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Babe Levy #1
Marathon Man
Tom "Babe" Levy is a runner in every sense: racing tirelessly toward his goals of athletic and academic excellence--and endlessly away from the specter of his famous father's scandal-driven suicide. But an unexpected visit from his beloved older brother will set in motion a chain of events that plunge Babe into a vortex of terror, treachery, and murder--and force him into a race for his life . . . and for the answer to the fateful question, "Is it safe?"
236 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1974
960 people are currently reading
15284 people want to read
About the author
William Goldman
88 books2,662 followersGoldman grew up in a Jewish family in Highland Park, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, and obtained a BA degree at Oberlin College in 1952 and an MA degree at Columbia University in 1956.His brother was the late James Goldman, author and playwright.
William Goldman had published five novels and had three plays produced on Broadway before he began to write screenplays. Several of his novels he later used as the foundation for his screenplays.
In the 1980s he wrote a series of memoirs looking at his professional life on Broadway and in Hollywood (in one of these he famously remarked that "Nobody knows anything"). He then returned to writing novels. He then adapted his novel The Princess Bride to the screen, which marked his re-entry into screenwriting.
Goldman won two Academy Awards: an Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and an Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay for All the President's Men. He also won two Edgar Awards, from the Mystery Writers of America, for Best Motion Picture Screenplay: for Harper in 1967, and for Magic (adapted from his own 1976 novel) in 1979.
Goldman died in New York City on November 16, 2018, due to complications from colon cancer and pneumonia. He was eighty-seven years old.
William Goldman had published five novels and had three plays produced on Broadway before he began to write screenplays. Several of his novels he later used as the foundation for his screenplays.
In the 1980s he wrote a series of memoirs looking at his professional life on Broadway and in Hollywood (in one of these he famously remarked that "Nobody knows anything"). He then returned to writing novels. He then adapted his novel The Princess Bride to the screen, which marked his re-entry into screenwriting.
Goldman won two Academy Awards: an Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and an Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay for All the President's Men. He also won two Edgar Awards, from the Mystery Writers of America, for Best Motion Picture Screenplay: for Harper in 1967, and for Magic (adapted from his own 1976 novel) in 1979.
Goldman died in New York City on November 16, 2018, due to complications from colon cancer and pneumonia. He was eighty-seven years old.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 708 reviews
July 24, 2022
3.5 stars— “The Marathon Man” by William Goldman has remained on my ‘Want to Read’ shelf for 10 years. So what better time to knock out this short but enjoyable book than while on a recent cruise. Of course everyone is familiar with the Dustin Hoffman film adapted from this book so I am not going to bore you with summarizing the details of a 40 plus year old book. I will say the book’s pace reads like a movie screenplay with action and tension building throughout the book. However, the writing leaves a lot to be desired with run on sentences, stilted unrealistic dialogue and a plot with some pretty big holes in it. All in all an interesting story which I’m glad I read, but I believe in this case, the movie is much better.
November 16, 2021
”Is it safe?”
May you live your life without ever hearing those three little words whispered in your ear, when you happen to be strapped to a semi-comfortable reclining chair with a large-shouldered bald man looming over you grasping a dental tool - and dammit if he doesn't grasp it just like your dentist would - although this man most assuredly does not look like your dentist...
...then you remember only moments before, or from what you last recall, you were hiding in a bathtub.
The great thing about this book is how you can feel the tension as it comes upon Levy, in the very moment you might expect it, or then when you had least expected it. Tension can be replaced with the word pain, or surprise, and even humor. Goldman's way of writing was more than good enough to accomplish each through the end of the story. In his attempts to live up to the ghost of his father, “Babe” Levy is eccentric in his education, completely absurd in his demeanor, and wholly dedicated to only one other thing outside of his learning, or staring a pretty girl – the craft of running. The story is not in the title though. It's not a book about a man running a marathon, until your life is on the line, like that of Levy, and the only other thing you got besides your brain, is your legs.
May you live your life without ever hearing those three little words whispered in your ear, when you happen to be strapped to a semi-comfortable reclining chair with a large-shouldered bald man looming over you grasping a dental tool - and dammit if he doesn't grasp it just like your dentist would - although this man most assuredly does not look like your dentist...
...then you remember only moments before, or from what you last recall, you were hiding in a bathtub.
The great thing about this book is how you can feel the tension as it comes upon Levy, in the very moment you might expect it, or then when you had least expected it. Tension can be replaced with the word pain, or surprise, and even humor. Goldman's way of writing was more than good enough to accomplish each through the end of the story. In his attempts to live up to the ghost of his father, “Babe” Levy is eccentric in his education, completely absurd in his demeanor, and wholly dedicated to only one other thing outside of his learning, or staring a pretty girl – the craft of running. The story is not in the title though. It's not a book about a man running a marathon, until your life is on the line, like that of Levy, and the only other thing you got besides your brain, is your legs.
January 27, 2021
SURPRISINGLY DANGEROUS! And not at all what I expected.
