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More copies of this ISBNThis title in other editionsThe World at Nightby Alan Furst
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Paris, 1940. The civilized, upper-class life of film producer Jean Casson is derailed by the German occupation of Paris, but Casson learns that with enough money, compromise, and connections, one need not deny oneself the pleasures of Parisian life. Somewhere inside Casson, though, is a stubborn romantic streak. When he?s offered the chance to take part in an operation of the British secret service, this idealism gives him the courage to say yes. A simple mission, but it goes wrong, and Casson realizes he must gamble everything — his career, the woman he loves, life itself. Here is a brilliant re-creation of France — its spirit in the moment of defeat, its valor in the moment of rebirth.
Review:"Imagine discovering an unscreened espionage thriller from the late 1930s, a classic black-and-white movie that captures the murky allegiances and moral ambiguities of Europe on the brink of war....Nothing can be like watching Casablanca for the first time, but Furst comes closer than anyone has in years." Walter Shapiro, Time
Review:"With uninspired plotting, Furst makes disappointing use of a vividly evoked wartime Paris in his latest WWII espionage novel....Furst brings this fascinating, historic Paris to life with his usual masterful use of period detail. But while Casson makes an intriguing protagonist, his relationships with other characters are presented rather schematically — in particular, his affair with Citrine, which ultimately proves so influential, is never satisfactorily developed. More importantly, Casson's career as a spy, marked by mixed success on missions that seem insignificant, is anticlimactic and a bit confusing. In the end, the novel never attains the dramatic pitch of Furst's recent The Polish Officer." Publishers Weekly
Review:"Mr. Furst is careful not to make too much of Casson's exploits...portraying his spying as the reluctant and not fully understood actions of an Old World romantic. The World at Night is full of richly atmospheric detail, but the novel's plot is oddly old-fashioned and unconvincing; characters and events pop up and float away without much explanation, and even some of the most important moments seem listless and half formed. In places, the story verges on outright corniness." Scott Veale, The New York Times Book Review
Review:"With the authority of solid research and a true fascination for his material, Mr. Furst makes idealism, heroism, and sacrifice believable and real." David Walton, The Dallas Morning News
Review:"[The World at Night] is the world of Eric Ambler, the pioneering British author of classic World War II espionage fiction....The novel is full of keen dialogue and witty commentary....[T]hrilling." Herbert Mitgang, Chicago Tribune
Review:"First-rate research collaborates with first-rate imagination....Superb." The Boston Globe
Review:"[The World at Night] earns a comparison with the serious entertainments of Graham Greene and John le Carré....Gripping, beautifully detailed...an absorbing glimpse into the moral maze of espionage." Richard Eder, Los Angeles Times
Review:"The throes of masculine existential torment are an unquestionable specialty for Furst, whose WW II fiction combines so much broad historical erudition with such genuine humanity that they ought to be made required reading. Once again, Furst loads the entire burden of an aspect of the war on the shoulders of a single character, then scrutinizes that character as he changes. It's the old rat-in-the-maze game, played for very high stakes....At times, the author seems more concerned with atmosphere than action, but fans will recognize his gift for making every gesture an expression of character and allow him to get away with it. The payoff is worth the wait. Furst has somehow discovered the perfect venue for uniting the European literary tragedy with the Anglo-American spy thriller. Nobody does it better." Kirkus Reviews
Review:"With deft texturing and tight storytelling, Furst puts film producer Jean Casson into perilously exciting jams in German-occupied Paris....So complicated are Casson's problems, yet so clearly and cleverly constructed his extrications, that Furst never forces solutions, demonstrating that he wields that authentic literariness essential to the better espionage titles." Booklist
About the AuthorOften compared to Graham Greene and Eric Ambler, Alan Furst is a master of the spy thriller and one of the great war novelists of our time. He is the author of Night Soldiers, Dark Star, The Polish Officer, The World at Night, and Kingdom of Shadows. He lives on Long Island, New York.
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