Declare Out Of Books Archangel
Title | : | Archangel |
Author | : | Robert Harris |
Book Format | : | Paperback |
Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
Pages | : | Pages: 432 pages |
Published | : | February 1st 2000 by Jove (first published September 19th 1998) |
Categories | : | Fiction. Thriller. Historical. Historical Fiction. Mystery. Cultural. Russia |
Narration Toward Books Archangel
Fluke Kelso was once a scholar of promise, but like so many in the highly competitive world of academia, he's never delivered. But one night, at a symposium in Moscow concerning the release of secret Soviet archives, he is approached by Papu Rapava, a former Kremlin bodyguard with a story to tell. No one but the desperate Kelso would believe the tale, for what Rapava describes is a sort of Holy Grail among researchers: an actual diary left by Joseph Stalin himself. Such an artifact, if it's genuine -- and if Kelso can survive the fascist Vladimir Mamantov, who wants it for his own agenda -- would be the coup of a lifetime for the discredited researcher.Before Kelso can learn the location of the diary, Rapava disappears, and Kelso's search for the former bodyguard leads him to the man's daughter, a whore selling herself in the new Moscow of drugs, corruption, and the Russian mafia. With an unscrupulous American journalist hot on their heels, a major of the new KGB close behind, and the shadowy Mamantov following them all, the two follow a trail that leads from Moscow's seedy underbelly to the industrial city of Archangel, where Russia once built her fleets of submarines, to a remote camp on the edge of the Siberian nothingness, and finally to a shocking conclusion that bites like the wind blowing off the tundra. What Kelso sees as the coup of his career might turn out to be the catalyst for an actual coup in Russia. There is a legacy behind the diary, a legacy of evil and death, and Fluke Kelso is unwittingly about to unleash it on the world.
Define Books Conducive To Archangel
Original Title: | Archangel |
ISBN: | 0515127485 (ISBN13: 9780515127485) |
Edition Language: | English |
Characters: | Christopher "Fluke" Kelso, Papu Rapava |
Rating Out Of Books Archangel
Ratings: 3.8 From 8836 Users | 426 ReviewsColumn Out Of Books Archangel
I finally got to read the book! I had first come across the book quite a few years ago in the library of a resort. Had read the first few pages but could not proceed further.Anyway, the novel begins with story of Papu Rapava when he was a bodyguard to Beria in the 1950s. The story is recounted by Rapava himself to our protagonist, Prof. Fluke Kelso in the latters hotel room in Russia. It is the 1990s now, the old USSR has collapsed and a new Russia has emerged which promises more freedom to herThis is a great thriller! Kept me turning pages until the very end! Don't know how I missed it when it was first released.
An excellent thriller which makes the story which could have been absolutely laughable quite gripping.
Well, what a great adventure that was. Robert Harris books never seem to let me down. The atmosphere and landscapes jump off the page, from the concrete soviet era housing blocks, to the vast wilderness of the forests and tundra`s.The attention to detail with each of the main characters is brilliant, I feel like the characters became people I once knew.My only small issue is I felt the end was left a bit too open. However, still well deserving of 5 stars.
In cleaning through my apartment I have found an old treasure-trove of book related papers, including my books read list from 1999-2000. In addition to listing the books, I wrote about 2-3 sentences to myself sometimes they were plot reminders, sometimes commentary on the books. They were not intended to be read by anyone other than myself. I dont imagine these will be very helpful to anyone else, but Im posting them here for two reasons: first, to keep my reviews/comments in one place now and,
Absolutely, excellently written. Harris knows exactly how to use words to communicate precisely what it is he's trying to put across. The story was great, as was the character development. The only thing I'd say is that the prologue drags on and isn't really worth reading in detail, although it is nonetheless necessary to the plot. Other than that, this was a brilliant read.
Excellent book, Harris at his finest with this historical novel about a British historian digging up elements from the Soviet past. Hard to put down, thrilling and educating.
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