MARATHON MAN has a wild, explosive start and is very well plotted. It's dark and violent with one tortuous part that will make you cringe.
You won't know who's who at times or whom to trust. It's a suspenseful story with sinister characters and an unexpected chilling twist for the Marathon Man. The stoop boys, the old crone and some well-placed witty dialogue round out this 1974 spy-thriller.
I found the movie pretty much follows Goldman's written word and is loaded with an all-star cast. Dustin Hoffman plays the grad-student marathon runner in training who ends up trapped in a murderous game of intrigue involving a Nazi fugitive. And Yikes, Lawrence Olivier plays creepy-evil so well. Roy Scheider and William Devane fit their rolls well too.
Both novel and movie were intense in presentation, but the movie has a far superior ending.
March 12, 2023
It is amazing how Marathon Man is laid out by William Goldman. There is all the stuff about Levy/Babe's running at the beginning and the great marathon runners that turned me off. But what a way to build Babe up. The sweaty history student Babe must be one of the great underdog characters in crime and conspiracy thrillers. The love affair with Elsa provides some comfort to Babe. But then Scylla sees through Elsa and puts Babe down in a way only a man can do to another. Damn, that scene was heartbreaking even with my teenager awareness. I never had a brother and after reading that scene, did not want one.
This was another one of my fathers books I discovered as a kid. Should parents leaving awesome disturbing books for their kids to discover be considered as good parenting or abuse? Hahaha! Just kidding. But there is something there. Things - books in this case getting passed over. What if I was born to someone who read James Joyce? Or someone who hated books? Trust me, art you consume as a kid can really fuck you up.
I remember rereading the ending many times. I got a real kick out of the sweaty history student finally kicking some ass after all the humiliations. Think I still remember the line that impressed me the most - "he felt like a fucking menace". Though you never know with teenage memories.
This was another one of my fathers books I discovered as a kid. Should parents leaving awesome disturbing books for their kids to discover be considered as good parenting or abuse? Hahaha! Just kidding. But there is something there. Things - books in this case getting passed over. What if I was born to someone who read James Joyce? Or someone who hated books? Trust me, art you consume as a kid can really fuck you up.
I remember rereading the ending many times. I got a real kick out of the sweaty history student finally kicking some ass after all the humiliations. Think I still remember the line that impressed me the most - "he felt like a fucking menace". Though you never know with teenage memories.
December 12, 2023
Marathon Man is best known for the movie starring Dustin Hoffman and Lawrence Olivier. Goldman also is known for writing the Princess Bride and the screenplays for Butch Cassidy and All the President’s Men. The novel, which preceded the movie, reads in some respects like a screenplay. It’s a bit slow to untangle, but stay tuned because the end erupts like an erupting volcano.
Tall, lanky Babe Levy is the lead character, although nowadays it’s hard to picture him other than as Dustin Hoffman. He begins the novel as a shy, awkward college student, who trains fir marathons and barely knows how to ask a girl for her number. Babe is not only awkward, but a target of barbs by the young punks who hang around on the steps of his brownstone. He’s also easy pickings when strolling through Central Park with Elsa (who he finally gets to go out with). The result of the nighttime stroll is thoroughly emasculating.
An alternate narrative contains Scylla, later revealed to be Doc, who is involved in a world of espionage, assassins, and moving diamonds for Szell, who had been Mengele’s right-hand man in the Nazi death camps. Shell’s speciality was dental torture and there are scenes with him drilling into Babe’s live teeth to get information out of Babe that might just keep readers from going to the dentist for decades. In fact, Goldman, in his introduction, recounts his everyone walked out of the theater to avoid witnessing such torture, making Goldman believe at first that they all hated his movie.
The cleverness of the novel lies in, not only the juxtaposition of the two worlds, but the clash when the two worlds meet and Babe doesn’t know what the bad guys are asking him about, let alone that there are millions of dollars in looted diamonds stolen from the death camps at stake.
Tall, lanky Babe Levy is the lead character, although nowadays it’s hard to picture him other than as Dustin Hoffman. He begins the novel as a shy, awkward college student, who trains fir marathons and barely knows how to ask a girl for her number. Babe is not only awkward, but a target of barbs by the young punks who hang around on the steps of his brownstone. He’s also easy pickings when strolling through Central Park with Elsa (who he finally gets to go out with). The result of the nighttime stroll is thoroughly emasculating.
An alternate narrative contains Scylla, later revealed to be Doc, who is involved in a world of espionage, assassins, and moving diamonds for Szell, who had been Mengele’s right-hand man in the Nazi death camps. Shell’s speciality was dental torture and there are scenes with him drilling into Babe’s live teeth to get information out of Babe that might just keep readers from going to the dentist for decades. In fact, Goldman, in his introduction, recounts his everyone walked out of the theater to avoid witnessing such torture, making Goldman believe at first that they all hated his movie.
The cleverness of the novel lies in, not only the juxtaposition of the two worlds, but the clash when the two worlds meet and Babe doesn’t know what the bad guys are asking him about, let alone that there are millions of dollars in looted diamonds stolen from the death camps at stake.
