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It is important to study the background of Germany back in 1989: West Germany, East Germany, West Berlin, East Berlin and of course the Berlin Wall. It just meant Oz, and espionage – how grand that word sounds now – and I suppose my family and the terrible things we did. This is mostly a coming of age story, with an espionage subplot that weaves in and out of the events of Ralf and his family, before the book reaches a thrilling twist and a moving conclusion. Ralf’s relationship with his family plays a big role in the narrative, and even though we might not like or forgive Ralf’s parents, Fergusson does give these characters some nuance.
After discovering seven men murdered aboard their yacht – including two Senate rivals – Israel Pike is regarded as a prime suspect. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough as I had to know what the next twist in the investigation would be, and yet I wanted to read slowly enough, so I didn’t miss a clue. Koryta has done a masterful job NOT using it as a “ploy” but as an incredible picture of resiliency and courage. Lyman, the 12 year old boy, is particularly interesting and well fleshed out boy and will pull at your heartstrings.Teniendo en cuenta que la caída del muro de Berlín me cogió ya con más de 20 años, esta parte de la historia contemporánea me apasiona porque tengo la impresión de que en su momento no supe apreciarlo del todo (si bien estuve toda la noche del 11 de Nov de 1989 pegada al televisor) y me encanta revivirlo de nuevo. This is another Joe Jameson narration, and it is a truth universally acknowledged that if Joe Jameson narrates a book, I will listen to it. But far from keeping him afloat, it drags him ever deeper into the shadowy underworld of 1960s London.
The various strands of the novel work in harmony, and the story of Ralf and Oz becomes more and more complicated as he – and us – start to question everyone and everything that happens. But an unsettling discovery about his family and a meeting with the mysterious Oz shatters everything Ralf thought he knew about love and loyalty. Israel is well aware of the role his Uncle played in his incarceration as well as the hard time he endured behind bars. In West Berlin in 1989, eighteen-year-old Ralf has just left school and is living a final golden summer with his three best friends. The character of Ralf and his relationships with both his family and friends (particularly Oz) are beautifully drawn.This story was so slow that a few times I considered not finishing, but I hate to do that, so I plodded on.
The author acknowledges a wide range of sources he consulted to supplement his own experiences to summon a vision on Berlin as the infamous wall moves to its breach in late 1989 (the author was nine at the time). As I say, this was an unexpected wonder of a book, providing so much more than a simple synopsis can provide. Michael's previous work ranges from a trio of supernatural novels--So Cold the River, The Cypress House, and The Ridge, which were all named New York Times notable books of the year and earned starred reviews from Publishers Weekly--to stand-alone crime novels such as The Prophet (A New York Times bestseller) and Envy the Night (selected as a Reader's Digest condensed book), to a series of award-winning novels featuring private investigator Lincoln Perry--Tonight I Said Goodbye, Sorrow's Anthem, A Welcome Grave, and The Silent Hour. To begin with Ralf is a rather sheltered and somewhat naive boy, and as the story progresses, and he starts seeing with new eyes his family and friends, he becomes more of an adult. In Ben Fergusson's An Honest Man our narrator Ralf revisits a particularly significant year in his life.Against this backdrop we meet Ralf, a West Berliner, at a cusp and cross road between school and university, caught in his own web of confusion and repression. Fiercely beautiful, this tender, yet powerfully told story of love and discovery cradles the reader in the most pleasurable way. His latest novel, An Honest Man, is a prime example—easily one of the best in his long string of successful crime novels.
I had never read any of Michael Koryta’s books until Mulholland Books/Hachette Book Group generously gifted me several ARCs, including “An Honest Man”. Oz’s introverted nature lends him an air of mystery, and readers, alongside Ralf, will find themselves wanting to learn more about him.As well as a poignant love story, it’s also a gripping, original thriller; a final twist I definitely didn’t see coming sets a powerful climax in motion just as the Wall comes down. His relationship with Oz is filled with a young sort of longing, with plenty of awkward flirting and even some tender moments. The novel is written from the present, but looks back to the months prior to November 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell. But these stories are filled with so many twists and surprises that they give a fascinating new perspective on this vibrant capital.
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