Rating: 
Summary: It could have been so much better!
Review: Although I read the book quickly, it became impossible to suspend disbelief. The actions of some of the characters simply made no sense... except to move the plot along. While the book has many twists, many were not plausable. The enjoyment of the book, therefore, was signficantly reduced as the actions of the characters (particularly the mother and daughter) became silly. It's too bad becasue Follett is a good writer and "The Man from St. Petersburg" had great potential. "The Eye of the Needle" was far superior - it easily passed the plausability test.
Rating:
Summary: Follett is better than this.
Review: another follett win! what a great story. i highly recommend the book. if you haven't read follett before, this is a good place to start and one of his better books.
Rating: 
Summary: good story, worth the read
Review: another follett win! what a great story. i highly recommend the book. if you haven't read follett before, this is a good place to start and one of his better books.
Rating: 
Summary: Follett's Best Time Period
Review: Anyone who has read a lot of Follett knows that he usually chooses a distinct time and place in history for his setting. While Pillars of the Earth (set in 1150) and The Eye of the Needle (WWII) are excellent, this WWI-set novel is a masterpiece. I enjoy anything Follett puts to paper, but this goes beyond even my highest expectations. There are some subtle turns-of-phrase in this work that show us why Follett is a genuis. You will enjoy his Feliks character even when you feel you sometimes shouldn't! A definite 11 on a 1 to 10 scale
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: As always, a book of K. Follett which is brilliantly combined with history and facts and fiction. Fun to read
Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: Follet is a Swiss watch-maker and this book a Rolex among thrillers. The plot ticks along with fantastic pacing and suspense. Secrets come out at incredibly tense moments. With apparent ease, Follet makes the reader care for all the main characters, and two of them want to kill each other. This novel has it ALL: great plot, great characters, great descriptions, great dialogue, great pacing, a great climax. No other novel in the thriller/espionage field comes close.
Rating:
Summary: Great Page Turner
Review: Follett does a great job of developing and describing the four main characters in the novel. He also does an excellent job of describing the setting and time in which the novel takes place (pre WWI). Once you begin this book you should set aside some time because you find yourself reading all day. This definitely ranks in my top ten.
Rating:
Summary: What's all the fuss about?
Review: I read Eye of the Needle a long time ago and remember enjoying it. So when I saw this book in the library I thought it would be worth reading.Suspenseful? Maybe the last 5 pages or so. I really only finished the book to see how it ended. I found many of the characters actions to be preposterous, even in the setting of the novel. In the end I only really liked Walden. Charlotte turns out to be a ditz. I also didn't enjoy some of the preachiness of the novel, especially the suffragette issues.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Follett's best.
Review: I'm a fan of Ken Follett's work & intend to read all his stuff. I have read 5 books so far. This was a disappointment, though. At first it seemed like nothing more than a historical novel bodice-buster, but then the plot did pick up. The main problem, though, was the character of Feliks. Follett wants to make him at least a little sympathetic, maybe a lot, but it didn't work for me. Feliks is a big, smelly, dirty, cruel, ruthless, coldblooded Communist assassin. The fact that he's good in the sack & glib with words does not compensate for his evil. And can Charlotte really be that stupid? Oh, well. They can't all be winners.
Rating:
Summary: Not Follett's best.
Review: I'm a fan of Ken Follett's work & intend to read all his stuff. I have read 5 books so far. This was a disappointment, though. At first it seemed like nothing more than a historical novel bodice-buster, but then the plot did pick up. The main problem, though, was the character of Feliks. Follett wants to make him at least a little sympathetic, maybe a lot, but it didn't work for me. Feliks is a big, smelly, dirty, cruel, ruthless, coldblooded Communist assassin. The fact that he's good in the sack & glib with words does not compensate for his evil. And can Charlotte really be that stupid? Oh, well. They can't all be winners.
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