March 28, 2021
The Marathon Man in the novel is Tom "Babe" Levy, a student of history and practicing to be a marathon runner. He is a decent guy and leads an ordinary life. He is also fighting the demons of his famous father's suicide though. Anyway his life would be turned upside down as he is thrown into the world of deception, assassins and murder.
This novel is a fine example of the underdog triumphing over evil and powerful adversaries. But, be advised that this is just a fun novel for people looking for some pure escapist thrills. Therefore, my dear readers you need to suspend your disbelief (ughhh! how hackneyed it sounds) to enjoy this read.
We also need to remember that the book was written in the seventies -- so be prepared for some words which would be offensive according to the current sensibilities.
Overall, a fun time pass!
This novel is a fine example of the underdog triumphing over evil and powerful adversaries. But, be advised that this is just a fun novel for people looking for some pure escapist thrills. Therefore, my dear readers you need to suspend your disbelief (ughhh! how hackneyed it sounds) to enjoy this read.
We also need to remember that the book was written in the seventies -- so be prepared for some words which would be offensive according to the current sensibilities.
Overall, a fun time pass!
July 5, 2021
Okay it's the mid-seventies and times aren't so great in the United States. Watergate, Vietnam, recession, inflation, energy crises, oil embargo, dramatic increase in crime, Richard Nixon and Disco.
People were tired, wearing double-knit polyester leisure suits, angry, afraid (of everything) paranoid, and feeling spiritually bankrupt. So along comes William Goldman with Marathon Man . A grim, violent, paranoid thriller. People ate it up.
Looking at it forty-five years later it's apparent that Goldman wrote a novel that was tapping various ills and fears of the time. Old Nazis in South America, surreptitious government agents engaged in nefarious activities, the double hangover from McCarthyism/Watergate, spiritual ennui and a sense that the center wasn't holding. It's actually fairly calculating. It was a huge seller and a very popular movie. I'm not ashamed to say that I like it. Perhaps because in 2021 we're right back to the same situation (with a few new twists).
Are there aspects that have aged? Yes. We now expect our thrillers/espionage novels to be loaded with tons of technical details. Almost pornographic in the attention to detail. Everything from weapons to electronic devices. Thank you James Bond and Tom Clancy.
Well there is neither in this story. People have to use their wits, physical skills and also rely on that most unreliable of things - luck.
Cars are just called cars and firearms are referred to as pistols and revolvers. Nothing more and nothing less. Of course there's no Internet, smart-phones, cloud etc. The characters use plain old fashioned phones and books for communications and information retrieval. It's very refreshing in a retro way. Of course it wasn't retro at the time was it.
In closing this is a cynical, dark, violent novel. It's also intelligent, witty in spots and a fast read. I read it over a week. A chapter or two every night before turning out my light. I never dozed off while reading it - which in my opinion is a compliment.
People were tired, wearing double-knit polyester leisure suits, angry, afraid (of everything) paranoid, and feeling spiritually bankrupt. So along comes William Goldman with Marathon Man . A grim, violent, paranoid thriller. People ate it up.
Looking at it forty-five years later it's apparent that Goldman wrote a novel that was tapping various ills and fears of the time. Old Nazis in South America, surreptitious government agents engaged in nefarious activities, the double hangover from McCarthyism/Watergate, spiritual ennui and a sense that the center wasn't holding. It's actually fairly calculating. It was a huge seller and a very popular movie. I'm not ashamed to say that I like it. Perhaps because in 2021 we're right back to the same situation (with a few new twists).
Are there aspects that have aged? Yes. We now expect our thrillers/espionage novels to be loaded with tons of technical details. Almost pornographic in the attention to detail. Everything from weapons to electronic devices. Thank you James Bond and Tom Clancy.
Well there is neither in this story. People have to use their wits, physical skills and also rely on that most unreliable of things - luck.
Cars are just called cars and firearms are referred to as pistols and revolvers. Nothing more and nothing less. Of course there's no Internet, smart-phones, cloud etc. The characters use plain old fashioned phones and books for communications and information retrieval. It's very refreshing in a retro way. Of course it wasn't retro at the time was it.
In closing this is a cynical, dark, violent novel. It's also intelligent, witty in spots and a fast read. I read it over a week. A chapter or two every night before turning out my light. I never dozed off while reading it - which in my opinion is a compliment.
May 12, 2013
William Goldman entered on my favorite authors list based on a single book : The Princess Bride . This second book I've tackled is a completely different kettle of fish : a conspiracy theory thriller, but in its own special way it is just as accomplished and memorable as the fantasy one. I would say that if Princess Bride is a fantasy fairytale for those who don't usually read fantasy books, Marathon Man is a high octane thriller for those who don't normally read spy and conspiracy books. Parallels between the two feel slightly forced, given the different genre conventions, but I will mention compact writing ('just the interesting bits'), careful plotting, great sense of humor, deft touch at dialogue with quotable one-liners ( You're much too trusting, and it's going to cause you grief someday... Welcome to someday! ) . Just for the thriller, add a sense of menace and unbearable tension, real edge of the seat scenes that I can't describe without spoiling the surprises the book has in store. By the way, if you haven't seen the movie (I'm glad I didn't), stay away from the wikipedia synopsis.
