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Archangel
signed by the author 1999 edition paperback vg+ book In stock shipped from our UK warehouse
421 pages, Paperback
First published September 19, 1998
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About the author
Robert Harris
62 books8,799 followersROBERT HARRIS is the author of nine best-selling novels: Fatherland, Enigma, Archangel, Pompeii, Imperium, The Ghost Writer, Conspirata, The Fear Index, and An Officer and a Spy. Several of his books have been adapted to film, most recently The Ghost Writer, directed by Roman Polanski. His work has been translated into thirty-seven languages. He lives in the village of Kintbury, England, with his wife, Gill Hornby.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 697 reviews
January 16, 2015
Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Throwback Thursday! This is when I review books which I read a while ago, but somehow never got around to reviewing.
Today I choose Archangel, which is a truly excellent historical thriller by Robert Harris. I first became aware of Harris when I stumbled upon his debut novel, Fatherland - a work of alternative history, set in a universe where Nazi Germany won World War 2. This isn't a new theme in historical fiction, but Harris's take was surprisingly engaging and I had real trouble putting it down - I thought that Harris did a terrific job at presenting an engaging and rich historical setting and creating palpable intrigue, which held all the way to the very end. Most importantly - while reading it I felt as if I was there, in the Reich of Nazi dreams, among his heroes and villains. Even though I did have some complaints towards some plot choices, the book is a great accomplishment for a debut novelist, and no wonder Fatherland proved to be a great success - it was high entertainment of great quality.
Archangel is set in Russia of the 1990's, during the Yeltsin era - a perilous time of social and political restructuring, market by a deep economic crisis and uncertainty, which culminated in events like the 1993 constitutional crisis. This is the time when Christopher "Fluke" Kelso, a burned-out Oxford historian arrives in Moscow to attend a conference regarding the newly opened Soviet archive. Kelso expects nothing but standard business, but when he is approached by an elderly man who claims to be a former NKVD officer with a story to tell, he gives in to his curiosity, seeing an opportunity to improve his academic reputation. He doesn't suspect that he is about to become involved in something beyond his wildest imagination - a complex web of incredible intrigue, which will drag him from from Moscow to the northern city of Arkhangelsk, on the white sea, forcing him to try to understand the history of Russia and confront its past.
This is a novel which is extremely easy to spoil - the main reveal is a surprise and should remain so. Unfortunately many reviewers chose to include it in their reviews - which is a real shame, as the main pleasure of reading Archangel lies in discovering its plot by yourself, bit by bit. The storyline created by Harris is compelling and engaging, again all the way to the very last line - and so is the setting, which he describes with historical detail and attention, painting a vivid image. We feel as if we were on Kelso's shoulder as he's trying to understand the complex mystery that he wants to solve, and follow his every step - and in Fluke Kelso Harris has created a relatable character, an everyman for whom we can root for; his female counterpart and companion on the wild goose chase, Zinaida Rapava, is a great character worth a book of her own.
I have read other novels by Harris, but they didn't match neither Fatherland or Archangel - Enigma had the intriguing setting of Bletchley Park and the Enigma, but didn't grab me as much; The Ghost was concerned with the dark side of contemporary British politics, but I think I liked the film better. I wasn't the biggest fan of Pompeii, because the period didn't interest me as much; I want to read his An Officer and a Spy, but secretly hope that one day he will again write a compelling thriller set in the 20th century, set during the Cold War or just War. Meanwhile, put on the Samovar and make yourself a big cup of tea - this is an ideal book to get lost in during the long winter evenings, and I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I did.
Today I choose Archangel, which is a truly excellent historical thriller by Robert Harris. I first became aware of Harris when I stumbled upon his debut novel, Fatherland - a work of alternative history, set in a universe where Nazi Germany won World War 2. This isn't a new theme in historical fiction, but Harris's take was surprisingly engaging and I had real trouble putting it down - I thought that Harris did a terrific job at presenting an engaging and rich historical setting and creating palpable intrigue, which held all the way to the very end. Most importantly - while reading it I felt as if I was there, in the Reich of Nazi dreams, among his heroes and villains. Even though I did have some complaints towards some plot choices, the book is a great accomplishment for a debut novelist, and no wonder Fatherland proved to be a great success - it was high entertainment of great quality.
Archangel is set in Russia of the 1990's, during the Yeltsin era - a perilous time of social and political restructuring, market by a deep economic crisis and uncertainty, which culminated in events like the 1993 constitutional crisis. This is the time when Christopher "Fluke" Kelso, a burned-out Oxford historian arrives in Moscow to attend a conference regarding the newly opened Soviet archive. Kelso expects nothing but standard business, but when he is approached by an elderly man who claims to be a former NKVD officer with a story to tell, he gives in to his curiosity, seeing an opportunity to improve his academic reputation. He doesn't suspect that he is about to become involved in something beyond his wildest imagination - a complex web of incredible intrigue, which will drag him from from Moscow to the northern city of Arkhangelsk, on the white sea, forcing him to try to understand the history of Russia and confront its past.
This is a novel which is extremely easy to spoil - the main reveal is a surprise and should remain so. Unfortunately many reviewers chose to include it in their reviews - which is a real shame, as the main pleasure of reading Archangel lies in discovering its plot by yourself, bit by bit. The storyline created by Harris is compelling and engaging, again all the way to the very last line - and so is the setting, which he describes with historical detail and attention, painting a vivid image. We feel as if we were on Kelso's shoulder as he's trying to understand the complex mystery that he wants to solve, and follow his every step - and in Fluke Kelso Harris has created a relatable character, an everyman for whom we can root for; his female counterpart and companion on the wild goose chase, Zinaida Rapava, is a great character worth a book of her own.
I have read other novels by Harris, but they didn't match neither Fatherland or Archangel - Enigma had the intriguing setting of Bletchley Park and the Enigma, but didn't grab me as much; The Ghost was concerned with the dark side of contemporary British politics, but I think I liked the film better. I wasn't the biggest fan of Pompeii, because the period didn't interest me as much; I want to read his An Officer and a Spy, but secretly hope that one day he will again write a compelling thriller set in the 20th century, set during the Cold War or just War. Meanwhile, put on the Samovar and make yourself a big cup of tea - this is an ideal book to get lost in during the long winter evenings, and I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I did.
April 13, 2018
I finally got to read the book!
I had first come across the book quite a few years ago in the library of a resort. Had read the first few pages but could not proceed further.
Anyway, the novel begins with story of Papu Rapava when he was a bodyguard to Beria in the 1950s. The story is recounted by Rapava himself to our protagonist, Prof. Fluke Kelso in the latter’s hotel room in Russia. It is the 1990s now, the old USSR has collapsed and a new Russia has emerged which promises more freedom to her citizens. Rapava has a very interesting tale to tell and Kelso learns about Stalin’s notebook. Stalin is long gone, yet the very mention of his name can still strike fear in the hearts of people. To some, a significant proportion of Russians, in fact, still idolize him.
No points for guessing that Kelso will embark on a dangerous journey to retrieve the notebook and he won’t be the only person to do so. Some people are still willing to kill and torture others to learn or hide the contents of the notebook. The story will take us from the streets of Moscow to the vast Russian wilderness, and along the way you will meet quite a few interesting characters.
A few words about our protagonist: the good Professor has had a string of unsuccessful marriages, is in love with the bottle and failed to write the scholarly books he was once judged capable of producing. A bit clichéd maybe, but he is quite believable.
Robert Harris has penned a highly enjoyable thriller with plenty of suspense, intrigue, action and twists. His portrayal of Stalin as an individual, the political scenario in the old USSR and the situation of “new” Russia in the 1990s are pretty decent. There are Russians who are trying their best to forget the past while others are defiantly holding on it. The latter are afraid of losing their history to the decadent west. The fear of losing one’s history and identity is a terrifying indeed – a tool often deftly used by demagogues to incite regionalism and religious extremism.
While reading this book, I kept comparing it to the author’s superb novel – Fatherland. Archangel is a pretty good book, but I felt it could have been a bit better. Maybe I am a bit too harsh towards the novel, because I kept comparing it with Fatherland.
I would end by saying that Archangel is a good thriller to while away the time.
I had first come across the book quite a few years ago in the library of a resort. Had read the first few pages but could not proceed further.
