| Barley Blair a bumbling stumbling literary agent, receives classified information at a Moscow book fair. The classified info is from a "super" scientist (named 'Goethe') inside the Soviet weapons bureaucracy. Goethe says all Soviet technology does NOT work and that the arms race is futile: the West has already won. The key issue? Can MI-5 believe this source? Getting in contact with the source forces Blair (Sean Connery) to return to Russia, walk the streets of Moscow, and again contact Goethe. To do this, he must make contact with an old friend of the scientist named Katya (Michele Pfiffer). As the KGB becomes aware of Goethe, and as things fall apart in Russia, Blair must decide if, and how, he can save his new found love Katya.
That's the movie. The book has all these elements also. But the book has an entirely additional level for, you see, the book is told in the 1st person by someone who is in MI-5. The narrator knows all about this case, even before he starts writing. In fact, he tells you straight off that the plans for Blair went bad and then tells you why. The real story of the book is the narrator's regret about his own life, and the contrasts and jealousies and even admirations the narrator has toward Blair. In the movie, the conflict is between Blair and the Soviets. In the book, the conflict is really between Blair and the narrator. As you can see, most of the other reviewers don't point this out. But the narrator provides the grounding of the book. We see Blair's choices and heroics through his eyes ... and it is through those heroics that we learn of the narrator's failings. Yes, only Barley Blair could get the secrets from Goethe - but only Barley Blair could get the secrets from our narrator. The narrator's conflicts with Blair allow us to end up knowing two people intimately: Barley Blair, and the tragic and stoical narrator. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - Dry-cynical Time/era of story: Spying/Terrorism Thriller Yes Cloak & Dagger Plotlets: Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book descript. of violence and chases - 20 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 % Who's the terrorist enemy here? Is Romance a MAJOR (25%+) part of story? Yes Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 40's-50's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 40's-50's Profession/status: Eccentric: Yes Motive of antagonist - kicks The antagonists are: - communists How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters Setting Asia/Pacific Yes Asian country: - Russia City? Yes City: - London Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Explicit sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - descript of kissing - descript. of breasts - descript. of other female areas Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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