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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A new genre for Boyd - and he masters it well, 31 May 2007
This review is from: Restless (Paperback)
Although a fan of Boyd's writing, I was quite pleased to see his latest novel, Restless, was something of a departure from his usual storyline centring on a bumbling Englishman plauged with absurd misfortune, usually in some exotic setting. It's always a test of a good writer to see if they can pull off a story in a different genre to their staple area - and Boyd passes the test.
Restless is a spy thriller, with two strong and interesting central characters, fast paced, well plotted, and with a couple of good, original twists. The story is told in alternating first and third person chapters; the first person narrator being Ruth, a single mother in 1970s Britain; the third person narrative telling the story of Eva, a young woman recruited into the murky world of British spying/propaganda in Europe and America during WWII. The lives of the two overlap in modern times as Eva turns out to be Ruth's mother - now living an apparently ordinary life as an English widow - and has decided the time has come to settle some old scores.
Boyd's writing style is always a pleasure to read, and lends itself surprisingly well to this genre. His attention to detail and ability to make the mundane seem interesting, as well as bringing out the absurdities of life, are ideal for creating atmosphere and setting the scene, and it seemed somehow much more plausible than many spy stories.
The idea of combining the war era with peace times isn't entirely original, but it did work quite well here and brought home the story's central point of how spy work changed the mindset of a person forever.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and found it very gripping - one of those it's difficult to put down. Maybe not a book that would stay with me forever, but certainly a good read whilst it lasts. I would place Boyd up there along with masters like Le Carre, and would look forward to reading anything else he writes in this genre.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Confims his position as one of the best, 6 Oct 2007
This review is from: Restless (Paperback)
Chick lit?? CHICK LIT??? You MUST be joking. Boyd is one of the very best of British writers and this one adds to his lustre. The fact that he chooses to sometimes adopt a female voice makes his work even more interesting. This tightly plotted, cleverly written tale uses his talents to the full in interweaving a tale of past betrayal and contemporary paranoia. It also makes you think once you put it down. How much Chick Lit does that?
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Unexceptional Boyd, but a good read anyway, 16 Jan 2007
This review is from: Restless (Paperback)
The story concerns "Sally Gilmartin", who it rapidly transpires had a previous identity as the Russian Eva Delectorskya. Eva was a spy in the early days of the Second World War, and it is interesting to read about her training and her field of action, first in Paris and later in New York. But the other main character is Eva's daughter Sally, who knew nothing about her mother's previous existence until a chain of events unfolds, dragging her into a 30 year old mystery and its ultimate resolution in the late 1970s. .
I have read most of William Boyd's books, and also am an avid reader of spy novels by the likes of Alan Furst, John Le Carré, Gerald Seymour (and recently C J Samson of Winter in Madrid), and was intrigued to see what Boyd would make of the genre. The result was "good, but ordinary". The story is well-constructed, but can be a little plodding at times, and it is lacking in atmosphere, and characterisation. Because of this it seems somehow unbelievable, almost as though it is a parody of a spy novel (although I don't think this was Boyd's intention). I have never liked novels where the action takes place in two different eras, with the action swapping back and forth between the two with each chapter. This novel relies wholly on this device, and for me, I found it annoying. However, the story develops well through the two different eras, but alas, the denoument is just too unbelievable, and moves into Agatha Christie territory.
Having said all that, many people have evidently enjoyed this book (it is a Richard and Judy's book club choice) and no doubt will achieve a high number of sales to people who are on the whole are unlikely to be disappointed with it. I came to this book with high expectations, but like some of the other reviewers, found it enjoyable, but not quite good enough. We Boyd fans will have to wait until his next offering in order to get our customary fix.
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