seeandieread's review
5.0
Ira Levin's most culturally influential novel lives up to its reputation. Simon Prebble narrates it wonderfully. This thriller is fast-paced, compelling, and will keep you on the edge of your seat even if you think you know the story of The Boys from Brazil.
This concept is something so often referenced in pop culture, from sitcoms to dramas, to outright parodies or emulations, that I cannot recall first learning about it. There's a reason Levin's work is so widely known and I recommend readers find out for themselves.
This concept is something so often referenced in pop culture, from sitcoms to dramas, to outright parodies or emulations, that I cannot recall first learning about it. There's a reason Levin's work is so widely known and I recommend readers find out for themselves.
kkalicky94's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death of parent, Antisemitism, Death, and Murder
atlantisblauw's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed the story a lot, although I wouldn't say it's a must read. I wanted to keep on reading and thought it was an original plot. Well written, good character development. The fact that it's faction certainly adds to the story, making you think about the possibility of a new Hitler or how awful it is that so many Nazi's got away, and making you accept the rather strange plot more easily. If it hadn't been about Hitler and Mengele, it would have probably sounded far fetched.
sim0ne's review
I read this book for school but wauw it really surprised me... I actually really liked it so it gets like 3.5-4/5 stars!
alisarae's review
I wish I hadn’t watched the movie first. This book was still a nice thriller even knowing the hook of the mystery, but it would have been better if I hadn’t known what Dr. Mengele was up to.
PS did some Wikipediaing and it turns out that the real Mengele was running around Greater São Paulo until his death in 79. Weird to think about.
PS did some Wikipediaing and it turns out that the real Mengele was running around Greater São Paulo until his death in 79. Weird to think about.
carlos1979's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A chilling novel that feels like it’s fiction based on fact around “ what if” nazis found safe haven in South America and continued their hideous work.
itsa_mario's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
jimmypat's review
3.0
I found this to be a surprisingly good thriller from the 70s. I thought the writing was a step above what I expected and I was thoroughly engaged. I found it a bit predictable, but that may be because subsequent books have mined similar territory, robbing this book of some cache. I also found myself wanting some other ideas explored that the book hinted at (Yakov is roughly the same age as the targets... what if he was more directly involved, for example) and I found the setting for the climax of the book kind of arbitrary, but I do love how the boy "finishes" the conflict.