Anyway, the novel begins with story of Papu Rapava when he was a bodyguard to Beria in the 1950s. The story is recounted by Rapava himself to our protagonist, Prof. Fluke Kelso in the latter’s hotel room in Russia. It is the 1990s now, the old USSR has collapsed and a new Russia has emerged which promises more freedom to her citizens. Rapava has a very interesting tale to tell and Kelso learns about Stalin’s notebook. Stalin is long gone, yet the very mention of his name can still strike fear in the hearts of people. To some, a significant proportion of Russians, in fact, still idolize him.
No points for guessing that Kelso will embark on a dangerous journey to retrieve the notebook and he won’t be the only person to do so. Some people are still willing to kill and torture others to learn or hide the contents of the notebook. The story will take us from the streets of Moscow to the vast Russian wilderness, and along the way you will meet quite a few interesting characters.
A few words about our protagonist: the good Professor has had a string of unsuccessful marriages, is in love with the bottle and failed to write the scholarly books he was once judged capable of producing. A bit clichéd maybe, but he is quite believable.
Robert Harris has penned a highly enjoyable thriller with plenty of suspense, intrigue, action and twists. His portrayal of Stalin as an individual, the political scenario in the old USSR and the situation of “new” Russia in the 1990s are pretty decent. There are Russians who are trying their best to forget the past while others are defiantly holding on it. The latter are afraid of losing their history to the decadent west. The fear of losing one’s history and identity is a terrifying indeed – a tool often deftly used by demagogues to incite regionalism and religious extremism.
While reading this book, I kept comparing it to the author’s superb novel – Fatherland. Archangel is a pretty good book, but I felt it could have been a bit better. Maybe I am a bit too harsh towards the novel, because I kept comparing it with Fatherland.
I would end by saying that Archangel is a good thriller to while away the time.
October 10, 2019
Historian “Fluke” Kelso flies to Moscow to attend a symposium on Stalin, his specialist subject, and discovers the existence of a secret notebook Stalin kept during his final years – what does it contain??
Robert Harris’ Archangel is a pretty decent novel but unfortunately it’s not up there among his best.
The Stalin flashbacks were fascinating – Harris is, as always, able to convincingly portray how historical figures might’ve talked and acted – in particular the fake first-hand account of Stalin’s dying days. Harris’ description of Boris Yeltsin’s ‘90s Russia is an interesting one with a surprisingly high number of people believing Stalin was a great ruler, even pining for the Soviet times, contrasted with the new effects of having recently adopted capitalism.
The book is perhaps a bit too long at over 400 pages. Parts of it were a little dull and the pacing, while never too slow, wasn’t as snappy as it should be for a supposed thriller – it felt like it took Kelso a while to connect all the pieces, with little happening in the meantime, and I was shocked to discover the story is meant to have taken place over three days.
And while the journey to uncover the secrets of Stalin’s notebook was good, the reveal didn’t really live up to the expectations and the ending is a tad silly too. It didn’t help that the consequences of what the secret would mean are snuffed out almost immediately afterwards either – talk about underwhelming!
The action sequences were compelling though as were most of the characters, even if in summary they might come off as somewhat clichéd: the hard-bitten ex-KGB, the roguish professor, the laconic and tenacious American reporter, the femme fatale.
Archangel was similar to Harris’ Pompeii: a decent novel that nevertheless hints at his better books. It’s not the most exciting page-turner Robert Harris has written but it’s thankfully not one of his snoozers (An Officer and a Spy, Munich) either.
Robert Harris’ Archangel is a pretty decent novel but unfortunately it’s not up there among his best.
The Stalin flashbacks were fascinating – Harris is, as always, able to convincingly portray how historical figures might’ve talked and acted – in particular the fake first-hand account of Stalin’s dying days. Harris’ description of Boris Yeltsin’s ‘90s Russia is an interesting one with a surprisingly high number of people believing Stalin was a great ruler, even pining for the Soviet times, contrasted with the new effects of having recently adopted capitalism.
The book is perhaps a bit too long at over 400 pages. Parts of it were a little dull and the pacing, while never too slow, wasn’t as snappy as it should be for a supposed thriller – it felt like it took Kelso a while to connect all the pieces, with little happening in the meantime, and I was shocked to discover the story is meant to have taken place over three days.
And while the journey to uncover the secrets of Stalin’s notebook was good, the reveal didn’t really live up to the expectations and the ending is a tad silly too. It didn’t help that the consequences of what the secret would mean are snuffed out almost immediately afterwards either – talk about underwhelming!
The action sequences were compelling though as were most of the characters, even if in summary they might come off as somewhat clichéd: the hard-bitten ex-KGB, the roguish professor, the laconic and tenacious American reporter, the femme fatale.
Archangel was similar to Harris’ Pompeii: a decent novel that nevertheless hints at his better books. It’s not the most exciting page-turner Robert Harris has written but it’s thankfully not one of his snoozers (An Officer and a Spy, Munich) either.
October 11, 2018
The foundations of Empire are often ocassions of woe; their dismemberment, always.
Fresh off the disappointment of Enigma I return to Harris' magic as instilled by Fatherland Why? The liberties of alternative history as opposed to the constraints of factual history. The frame is different. We went forwards onto a timeline of Axis victory, here we go backwards, unearthing Soviet secrets from the vantage point of 1990s Russia.
It's less of a novel of its time than a parabel with a long shadow: Aside from the rythm of life - Politburo veterans are too advanced in age to plot - a return to the 'glorious aspects' of the Soviet Union is a filtered mirage spun adroitly by Putin anno 2018. Stalin inherited a nation with wooden ploughs and bequated us an empire armed with atomic weapons. And western historians still don't have it easy digging up the past in paper, for Russian archives are conscious of the Orwellian power they yield : quod volimus credimus libenter
It's less of a novel of its time than a parabel with a long shadow: Aside from the rythm of life - Politburo veterans are too advanced in age to plot - a return to the 'glorious aspects' of the Soviet Union is a filtered mirage spun adroitly by Putin anno 2018. Stalin inherited a nation with wooden ploughs and bequated us an empire armed with atomic weapons. And western historians still don't have it easy digging up the past in paper, for Russian archives are conscious of the Orwellian power they yield : quod volimus credimus libenter
September 28, 2017
‘Archangel’ gives us the usual great writing and is a thrilling, tense, atmospheric and compelling novel as you would expect from the accomplished pen of Robert Harris. However, there is something about the central conceit here upon which the core of this novel hangs, which just doesn’t convince in the same way that other twists on historical events used far more successfully by Harris in the past have.
‘Archangel’ is certainly a good book and definitely has its moments – but the issue with the central conceit does mean that overall, the novel doesn’t have that real sense of authenticity that Harris’ strongest works do. By authenticity I am not referring of course to historical accuracy (see ‘Fatherland’ for instance) but that feeling of not just suspended disbelief, but ultimately of believability.
So – a strong novel perhaps in comparison with many by Harris’ contemporary’s – but not when compared to his own very high standards.
‘Archangel’ is certainly a good book and definitely has its moments – but the issue with the central conceit does mean that overall, the novel doesn’t have that real sense of authenticity that Harris’ strongest works do. By authenticity I am not referring of course to historical accuracy (see ‘Fatherland’ for instance) but that feeling of not just suspended disbelief, but ultimately of believability.
So – a strong novel perhaps in comparison with many by Harris’ contemporary’s – but not when compared to his own very high standards.
November 11, 2016
Λοιπόοοον, εδώ έχουμε το παράδοξο φαινόμενο να έχω διαβάσει ένα βιβλίο προ δεκαπενταετίας και να ενθουσιαστώ, και να το ξαναδιαβάσω τώρα και να μη μου αρέσει ιδιαίτερα. Δεν ξέρω αν φταίνε τα δεκάδες βιβλία που έχω διαβάσει ενδιάμεσα ή το ότι έχει αλλάξει πολύ η πολιτική κατάσταση στη Ρωσία (ότι και να πιστεύει ο καθένας μας, άλλο Πούτιν άλλο Γιέλτσιν ) και πλέον δε μου φαίνεται ότι ανταποκρίνεται στην πραγματικότητα.
Νομίζω ότι όταν γράφτηκε το βιβλίο (το 1998- μόλις 7 χρόνια από την κατάρρευση της Σοβιετικής Ένωσης) ήταν πιο πιστευτό ένα τέτοιο σενάριο. Τώρα δεν βρίσκω βάση, μου φαίνεται εξωφρενικό το σενάριο και η βασική πλοκή. Μπράβο του που σκέφτηκε μια τέτοια ιδέα, αλλά δεν με έπεισε αυτή τη φορά.
