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The Commissar's Report
A Russian spy falls in love with life in the United States and pretends to be engaged in subversive activities in order to stay in the country
- GenresFiction
328 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1984
2 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Martyn Burke
8 books6 followersMartyn Burke is the author of seven highly acclaimed novels. He has received the Peabody Award and the International Press Academy Auteur Award, and has been nominated for both Emmy and Writers Guild awards.
His research process often involves creating documentaries, including the Academy Award–shortlisted Under Fire: Journalists in Combat, as well as films exploring subjects ranging from traveling carnivals to terrorism and war.
His research process often involves creating documentaries, including the Academy Award–shortlisted Under Fire: Journalists in Combat, as well as films exploring subjects ranging from traveling carnivals to terrorism and war.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 10, 2017
A really nice grown up book.
The blurb calls it the "cold war Catch 22" and it is far from that, but it does have lots of funny moments.
An American journalist is on a fact finding mission in Russia, when he sees a line of prisoners being marched across at gunpoint to clear landmines. he is accept to the accept the Politburo explanation that these men have volunteered, in order to be given free plots of land.
Thus, the novel portrays matters of life and death with gallows humour. The Russian spies in America can't believe how gullible Americans are, and our hero stumbles along merrily in the new world, from one disaster to the next.
I enjoyed the book but and there's always a but; maybe it's a bit long at 400 pages and once the fun goes near the end, it all becomes a bit slow and dour.
The blurb calls it the "cold war Catch 22" and it is far from that, but it does have lots of funny moments.
An American journalist is on a fact finding mission in Russia, when he sees a line of prisoners being marched across at gunpoint to clear landmines. he is accept to the accept the Politburo explanation that these men have volunteered, in order to be given free plots of land.
Thus, the novel portrays matters of life and death with gallows humour. The Russian spies in America can't believe how gullible Americans are, and our hero stumbles along merrily in the new world, from one disaster to the next.
I enjoyed the book but and there's always a but; maybe it's a bit long at 400 pages and once the fun goes near the end, it all becomes a bit slow and dour.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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October 29, 2019This book was thrilling and engaging, it kept me on the edge of my seat when Dimitri's double life is going to be found out by the Russian government while he was being a multi-millionaire in the states. It had a vicious antagonist as the protagonist's father sent the antagonist's parents into the gulag and survived.
March 31, 2018
I read this satire about twenty-five years ago and loved it. It did not have the same appeal this time around. Perhaps it is because infiltration that seemed far-fetched twenty-five years ago seems too real now, considering what we know of Russian interference with Western elections.
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September 28, 2023Different world... soviet and US...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2011
The category that this book fits into on the bingo board is a book recommended by amember of your family. The family member that recommended it to me was my sister Amanda.
What I liked about the book was that some of the storyline of which the book was based on made me eager to learn and find out more. This included the stock market in America (Wall Street) and immigrants from Russia getting deeper into American democracy and trying to turn the system corrupt.
What i was disappointed about in the book was that there wasn't a few more hundred pages because at the end of the book they cut it short making you guess what ends up happening and there is no other book following on after it.
I would recommend this book to my best friend as this book contains scenes that put your mind on a quiz to guess what happens next and makes keep on reading more and more, page after page. This book also contains saucy romance that should be within his criteria
What I liked about the book was that some of the storyline of which the book was based on made me eager to learn and find out more. This included the stock market in America (Wall Street) and immigrants from Russia getting deeper into American democracy and trying to turn the system corrupt.
What i was disappointed about in the book was that there wasn't a few more hundred pages because at the end of the book they cut it short making you guess what ends up happening and there is no other book following on after it.
I would recommend this book to my best friend as this book contains scenes that put your mind on a quiz to guess what happens next and makes keep on reading more and more, page after page. This book also contains saucy romance that should be within his criteria
June 28, 2007
A wonderful novel about a cold-war era Russian spy who loves the Brooklyn Dodgers (because you just CAN'T root for the Yankees!). This would get five stars, but the ending is such a downer.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews