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dark_knight's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
book_whisperer's review against another edition
1.0
This is my first book of this author and I am dissapointed considering how many great things I have heared about him. The book does not attract you at all. Lots of characters, way too many description of their daily actions (like eating, what kind of food, drink, pourring the drink and so on) that brings no value to the plot.
topdragon's review against another edition
3.0
Ken Follett began his successful rise as a best-selling author with the publication of [b:Eye of the Needle|92364|Eye of the Needle|Ken Follett|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327939511s/92364.jpg|395229] in 1978. However, that was not his first novel. Paper Money was written just before, in 1976, and is described by the author in the introduction as “the best of my unsuccessful books.”
Maybe, but it still didn’t work too well for me. This caper novel lacked a central character but instead told the story from a number of different characters’ point-of-view. We have bankers, newspaper reporters, legislators, crooks and more. Each chapter is devoted to a single hour of the day, and the whole thing is told in chronological order. (Yes…long before the TV series “24” did this). For me though, dividing everything into the various characters’ viewpoints made the plot very choppy and unconnected. Some of the chapters were quite enjoyable while others were not, depending on the character involved. I’ve read other novels that employ this method and they have worked well but this one lost its cohesion early on. Follett shows signs of excellent story telling here and there but to me, it seemed obvious this is an early effort.
Recommended for Follett completests but others will be taking a risk.
Maybe, but it still didn’t work too well for me. This caper novel lacked a central character but instead told the story from a number of different characters’ point-of-view. We have bankers, newspaper reporters, legislators, crooks and more. Each chapter is devoted to a single hour of the day, and the whole thing is told in chronological order. (Yes…long before the TV series “24” did this). For me though, dividing everything into the various characters’ viewpoints made the plot very choppy and unconnected. Some of the chapters were quite enjoyable while others were not, depending on the character involved. I’ve read other novels that employ this method and they have worked well but this one lost its cohesion early on. Follett shows signs of excellent story telling here and there but to me, it seemed obvious this is an early effort.
Recommended for Follett completests but others will be taking a risk.
angsgc's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
cerisecarrot's review against another edition
3.0
You can tell this was an early book. Too many characters, no depth of story and too many loose ends
book_concierge's review against another edition
2.0
Audible audio read by Jonathan Keeble
2.5**
Before he rocketed to fame with Eye of the Needle, Ken Follett published a couple of crime novels under a pseudonym: Zachary Stone. In this one he explores how crime, high finance and journalism are connected through corruption, with the action taking place in a single day.
The relatively small volume is tightly packed, with a dozen (or more) characters and a complex plot. Follett structure the book by telling us the time of day, and then giving us several vignettes taking place simultaneously during that hour: a scene at the newspaper, contrasted with two or three scenes depicting the stories the newspaper is covering (or should be). It’s full of politics and scandal, and characters range from high-powered men to street criminals, and taking the reader on a tour of mid-1970s London from its tony neighborhoods to its slums.
Jonathan Keeble does a good job of reading the audiobook, but the many characters and some complicated financial elements taxed my ability to focus while listening. I might have rated it higher if I had read the text, but I’m not sure the story has really stood the test of time.
2.5**
Before he rocketed to fame with Eye of the Needle, Ken Follett published a couple of crime novels under a pseudonym: Zachary Stone. In this one he explores how crime, high finance and journalism are connected through corruption, with the action taking place in a single day.
The relatively small volume is tightly packed, with a dozen (or more) characters and a complex plot. Follett structure the book by telling us the time of day, and then giving us several vignettes taking place simultaneously during that hour: a scene at the newspaper, contrasted with two or three scenes depicting the stories the newspaper is covering (or should be). It’s full of politics and scandal, and characters range from high-powered men to street criminals, and taking the reader on a tour of mid-1970s London from its tony neighborhoods to its slums.
Jonathan Keeble does a good job of reading the audiobook, but the many characters and some complicated financial elements taxed my ability to focus while listening. I might have rated it higher if I had read the text, but I’m not sure the story has really stood the test of time.
cemoses's review against another edition
5.0
I liked this book a lot but it is not for everyone. To some extent it is a group of short stories in the form of a novel. It is about a 1980s US business corruption and a newspaper.
wrentheblurry's review against another edition
MIL loaned this to me, but it just didn't grab me. Follett certainly writes books that are easy to read, but I don't care about the subject matter of finance.