Φυσικά θα πρέπει να δώσω τα εύσημα για την ροή της ιστορίας, ήταν στρωτή η διήγηση και κρατούσε το ενδιαφέρον. Όμως είχα ένα μικρό πρόβλημα στο να δημιουργήσω εικόνες στο μυαλό μου κυρίως όσον αφορά το χώρο.
Γενικά είναι ωραίο βιβλίο, ΑΝ το βρείτε δώστε του μια ευκαιρία.
Νομίζω ότι όταν γράφτηκε το βιβλίο (το 1998- μόλις 7 χρόνια από την κατάρρευση της Σοβιετικής Ένωσης) ήταν πιο πιστευτό ένα τέτοιο σενάριο. Τώρα δεν βρίσκω βάση, μου φαίνεται εξωφρενικό το σενάριο και η βασική πλοκή. Μπράβο του που σκέφτηκε μια τέτοια ιδέα, αλλά δεν με έπεισε αυτή τη φορά.
Φυσικά θα πρέπει να δώσω τα εύσημα για την ροή της ιστορίας, ήταν στρωτή η διήγηση και κρατούσε το ενδιαφέρον. Όμως είχα ένα μικρό πρόβλημα στο να δημιουργήσω εικόνες στο μυαλό μου κυρίως όσον αφορά το χώρο.
Γενικά είναι ωραίο βιβλίο, ΑΝ το βρείτε δώστε του μια ευκαιρία.
September 20, 2018
Well, what a great adventure that was. Robert Harris books never seem to let me down.
The atmosphere and landscapes jump off the page, from the concrete soviet era housing blocks, to the vast wilderness of the forests and tundra`s.
The attention to detail with each of the main characters is brilliant, I feel like the characters became people I once knew.
My only small issue is I felt the end was left a bit too open. However, still well deserving of 5 stars.
The atmosphere and landscapes jump off the page, from the concrete soviet era housing blocks, to the vast wilderness of the forests and tundra`s.
The attention to detail with each of the main characters is brilliant, I feel like the characters became people I once knew.
My only small issue is I felt the end was left a bit too open. However, still well deserving of 5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2020
Reread December 2020. Still perfect. Still have a massive crush on Fluke.
Original review (December 2009): One of the only novels I have enjoyed more and more with each reread. The characters are fantastic - I had such a crush on Fluke Kelso the first time I read it, and post-Millennium trilogy I couldn't help but think Zinaida Rapava bears more than a passing resemblance to Lisbeth Salander. The historical detail and the part Russia's history plays in everything that happens (it's almost as though history is a character in the story) is flawless. But the depiction of the bleak settings is my favourite part - from the urban wastelands of 90s Moscow to the desolate, snowbound landscapes of Archangel, they are so brilliantly realised that you feel as if you've been there. Just perfect.
Original review (December 2009): One of the only novels I have enjoyed more and more with each reread. The characters are fantastic - I had such a crush on Fluke Kelso the first time I read it, and post-Millennium trilogy I couldn't help but think Zinaida Rapava bears more than a passing resemblance to Lisbeth Salander. The historical detail and the part Russia's history plays in everything that happens (it's almost as though history is a character in the story) is flawless. But the depiction of the bleak settings is my favourite part - from the urban wastelands of 90s Moscow to the desolate, snowbound landscapes of Archangel, they are so brilliantly realised that you feel as if you've been there. Just perfect.
February 1, 2009
Robert Harris is the author of the very successful and previously reviewed Fatherland, the kind of novel I usually do not read because it relies on the “what if” kind of assumptions that I find trite and silly. But that novel worked quite well. It assumed that Hitler had won the war, that he had successfully hidden the details of the Holocaust, and that he was about to begin friendly relations with the United States under president Kennedy. The a Berlin detective stumbles across evidence of the killing of the Jews and the peace talks threaten to unravel bringing the war of officialdom down on the detective. It was a surprisingly good read.
Harris adopts a similar conceit in Archangel. Fluke (interesting story behind the name) Kelso is a Sovietologist who stumbles into a drunken meeting with Papu Rapava, a former NKVD guard who claims he had been present at Stalin’s death and had helped Beria (a Politburo member and KGB chief) find and hide a a secret black notebook that was purported to contain Stalin’s diary. Rapava is murdered before Kelso can obtain all the details and the location of the diary that would represent, for Kelso, the find of a lifetime. He tracks down Rapava’s daughter, a hooker whom he persuades to help him find the diary. Unfortunately there are several pages missing, but they have enough information to try to locate a young girl that Stalin had brought from her village to play with. He and an American reporter who had stumbled on Kelso’s knowledge of the diary and who seems to know more about his satellite telephone equipment than the country he reports on, set off for Archangel in the Soviet north during the winter to find the girl and interview her in order to verify the information in the diary and collect more details about Stalin.
There are many who would stop them, however, and a top notch thriller results as Kelso makes a momentous discovery in Archangel.
Harris’s understanding of modern Russia, if accurate, is chilling. The book is filled with little details (Stalin had two webbed toes on his left foot) that give it a strong sense of reality. Harris must have spent considerable time there: ”At five past 10, the door opened, '' Kelso describes a nightclub, ''A yellow light, the silhouettes of the girls, the steamy glow of their perfumed breath. . . . And from the cars now came the serious money. You could tell the seriousness not just by the weight of the coats and the jewelry but by the way their owners carried themselves, straight to the head of the line, and by the amount of protection they left hanging around at the door. Clearly, the only guns allowed on the premises belonged to the management.''
Filled with corruption and violence, the country still reveres Stalin, even though through Kelso, Harris reveals Stalin to be a greater evil than Hitler during the twentieth century, if one counts the number of people each had killed. The Cold War is over, but Russia seems to be slipping into its own kind of darkness and the country that provided the background for so many first-rate spy stories continues to invoke a sense of noir and darkness that makes for a gripping read.
Harris adopts a similar conceit in Archangel. Fluke (interesting story behind the name) Kelso is a Sovietologist who stumbles into a drunken meeting with Papu Rapava, a former NKVD guard who claims he had been present at Stalin’s death and had helped Beria (a Politburo member and KGB chief) find and hide a a secret black notebook that was purported to contain Stalin’s diary. Rapava is murdered before Kelso can obtain all the details and the location of the diary that would represent, for Kelso, the find of a lifetime. He tracks down Rapava’s daughter, a hooker whom he persuades to help him find the diary. Unfortunately there are several pages missing, but they have enough information to try to locate a young girl that Stalin had brought from her village to play with. He and an American reporter who had stumbled on Kelso’s knowledge of the diary and who seems to know more about his satellite telephone equipment than the country he reports on, set off for Archangel in the Soviet north during the winter to find the girl and interview her in order to verify the information in the diary and collect more details about Stalin.
There are many who would stop them, however, and a top notch thriller results as Kelso makes a momentous discovery in Archangel.
Harris’s understanding of modern Russia, if accurate, is chilling. The book is filled with little details (Stalin had two webbed toes on his left foot) that give it a strong sense of reality. Harris must have spent considerable time there: ”At five past 10, the door opened, '' Kelso describes a nightclub, ''A yellow light, the silhouettes of the girls, the steamy glow of their perfumed breath. . . . And from the cars now came the serious money. You could tell the seriousness not just by the weight of the coats and the jewelry but by the way their owners carried themselves, straight to the head of the line, and by the amount of protection they left hanging around at the door. Clearly, the only guns allowed on the premises belonged to the management.''
Filled with corruption and violence, the country still reveres Stalin, even though through Kelso, Harris reveals Stalin to be a greater evil than Hitler during the twentieth century, if one counts the number of people each had killed. The Cold War is over, but Russia seems to be slipping into its own kind of darkness and the country that provided the background for so many first-rate spy stories continues to invoke a sense of noir and darkness that makes for a gripping read.
