The same is true for the willful naïveté of the child narrator. 'The unnecessary and empty suspense can’t jibe with Frayn’s insistence that the book be cast as a recollection.Frayn has written nothing better.' - Paul Bailey, The Independent

It could be argued that there are almost too many revelations in the final pages, but otherwise this is a deeply satisfying account of the everyday torments and confusions experienced by a not especially bright boy at a time of international madness. (.) The tone is anguished and humorous by turns. Frayn is a master of the casual surprise, and the surprises here all ring true. ' Spies is as much a work of suspense as it is of saddened reflection.(.) Spies is not as sophisticated and ambitious as Frayn's last novel, Headlong, but it is never less than witty, ingenious, and a pleasure to read.' - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian Even then, it is only really in the final 50 pages that Frayn pulls back the joystick, and with a great whoosh we are up for some very showy loop-the-loops and victory rolls. 'The plot is like an aircraft (.) that spends a puzzlingly long time taxiing along the runway before it finally gets airborne.Es ist auch eine Reflexion über das, was wir über andere zu wissen meinen und woher.' - Felicitas von Lovenberg, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 'Frayns Spionagespiel ist Krimi, Kriegsgeschichte und Entwicklungsroman in einem.Not quite a consensus, but most largely very impressed General information | review summaries | our review | links | about the authorī+ : ultimately very satisfying, but much of the presentation is exasperating Trying to meet all your book preview and review needs.

Headlong michael frayn summary