Without spoilers it is difficult to describe the plot. Let's just say it all develops from a prologue of two elderly, grumpy New-Yorkers (a Jew and a German) getting into a lethal car race in the middle of Manhattan. Cut to the obligatory innocently bookish hero, caught in conflict he knows nothing about. Thomas Babington "Babe" Levy is a postgraduate student in social history, with a passion for running - his heroes are Paavo Nurmi and Bikila Abebe - and an awkard manner around girls. He has a troubled past (another genre staple, but it works well here) with a father who commited suicide after a McCarthy witch hunting and an elder brother who gave up a brilliant academic career in the
aftermath. My favorite passage describing his history studies, is a game I like to play with wikipedia, something Babe didn't have access to in the 70's: pick up a year and do a snapshot of the events and people that made it memorable, try to make the connections between apparently random occurences:
1875: Boss Tweed went to jail in New York City around then, which meant lots of big-city rulers around, Big Power men, to each town its own Dick Daley, and Christian Science began then too, old Mary Eddy and her nut notions, and when was the first Kentucky Derby? Same period, and the first telephone exchange began right almost exactly when Custer got his lumps at the Little Big Horn.
Getting back to the plot, I found it extraordinary how well the author worked at foreshadowing. Nothing is random although in the first half of the novel I failed to see the connections. This aspect makes the book a for good candidate for re-reading, knowing how the pieces of the puzzle fit in.
So, with all the praise, why only 4 stars? I didn't care for a couple of choices right at the end. . It all makes for good cinematic set-up scenes, but I found them contrived and commercial, really not quite the same high standard as what went before.
I plan now to rent the movie version, it will be interesting to see how Dustin Hoffman will play a character who is described in the book as very tall and lanky.
Finally, a last quote that I couldn't find a place for in the review, but gave me a good laugh. It's about a truck driver (Hunsinger) trying to pick up a waitress:
I'm not some jerk who gets his jollies at the bowling league, I read best sellers, all the number ones, Love Story I read, The Godfather , you name a biggie, I got the paperback.
January 31, 2015
It is so nice when the right book opens at the right time; when you're fidgety and middle-seat suffering on a three hour flight and nothing but a ripping yarn will salve that claustrophobia. Take me away, Calgon Marathon Man!
I knew that Dustin Hoffman starred in the movie adaptation of this novel, but my knowledge of the story ended there. I am a complete babe in the woods when it comes to thrillers - friends familiar with the genre would probably have seen all the twists coming twenty pages ahead - so it was a blast to enjoy the roller coaster ride. Goldman is famous and lauded for his ability to write screenplays, and his prowess for developing rich characters and taut dialogue are well on display here, keeping the action moving at a brisk pace. Recommended for those looking for a fun read between meaty tomes. A literary palate cleanser.
I knew that Dustin Hoffman starred in the movie adaptation of this novel, but my knowledge of the story ended there. I am a complete babe in the woods when it comes to thrillers - friends familiar with the genre would probably have seen all the twists coming twenty pages ahead - so it was a blast to enjoy the roller coaster ride. Goldman is famous and lauded for his ability to write screenplays, and his prowess for developing rich characters and taut dialogue are well on display here, keeping the action moving at a brisk pace. Recommended for those looking for a fun read between meaty tomes. A literary palate cleanser.
July 17, 2020
Back in the 70's, I saw this movie, starring Dustin Hoffman, and I remember it being a pretty intense movie. The scene that sticks with me to this day was the torture scene, where the old Nazi dentist/Jewish prison camp doctor kept asking, Thomas "Babe" Levy, "Is it safe?"
William Goldman, author of "Princess Bride", did a fabulous job of writing this thriller with a very intelligent voice, and a slight edge of humor. Though a little weak at the end, I thought the book was suspenseful, and entertaining.
Warning (and I hate myself for feeling I need to say this... but it's the age) this is a dated novel, so if you are going to be offended by derogatory terms in this story, then you might want to skip it. But I will say this, I grew up in that generation, and Goldman stayed true to the times. Yes, like it or not, that's the way they spoke.
This is a great novel for those who enjoy mystery/thrillers, but be warned--this one might make you a little shy about going back to your dentist.
February 5, 2023
Before this, I read The Boys from Brazil, a vastly superior 1970s thriller about a Nazi conspiracy. No real conspiracy here, only a Nazi and his thugs trying to get stolen Jewish diamonds out of New York. The author devoted many pages to the hero's background. However, this investment in detail didn't pay off.
November 21, 2023
The movie Marathon Man is of course one of the best of the 1970s paranoia thrillers, and so it's only right I should read the original novel. And it's pretty good! It takes a while to get going - you're basically waiting until Szell finally makes an appearance, halfway through the novel.