January 28, 2025
Συμπαθής περιπέτεια με εναλλακτικό twist, τοποθετημένη στα χρόνια που έπονται της κατάρρευσης της Σοβιετικής Ένωσης. Ένας σχετικά απεγνωσμένος για αναγνώριση "scholar" ο Fluke Kelso έρχεται τυχαία σε επαφή με τον Papu Rapava, μέλος της φρουράς του Κρεμλίνου τη νύχτα του θανάτου του Στάλιν και ακούει για ένα σημειωματάριο στο οποίο θεωρείται ότι ο πατερούλης κρατούσε ημερολόγιο και το οποίο αν βρεθεί όχι μόνο θα είναι τεράστια ανακάλυψη, αλλά θα απογειώσει και την καριέρα του. Ρίχνεται λοιπόν στην αναζήτηση του σημειωματάριου... Αλλά, φυσικά, τον περιμένουν εκπλήξεις και ανατροπές καθώς ένα μεγάλο μυστικό αποκαλύπτεται, μαζί με μια περίεργη συννωμοσία... Ενδιάμεσα, δημοσιογράφοι, (ΘΕΜΟΥΣΧΩΡΑΜΕ) πουτάνες και KGBίτες (χώρια κανα δυο άλλες υπηρεσίες της Ρωσίας) δίνουν τις δικές τους πινελιές ρώσικης αυθεντικότητας, αλλά έχεις την αίσθηση ότι απλώς κάποιος ακούμπησε μια βότκα πάνω σε ένα τραπέζι με κάλυμμα από πράσινη τσόχα για να προσδώσει ρούσικη ατμόσφαιρα.
Μακριά από τον καλό του εαυτό (Fatherland, για παράδειγμα) ο Harris καταφέρνει μεν να αποδώσει αν μη τι άλλο τα αναμενόμενα, αλλά σε καμία περίπτωση δεν ενθουσιάζει. Η πλοκή είναι λιγάαααακι τραβηγμένη από τα μαλλιά, οι ανατροπές λίιιιιγο βεβιασμένες, το συνολικό σκηνικό αν και καλοστημένο δείχνει και αυτό λίγο forcé και το φινάλε, ε, φέρνει ένα βηχαλάκι στον στον αναγνώστη που θα περίμενε κάτι λιγότερο απότομο και άκομψο (δε λέω ότι είναι τραγικό, αλλά περίμενα κάτι καλύτερο).
Αν αντιμετωπιστεί σαν ποιοτικό βιβλίο παραλίας, όλα μπαίνουν στη θέση τους και όλοι είναι ικανοποιημένοι.
Μακριά από τον καλό του εαυτό (Fatherland, για παράδειγμα) ο Harris καταφέρνει μεν να αποδώσει αν μη τι άλλο τα αναμενόμενα, αλλά σε καμία περίπτωση δεν ενθουσιάζει. Η πλοκή είναι λιγάαααακι τραβηγμένη από τα μαλλιά, οι ανατροπές λίιιιιγο βεβιασμένες, το συνολικό σκηνικό αν και καλοστημένο δείχνει και αυτό λίγο forcé και το φινάλε, ε, φέρνει ένα βηχαλάκι στον στον αναγνώστη που θα περίμενε κάτι λιγότερο απότομο και άκομψο (δε λέω ότι είναι τραγικό, αλλά περίμενα κάτι καλύτερο).
Αν αντιμετωπιστεί σαν ποιοτικό βιβλίο παραλίας, όλα μπαίνουν στη θέση τους και όλοι είναι ικανοποιημένοι.
November 12, 2021
Read this book in 2011, and its a standalone book about Fluke Kelso and a secret notebook.
Like I said before its about a secret notebook belonging to Josef Stalin, and when Fluke Kelso hears about the existence of it, he leaves behind Moscow and its violent political intrigue, and heads north.
While heading north to the White Sea port of Archangel he will encounter several dangerous situations.
What is to follow is an intriguing and exciting adventure while digging for Russia's unburied past, in which Fluke Kelso will encounter a dangerous enemy who wants that diary for himself, and in the end this investigating will bring about the result he's hoping for personally, as well as his ambition as a researcher.
Very much recommended, for this is a very interesting read about Russia and its past, and that's why I like to call this book: An Amusing Archangel Adventure"!
Like I said before its about a secret notebook belonging to Josef Stalin, and when Fluke Kelso hears about the existence of it, he leaves behind Moscow and its violent political intrigue, and heads north.
While heading north to the White Sea port of Archangel he will encounter several dangerous situations.
What is to follow is an intriguing and exciting adventure while digging for Russia's unburied past, in which Fluke Kelso will encounter a dangerous enemy who wants that diary for himself, and in the end this investigating will bring about the result he's hoping for personally, as well as his ambition as a researcher.
Very much recommended, for this is a very interesting read about Russia and its past, and that's why I like to call this book: An Amusing Archangel Adventure"!
October 19, 2023
Uma história bem urdida, bem descrita e muito bem escrita. É uma história ficcionada, passada num período pós URSS, durante o consulado de Yeltsin. Mostra-nos uma Rússia humilhada pela perda de um império, uma Rússia que nunca soube o que era democracia e em que se pressentia nesses finais de década que a população procurava uma liderança forte, uma liderança que com mais ou menos elementos fascisantes lhe restituísse o orgulho perdido.
Este é o cenário em que a trama se desenvolve, o que, para um livro publicado em 1998, não deixa de ser notável ter previsto a ascensão ao poder de um líder autoritário, autocrático, e que o autor identifica como a versão russa de um Hitler para o novo milénio. Premonitório!
O cenário é deslumbrante pela forma como o autor descreve essa Rússia, mas também pela forma como se deixa enlevar por um ocidente decadente a que resiste evocando heróis e epopeias, tudo num enredo ele também magnífico.
Para além da minúcia e rigor histórico que o autor reflete a cada passagem, a forma como montou o enredo, transporta-nos, pelo menos em mim teve esse efeito, para um universo cinematográfico quando por exemplo descreveu o golpe palaciano que levou à detenção e assassinato de Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria.
O Segredo de Estaline, um livro que mistura o género policial com espionagem, numa história elegante e num cenário surpreendente que muito nos auxilia a compreender o mundo em que vivemos.
Este é o cenário em que a trama se desenvolve, o que, para um livro publicado em 1998, não deixa de ser notável ter previsto a ascensão ao poder de um líder autoritário, autocrático, e que o autor identifica como a versão russa de um Hitler para o novo milénio. Premonitório!
O cenário é deslumbrante pela forma como o autor descreve essa Rússia, mas também pela forma como se deixa enlevar por um ocidente decadente a que resiste evocando heróis e epopeias, tudo num enredo ele também magnífico.
Para além da minúcia e rigor histórico que o autor reflete a cada passagem, a forma como montou o enredo, transporta-nos, pelo menos em mim teve esse efeito, para um universo cinematográfico quando por exemplo descreveu o golpe palaciano que levou à detenção e assassinato de Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria.
O Segredo de Estaline, um livro que mistura o género policial com espionagem, numa história elegante e num cenário surpreendente que muito nos auxilia a compreender o mundo em que vivemos.
January 5, 2017
This book is difficult. It posits alternative history in one sense. But it's main tenet revolves somewhat around a continuity for the cult of Stalin. That question of depth for "our leader" is the core, IMHO. It's the most considered in scope and for the nuance to this book's plotting.
Stalin killed far more people than Hitler, there was never a "trial" about or concerning any of his practices or an "afterwards". No Nuremberg. Stalin is clearly seen in statues and memorials. And yet his answer to brutality was more severe brutality. Quick death a blessing. Even down to his own relations or associates- double that strike percentage. Brutality even to his daughter.
Fluke, the main character in this book and his investigations/a search the central story, he (for me) became immensely annoying. Only mildly so in the first half, and then overwhelmingly off-putting beyond the first half. He wasn't a "stolid good fellow well met" in any sense. And the plot itself for HIS search is convoluted over such a length of time and occurrences? Well, the last 50 pages were too far-fetched to believe. But otherwise it sure was a multi-level "think" piece for all the other portions. Under characters' speculations and interactions by the dozens contain most of the best ones.
No more is that "think piece" issue more centered than for the essence of how/why their "great leader" historic figure is remembered. The most evil and brutal individual in recorded history (most people killed- between 45 and 70 million)who ruled through terror and intense physical fear realities. Is that how it has become parsed for the remaining half of the Russians left alive to form this 1991 governmental entity depicted here?
Brutal stories. Action and existences within places of grey despair. 3.5 star rounded up for the sections in italics. This was not a fun book to read at all.
Stalin killed far more people than Hitler, there was never a "trial" about or concerning any of his practices or an "afterwards". No Nuremberg. Stalin is clearly seen in statues and memorials. And yet his answer to brutality was more severe brutality. Quick death a blessing. Even down to his own relations or associates- double that strike percentage. Brutality even to his daughter.
