Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A cynical Parisian filmmaker takes on the Third Reich, 18 Oct 2000
By A Customer
Alan Furst has done another excellent job of portraying the world of espionage in the 30s and 40s. Like a latterday Eric Ambler, he has made this his own territory - and all of his books are worth reading.The progress of Jean Casson, a cynical, apolitical man of the world into a spy for the British in Paris in 1940 is done very well indeed. One begins observing him, as he goes about his deal-making, meets his mistresses, joins his wife for her birthday party, making money and enjoying life. His change to committed anti-Nazi is both believable and enjoyable. Particularly well done is Furst's portrayal of the German invaders as not always efficient, certainly no supermen.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Part One Of Two, 18 Dec 2002
"The World At Night", is actually the first of a pair of books that tell the story of Jean Casson, a former movie producer who is faced with finding a way to survive the onset and extended occupation of Paris in World War II. France was not only divided into parts by the Germans, it was further sub-divided by a variety of groups that had their own agenda. Jean tries to maintain his life, and protects those he cares about, all the while coping with what it means to be a patriot.
Alan Furst writes about a narrow by eventful time from 1933 to 1945. His books are meticulously accurate to the point they would pass inspection by many readers of history. The author takes an unusual step at the end of his books by sharing with readers his sources for the novels he creates. This is not done in an academic bibliography or a blizzard of footnotes, rather he writes conversationally about what he reads, and what he suggests as reading for those who are interested.
In this first book Jean Casson will take part as a photographer during the short-lived French defense. He eventually finds himself taking on a task he believes will help France through his aiding the British. This is not a character that has a desire to be heroic; he seems to just want to find his place. Questions of what is honorable, and what constitutes loyalty constantly shadow him. In many ways he is the personification of the nation he lives in. He is conflicted to the point of pondering whether a barber who continues to cut hair during the war, including that of the German occupiers is a collaborator. At this level the question may appear simpler than the so-called larger issues, but the philosophical issue is the same.
Jean is given the opportunity to escape to England and continue to work in some manner for France. As he makes his way to The English Channel he continues to torture himself with issues both political and personal. His final act and the justification for it will surprise many, and seem appropriate to others. Whatever you may feel at the close of the book, you will feel your time has been well spent.
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good Atmosphere, But Plotless, 25 Jan 2005
Furst's fourth WWII espionage novel is heavy on atmosphere but virtually plotless, and is disappointingly left to be finished in his next book, Red Gold. All his books feature loner male protagonists, and here the subject is Jean Casson, a midrange French film producer. In his early 40s, Casson is a somewhat hedonistic bon vivant, and as life comes to a momentary standstill during the initial weeks of occupation, he struggles to keep himself fed and clothed. One gets the distinct sense that Casson is supposed to be somewhat emblematic of a certain type or even France, rather than a distinctive character unto himself. A somewhat empty womanizing type, without the courage of any convictions, but with expensive tastes, Casson is recruited to help the resistance. It's a third of the way into the book, by the time this happens though, and-unlike in other of Furst's books-the intelligence aspect never picks up any momentum. As amateur intelligence operation, Casson is mediocre at best, and it's never really clear why he agrees to help. The perhaps reflects a certain aspect of France at the time, the desire to retain honor, but without having to do too much hard work, or put oneself into too dangerous a situation. At the same time his espionage work starts, he rekindles an old relationship that is perhaps his one true love. This never transcends the generic potboiler romance level, and fails to add any depth to what little story there is. As in all of Furst's writing, the book is rich in detail when in comes to occupied Europe, one really gets the vibe of the cafés, restaurants, and street life in Paris. However, the espionage angle develops rather confusingly and almost randomly, resulting in a rather convoluted anticlimactic finale, which includes a ridiculous escape scene. This weakness is only further exacerbated by the book's abrupt end-why this brief story and Red Gold were split into two books is both annoying a bit of a mystery. The result is that this book is probably the weakest of Furst's espionage oeuvre.
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