June 5, 2025
Nachtrag
Buch und Film
Gibt es hier eigentlich eine noch aktive Filmgruppe oder Gruppe für verfilmte Literatur?
Buch und Film
Gibt es hier eigentlich eine noch aktive Filmgruppe oder Gruppe für verfilmte Literatur?
February 2, 2015
An effective palate cleanser, thrilling and fast. It was made into a good movie. On the other hand, there is homophobia throughout the book, of the particulary insulting kind which associates Nazis with homosexuality. Goldman isn't blatant about it, he is clever enough to make it subtle. There are certain words dropped here and there. The name "Janey" is used without pronouns, leading the reader on, and then violently revealing it's two men who are in some kind of a mutually destructive intmate relationship. Goldman invents a fat, debauched, effeminate, gay antiques dealer who converts diamonds stolen from concentration camp victims to cash funding the retirement of a notorious Auschwitz Nazi—yeah, he has to be gay bucause no straight person would do such a thing, or, in fact, ever own an antiques shop! How stereotypically tiresome!
Those "bad guys" are portrayed negatively, in part, by using their "sexuality compromised morality." They die in this book to pay for crimes against humanity done by themselves or others during World War 2. Thus it's stupidly superfluous that Goldman made them also die because of their sexuality, as if being Nazi war criminals and collaborators wasn't quite enough to assure their eternal damnation, or to make them distasteful to the reader. This automatic, essentially reflexive, overloading of homosexuality onto Nazis and other evil people was common in literature of the 1970s and earlier—unfortunately it's still done today by public figures in politics and religion. Just goes to show there is still much work to be done.
Read this book as an artifact of the 1970s, an era whose literature recorded its attitudes, as it always does. Use it to think how the times have changed, and more importantly, how they haven't.
Those "bad guys" are portrayed negatively, in part, by using their "sexuality compromised morality." They die in this book to pay for crimes against humanity done by themselves or others during World War 2. Thus it's stupidly superfluous that Goldman made them also die because of their sexuality, as if being Nazi war criminals and collaborators wasn't quite enough to assure their eternal damnation, or to make them distasteful to the reader. This automatic, essentially reflexive, overloading of homosexuality onto Nazis and other evil people was common in literature of the 1970s and earlier—unfortunately it's still done today by public figures in politics and religion. Just goes to show there is still much work to be done.
Read this book as an artifact of the 1970s, an era whose literature recorded its attitudes, as it always does. Use it to think how the times have changed, and more importantly, how they haven't.
July 13, 2009
A classic thriller from the author of The Princess Bride.
In the late 1970s my father had a rather serious heart attack. Neighbors thoughtfully brought over books for him to read while he was bedridden. Naturally enough, they picked the bestsellers of that time. I'm not sure if Dad read all of them, but I did. Shogun, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and Marathon Man were among them.
By an odd coincidence, all of those books have ended up being lifetime favorites for me.
In many ways, Marathon Man is quite dated. It was written in the early 1970s, and is very much a work of its time - both in the writing style that Goldman uses, and in the plot. A graduate student, the son of a celebrated intellectual who was destroyed by McCarthyism, finds himself caught up in a bizarre situation with Nazis, torture, family, love, and murder. And running, of course; he's a marathon man. Despite the early-70s feel, however, the book works.
Every reviewer talks about the dentistry scene. That's understandable, since it's very memorable. But good as it is, there are at least two other scenes in the book which are better than that one. And one of them has never yet failed to give me the shivers and make the hair stand up on the back of my neck.
Even though I've read the book at least ten times in the past thirty years - and to be honest that's just a guess, I'd bet it's closer to twenty times - and even though that scene has always stuck in my mind, it still never fails to get me. If you'd like to know which scene I'm thinking of, read the book; if it isn't obvious to you after that, drop me a line.
A good book, well worth reading. I liked the movie too.
In the late 1970s my father had a rather serious heart attack. Neighbors thoughtfully brought over books for him to read while he was bedridden. Naturally enough, they picked the bestsellers of that time. I'm not sure if Dad read all of them, but I did. Shogun, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and Marathon Man were among them.
By an odd coincidence, all of those books have ended up being lifetime favorites for me.
In many ways, Marathon Man is quite dated. It was written in the early 1970s, and is very much a work of its time - both in the writing style that Goldman uses, and in the plot. A graduate student, the son of a celebrated intellectual who was destroyed by McCarthyism, finds himself caught up in a bizarre situation with Nazis, torture, family, love, and murder. And running, of course; he's a marathon man. Despite the early-70s feel, however, the book works.
Every reviewer talks about the dentistry scene. That's understandable, since it's very memorable. But good as it is, there are at least two other scenes in the book which are better than that one. And one of them has never yet failed to give me the shivers and make the hair stand up on the back of my neck.