Fluke, the main character in this book and his investigations/a search the central story, he (for me) became immensely annoying. Only mildly so in the first half, and then overwhelmingly off-putting beyond the first half. He wasn't a "stolid good fellow well met" in any sense. And the plot itself for HIS search is convoluted over such a length of time and occurrences? Well, the last 50 pages were too far-fetched to believe. But otherwise it sure was a multi-level "think" piece for all the other portions. Under characters' speculations and interactions by the dozens contain most of the best ones.
No more is that "think piece" issue more centered than for the essence of how/why their "great leader" historic figure is remembered. The most evil and brutal individual in recorded history (most people killed- between 45 and 70 million)who ruled through terror and intense physical fear realities. Is that how it has become parsed for the remaining half of the Russians left alive to form this 1991 governmental entity depicted here?
Brutal stories. Action and existences within places of grey despair. 3.5 star rounded up for the sections in italics. This was not a fun book to read at all.
January 18, 2018
I've watched the Daniel Craig TV Series 'Archangel' twice and would recommend it but i can now confirm the book is a helluva lot better!
Fatherland was class and Munich was a massive disappointment so i was slightly cynical about my third offering from Robert Harris. And as is the case with thrillers it always comes down to the ending and thankfully it was just as good as Fatherland. I was also fairly ignorant about Stalin going into this book so it was nice to take away a few snippets of factual information.
Fatherland was class and Munich was a massive disappointment so i was slightly cynical about my third offering from Robert Harris. And as is the case with thrillers it always comes down to the ending and thankfully it was just as good as Fatherland. I was also fairly ignorant about Stalin going into this book so it was nice to take away a few snippets of factual information.
December 3, 2021
Fluke Kelso is a historian whose speciality is Josef Stalin. At a symposium in Moscow he has a drunken encounter with an old man who was once Beira’s bodyguard. This leads him on a quest for Stalin’s diary. Harris captures the modern corrupt Russia well with a tale that leads up to the Arctic Circle city of Archangel in winter.
The story is excellent with Mamantov who equivalent in the UK would be Farage. A fanatic obsessed with reliving the past. How he manipulates Kelso is brilliant and the patsy journalist O’Brien. Anna the daughter of the old man who sent Kelso on a quest is also a revelation at the end of the story.
I know very little about Stalin although I have heard of the famines, purges and his paranoia. If even a little of what Harris writes about him is based on some truth its a scary story and thank goodness fiction.
The story is excellent with Mamantov who equivalent in the UK would be Farage. A fanatic obsessed with reliving the past. How he manipulates Kelso is brilliant and the patsy journalist O’Brien. Anna the daughter of the old man who sent Kelso on a quest is also a revelation at the end of the story.
I know very little about Stalin although I have heard of the famines, purges and his paranoia. If even a little of what Harris writes about him is based on some truth its a scary story and thank goodness fiction.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2022
The seed of Josef Stalin is planted inside a young girl from Archangel, Russia in 1953 to perpetuate Stalin the Great's dynasty into the next generation. Only an historian (!) and his helpful guide can stop the monstrous deed from coming true. This idea was put in comic form in the not-to-be-missed film CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION. Be suspicious of teenage boys from Russia who grow mustaches and act authoritarian after age thirteen!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2021
3.5⭐
Watching the first episode of the BBC miniseries Archangel over the weekend I realized "I know this story." Another 'lost book' had been recovered. It made me wonder though, how many others are out there, slipping through my dissolving memory? A good few, most likely.
As I now recall, this is a decent thriller. Harris is a fair novelist, just short of my top tier, which includes the likes of John LeCarre and Martin Cruz Smith. It's set in Boris Yeltzin's (then) 'new' Russia, which was embracing all things capitalistic and dismantling all things Soviet. A rather grim setting for a rather grim tale, ( or should I say " noir")?
"Fluke" Kelso is an underachieving academic at a conference in Moscow when he gets a lead on a big scoop - Stalin's lost diary (at least I'm not the only one losing books). Kelso's quest for the diary uncovers dark,dirty and dangerous secrets from the past, naturally.
This was written when fears over neo-Stalinism and a new Cold War were issues in the west. Instead we got Putin's soft Stalinism and the chilly standoff we're now used to. Still, Harris' theme of renewed Russian nationalism seems prophetic in hindsight, although his method of bringing it about is pure fiction (a good thing!).
The book is fast enough paced, with fairly well fleshed characters. It has a nice ambiguous, unhappy ending. Regarding characters, I have to say that I was in the news business for a long time and I never saw as rapacious and callous a journalist as the one Harris portrays in his book, even in TV. Of course Harris was in the BBC and may have seen a wider selection. I think it more likely he just isn't fond of Americans, as he has several unpleasant ones in the book.
I recommend this as this light entertainment. A beach book.🏖
Assuming we're ever allowed back on beaches.
Watching the first episode of the BBC miniseries Archangel over the weekend I realized "I know this story." Another 'lost book' had been recovered. It made me wonder though, how many others are out there, slipping through my dissolving memory? A good few, most likely.
As I now recall, this is a decent thriller. Harris is a fair novelist, just short of my top tier, which includes the likes of John LeCarre and Martin Cruz Smith. It's set in Boris Yeltzin's (then) 'new' Russia, which was embracing all things capitalistic and dismantling all things Soviet. A rather grim setting for a rather grim tale, ( or should I say " noir")?
"Fluke" Kelso is an underachieving academic at a conference in Moscow when he gets a lead on a big scoop - Stalin's lost diary (at least I'm not the only one losing books). Kelso's quest for the diary uncovers dark,dirty and dangerous secrets from the past, naturally.
This was written when fears over neo-Stalinism and a new Cold War were issues in the west. Instead we got Putin's soft Stalinism and the chilly standoff we're now used to. Still, Harris' theme of renewed Russian nationalism seems prophetic in hindsight, although his method of bringing it about is pure fiction (a good thing!).
The book is fast enough paced, with fairly well fleshed characters. It has a nice ambiguous, unhappy ending. Regarding characters, I have to say that I was in the news business for a long time and I never saw as rapacious and callous a journalist as the one Harris portrays in his book, even in TV. Of course Harris was in the BBC and may have seen a wider selection. I think it more likely he just isn't fond of Americans, as he has several unpleasant ones in the book.
I recommend this as this light entertainment. A beach book.🏖
Assuming we're ever allowed back on beaches.
January 29, 2022
Istorijski politički triler je Herisova teritorija. Trilogija o Ciceronu je meni lično najbolja, ali i roman o velikoj Drajfus aferi u Francuskoj Oficir i špijun je odlično istražen. Minhen je dobar (kao i film koji je upravo izašao na Netflixu), Pompeii takođe. Skoro sve što napiše, zanimljivo je i vidi se da troši dosta vremena na istraživanje vremena u koje postavlja priču. U tom vremenu onda stvara likove koji su nekako na rubu te istorije i mešaju se sa stvarnim ličnostima.
Imajući sve to na umu, Arhangelsk je možda njegov najlošiji roman koji sam pročitao. Istorija je potencijalno interesantna - poslednji Staljinovi dani - i taj deo je najfascinantniji. Ipak, ti flešbekovi su kratki, a roman se vraća na početak 21. veka. Rusija kakvu predstavlja Heris verovatno je malo suviše blizu onom kakvom zapad vidi putinovsku Rusiju, pa mi je tu malo izgubljeno na uverljivosti. Osim toga, ni triler kompomenta nije toliko upečatljiva; a generalno mi se kod njega ponekad čini da je akcija ubačena tek toliko, možda čak i naknadno, da razdrma čitaoce koji više vole Džejms Bonda od Cicerona.
Imajući sve to na umu, Arhangelsk je možda njegov najlošiji roman koji sam pročitao. Istorija je potencijalno interesantna - poslednji Staljinovi dani - i taj deo je najfascinantniji. Ipak, ti flešbekovi su kratki, a roman se vraća na početak 21. veka. Rusija kakvu predstavlja Heris verovatno je malo suviše blizu onom kakvom zapad vidi putinovsku Rusiju, pa mi je tu malo izgubljeno na uverljivosti. Osim toga, ni triler kompomenta nije toliko upečatljiva; a generalno mi se kod njega ponekad čini da je akcija ubačena tek toliko, možda čak i naknadno, da razdrma čitaoce koji više vole Džejms Bonda od Cicerona.
September 6, 2021
It is obvious that Robert Harris is one of the best purveyors of historical fiction who can be found on the shelves of any bookstore. Whether exploring the Munich Conference, the German missile campaign during World War II, a trilogy that explores the struggle for power in ancient Rome, the machinations of a Papal conclave, or the Dreyfus Affair are among his fourteen bestselling novels. The depth and varied subjects of his writing reflect the breadth of historical knowledge and his commitment to producing historical fiction that is readable and interesting for everyone while creating stories that are made up of actual events and characters among those that he develops as his plots evolve.
