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Icon

3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 · rating details · 2,817 ratings · 91 reviews

From the master of the novel of international intrigue comes a riveting new book as timely and unsettling as tomorrow's headlines.

It is summer 1999 in Russia, a country on the threshold of anarchy.An interim president sits powerless in Moscow as his nation is wracked by famine and inflation, crime and corruption, and seething hordes of the unemployed roam the streets.

For t...more

Paperback, 576 pages

Published September 2nd 1997 by Bantam (first published 1996)

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The Spy Who Came In from the Cold by John le Carré

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré

The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth

Espionage

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Best Spy Novels

146th out of 488 books — 449 voters

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Jul 25, 2012 Finitha Jose rated it 4 of 5 stars

Thrillers or detective novels are best when it comes to train journeys; especially if you are in an Express or Superfast which goes slower than a Passenger and is held down in different stations for reasons I know not what. It is on one such journey that I came upon this novel -- a random search in the library revealed the worn out book in the corner and it looked like a good one too for the three hour ride home.
I never got a chance to read any more of Forsyth, but thanks to this absorbing tal...more

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May 28, 2012 Smcleish rated it 2 of 5 stars

Originally published on my blog here in November 1999.

Frederick Forsyth always has interesting ideas, but his writing never does them justice. Icon is no exception to this rule. The idea - a new Hitler attempting to take power in the chaotic ruins of a Russia devastated by mega-inflation and uncontrollable organised crime - is excellent. The major problem is the narrative style. The story takes second place to exposition of the idea - the reader does not really need pages of description of ficti...more

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Oct 16, 2010 Ron rated it 3 of 5 stars

Another "too old to be current and too new to be vintage/classic" book, found on the hallway communal bookshelf, but interesting, as I'd never read Frederick Forsyth. He seems to do a lot of research, a la Michael Crichton, but here, instead of technology and science, the emphasis is more on politics and espionage. Forsyth perhaps came of age (or was of age) during the excesses of the cold war, and there is a definite cloud of that hanging over the story, even though it's set in post-Glasnost Ru...more Another "too old to be current and too new to be vintage/classic" book, found on the hallway communal bookshelf, but interesting, as I'd never read Frederick Forsyth. He seems to do a lot of research, a la Michael Crichton, but here, instead of technology and science, the emphasis is more on politics and espionage. Forsyth perhaps came of age (or was of age) during the excesses of the cold war, and there is a definite cloud of that hanging over the story, even though it's set in post-Glasnost Russia. It seemed as though there was a little TOO much setting up for the main plot, seemingly incidental or anecdotal stories all presented up front, and ultimately all tied to the main action/narrative, but seemed just a bit overly complicated, especially with the damned Russian names, many of which seemed to morph into one another (e.g. Komarov/Kuznetsov).

And the central plot, of a Fascist plot to take over the country, including a seemingly Nazi-inspired putsch attempt after more political routs are foiled by the American protagonist, is a bit jaded, a bit devivative, but ultimately interesting in the details. The Chechen underworld of Moscow provides cover for the heroic, blond-haired, toothy (I imagined) Jason Monk, brilliant, powerful, capable American uber spy, as he cunningly slithers through the capital city, planting seeds of doubt and patriotism, arranging for support and rebellion, enlisting friend and foe to stop the somewhat too simplistically rendered evil Komarov and Grishin. An elderly statesman in the form of the Jewish/British Nigel Irvine provides depth, money and cunning counterintelligence to aid in the defeat of those who would institute the return of a Mother Russia" where church, jews, and minorities would be enslaved, eliminated or exterminated. One plot development that went nowhere, or perhaps was set up as a seed for another story/novel, was the possible return of the monarchy, part of the interesting depiction of the traditional/classical triad of army/church/government that gave much of the story its punch. But in the end, I felt the "action" of the story was de-emphasized by the initial "setting up"/exposition -- by the time all of the players, important and bit, are presented and situated, the action of the story is almost besides the point, and almost seems incidental in terms of amount of time/words devoted to it, versus the perhaps too numerous/detailed minor character development. Those bits of exposition were all interesting in and of themselves, but conspired to almost overwhelm the narrative.