Even though I've read the book at least ten times in the past thirty years - and to be honest that's just a guess, I'd bet it's closer to twenty times - and even though that scene has always stuck in my mind, it still never fails to get me. If you'd like to know which scene I'm thinking of, read the book; if it isn't obvious to you after that, drop me a line.
A good book, well worth reading. I liked the movie too.
April 9, 2013
After completing Marthon Man by William Goldman I am certain that I will read the sequel. This is the first novel I've read by Goldman. I hear ya, where's the rock I've been living under. Many people are familiar with the movie featuring Dustin Hoffman. Luckily I am not familiar with said movie but I do hope to be someday. The novel begins explosively with two men having an all out war through the use of their Chevy's and VW's. This accident leads to the death of both men and somehow, strangely relates to our protagonist Tom Levy, aka Babe.
Babe, a brilliant grad student of history at Columbia, in his mid-twenties is hurled into a world of espionage, intrigue, Nazis, rogue dentists, and men repeating terms such as "is it safe?". A world where there really is absolutely no one to trust. Goldman really does a wonderful job at giving us readers someone to root for. Babe isn't perfect and he knows it but he has some extremely endearing qualities. He's smart, funny, and often very reflective. On the other hand, he's sad with his self-doubt and low self-esteem. Babe is a very self-aware character and it's obvious in the moments where we get to peer into his head.
This novel isn't long so I'll try not to give away anything because there are no unnecessary moments in this book. The characters move in very believeable and deliberate ways. Goldman really does not let his foot off the pedal with this timeless thriller. There are twists, turns, and surprises and really just a good novel overall. Life is a marathon and not a sprint. Only those who have the strength to endure, win the race.
Babe, a brilliant grad student of history at Columbia, in his mid-twenties is hurled into a world of espionage, intrigue, Nazis, rogue dentists, and men repeating terms such as "is it safe?". A world where there really is absolutely no one to trust. Goldman really does a wonderful job at giving us readers someone to root for. Babe isn't perfect and he knows it but he has some extremely endearing qualities. He's smart, funny, and often very reflective. On the other hand, he's sad with his self-doubt and low self-esteem. Babe is a very self-aware character and it's obvious in the moments where we get to peer into his head.
This novel isn't long so I'll try not to give away anything because there are no unnecessary moments in this book. The characters move in very believeable and deliberate ways. Goldman really does not let his foot off the pedal with this timeless thriller. There are twists, turns, and surprises and really just a good novel overall. Life is a marathon and not a sprint. Only those who have the strength to endure, win the race.
January 20, 2018
Are you due for a dental appointment? Have you got tooth ache?
Is that filling loss? Well don't read this before you go?
I often get this mixed up with Magic also by Him.This a real horror story to be read in the dentist surgary
Is that filling loss? Well don't read this before you go?
I often get this mixed up with Magic also by Him.This a real horror story to be read in the dentist surgary
October 29, 2016
This is actually a well-crafted thriller. The plot moves right along and it has a really good twist right at the half-way point, that does a nice job.
There are only two problems:
1. The dialog. It's steeped in some really bad 70s lingo that would be fine in a movie script, but really reads pretty dated in the novel.
2. There's just a nagging sensation of things being just so. The pieces move around the board to fit the plot, not necessarily organically. Things that are supposed to be random, are really just clockworked to death.
I could forgive one or the other, but both costs this book a fourth star.
It's a good story though.
Goldman tends to start his books with a non-fiction forward, which is delightful. It makes me want to read his "Adventures in the Screen Trade" which is on my to-buy pile.
There are only two problems:
1. The dialog. It's steeped in some really bad 70s lingo that would be fine in a movie script, but really reads pretty dated in the novel.
2. There's just a nagging sensation of things being just so. The pieces move around the board to fit the plot, not necessarily organically. Things that are supposed to be random, are really just clockworked to death.
I could forgive one or the other, but both costs this book a fourth star.
It's a good story though.
Goldman tends to start his books with a non-fiction forward, which is delightful. It makes me want to read his "Adventures in the Screen Trade" which is on my to-buy pile.
March 16, 2018
I read this a looooooooooooooooooooooooooong time ago and remember really liking it then. Not sure if it would stand the time test.
October 19, 2012
When I talk about wanting to read a good conspiracy thriller, this is what I'm tawkin' 'bout. That Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy? So not on the same level of readability, enjoyment, interest, je ne sais quois of Marathon Man. (Certainly Goldman and Le Carre aren't on the same level, so don't go giving me a lot of shit for that comment, sheesh.)
I was looking for a light, quick, fun read and that's what I got. It's no secret that I loved The Princess Bride, I've seen that movie probably more than any other, I've listened to that soundtrack more times than I can recall, and have you heard me praise the movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? I've only seen it twice but I consider it a favorite.
Goldman has a way of infusing humor into even some of the most serious moments. Sometimes it's extremely subtle, but it's there, and it's not even out of place. It fits the situation somehow, I don't know how he does it. Reading his writing makes me think that writing is incredibly easy, but I know that's not true at all, that's a big fat, fatty lie. Writing isn't especially easy, but the good writers make it look as if it was. Goldman is one of those.