I decided to return to one of Harris’ earlier books, ARCHANGEL a story that centers on the possibility that Joseph Stalin may have prepared a notebook with a number of fascinating commentaries. The story begins with the death of Stalin early in the morning of March 3, 1953, and the gathering of the Soviet leadership who are trying to decide what to do about his death and succession. Immediately, Harris shifts his focus to a conversation between Papu Gerasimoch Rapava, a guard in the compound where Stalin died who had access to his body and the “notebook,” and Fluke Kelso a former Oxford professor who gave up his academic position to move to New York and concentrate on his writing. The conversation takes place four decades after Stalin’s death with Kelso plying Rapava with alcohol as he tried to gain access and knowledge of the missing notebook.
Harris has firm control of historical events and offers keen insights into the motivation and actions of key personalities. A case in point is his treatment of KGB head Lavrenty Beria who was convinced he was next in line to replace Stalin as leader of the Soviet state. In actuality he had rubbed Malenkov, Zhukov, Khrushchev, and company the wrong way and was dead within three months of Stalin’s passing. Soon Rapava becomes a KGB target as he is suspected of possessing the “notebook,” and Harris details his torture, imprisonment in the Gulag for fifteen years, and his survival. It is interesting how Harris portrays the “new” Russia of the 1990s through Rapava’s eyes once he is released from prison. His shock at the changes that have taken place in Moscow where remnants of Stalin have been removed along with other observations of his country as it becomes an oligarchy of wealth under Boris Yeltsin and later Vladimir Putin.
Kelso finds himself in Russia at a historical conference at the Institute of Marxism-Leninism which was attended by Rapava. Kelso will meet the Russian and try to uncover truths about Stalin. Frank Adelman another historian believes that Rapava is setting Kelso up to gain money and that his fellow historian is too bent on journalism and publicity as opposed to meaningful history.
Harris paints a damning portrait of Moscow in the late 1990s with dust and soot in the air, frozen puddles, sullen people, among many negative characteristics. . Harris is able to integrate historical treatises to his plot reflecting his knowledge of Russian historiography and a wonderful description of the Lenin Library and the Central Library of the Russian Federation.
Kelso is described by Adelman as “a fattening and hungover middle aged historian in a black corduroy suit,” a damning appraisal of the former Oxford historian. Kelso’s circle of acquaintances includes Vladimir Mamantov, a former KGB operative who remains a true Stalinist and wants to protect Stalin’s memory and wants to find the “notebook,” and use it as a means of returning Stalinism to power in Russia. Through Mamantov Harris portrays the remaining Stalinist enclave in Russian society who still admire Stalin, and the fact that the former KGB agent was arrested in 1991 in the plot to overthrow Mikhail Gorbachev tells a great deal. It seems Rapava has a daughter, Zinaida who gives the “notebook” to Kelso and a Satellite News reporter named O’Brian. Further it appears Stalin may have had are relationship with Zinaida’s mother Anna Safanova, a house cleaner who may have produced a son, an heir to Stalin.
As Harris weaves his web the novel centers on the quest for the notebook that involves a Russian SVR agent, Feliks Suvorin who tracks Kelso and O’Brian to the north country and a run in with “Stalin’s possible heir,” that may not end well. The northern city is Archangel which remains a hotbed of Stalinism and produces a perilous adventure for all concerned as the SVR and Spetsnaz soldiers may have met their match with the son of Stalin.
As Harris continues his web he makes a number of important historical observations the most important of which focuses on Russian workers and peasants, who under the Tsar had nothing while the nobility owned the country. Later the workers and peasants owned nothing, and the Party owned the country. Later, the workers and peasants still owned nothing, and the country’s is owned as usual, “by whoever has the biggest fists.” Today it is the oligarchs and Putin.
Harris’ plot line is farfetched, but it does lend itself to an interesting story leading the reader on to learn what the truth is and if the “notebook” actually is meaningful and what makes so many people willing to kill to acquire it. A dominant theme that Harris develops is the memory of Stalin among the Russian people. He remains quite popular as historically Russia has always had a father/Tsarist type leader who was tolerated as all knowing. Then came Lenin, Stalin, the Brezhnev types, and now Putin, all with similar autocratic tendencies.
Though I would not call Archangel one of Harris’ best novels it is worth the read because of its subject matter and the author’s commentary on what Russia has become or still remains.
I decided to return to one of Harris’ earlier books, ARCHANGEL a story that centers on the possibility that Joseph Stalin may have prepared a notebook with a number of fascinating commentaries. The story begins with the death of Stalin early in the morning of March 3, 1953, and the gathering of the Soviet leadership who are trying to decide what to do about his death and succession. Immediately, Harris shifts his focus to a conversation between Papu Gerasimoch Rapava, a guard in the compound where Stalin died who had access to his body and the “notebook,” and Fluke Kelso a former Oxford professor who gave up his academic position to move to New York and concentrate on his writing. The conversation takes place four decades after Stalin’s death with Kelso plying Rapava with alcohol as he tried to gain access and knowledge of the missing notebook.
Harris has firm control of historical events and offers keen insights into the motivation and actions of key personalities. A case in point is his treatment of KGB head Lavrenty Beria who was convinced he was next in line to replace Stalin as leader of the Soviet state. In actuality he had rubbed Malenkov, Zhukov, Khrushchev, and company the wrong way and was dead within three months of Stalin’s passing. Soon Rapava becomes a KGB target as he is suspected of possessing the “notebook,” and Harris details his torture, imprisonment in the Gulag for fifteen years, and his survival. It is interesting how Harris portrays the “new” Russia of the 1990s through Rapava’s eyes once he is released from prison. His shock at the changes that have taken place in Moscow where remnants of Stalin have been removed along with other observations of his country as it becomes an oligarchy of wealth under Boris Yeltsin and later Vladimir Putin.
Kelso finds himself in Russia at a historical conference at the Institute of Marxism-Leninism which was attended by Rapava. Kelso will meet the Russian and try to uncover truths about Stalin. Frank Adelman another historian believes that Rapava is setting Kelso up to gain money and that his fellow historian is too bent on journalism and publicity as opposed to meaningful history.
Harris paints a damning portrait of Moscow in the late 1990s with dust and soot in the air, frozen puddles, sullen people, among many negative characteristics. . Harris is able to integrate historical treatises to his plot reflecting his knowledge of Russian historiography and a wonderful description of the Lenin Library and the Central Library of the Russian Federation.
Kelso is described by Adelman as “a fattening and hungover middle aged historian in a black corduroy suit,” a damning appraisal of the former Oxford historian. Kelso’s circle of acquaintances includes Vladimir Mamantov, a former KGB operative who remains a true Stalinist and wants to protect Stalin’s memory and wants to find the “notebook,” and use it as a means of returning Stalinism to power in Russia. Through Mamantov Harris portrays the remaining Stalinist enclave in Russian society who still admire Stalin, and the fact that the former KGB agent was arrested in 1991 in the plot to overthrow Mikhail Gorbachev tells a great deal. It seems Rapava has a daughter, Zinaida who gives the “notebook” to Kelso and a Satellite News reporter named O’Brian. Further it appears Stalin may have had are relationship with Zinaida’s mother Anna Safanova, a house cleaner who may have produced a son, an heir to Stalin.
As Harris weaves his web the novel centers on the quest for the notebook that involves a Russian SVR agent, Feliks Suvorin who tracks Kelso and O’Brian to the north country and a run in with “Stalin’s possible heir,” that may not end well. The northern city is Archangel which remains a hotbed of Stalinism and produces a perilous adventure for all concerned as the SVR and Spetsnaz soldiers may have met their match with the son of Stalin.
As Harris continues his web he makes a number of important historical observations the most important of which focuses on Russian workers and peasants, who under the Tsar had nothing while the nobility owned the country. Later the workers and peasants owned nothing, and the Party owned the country. Later, the workers and peasants still owned nothing, and the country’s is owned as usual, “by whoever has the biggest fists.” Today it is the oligarchs and Putin.
