- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: Bantam Press (24 Sep 2007)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0593053672
- ISBN-13: 978-0593053676
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 16 x 3.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 307,833 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Name To A Face
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Product Description
Review
"The master of the clever twist."
-"Sunday Telegraph"
"When it comes to duplicity and intrigue, Goddard is second to none.... A master of manipulation."
-"Daily Mail"
-"Sunday Telegraph"
"When it comes to duplicity and intrigue, Goddard is second to none.... A master of manipulation."
-"Daily Mail"
"From the Trade Paperback edition."
Guardian
An absorbing read...Both an excellent introduction to his work and a treat for diehard fans
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
60 of 61 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Robert Goddard has written some truly outstanding novels. The best are Past Caring, In Pale Battalions, and Painting the Darkness. I reread those books every couple of years, I've sent numerous copies to friends via Amazon, and I keep 3-4 copies around myself just in case I lose one or loan a copy and at that moment have an urge to read the book again. Goddard's books usually center on the unearthing (sometimes literally) of secrets and events from 20 to 40 years back. He's a master of this genre, with the genre's prototypical example being Du Maurier's Rebecca. The only other master who comes to mind is Ross MacDonald--if you havent't read any of his Lew Archer mysteries and enjoy Goddard's novels, give them a try.
Name to a Face features secrets from 10, 270, 300, and 650 years back. The book starts off in a promising fashion, with the protagonist Tim Harding finding himself in the middle of a swirl of strange events which almost everyone else seems to know more about than he does: this kind of situation is usually a Goddard signature--reminiscent of Kafka's The Trial, but not so ubiquitous. But as Harding learns more, the pace seems to slow rather than to accelerate, unlike in Goddard's best works. The last part of the book almost seems to create more loose ends than to tie them up--it feels as if Goddard has put together parts from different books. I felt myself pausing and saying "What on earth is going on here?". One of the major themes of the early part of the book, if you want a bad and mixed metaphor, turns out to be kind of a red herring in the stargazy pie (popular in Penzance).
So if you enjoy Goddard's novels, this is not bad--but it also is not one of his best works--read the book. If you haven't read any of Goddard's novels, don't start with this, you might not read any of the others. Start with Past Caring, and continue on to Pale Battalions and Painting the Darkness--all three are truly deserving of a 5-star rating.
Name to a Face features secrets from 10, 270, 300, and 650 years back. The book starts off in a promising fashion, with the protagonist Tim Harding finding himself in the middle of a swirl of strange events which almost everyone else seems to know more about than he does: this kind of situation is usually a Goddard signature--reminiscent of Kafka's The Trial, but not so ubiquitous. But as Harding learns more, the pace seems to slow rather than to accelerate, unlike in Goddard's best works. The last part of the book almost seems to create more loose ends than to tie them up--it feels as if Goddard has put together parts from different books. I felt myself pausing and saying "What on earth is going on here?". One of the major themes of the early part of the book, if you want a bad and mixed metaphor, turns out to be kind of a red herring in the stargazy pie (popular in Penzance).
So if you enjoy Goddard's novels, this is not bad--but it also is not one of his best works--read the book. If you haven't read any of Goddard's novels, don't start with this, you might not read any of the others. Start with Past Caring, and continue on to Pale Battalions and Painting the Darkness--all three are truly deserving of a 5-star rating.
34 of 36 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I have to agree with the first reviewer of this book.
It is time to face the fact that perhaps my favourite author's best novels are now some way in the past.
This seems to be a different writer to the author who wrote such splendid literary novels such as 'Painting the Darkness' and 'Take no Farewell'.
Goddard's 19th novel in 21 years is, for me an improvement on last years tired and boring Harry Barnett escapade 'Never Go Back', but it is some way off his finest work.
This novel begins very well, (as did 'Never Go Back')but dips in the middle and does not fully recover, lacking in tension and believability.
Goddard has delivered in the past few years, 'Sight Unseen'in 2005 was in my opinion amoung his best books.
Writing in the third person,his narative ridgidly follows the central character Tim Harding on his ill fated journey to Cornwall to find the truth behind a historical conundrum concerning a ring. The story sadly peters out and the historic significance matters less and less.Because we never see the story from any other point of view, it becomes predictable and not even the odd plot twist or sudden revelation that was once Goddard's hallmark and great strength can hold the readers attention for long.