Unfortunately I went into this knowing who played which characters in the movie version, so that's the only way I could imagine the characters. At first I was bugged by this but by the end I feel they made the absolute right decision for Babe, almost as if the character were written for him in mind. I had someone else in mind for Janeway, but my idea didn't even make any sense, so no point in even worrying about it. The reality is a much better choice, but I couldn't get him in my mind while reading so I didn't force it.
There aren't a lot of surprises in this book. I had it pretty much figured out a few pages before it was shown to me, but it didn't make me unhappy to continue reading. It's a quick read, perfect for what I needed, and I want more like this. Gimme.
I have an appointment with the dentist next week. I'm not even remotely looking forward to it now.
I was looking for a light, quick, fun read and that's what I got. It's no secret that I loved The Princess Bride, I've seen that movie probably more than any other, I've listened to that soundtrack more times than I can recall, and have you heard me praise the movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? I've only seen it twice but I consider it a favorite.
Goldman has a way of infusing humor into even some of the most serious moments. Sometimes it's extremely subtle, but it's there, and it's not even out of place. It fits the situation somehow, I don't know how he does it. Reading his writing makes me think that writing is incredibly easy, but I know that's not true at all, that's a big fat, fatty lie. Writing isn't especially easy, but the good writers make it look as if it was. Goldman is one of those.
Unfortunately I went into this knowing who played which characters in the movie version, so that's the only way I could imagine the characters. At first I was bugged by this but by the end I feel they made the absolute right decision for Babe, almost as if the character were written for him in mind. I had someone else in mind for Janeway, but my idea didn't even make any sense, so no point in even worrying about it. The reality is a much better choice, but I couldn't get him in my mind while reading so I didn't force it.
There aren't a lot of surprises in this book. I had it pretty much figured out a few pages before it was shown to me, but it didn't make me unhappy to continue reading. It's a quick read, perfect for what I needed, and I want more like this. Gimme.
I have an appointment with the dentist next week. I'm not even remotely looking forward to it now.
June 15, 2009
I had a (sort of) girlfriend for two weeks when I was on camping holiday in France when I was a teenager. When I say girlfriend, I think that's probably overstating it a bit. I just fancied her loads and she talked to me, which MUST have meant she fancied me, but she didn't want to say it. Anyway, she and her parents had to go back home about a week before we had to (nothing to do with me, mind)and I received this news with burning throat and eyes spiked with tears and testoterone (which must have looked a bit odd when you think about it). She said she had something for me before she left, and I was counting on at least a snog or a fumble, but instead got to wave at her leaving in the car, but the car stopping briefly for her to hand me a dog-eared, sun-stained copy of Marathon Man. "You'll love this," she said. What could that mean? That night, disappointed it did not contain any love notes in the pages nor smell of perfume or show traces of her lipstick, I decided I may as well read it.
And Oh.
My.
God!!!!
It's famous now of course, thanks to a decent film version from the early 70's (scripted by Goldman, so you'd expect something decent) but I had never EVER thought a book could put me through that. Much more than the dentist scene. So much more. By the time I'd finished it, fast, I'd forgotten where it came from. Was the grown up world so fast, brutal and deceitful? Surely not.
And Oh.
My.
God!!!!
It's famous now of course, thanks to a decent film version from the early 70's (scripted by Goldman, so you'd expect something decent) but I had never EVER thought a book could put me through that. Much more than the dentist scene. So much more. By the time I'd finished it, fast, I'd forgotten where it came from. Was the grown up world so fast, brutal and deceitful? Surely not.
May 6, 2022
I would say this book is really about eliciting contrasting and extreme surprise and pain from the reader, through abrupt turns, absurdities, and huge scene changes, laced with mild comedic effect. A pretty well-paced book, but could be better I feel.
April 24, 2024
This book is not about running but I still liked it. Borrowed it because it’s the first result when you look up “marathon” and I was on an Amtrak to do just that. Can’t wait to watch the movie with people and keep reminding them that I read the book
October 13, 2017
Read this years ago - more than once - and have seen the movie many, many times. Do yourself a favor - grab this book ASAP and enjoy!!!
October 21, 2025
301015 from ??? childhood: this is another book i knew when i was too young: watched the movie on tv in the seventies, watched a video of the movie sometime in the eighties, watched part of it on some cable channel last month, so i come to this book after memorable performances by dustin hoffman and laurence olivier and cannot see the scenes or characters independent of the movie. so maybe it is not as visual or thrilling read as i remember. another paranoid 70s read Six Days of the Condor, The Boys from Brazil, The Day of the Jackal...
read much before usual cutoff age of 17 but easily part of my reading history. now reread in one sitting, fun, fast. prose efficient, uninteresting, never difficult or distracting. this is a historical document from 1974, political references to endlessly useful villain nazis, to sinister corrupt government, to ironic treatment of thriller actions, evil money deceptions and idealistic rejection, in crumbling dangerous modern city, with neighborhood racism and those frightening uppity negroes, in modern pulp espionage with sudden death and believable twists. but it works well independent of knowing history of time and conventions of genre thrillers. part of a seventies us/worldwide thrillers project i am thinking of...
