gave it up after the two first revolting pages describing terrible torture. Read more
Published 8 months ago by M. G. Carriedo
Can You See The Real Me?
Legends has an intriguing premise; that a CIA agent has gone so deep under cover he cannot remember which of his many identities is the real one. Read more
Published on 25 Oct 2009 by H. meiehofer
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