In his earlier novels Mr Goddard would have made wonderful use of a historical city such as Lincoln. ( A city Goddard visited in 2005 and 06 on book tours).He would have created atmosphere and tension, but in 'Name to a Face' he brushes across the description of the walk up Steep Hill towards the Cathedral in a mere sentence and sets the following scene in a dingy flat when there is one of the greatest Cathedrals in Europe undescribed next door. I know that this is a gripe but the point is this, Robert Goddard's technique has changed from those great early novels.
Please Mr Goddard return to the style of your early novels and thrill us again with a historical novel that twists and turns and keeps us guessing, baffled and hooked to the very last page.
I would happily wait 2 to 3 years for such a book as Robert Goddard's early novels are always as good on the 2nd or even 3rd re read.
It is time to face the fact that perhaps my favourite author's best novels are now some way in the past.
This seems to be a different writer to the author who wrote such splendid literary novels such as 'Painting the Darkness' and 'Take no Farewell'.
Goddard's 19th novel in 21 years is, for me an improvement on last years tired and boring Harry Barnett escapade 'Never Go Back', but it is some way off his finest work.
This novel begins very well, (as did 'Never Go Back')but dips in the middle and does not fully recover, lacking in tension and believability.
Goddard has delivered in the past few years, 'Sight Unseen'in 2005 was in my opinion amoung his best books.
Writing in the third person,his narative ridgidly follows the central character Tim Harding on his ill fated journey to Cornwall to find the truth behind a historical conundrum concerning a ring. The story sadly peters out and the historic significance matters less and less.Because we never see the story from any other point of view, it becomes predictable and not even the odd plot twist or sudden revelation that was once Goddard's hallmark and great strength can hold the readers attention for long.
In his earlier novels Mr Goddard would have made wonderful use of a historical city such as Lincoln. ( A city Goddard visited in 2005 and 06 on book tours).He would have created atmosphere and tension, but in 'Name to a Face' he brushes across the description of the walk up Steep Hill towards the Cathedral in a mere sentence and sets the following scene in a dingy flat when there is one of the greatest Cathedrals in Europe undescribed next door. I know that this is a gripe but the point is this, Robert Goddard's technique has changed from those great early novels.
Please Mr Goddard return to the style of your early novels and thrill us again with a historical novel that twists and turns and keeps us guessing, baffled and hooked to the very last page.
I would happily wait 2 to 3 years for such a book as Robert Goddard's early novels are always as good on the 2nd or even 3rd re read.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is poor from Goddard, I really wanted to stop reading. The plot just seemed to get increasingly implausible; and how the main character gets motivated to chase round after a series of half-baked clues stretches credulity too far.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Enjoyable but not gripping
It's been said before - Goddard's latest works don't have the cachet of his earliest novels. This novel has plenty of twists and turns which are something of a Goddard trademark... Read more
Published 9 days ago by Jane Baker
The master of the stupid twist!
This is the first and last book that I will read by this author. Sure there were twists, but they were so stupid that they were pathetic. Read more
Published 25 days ago by The Book Nut
Good book, terrible narrator
Not one of Goddard's best, but much better than some reviews suggest. The problem is the awful narration. Read more
Published 11 months ago by JRF
I can't believe the bad reviews!
I've now read all of Robert Goddard's books over the last few months and love all his work. I'd saved this one till the last, as I'd read the negative comments, but I thoroughly... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Sue Booth
Breathless....
...that's how I feel having just finished reading Name to a Face. Robert Goddard has a definite style to his writing and pace to his books, and this one just takes it a little too... Read more
Published 23 months ago by meltow
exhausted seam
I read several of Robert Goddard's novels some years ago including In Pale Battalions and Hand In glove and thoroughly enjoyed them. Read more
Published 23 months ago by H. Rogers
Typical Goddard
Much criticism has been levelled at Robert Goddard's recent efforts. I daresay some of this criticism is deserved. However, most of it is, I believe, ill-founded. Read more
Published on 14 Feb 2010 by Paul Eccles
Toughtful
very good book, I have been immersing myself with books from the UK much to the frustration of my local book sellers here in Oregon USA, this guy rocks!
Published on 16 Dec 2009 by William R. Bennett
Read his earlier books, they're miles better.
If you've never read a Robert Goddard book before, please don't read this one. His earlier books. Past Caring, Caught in the Light, Hand in Glove and many more are superb mystery... Read more
Published on 23 May 2009 by John Duce
The book what he wrote
What has happened to Robert Goddard's excellent mystery novels. The first seven of them were tour de force in the Hitchcock and Daphne du Maurier vein, but now they have become... Read more
Published on 28 Oct 2008 by Tallulah
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