read much before usual cutoff age of 17 but easily part of my reading history. now reread in one sitting, fun, fast. prose efficient, uninteresting, never difficult or distracting. this is a historical document from 1974, political references to endlessly useful villain nazis, to sinister corrupt government, to ironic treatment of thriller actions, evil money deceptions and idealistic rejection, in crumbling dangerous modern city, with neighborhood racism and those frightening uppity negroes, in modern pulp espionage with sudden death and believable twists. but it works well independent of knowing history of time and conventions of genre thrillers. part of a seventies us/worldwide thrillers project i am thinking of...
January 6, 2022
A un anno di distanza da "La principessa sposa", una brillante parodia sopra le righe del genere fantasy nonché di tutti i topos letterari tipici delle fiabe della tradizione europea, Goldman cambia genere pur tenendo fede al suo caratteristico stile.
I bersagli questa volta sono il pulp, la spy story, il romanzo d'azione che in questo libro vengono esaltati, ingigantiti nella loro cieca violenza al punto tale da far sembrare tutta la vicenda più che un tributo al genere quasi un colto dileggio.
Ecco, provate a pensare a un film qualsiasi di 007 e fatelo dirigere da Quentin Tarantino, questa è la sensazione che ho avuto durante tutta la lettura.
Una bella sensazione... strana ma bella!
Non ho ancora avuto modo di vedere l'omonimo film sceneggiato dallo stesso Goldman e interpretato da Dustin Hoffman ma colmeró la lacuna quanto prima per capire come diamine hanno fatto a trasporre su pellicola un paio di capitoli chiave secondo me impossibili da girare.
P. S.: per mio gusto personale "La principessa sposa" resta superiore ma questo romanzo merita sicuramente.
I bersagli questa volta sono il pulp, la spy story, il romanzo d'azione che in questo libro vengono esaltati, ingigantiti nella loro cieca violenza al punto tale da far sembrare tutta la vicenda più che un tributo al genere quasi un colto dileggio.
Ecco, provate a pensare a un film qualsiasi di 007 e fatelo dirigere da Quentin Tarantino, questa è la sensazione che ho avuto durante tutta la lettura.
Una bella sensazione... strana ma bella!
Non ho ancora avuto modo di vedere l'omonimo film sceneggiato dallo stesso Goldman e interpretato da Dustin Hoffman ma colmeró la lacuna quanto prima per capire come diamine hanno fatto a trasporre su pellicola un paio di capitoli chiave secondo me impossibili da girare.
P. S.: per mio gusto personale "La principessa sposa" resta superiore ma questo romanzo merita sicuramente.
June 8, 2025
Bel libro dal ritmo incalzante, uno spy thriller che tiene incollati fino all’ultima pagina! Colpi di scena repentini e scene intense... la scena del dentista è da pelle d'oca! Ho apprezzato moltissimo anche la sottile ironia di Goldman.
Devo assolutamente recuperare il film con Dustin Hoffman del 1976.
Devo assolutamente recuperare il film con Dustin Hoffman del 1976.
May 16, 2022
I read this a million years ago in high school, but I seem to remember it as an incredibly gripping, fast paced story with iconic characters. Great espionage (if that's the right word for it) novel.
September 29, 2017
"Seven policeman couldn't move that silently if all their graft depended on it." Ok not fair. But funny. The Marathon Man is surprisingly personal, this is Babe's life, his story. We see the world through the eyes of this highly intelligent, funny, self-aware twenty-five year old New Yorker with a huge chip on his bony shoulder.
Through this lens the reader is confronted with evil incarnate , but the youth, ambition and neuroses of Babe keeps the book from sinking into despair. Instead we are on a wild page turning ride filled with humor and violence. A shadow world of intrigue, nazi arrogance and government conspiracy is up against one puny Jewish historian of humility, self doubt and, crucially, that hallmark of a marathon man, endurance. Babe is an American hero!
Through this lens the reader is confronted with evil incarnate , but the youth, ambition and neuroses of Babe keeps the book from sinking into despair. Instead we are on a wild page turning ride filled with humor and violence. A shadow world of intrigue, nazi arrogance and government conspiracy is up against one puny Jewish historian of humility, self doubt and, crucially, that hallmark of a marathon man, endurance. Babe is an American hero!
June 10, 2021
Che trip gente.
Tensione crescente, un colpo di scena dopo l'altro, umorismo assassino (in tutti i sensi) e un finale con cui devo ancora venire a patti.
Dolceamaro? Giustificato? O anticlimatico?
Non ne ho idea.
Però che storia.
Tensione crescente, un colpo di scena dopo l'altro, umorismo assassino (in tutti i sensi) e un finale con cui devo ancora venire a patti.
Dolceamaro? Giustificato? O anticlimatico?
Non ne ho idea.
Però che storia.
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