Rating: 
Summary: One of the best cold-war stories ever.
Review: No cold-war story has ever gripped me more than this book. It is shockingly realistic
Rating:
Summary: Greatness!
Review: This book is one of my favorite books, and one of the few books that I have ever finished reading. It is a must read.
Rating: 
Summary: A Little Tedious, But A Great Plot
Review: My wife has tried to get me to read books by Nelson DeMille for some time and stated that "The Charm School" was his best. So I decided to give it a shot. The plot of a school in Russia where former American Vietnam War POWs teach Russian spies to become Americans is one of the best plots I've ever seen in adventure/thriller novels. Definitely a plot where you could ask yourself (especially in 1988 when it was written and when US/USSR relations were still fairly cold) "could this happen".However, DeMille is a tedious author and you have to trudge through pages of mundane discussions about the Russian people, government to get to the meat of the action, which is what interests me. I would guess that DeMille did a fair amount of research on Russia and wanted to incorporate this knowledge where he could. That is fine if the information helps move the plot along. Overall, it's a good book which could have been 100-150 pages shorter. As I was reading it, I found myself wondering what a master of adventure like Clive Cussler could have done with this excellent plot. A lot more, I suspect.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've ever read!
Review: "The Charm School" is one of the BEST books I've ever read in my life! I've read over 500 spy novels, and at least 300 mysteries - Nelson DeMille has the ability to capture the reader from the first line of this book where he involves the reader DIRECTLY in the action, as well as elicit a multitude of emotions from the reader, based on the reader's personal experiences and what the reader can imagine, evocatively elicited by DeMille from is readers. The novel occurs during the waning days of The Cold War in Soviet Russia. An American tourist, Gregory Fisher, discovers a dark secret hidden deep in European Russia, which could effectively end Soviet-America relations for years to come. This discovery occurs when Fisher is committing an "intinerary violation," which brings him to the attention of the KGB. Fisher then attempts to relate the information that he uncovered to the American Embassy's Air Force Attache` in Moscow, Sam Hollis, on the very night that the KGB discovered Fisher's intinerary violation. Following that discussion, Fisher is murdered by the KGB, who subsequently tries to make Fisher's death look like an accident. This does not sit well with Hollis, who is trying to help him get to the American Embassy. It also does not sit well with the CIA Station Chief at the American Embassy, Seth Alevy. The woman who took the initial call from Fisher, a State Dept. Liason Officer, Lisa Rhodes, is also involved, as she listened to and recorded the initial call between Fisher and Hollis, and she is familiar with some of the CIA's espionage operations in Moscow; she was the former girlfriend of Alevy, and is soon to become Hollis' girlfriend during the operation to discover the truth behind Fisher's death and the secret Fisher discovered. Both Alevy and Hollis operate together under personal and professional rivalries; their CIA/U.S. Air Force rivalry, as well as their mutual affection for Lisa Rhodes, yet they form an alliance to try and solve Fisher's death, as well as solve the dark secret which Fisher dicovered. As the novel goes through its paces, the tension between the KGB and the joint-American espionage forces escalate to the point where Hollis and Rhodes get their diplomatic privileges revoked and are kicked out of the Soviet Union. This is the point where the tension REALLY hits home with the reader - from here you just need to buy the book, and discover the end of the story, as well as the details which I purposely omitted. One thing that I will say is this - that which I omitted provides a wealth of information concerning how sociological aspects affect each and every one of us (worth the read in itself). You can discover how Nelson DeMille develops his characters and his story in order to appreciate how well he places a reader into one of his novels.And you can experience the overall sense of humanity and justice which DeMille elicits from his readers. Buy ANY of DeMille's books (I've read them all), and simply enjoy as well as feel your own sense of humanity and justice, which is where DeMille takes your heart, mind, and soul!
Rating:
Summary: Airplane consensus
Review: I work in airplanes and I'm always looking to see what people are reading. When I see Nelson DeMille, I ask if it's their first or if they are a fan. For the first time DeMille-ers, I tell them to pick up Charm School. For those that say they are fans, their number one pick is ALWAYS The Charm School. I have to agree! The Charm School had me hooked from the first page and I just couldn't put it down. It's made me a fan of Mr. DeMille's books and I've read them all. The Charm School is still my number one favorite book of his. Read it. You'll be a fan, too!!
Rating:
Summary: From Russia with Love
Review: This was a very good book. I listened to it on CD. It takes place in Russia and involves the KGB and CIA going up against each other. It's just one more good read by DeMille that deals with a novel idea having to do with these two agencies. I recommend it. It will keep you guessing until the end as to what the outcome will be.
I hate to read books where you can guess the ending, but keep reading thinking there will be a twist and there is none.
Rating:
Summary: Best book I have ever read.
Review: I am an avid reader, I loved this book. I first got hooked with the Generals daughter (before it was a movie. (BLah on the movie) ......Charm school is a book that I can not keep in my personal library, because I give it to any one who wants to read. It is captivating and informative on the russian language, scenery and just totally a great all encompassing read. Either get it for yourself or for any one who likes to read.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling
Review: This is the first book by DeMille I've read, and I enjoyed it. After having read the reviews on amazon I'd assumed when I started the book that I was about to delve into a mile-a-minute suspense thriller, and while there is certainly that aspect to it, there are definitely a lot of quiet, ruminative moments in the book. DeMille really tries to impart a feel of the character and history of Russia here, and he is at least partially successful. I have never been to Russia, but after reading the book I feel a small step closer to understanding something about the country, especially about the country's Soviet past.
Ultimately the book falls short, though, because in the last third of the book DeMille suddenly changes tone. It's like we're reading a whole new book -- now we get the action-packed, faintly absurd type of plot twists one associates with these types of books. After so much interesting, subtle stuff at the beginning of the book, this transition was jarring. This wasn't a *bad* part of the book, it just didn't mesh too well with what came before it.
The characters are pretty well drawn, though they didn't seem to grow or change much throughout the book. I liked Col Hollis's bitter sarcasm, but the fact that he employed it all the time, no matter the circumstances, got a little tiresome. It would have been more interesting if DeMille had made Hollis really scared just *once*. Same goes for most of the other characters.
All in all though, the book was very good, and I can recommend it to anyone. It is certainly compelling -- you will find yourself reading nonstop, late into the night.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Read the Authors New Forward
Review: What was he thinking? He gave away the entire plot in the new forward. In it he also suggested that The Charm School was the best Cold War thriller ever (that's an eye-roller). Even if the mystery hadn't been blown in the forward, the plot is run of de mille (sorry). Another Demille book where a middle aged police/ military man who recently lost his wife attracts an attractive young girl with a daddy complex. Mrs Demille must be wondering what that's all about. Furthermore, all of the characters are jerks so it's difficult to care about any of them. If The Charm School were 300 pages shorter it may have deserved 3 or 4 stars.
Rating:
Summary: top espionage novel
Review: I was holed up in an aunt and uncle's house in Canada, dead of winter, frozen world. All I had to do (besides talk to my aunt) was read this book. Locked myself in a room, and, boy, did I have the right book. Have read lots of espionage novels: LeCarre, Ambler, Forsyth, Fleming, Follett. This ranks in the top five easily. Avoids the ultra-cynical main character quality of some other DeMille books. And it's plot-driven, not wordy and overwritten.
Also see: The Key to Rebecca, The Fourth Protocol, Smiley's People, and all James Bond.
|
