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An American Spy by Olen Steinhauer (view source)
Revision as of 14:40, 18 April 2012
, 14:40, 18 April 2012no edit summary
This, the third novel in Olen Steinhauer's Milo Weaver series, I'm ashamed to say, is my first encounter with either the author or the spy. However I didn't feel lost or alienated by plot lines running through the series or 'in' jokes. In fact it can be seen as tribute to Steinhauer's writing that I didn't feel as if I was being penalised for my tardy arrival at all. (An 'other authors take note' moment perhaps?) Similarly any references to previous episodes were kept to the minimum in order to ensure that stalwart Weaver fans weren't forced to revise against their will. Indeed, ''An American Spy'' works as well as a stand-alone as it seems to alongside its companion volumes but, thinking about it, 'works well' is a bit of an understatement.
In the book blurb Steinhauer is likened to [[:Category:John le Carre|John le Carre]] (the father of famous writer [[:Category:Nick Harkaway|Nick Harkaway]]*) by none other than thriller writer extraordinaire, [[:Category:Lee Child (editorEditor)|Lee Child]]. I agree that ''An American Spy'' is every bit as good as a le Carre novel, but it's also more accessible. We all know people who have read or seen ''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy'' and come out of the experience a little confused and bewildered. Well, Olen Steinhauer is every bit as intricate but the intricacy is in the plotting; the writing being so clear and straightforward that it's easy to follow with only a little concentration. The characters are introduced at an absorbable rate, fully formed and from there everything just flows. Please don't misunderstand me, though; this is no fluffy read. The brain does need to be engaged just a little bit but the rewards of this engagement are great.
Actually the river metaphor is a good one when trying to explain this novel. The reader is treated to chapters and sections from the main characters' viewpoints that become tributaries, meandering into the main story's flow. This is the clever bit. Your perceptions will be twisted into a certain direction and then reformed and led in a different direction so often that paddling against the river by trying to guess the twists and outcomes becomes pointless. I'm normally a prolific twist guesser but this novel leads the reader through so many variations that in the end I just allowed the story's current to take me. Just sit back and admire the author's artistry. In fact the ride is so enjoyable you may want to catch up with Mr Steinhauer's back catalogue. I speak from experience – I have a nice Milo-Weaver-shaped space free on my bookshelves just waiting to be filled.