Harris’ plot line is farfetched, but it does lend itself to an interesting story leading the reader on to learn what the truth is and if the “notebook” actually is meaningful and what makes so many people willing to kill to acquire it. A dominant theme that Harris develops is the memory of Stalin among the Russian people. He remains quite popular as historically Russia has always had a father/Tsarist type leader who was tolerated as all knowing. Then came Lenin, Stalin, the Brezhnev types, and now Putin, all with similar autocratic tendencies.
Though I would not call Archangel one of Harris’ best novels it is worth the read because of its subject matter and the author’s commentary on what Russia has become or still remains.
December 11, 2023
Robert Harris ist ein Klasse Autor!
September 16, 2017
Robert Harris writes a compelling novel about the possibility of Russia sinking back into communism.
Fluke Kelso is an American history professor giving a speech on Russian history in Moscow. He is a man who knows Russia's past....Or does he?
He's approached by a man who claims to know what happened when Stalin died, and has proof of an incredible secret that could rock the fragile foundation of the current Russian Government. With the help of a beautiful Russian prostitute studying to become a lawyer, and an American reporter looking for a story, Fluke embarks on a journey to discover how the former Soviet dictator plotted to leave his mark on history that could forever change the structure of Russia.
Suspenseful and engaging. This is a book for readers who enjoy not only Robert Harris' novels, but for readers who enjoy modern-day thrillers.
You'll enjoy the movie with Daniel Craig, too! It came out in 2005 and closely follows the book. It was before the actor made it big as James Bond.
Fluke Kelso is an American history professor giving a speech on Russian history in Moscow. He is a man who knows Russia's past....Or does he?
He's approached by a man who claims to know what happened when Stalin died, and has proof of an incredible secret that could rock the fragile foundation of the current Russian Government. With the help of a beautiful Russian prostitute studying to become a lawyer, and an American reporter looking for a story, Fluke embarks on a journey to discover how the former Soviet dictator plotted to leave his mark on history that could forever change the structure of Russia.
Suspenseful and engaging. This is a book for readers who enjoy not only Robert Harris' novels, but for readers who enjoy modern-day thrillers.
You'll enjoy the movie with Daniel Craig, too! It came out in 2005 and closely follows the book. It was before the actor made it big as James Bond.
December 26, 2020
Surprising.
As a lover of Russian history, this is a delightful take based on one of history's feared figures. A history professor arrives in Moscow for a symposium but ends up tangled up in a murder mystery. There's much more going on beneath the surface. A black oilskin notebook believed to have once belonged to Stalin is at the centre of this conundrum.
As a lover of Russian history, this is a delightful take based on one of history's feared figures. A history professor arrives in Moscow for a symposium but ends up tangled up in a murder mystery. There's much more going on beneath the surface. A black oilskin notebook believed to have once belonged to Stalin is at the centre of this conundrum.
July 9, 2020
Really solid mystery-thriller. One of Harris' best. Liked that it was about a historian. Didn't like the often cartoonish portrayal of Russia but considering when it was written it could have been a whole lot worse
November 16, 2019
עוד ספר מרתק ונפלא מבית היוצר של רוברט האריס. האיש פשוט לא מפספס, לפחות לטעמי, ופעם אחר פעם אני מוצא עצמי מתפעם ומרותק לספריו. חמישה כוכבים מנצנצים מבחינתי זה כבר דבר שבשגרה בנוגע לספריו.
August 20, 2025
Fluke Kelso, a historian who specialises in Soviet history and especially Stalin, is attending a symposium in Moscow when he is approached by a man with a tale to tell. Papu Rapava had been a young bodyguard to Beria, a close associate of Stalin’s, at the time of Stalin’s death. While Stalin lay dying, Beria stole the key to his safe in the Kremlin, and from there stole Stalin’s papers, which Rapava helped him hide. The papers, according to Rapava, included a black oilskin notebook in which Stalin had been in the habit of writing secretively towards the end of his life. Kelso realises what a huge find this would be to historians, but is Rapava’s story true? Kelso sets out to see if the story stacks up and, if so, to track down the notebook. But Russia in the late 1990s is a dangerous place – unstable and collapsing economically since the fall of the USSR, and currently in the hands of the drunkard Boris Yeltsin. Kelso will soon find that there are many in Russia who still long for the old days of communism and who still see Stalin as a hero…
What a master storyteller Harris is! All of the above little blurb happens in the prologue, by the end of which I was completely hooked. Harris is brilliant at putting the reader in the room, or in this case, two rooms – the hotel bedroom where Kelso plies Rapava with drink in an attempt to keep him talking, and the room where Stalin lay dying, untended, with no doctor summoned, and unlamented by the powerful men already vying for the right to be his successor. As always, Harris has researched both periods well and gives a wholly convincing picture of a Russia torn between its past and its future – a future that in the 1990s looked like it was heading towards capitalism and Western commercialism, while the oligarchs were beginning the process of amassing their fortunes. He shows that not much has changed for the common people: they were poor and downtrodden under the Tsar, poor and downtrodden under Stalin and now they’re poor and downtrodden under capitalism
But loyalty, it seems, has little to do with material wealth – it is among these common people that nostalgia for the days of communism is strongest. They want another strong leader, like Lenin, like Stalin, and what they have is Yeltsin. (The book was written pre-Putin, but I felt it gave real insight into why someone like him came to power not long afterwards and remains popular in Russia despite everything. He may not be quite powerful enough to be as ruthless as Stalin, but I guess he’d like to be.)
Kelso has failed to live up to his early promise of brilliance in the historical field. With three failed marriages behind him, he likes alcohol more than he likes the self-discipline required to produce top quality work. However, his past reputation and expertise on Stalin ensure he still has a major place in historical circles, and his experience of living in Russia as a young man while doing his doctoral research means he is fluent in the language, knows his way round Moscow and understands the culture. He has also met some of the men who were loyal to Stalin in the old days – they may be elderly now, but their loyalties are unchanged. But when Kelso published a book based on that early research, he was unflattering about some of these men, and may have made enemies as a result. Meantime, the KGB may not be called the KGB any more, but they are still just as secret and just as brutal. Kelso will find himself caught in the middle when all these forces learn of the possibility of Stalin’s long-lost papers coming to light.
Along the way, Kelso teams up rather reluctantly with an American journalist, R.J. O’Brian, who has got wind of the potential story. It’s an interesting contrast – both men are seeking the same thing but their reasons are very different. Or are they? Kelso wants to add to historical knowledge, while O’Brian wants a scoop that will make headlines around the world. Kelso has a deep understanding of the historical background, while O’Brian is a news hound – far more interested in the present than the past. But what both men seem to share is an indifference to the impact the finding of Stalin’s papers might have on the stability of the country. Both would argue they are acting from the highest motives of truth-seeking. But both have professional egos, and see this as an opportunity to enhance their reputations. It’s an interesting contrast, and they work well together despite their mild contempt for each other’s motives.
The search for the notebook is only the first part of the book. I’m not going to say any more about the story, though, since I’d be trespassing into spoiler territory. But the pace ramps up steadily throughout, leading to a truly thrilling climax. It does veer close to the credibility line, but for me stays just the right side. The Russia Harris has depicted is a place where these events could indeed have happened. Is his picture authentic? I’m not expert enough to know, but it certainly felt authentic to me, and that’s good enough! Another great one from Harris – when he’s on form, he’s untouchable.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
What a master storyteller Harris is! All of the above little blurb happens in the prologue, by the end of which I was completely hooked. Harris is brilliant at putting the reader in the room, or in this case, two rooms – the hotel bedroom where Kelso plies Rapava with drink in an attempt to keep him talking, and the room where Stalin lay dying, untended, with no doctor summoned, and unlamented by the powerful men already vying for the right to be his successor. As always, Harris has researched both periods well and gives a wholly convincing picture of a Russia torn between its past and its future – a future that in the 1990s looked like it was heading towards capitalism and Western commercialism, while the oligarchs were beginning the process of amassing their fortunes. He shows that not much has changed for the common people: they were poor and downtrodden under the Tsar, poor and downtrodden under Stalin and now they’re poor and downtrodden under capitalism
But loyalty, it seems, has little to do with material wealth – it is among these common people that nostalgia for the days of communism is strongest. They want another strong leader, like Lenin, like Stalin, and what they have is Yeltsin. (The book was written pre-Putin, but I felt it gave real insight into why someone like him came to power not long afterwards and remains popular in Russia despite everything. He may not be quite powerful enough to be as ruthless as Stalin, but I guess he’d like to be.)
