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Review
"'Authoritative, sharply observed... as usual, first-rate' starred Kirkus review 'Littell deserves his comparisons with Deighton and le Carre' The Times 'Littell is a class act, one for the connoisseur' The Guardian"
Review
"'An engrossing suspense-filled thriller' Sunday Telegraph 'A hugely impressive novel' Guardian 'Robert Littell is one of the best and most intelligent thriller writers' Literary Review"
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First Sentence
THE SETTING SUN SCORED THE NAVIGATOR'S LINE BETWEEN SKY and sea, drawing blood, flinging long shadows inland on the flat Levantine coast. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
THE SETTING SUN SCORED THE NAVIGATOR'S LINE BETWEEN SKY and sea, drawing blood, flinging long shadows inland on the flat Levantine coast. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Paperback
For obvious reasons, there's no shortage of American authors looking to the Middle East for plots and settings. After the pantomime villains and ludicrous story of the last Bourne outing, it is re-assuring to read Robert Littell's more thoughtful venture into this geographical and political territory.
I can't say whether Littell depicts the two extremists accurately, as I have been lucky enough to avoid anybody of their persuasions, but I found that I could identify with most of the other characters. Whilst the author comes close to moralising in places, he writes a strong and well-paced tale that offers some insight into the deeply entrenched positions held by the protagonists. Above all, Littell succeeds in evoking the places themselves - which is what the fighting's all about.
I can see that the lack of grenade-hurling, all-American action heroism may work against the book's commercial appeal in its main market. What's better, though, comic books or a half-way decent story that might get you to think twice about the individuals behind the television headlines?
I can't say whether Littell depicts the two extremists accurately, as I have been lucky enough to avoid anybody of their persuasions, but I found that I could identify with most of the other characters. Whilst the author comes close to moralising in places, he writes a strong and well-paced tale that offers some insight into the deeply entrenched positions held by the protagonists. Above all, Littell succeeds in evoking the places themselves - which is what the fighting's all about.
I can see that the lack of grenade-hurling, all-American action heroism may work against the book's commercial appeal in its main market. What's better, though, comic books or a half-way decent story that might get you to think twice about the individuals behind the television headlines?
2 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The premise of Robert Littell's latest, Vicious Circle, is interesting and had the potential to be excellent. However, instead of developing his characters and creating a plot that builds to an exciting conclusion, Littell allowed the book to focus ad nauseum on the back and forth dialogue between the well-known fundamentalist Rabbi and a legendary Palistinian terrorist, who has taken the Rabbi hostage. Ultimately, any hope Vicious Circle fulfilling its promise of being a suspenseful thriller dies a slows death. I finished Vicious Circle because of a sense of loyalty to Littell due to the satisfaction I derived from many of his earlier books. My loyalty to Littell has now ended and probably so has my interest in reading future books by this author based on the strength of his name alone.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
6 reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
A boring thriller
17 Oct 2008
Format:Paperback
In keeping with current events I'd have to say that my Littell stock has just plummeted. After reading Sisters, The Amateur, and a couple of others I thought highly of this author. But this book is not just talky -- it's predictable and repetitive talky -- and just drags. One of those books where (horrors) you actually look at the handful of pages in your right hand and contemplate just jumping ahead.
Don't bother waiting for the interesting plot twists... they're pretty minor and you spotted them at a distance.
Character development seems to be what he was aiming for but it's just a mass of cliches.
Move on, dear reader, there are far better ways to spend your reading time.
Don't bother waiting for the interesting plot twists... they're pretty minor and you spotted them at a distance.
Character development seems to be what he was aiming for but it's just a mass of cliches.
Move on, dear reader, there are far better ways to spend your reading time.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
A Thriller with Brains
15 Feb 2008
Format:Paperback
Robert Littell has survived the passing of the Cold War era far better than others who flourished in that hall of mirrors, like John LeCarre. In `Vicious Circle', Littell explores Arab-Israeli relations that often seem like the embrace of mutual death.
On the eve of an historic peace treaty forced upon Israel and Palestinians by an American President, an Islamic fundamentalist terrorist kidnaps a Jewish rabbi and extremist. Littell's tale focuses alternately on the Israeli efforts to rescue the rabbi and the rabbi's relationship with his captor that seemingly develops as they engage in long theological debates that become discussions.
Littell uses an oral history project recording the insights of an American presidential advisor as a mechanism to introduce some distance and objectivity. The advisor finds that keeping one's distance is not entirely possible.
An excellent read, a thriller with brains.
On the eve of an historic peace treaty forced upon Israel and Palestinians by an American President, an Islamic fundamentalist terrorist kidnaps a Jewish rabbi and extremist. Littell's tale focuses alternately on the Israeli efforts to rescue the rabbi and the rabbi's relationship with his captor that seemingly develops as they engage in long theological debates that become discussions.
Littell uses an oral history project recording the insights of an American presidential advisor as a mechanism to introduce some distance and objectivity. The advisor finds that keeping one's distance is not entirely possible.
An excellent read, a thriller with brains.
Beaucoup Conversation
18 Feb 2012
Amazon Verified Purchase
Interesting story but it seemed about 95% dialog. Minimal action. It was my first read of a Littlle book so it may be his style.
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