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Il Giovane Philby (2012)

by Robert Littell(Favorite Author)

3.44 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

8834719557 (ISBN13: 9788834719558)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Fanucci

review 1: I am fascinated by anything to do with espionage. That, and the fact that I recently read and enjoyed 'A Spy Among Friends' by Ben Macintyre, meant that I had high hopes of this fictionalised account of the early years of Kim Philby's cloak and dagger activities. Unfortunately, 'Young Philby' is a tad disappointing. It's not a bad book. But it never really reaches the heights. It's a workmanlike, competent novel. But it's also a strangely dull one. It never lives up to the comment from author Frederick Forsyth (that is printed on the front cover of the paperback edition) that it's "a riveting read". Kim Philby is probably the most famous spy of the 20th century. Numerous books have been written about him, his betrayal of the British secret services and (seemingly ju... morest as he was about to be brought to book for his treachery) his defection to the Soviet Union in the early 1960s. In this fact-based novel, American writer Robert Littell attempts to persuade the reader that there may have been more to Philby's actions than meets the eye. He offers an alternative theory of what the spy was actually up to. His suggestion is both fascinating and plausible and is presented in a series of chapters narrated by different people involved in Philby's life, such as his father, his friends, his lovers and his 'colleagues' in the British and Soviet secret services. 'Young Philby' is an interesting read. I liked it. But it's let down somewhat by Littell's writing style, which is so laid back that there is little or no tension and there are very few thrills amongst the book's 270 or so pages. Because of the way in which the story is structured, there is no real narrative thread either. So, it's a novel about a fascinating subject that is curiously humdrum at times. It never really leaps off the page and grabs you. Ben Macintyre's recent factual book (see above) is much more readable and enjoyable in that it carries the reader along with a fervour and energy that 'Young Philby' singularly lacks. 6/10.
review 2: Robert Littell's Young Philby is a fascinating treatise on the early years of Kim Philby, the celebrated Soviet spy. All the chapters are written from the perspective of many of the individuals that were a part of his early life. This novel gives the reader possible insights into how he became one of the most infamous double or possibly triple agents in the British and Soviet Intelligence agencies. A great read!! less

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