Synopses & Reviews
Sgt. Raymond Shaw is a hero of the first order. He's an ex-prisoner of war who saved the life of his entire outfit, a winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the stepson of an influential senator-and the perfect assassin. Brainwashed during his time as a P.O.W., he is a "sleeper" -- a living weapon to be triggered by a secret signal. He will act without question, no matter what order he is made to carry out. To stop Shaw and those who now control him, his former commanding officer, Bennett Marco, must uncover the truth behind a twisted conspiracy of torture, betrayal, and power that will lead him to the highest levels of the government -- and into the darkest recesses of his own mind.
Review
The New YorkerBrilliant...Wild and exhilarating.
Synopsis
The "breathlessly up-to-date" (The New York Times) Cold War espionage classic, soon to be a major motion picture from Paramount Pictures directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Academy Award winners Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep. Just as chilling as it was more than thirty years ago, The Manchurian Candidate is the story of Sergeant Raymond Shaw, winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor and ex-prisoner of war, who is brainwashed by a Chinese psychological expert during his captivity in North Korea. Now Shaw has returned home programmed to kill and his primary target is a U.S. presidential nominee.
Synopsis
Condon's Cold War espionage classic, first adapted to film in 1962, is updated for a new motion picture from Paramount Pictures directed by Jonathan Demme ("Philadelphia") and starring Academy Award winners Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep. Original.
About the Author
Born and raised in New York City, Richard Condon began writing fiction in his forties. He had previously worked in the movie business for more than twenty years as a press agent for Walt Disney productions, putting in time at nearly all of the major studios. In addition to The Manchurian Candidate -- a work that many feel disturbingly foreshadowed the assassination of both President John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert -- he wrote numerous bestsellers, including Prizzi's Honor and Prizzi's Family. He died in 1996.