A review by feoh
Dark Star by Alan Furst
5.0
This book is a sure fire winner for anyone who enjoys truly compelling story set against a lushly detailed historical back drop.
Alan Furst really has an incredible talent for bringing history alive and this book is a fine example.
Generalities aside for the moment, I particularly enjoyed the Russian/Eastern European bent of this story. Our protagonist is a Polish born Russified Jew who begins the tale as a fiery, empassioned writer for Pravda but is slowly sucked into the ravening maw of the NKVD (Precursor to the KGB) as Hitler devours Europe and the region is sucked inexorably towards war.
The intensity and poignancy of this story make it a definite stand out. The all too up close and personal encounters with anti-antisemitism and life under Stalin's purges are just heartrending and left me unable to put this one down. Highly recommended.
Alan Furst really has an incredible talent for bringing history alive and this book is a fine example.
Generalities aside for the moment, I particularly enjoyed the Russian/Eastern European bent of this story. Our protagonist is a Polish born Russified Jew who begins the tale as a fiery, empassioned writer for Pravda but is slowly sucked into the ravening maw of the NKVD (Precursor to the KGB) as Hitler devours Europe and the region is sucked inexorably towards war.
The intensity and poignancy of this story make it a definite stand out. The all too up close and personal encounters with anti-antisemitism and life under Stalin's purges are just heartrending and left me unable to put this one down. Highly recommended.