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.Devil May Care (James Bond)

by: Sebastian Faulks

May 28, 2008
I suppose that Penguin, who publish the novels of the late Ian Fleming these days, had to do something to mark the centenary of his birth. And indeed they have - they've commissioned a modern-day author to write a brand new James Bond adventure.

They have chosen Sebastian Faulks - and rather than attempt to do what the movies have already done and relocate Fleming's spy to the modern day, Faulks has taken this achetypal 1950s fictional secret agent and only moved him on a few years - to the mid-60s, where we find him on leave while recovering from his last Fleming adventure, and feeling over the hill and generally past it.

Faulks does a reasonably good job of writing in the style of Ian Fleming -with all of the good ... Read More:
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.Engleby

by: Sebastian Faulks

March 27, 2008
I have only read one other Faulks novel: Birdsong, which was set in the First World War. This one is completely different in style, setting and era, which suggests some versatility on the author's part.

I enjoyed it. The narrative is humourous in a sardonic way. The dry wit comes out on the very first page and continues throughout, contrasting nicely with the chilling turn of events. Engleby is a misfit, a human island who is worryingly detached from events going on around him. His psychology is the centrepiece of the book. Everything builds up slowly but steadily, finally unravelling to a conclusion that confirms the reader's earlier suspicions but is powerful nonetheless.

Like other reviewers, I liked the period detail ... Read More:
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.Birdsong

by: Sebastian Faulks

July 18, 1994
Amazing book. I simply could not put it down. It made me cry in places and now my husband is reading it and finding the book equally moving. Stick at it, as its a slightly slow starter, but its worth the wait!
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.The Girl at the Lion D'Or

by: Sebastian Faulks

January 03, 1998
Those who have read some of Faulks' later novels might be disappointed in this one. There's no question that Faulks is a good writer and the descriptions and phrasing are the same high quality as his later books. The problem for me was the plot - it's a slow moving, rather uninspired story.

Set in France between the wars, it tells of a love affair between a young waitress and a wealthy lawyer. There's not really a lot else in there - the obligatory references to war which you find in all Faulks books - and several potentially interesting plot threads are left unexplored. The ending was weak, with ends left untied and increased the frustration I felt with the book.

This is one of Faulks' first novels and it shows - you can tell that a good writer is lurking ... Read More:
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.Human Traces

by: Sebastian Faulks

July 06, 2006
I have been an admirer of the writing of Sebastian Faulks and am interested in the history of management of mental illness but this book stretched one's loyalty to the limits. There are long passages where I can hardly believe Faulks is the author; passages of 'he said to her and she replied to him' sort of dialogue, which are totally lacking in any literary merit. It would have benefitted from the wielding of a ruthless editorial scalpel.
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.Charlotte Gray

by: Sebastian Faulks

July 01, 1999
This is a terrific book - difficult to put down and a real literary achievement. It is fundamentally a romance set against a backdrop of war but is much more than that in reality.
Not an easy read in terms of its subject matter as it deals with the worst aspects of Nazi atrocities as well as the bravery, clever scheming and misguided realpolitick of the Allies.
Those in France involved with resisting the Reich are not forgotten, as are those who embraced the regime brought by their occupiers.
I cannot think of anything negative to say about it. It doesn't pull any punches in describing the ludicrous propaganda used by the Vichy government and rightly so.

The book is about love and how it drives people as much as "the horror the horror".

As good as Birdsong, ... Read More:
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.Devil May Care (unabridged)

by: Sebastian Faulks

May 28, 2008
Just finished listening to this on my ipod. I was hooked for the first seven or eight chapters, then I just found myself willing for it to be over. For a double O agent, Bond's perception is severely lacking when it comes to Scarlett / Poppy - I think anyone listening would have figured out their / her background about Chapter 10. This really detracts from the book as you just keep thinking "Come on Bond, why would she be phoning her investment banker boss to try to sort matters out". Meanwhile, Faulks does a good job of describing the colour of the socks Bond buys in a Paris store, but glosses over in under a sentence the bank job he pulls in Saint Petersburg. Ultimately, the fact that Gorner's achilles heel is is monkey's paw is also too weak an element to pin his demise upon.

Overall, formulaic, ... Read More:
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.The Fatal Englishman: Three Short Lives

by: Sebastian Faulks

January 30, 1997
To believe that this is a collection of incipient novellas is to misunderstand the purport of the book. It is a searing examination of the Romantic Byronic spirit of a certain kind of Englishness - that of the outsider, well-educated and assured but also tenderly, tragically flawed. It has much more to do with the theme of Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom or the disclosures of Sassoon than some imagined cutesy nostalgic view.
Each of the characters is examined as a contrasting icon within their zeitgeist. The prevailing mores and challenges of their respective times cumulatively constrict and ultimately kill them. They all share a putative rosy future but this is soured by their very own identities which do not allow them to thrive and prosper in their chosen activities of painting, aviation and espionage. The writing ... Read More:
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.A Fool's Alphabet

by: Sebastian Faulks

January 03, 1998
The 26 chapters of this book are named after places, one for each letter of the alphabet. Moving around in time as well as location, it reads rather like a collection of short stories with a common central character rather than a novel. Rather than being driven by exposition of a plot, each episode is enjoyed as a nicely written set piece.

The writing is good - Faulks has a style which is elegant and descriptive without being overblown. Some chapters are very strong, for instance the description of office life and the chapter set in Jerusalem. Others were less interesting, although I suspect every reader would have a different preference depending on their own experiences.

It isn't really a very memorable book. I enjoyed the experience of reading it whilst I was actually reading the words, but it is not a work ... Read More:
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.Birdsong

by: Sebastian Faulks

November 05, 2007
Amazing book. I simply could not put it down. It made me cry in places and now my husband is reading it and finding the book equally moving. Stick at it, as its a slightly slow starter, but its worth the wait!
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