Michael Frayn
Paperback | Pages: 234 pages Rating: 3.54 | 4835 Users | 378 Reviews
Identify Books To Spies
| Original Title: | Spies |
| ISBN: | 0571212964 (ISBN13: 9780571212965) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Literary Awards: | Booker Prize Nominee for Longlist (2002), Whitbread Award for Novel (2002), Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction (2002), Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book in South Asia and Europe (2003) |
Interpretation In Pursuance Of Books Spies
In the 1940s, some boys played Cops & Robbers, some played Cowboys & Indians. But Stephen and Keith, English boys and neighbours during WWII, played Spies. Sure, it's a less well known game, but it is just as engrossing, and involves a hideout and a logbook, lots of sneaking around, and monitoring the movements and whereabouts of... Keith's mother, who the boys are certain is a German spy.This coming-of-age story is told by Stephen, an elderly, grandfatherly Stephen, who is remembering a pivotal time in his childhood. He returns to his childhood neighbourhood and it all comes back to him in a series of nostalgic waves. Memory is not reliable, and neither is this narrative, but it IS deliciously satisfying and continues to unfold and reveal up until the very last page.
The dynamic between the boys is fascinating - Stephen, who feels lucky Keith pays him any attention, and who is aware that there's something shameful about his own family, and Keith, who lives in a perfect house filled with perfect toys and a regularly maintained bicycle, and who calls the shots in their friendship.
The idea of a pair of children acting as amateur sleuths in a mystery that is far over their heads reminded me a bit of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep, though this was far more literary and memorable for me. It's also much more suspenseful, as the game of Spies gradually shifts from a charming, childish fantasy to something dangerous. The street in this quiet English town is full of secrets, and nothing is as it seems. The whistle of a father working in the garden has never been so sinister.
It took me a little time to get into the story, but once in, I was turning pages feverishly. I worried, as in other spy stories, will this one be obtuse and more confusing than anything else? I needn't have worried, though. Frayn doesn't leave us hanging in a maze of double agents and hazy memories. He leads us through, having left a trail of breadcrumbs that we can now see in the clear, 20/20 vision that retrospect affords.
Elegant, captivating storytelling.
4.5 stars
Itemize Of Books Spies
| Title | : | Spies |
| Author | : | Michael Frayn |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 234 pages |
| Published | : | 2003 by Faber and Faber (first published 2002) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Historical. Historical Fiction. War. Mystery. European Literature. British Literature |
Rating Of Books Spies
Ratings: 3.54 From 4835 Users | 378 ReviewsArticle Of Books Spies
Very complicated to understand. But it takes a lot of analysis. Studied this in school.Well, it's finally over. That slow, monotonous pace expressed by my a-level English class is now only to be repeated on the other side of the course with 'A Streetcar Named Desire'.I probably think more critically of this book as a result of the teacher who made us read this book with her, and consequently discovering a to-be-tested drinking game every time she says, 'now I find this part really chilling!' and 'sexual awakening' along with a multitude of other phrases such as, 'oh my days,
In the 1940s, some boys played Cops & Robbers, some played Cowboys & Indians. But Stephen and Keith, English boys and neighbours during WWII, played Spies. Sure, it's a less well known game, but it is just as engrossing, and involves a hideout and a logbook, lots of sneaking around, and monitoring the movements and whereabouts of... Keith's mother, who the boys are certain is a German spy.This coming-of-age story is told by Stephen, an elderly, grandfatherly Stephen, who is remembering a
If I hadn't had to read this book for English I never would have finished it. The concept for the book was interesting, the actual story however was really slow and I just couldn't get into it. In the last chapter it was like the writer suddenly decided that he needed to add in some thing to shock the audience, however it was delivered in such away that there was no real shock value to it.
Little boys are inherently curious; I know I was. I had a secret fort in the bushes across the street from my house where my brother and I made plans and spied on neighbors. This book brought me back to those days.However, these two boys uncover a genuine mystery that moves the plot forward in leaps and bounds. The story overflows with suspenseful moments and the protagonists draws the reader in with his way of narrating his self defeating thoughts as he faces and crumbles in increasing tense
I read this book when I was at school and I remember kinda liking it but not really understanding it. Picking it up as an adult has been a pure joy. I loved the little bits of it that come with a bit of grown up perspective. I also loved that I hadn't remembered to much to spoil the story. Vey clever and beautifully written.
I read this book when I was at school and I remember kinda liking it but not really understanding it. Picking it up as an adult has been a pure joy. I loved the little bits of it that come with a bit of grown up perspective. I also loved that I hadn't remembered to much to spoil the story. Vey clever and beautifully written.
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