The Collaborators
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Review
‘Few writers in the genre today have Hill’s gifts: formidable intelligence, quick humour, compassion and a prose style that blends elegance and grace’ Donna Leon, Sunday Times
‘The fertility of Hill’s imagination, the range of his power, the sheer quality of his literary style never cease to delight’ Val McDermid, Sunday Express
‘Probably the best living male crime writer in the English-speaking world’ Andrew Taylor, Independent
‘Reginald Hill’s novels are really dances to the music of time, his heroes and villains interconnecting, their stories entwining’ Ian Rankin, Scotland on Sunday
‘A genuine master of British crime fiction’ Time Out
‘One of Britain’s most consistently excellent crime novelists’ Marcel Berlins, The Times
‘Dazzling… Reginald Hill is one of the best crime writers ever’ Sunday Telegraph
‘An increasingly lyrical and always humorous writer, he is first and foremost an instinctive and complete novelist who is blessed with a spontaneous storytelling gift’ Frances Fyfield, Mail on Sunday
Product Description
From the bestselling author of the Dalziel and Pascoe series, a superb novel of wartime passion, loyalty – and betrayal
When Janine Simonian was dragged roughly from her cell to face trial as a collaborator in the days of reckoning that followed the liberation of France, she refused to conceal her shaven skull from the jeering crowds that greeted her.
Before the jury of former Resistance members pledged to extract vengeance on all who had connived in Nazi rule, Janine stood proudly in court – and pleaded guilty to the charges.
Why did so many French men and women collaborate with the Nazi occupation forces whilst others gave their lives in resistance? Were the motives of those who betrayed their country always selfish – and those of the Resistance always noble?
The Collaborators is a superb novel of conscience and betrayal that portrays the human dilemmas brought about by the Nazi occupation of France, and asks uncomfortable questions about the priorities of personal and national loyalty in time of war.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
32 of 33 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This old, republished novel from Hill may surprise many of his fans who only know him through his Dalziel and Pascoe series (though, as he likes to point out, they only constitute half his actual authorial output). A novel of wartime in Paris, it's completely different from almost every other book of his that's readily available. Different in everything but style, adeptness at drawing character, and excellence.
The Collaborators is an intelligent, moving, challenging novel that questions the nature of personal loyalties during war-time. It's written with Hill's usual style, married to a great understanding of human behaviour in times of great trial, and with sly traces of humour (though it's less obvious than some of his most recent D&P novels). Taking place over a period of about 6 years, it may be 450+ hardback pages, but it moves very quickly, and there's never a dull moment. The characters and their complicated relationships, with others and themselves, are extremely well done. It's very different, but very good.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is quite a a departure from the Daziel and Pascoe books we expect from Hill, but I thoroughly enjoyed this novel set in occupied Paris.
It focuses on a young mother who compromises herself with links to an Abwehr agent in order to secure her husband's return to Paris from a German PoW hospital and to ensure safe passage for her young children to Vichy. The book details the utter self-destruction of Parisian society presided over by the Axis, and the revenge of the Parisian mob against collaborators.
This might sound a bit 'heavy', but the book is characteristically well written and moving. Thoroughly recommended.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The history of France during 1940-45 is complex and much debated, and Reginald Hill's book captures the essence of these complexities very well. Following the plight of a French family and a German Officer posted to Paris during the Occupation, the book covers the history of this period in excellent detail. It picks up on many of the political and sociological issues faced by the French people during this period and how they dealt with them - and indeed how they reacted to the changing prospects of the war. The atrocious realities of the round-ups of French Jews and their subsequent deportation are told with breathtaking clarity. It goes on to draw astute parallels between the defeat of 1940 and the liberation of 1945. The story itself plays brilliantly on how humanity struggled and coped (or didn't cope) with the events of this era, and keeps you guessing right up until the last few pages as to the fate of the main characters. A wonderful, moving, thought-provoking read made the more chilling by its closeness to the reality of the period - the characters may be fictitious but the story is all too real. Definitely recommended - an absolute must to anyone interested in the history of the period. Thank you Mr Hill!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
excellent
An unexpected gem of a writer never read any of his works before except viewing his TV contributions.A very believable story. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Banda
A good book
I love Reginald Hill's books, he is such a good writer. I usually read his Dalziel & Pasco series so was surprised to find that The collaborators is in a very different style. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Anne Dearle
A Gripping & Emotionally Convincing Historical Thriller
Reginald Hill, the author of this historical thriller, is of course better known as the creator of the enormously successful Pascoe and Dalziel detective novels. Read more
Published 17 months ago by M. Raynes
The Collaborators - the story of patriotism juxtaposed with family...
I first read this story in the Readers' Digest collection of novels circa 1992 - yes, way back when! Read more
Published on 15 May 2010 by Perfumefreak
Ordinary thriller
A lot of books have been written based in WWII in Europe, but the collaboration of the French, and it's impact on ordinary people, was an interesting slant. Read more
Published on 4 Dec 2006 by Janie U
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