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Title: Jackdaws by Ken Follett, Kate Reading ISBN: 0142800031 Publisher: E P Dutton Audio Pub. Date: December, 2001 Format: Audio Cassette Volumes: 10 List Price(USD): $44.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.91
Rating: 5
Summary: Making The Most Of A Second Chance.
Comment: After participating in one failed operation, Major Felicite Clairet of the Special Operations Executive returns to France to blow up a heavily-guarded telephone exchange just before the allied invasion in June, 1944. The team she leads will impersonate a crew of cleaning ladies in order to gain access to the building.
It is possible to view the story as being about a duel between the strong-willed Felicity and a cruel, fanatical German Army officer named Major Dieter Franck. Even though we know the British wonder woman will probably defeat the German superman, there is still enough suspense to keep us interested until the outcome is certain.
Follett is a trained journalist who is an excellent writer. He is also a skilled storyteller and he seems to be at his best when spinning yarns about World War II.
The book was supposedly inspired by the example of Pearl Witherington, a British courier who was recommended for a Military Cross for her wartime exploits.
Rating: 3
Summary: Shopworn espionage thriller that delivers few thrills.
Comment: Ken Follett's new novel, "Jackdaws," joins the scores of other historical novels written about clandestine spies and saboteurs performing heroic acts during World War II. Unfortunately, this novel has nothing new to offer and Follett's cliché-ridden writing weakens its impact considerably.
The heroine of "Jackdaws" is Felicity "Flick" Clairet, a formidable woman of considerable beauty who leads a ragtag band of resistance fighters in occupied France. Her foe is Dieter Franck, a German answering to Field Marshall Rommel. Franck has been assigned the task of crippling the French Resistance before the expected Allied invasion in June of 1944. Flick recruits a small band of women, known as "Jackdaws," to carry out a dangerous mission that, if successful, will help insure the success of the Allied invasion.
Ken Follett is capable of top-notch storytelling, although his powers have certainly waned in recent years. Here, he relies heavily on clichés: the beautiful and intrepid secret agents, the secret codes and signals, the dozens of close calls when capture seems inevitable, the scenes of torture, the "stiff upper lip" dialogue. Follett's narrative never comes to life, since he writes with little imagination, style or genuine feeling. Here is an example of painful writing: "Her pulse was racing and there was a cold sensation of fear in her chest. She was in the lions' den. If she were captured, nothing could save her." Ouch.
"Jackdaws," is replete with scenes of sex (both homosexual and heterosexual) and violence (the body count is high). However, with all of the manufactured excitement, this novel is a run-of-mill, rather dull and predictable spy story.
Rating: 4
Summary: Did Follett write the entire book?
Comment: If I was a gambling man, I'd bet some serious money that Ken Follett had a woman write part of this book. Whenever there's extra prose about women's clothing, it is almost always a tipoff that it's a woman doing the writing. In any event, it works in this book. Also, there seems to be almost a focus on homosexual women throughout the story. Easy to scan past. On a high note, I was especially impressed with some of the research into proper radio procedures, telephone systems and equipment of that era, and proper terminology. (yes, the squarish metal thing with all of the rounds inside and that is inserted into a rifle or pistol is called a magazine, not a clip) A bit of a nit pick is the use of PC language sprinkled here and there. What the heck, that's why it's called fiction. Enjoy the book, it will give you a good ride.
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Title: Hornet Flight by Ken Follett ISBN: 0525946896 Publisher: E P Dutton Pub. Date: 02 December, 2002 List Price(USD): $26.95 |
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Title: Code to Zero by Ken Follett ISBN: 0451204530 Publisher: Signet Pub. Date: 31 October, 2001 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett ISBN: 0380733358 Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: September, 2000 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Triple by Ken Follett ISBN: 0451163540 Publisher: Signet Pub. Date: April, 2003 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: The Key to Rebecca by Ken Follett ISBN: 0451163494 Publisher: Signet Pub. Date: July, 2003 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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