Kelso has failed to live up to his early promise of brilliance in the historical field. With three failed marriages behind him, he likes alcohol more than he likes the self-discipline required to produce top quality work. However, his past reputation and expertise on Stalin ensure he still has a major place in historical circles, and his experience of living in Russia as a young man while doing his doctoral research means he is fluent in the language, knows his way round Moscow and understands the culture. He has also met some of the men who were loyal to Stalin in the old days – they may be elderly now, but their loyalties are unchanged. But when Kelso published a book based on that early research, he was unflattering about some of these men, and may have made enemies as a result. Meantime, the KGB may not be called the KGB any more, but they are still just as secret and just as brutal. Kelso will find himself caught in the middle when all these forces learn of the possibility of Stalin’s long-lost papers coming to light.
Along the way, Kelso teams up rather reluctantly with an American journalist, R.J. O’Brian, who has got wind of the potential story. It’s an interesting contrast – both men are seeking the same thing but their reasons are very different. Or are they? Kelso wants to add to historical knowledge, while O’Brian wants a scoop that will make headlines around the world. Kelso has a deep understanding of the historical background, while O’Brian is a news hound – far more interested in the present than the past. But what both men seem to share is an indifference to the impact the finding of Stalin’s papers might have on the stability of the country. Both would argue they are acting from the highest motives of truth-seeking. But both have professional egos, and see this as an opportunity to enhance their reputations. It’s an interesting contrast, and they work well together despite their mild contempt for each other’s motives.
The search for the notebook is only the first part of the book. I’m not going to say any more about the story, though, since I’d be trespassing into spoiler territory. But the pace ramps up steadily throughout, leading to a truly thrilling climax. It does veer close to the credibility line, but for me stays just the right side. The Russia Harris has depicted is a place where these events could indeed have happened. Is his picture authentic? I’m not expert enough to know, but it certainly felt authentic to me, and that’s good enough! Another great one from Harris – when he’s on form, he’s untouchable.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
May 28, 2023
Ο Αρχάγγελος δε θεωρείται από τα καλύτερα βιβλία του Χάρρις και δικαίως νομίζω. Παρόλα αυτά παραμένει ένα αξιόλογο βιβλίο που προσωπικά μου προσέφερε αρκετά πράγματα.
Οι ιστορικές αναδρομές στο παρελθόν που αφορούν τον Στάλιν και τον Μπέρια είναι εξαιρετικές και δίνουν αρκετές πληροφορίες για τον προσωπικό τους χαρακτήρα.
Η αλήθεια είναι ότι μέχρι το πρώτο μισό του βιβλίου δυσκολεύτηκα να ακολουθήσω την εξέλιξη της ιστορίας κι αυτό έχει να κάνει με την ελλειπή σκιαγράφηση του πρωταγωνιστή, του ιστορικού Φλουκ. Από εκεί κι έπειτα όμως οι ρυθμοί ανέβηκαν και το ενδιαφέρον μου εκτοξεύτηκε. Εξαιρετικά αγωνιώδεις σκηνές και τρομερές περιγραφές της αχανής Ρωσίας δε με άφηναν να πάρω ανάσα. Το τέλος δε με άφησε πλήρως ικανοποιημένο αλλά συνολικά το πρόσημο ήταν άκρως θετικό.
Αν αυτό λοιπόν είναι από τα πιο αδύναμα βιβλία του συγγραφέα, ανυπομονώ για τα καλύτερα..
6,8/10
Οι ιστορικές αναδρομές στο παρελθόν που αφορούν τον Στάλιν και τον Μπέρια είναι εξαιρετικές και δίνουν αρκετές πληροφορίες για τον προσωπικό τους χαρακτήρα.
Η αλήθεια είναι ότι μέχρι το πρώτο μισό του βιβλίου δυσκολεύτηκα να ακολουθήσω την εξέλιξη της ιστορίας κι αυτό έχει να κάνει με την ελλειπή σκιαγράφηση του πρωταγωνιστή, του ιστορικού Φλουκ. Από εκεί κι έπειτα όμως οι ρυθμοί ανέβηκαν και το ενδιαφέρον μου εκτοξεύτηκε. Εξαιρετικά αγωνιώδεις σκηνές και τρομερές περιγραφές της αχανής Ρωσίας δε με άφηναν να πάρω ανάσα. Το τέλος δε με άφησε πλήρως ικανοποιημένο αλλά συνολικά το πρόσημο ήταν άκρως θετικό.
Αν αυτό λοιπόν είναι από τα πιο αδύναμα βιβλία του συγγραφέα, ανυπομονώ για τα καλύτερα..
6,8/10
March 26, 2024
1998-ieji. Į Maskvą, ką tik subyrėjusios imperijos sostinę, į kongresą atvyksta istorikas Kelso. Netikėtas susitikimas su buvusiu Berijos vairuotoju apverčia istoriko dienotvarkę aukštyn kojomis. Išgirsta istorija apie pradingusius Stalino užrašus audrina vaizduotę. Medžiodamas tą sąsiuvinį Kelso leidžiasi beveik pusės amžiaus pėdsakais. Labiau už galimybę išgarsėti (ir pralobti) degina smalsumas – kas gi tuose užrašuose tokio, kad Stalinas juos slėpė nuo visų, o Berija skubėjo juos išvogti ir paslėpti, kol ūsuotasis išgama dar merdėjo?
Harris trilerio meistras, ką dar sykį ir įrodo. Siužetas sukaltas gerai, dėmesį prikausto ir nepaleidžia. Bet šiame romane dar kažkiek rezonavo ir fonas. Ta postsovietinė Rusija, kuri dar nebuvo aišku, kuriuo keliu pasuks. Ir nors kai kurie „Archangelo“ personažai vakariečiai jau švenčia pergalę, teigdami, kad nėra kelio atgal, autorius į žurnalisto žodžius įdeda negailestingą prognozę: „Hitleris! Jie dar nerado savo Hitlerio. Bet kai suras - saugokis, pasauli.“ Ir jei 1998-ais galėjo pasirodyti, kad tai tik pesimistinis pakarksėjimas, šiandien, deja, pasaulis žino, kad savąjį Hitlerį jie atrado.
Tvirti keturi iš penkių. Labai tvirti.
Harris trilerio meistras, ką dar sykį ir įrodo. Siužetas sukaltas gerai, dėmesį prikausto ir nepaleidžia. Bet šiame romane dar kažkiek rezonavo ir fonas. Ta postsovietinė Rusija, kuri dar nebuvo aišku, kuriuo keliu pasuks. Ir nors kai kurie „Archangelo“ personažai vakariečiai jau švenčia pergalę, teigdami, kad nėra kelio atgal, autorius į žurnalisto žodžius įdeda negailestingą prognozę: „Hitleris! Jie dar nerado savo Hitlerio. Bet kai suras - saugokis, pasauli.“ Ir jei 1998-ais galėjo pasirodyti, kad tai tik pesimistinis pakarksėjimas, šiandien, deja, pasaulis žino, kad savąjį Hitlerį jie atrado.
Tvirti keturi iš penkių. Labai tvirti.
January 12, 2020
Good plot, loved the writing.
What I had issues with was Russian names - again! There's no such (female) name: Vavara; it's Varvara. And the probability of urban parents giving their children such old Russian names as Serafima or Foma back in 60s-70s is extremely slim.
Any btw, in Moscow in winter, it would start getting dark around 3pm and be pitch black by 5pm; and even earlier in Arkhangelsk. This could be checked on the weather channels or the internet...
What I had issues with was Russian names - again! There's no such (female) name: Vavara; it's Varvara. And the probability of urban parents giving their children such old Russian names as Serafima or Foma back in 60s-70s is extremely slim.
Any btw, in Moscow in winter, it would start getting dark around 3pm and be pitch black by 5pm; and even earlier in Arkhangelsk. This could be checked on the weather channels or the internet...
November 11, 2025
You can always depend on Robert Harris to deliver an entertaining historical fiction thriller. This one is set after "the end of history" and pits the forces of remnant Soviet cold warriors against new age Russia kapitalism and "progress." Stalin looms large of this plot, just as he does over the former Soviet Union now.
August 3, 2025
Another page-turner. Quite enjoyable. Easy to read.
Interesting characters, this time.
I enjoyed the writing, and the surprises Harris prepared for the readers.
The story is a little bit far-fetched, but still an interesting novel.
I can understand why the book was considered for a movie.
Interesting characters, this time.
I enjoyed the writing, and the surprises Harris prepared for the readers.
The story is a little bit far-fetched, but still an interesting novel.
I can understand why the book was considered for a movie.
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