Archangel

Harris demonstrates not merely a command of his subject matter but a knack for writing action scenes that keeps the pages turning quickly. On half a dozen occasions, we found our leading characters twisting into new scenarios just when we felt that neither they nor we could stand any more tension and suspense. Once you get by the strange place and person names, and can keep the roster of characters straight, Archangel becomes a highly entertaining, satisfying story sure to please almost any reader, let alone those with a bent for historical fiction. Enjoy!

Archangel is a strong work of fiction, but it is not on the same level as Fatherland. Still it is worth recommending in its own right.

Where Archangel succeeds is in atmosphere. There is something profoundly and distinctly haunting about Stalins legacy, and Harris manages to evoke the ghost of the "man of steel" quite well. We are treated to vivid depictions of Moscow and the forested Russian North. Harris does pose a number of troubling points about Russia and Stalins legacy - what does it mean that a considerable fraction of the Russian public celebrate the life of this monster?

Archangel follows the adventures of a struggling British academic, Fluke Kelso, as he pursues Stalins lost journal. The plot has not nearly as many twists as Fatherland, and the degree of suspense is somewhat less. The tone is, on the whole, far more mysterious. Noone should pick this up expecting a work with a lot of violent action.

Im not certain how I come down about the books ending. It seems to fit the novel, and yet I was somehow expecting a bit Archangel is a very good novel with a strong sense of history and setting, well worth your time.