One last interesting aspect of this book is the rendering of the culture of espionage, particularly the CIA and cold war strains. The cold war has died rather quickly, and this presentation of it seems rooted in another era, especially in the post 9-11 era where our own country's surveillance machine is morphing into that former Russian one. And the portrayal of the CIA is likewise convincingly portrayed, including factual figures like Aldrich Ames, whose massive betrayal of the country and CIA in the 80's and 90's is included seemingly factually. Forsyth's depiction of all of this espionage/counterespionage is carefully, almost lovingly portrayed, as if the author were exorcising his "inner spy", itself a product of having grown up in a long ago culture of evil empires and might makes right.(less)

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Oct 18, 2011 Arun Divakar rated it 3 of 5 stars

Too good to be true, don't we say this word about the really grand things we encounter at times ? A really hot lady/guy who for no reason strikes up a conversation with you and is willing to proceed further, a boss who suddenly supports you and gives a pay hike for no reason or maybe a new political leader who in a short time makes a tremendous impact on the masses. While any of these or for that matter any such overtly unbelievable incidents are going on, a small voice at the back of your mind...more Too good to be true, don't we say this word about the really grand things we encounter at times ? A really hot lady/guy who for no reason strikes up a conversation with you and is willing to proceed further, a boss who suddenly supports you and gives a pay hike for no reason or maybe a new political leader who in a short time makes a tremendous impact on the masses. While any of these or for that matter any such overtly unbelievable incidents are going on, a small voice at the back of your mind tells you Too good to be true bud ! Don't say that I didn't warn you .

Now that I have fired the opening shot, let me get on with the review. The premise is Russia, a nation that is slowly shrugging off the shackles of Communism and the aftermath of Glasnost. A rather messy state of affairs with hyper inflation, poverty & a few governmental decisions that took a turn for the worst. Into this melee steps in a charismatic and dynamic leader who is messianic in his demeanor towards the populace. But things are not always what they seem and it is up to the British & the Americans as always to save the world. The book is divided into two parts with the first being the build up and the planning part & the next being devoted entirely to execution of those plans to make the world a better place to live. This in my evaluation is not a novel that can be counted as one of Forsyth's best. For one, the suspense factor loses its steam after a while & also to be counted is the fact that a few crucial situations in the plot line are predictable. Nothing kills fun faster than predictability I suppose ! If there is one thing that truly stands out in this book, it is the research that the author must have done. He creates a vivid portrayal of Russia before the turn of the millennium. The bear whose claws have been worn down to stumps and lost all his teeth to add to his woes too !

Let me be honest here, I only took this book up as it featured one of my favorite characters Sir Nigel Irvine from Forsyth's 'Fourth Protocol'. The character referred to as the Fox and the erstwhile head of the MI6 still remains one that I love. While being high handed at times, the shrewdness that the author brings forth with this character is something I love.(less)

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Jun 22, 2010 Kristina rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm a sucker for spy novels and usually think that most good fiction in that genre died along with the Cold War. I will say, however, that this one was great. I took a little while to get through the first chapter but once I did I honestly couldn't put it down -- I stayed up until almost 3:00 a.m. one night to finish it because I just HAD to know what happened. It's kind of a "what would happen if ..." novel. When it was written in 1993, it actually was set to take place in the future (1999). Th...more

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May 09, 2009 Stefan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mysteries-and-thrillers

Icon is one of my favorite novels by Frederick Forsyth because in this work he really makes easy to connect with the characters. Forsyth put many complicated characters in this book, and opened up the world post-Soviet Moscow. An excellent read that projects the settings so wonderfully described into the reader's mind. The dialogue does not fail the reader, and the plot is well developed and has a number of good surprises (which kept me on the edge of my seat). Forsyth also uses his previous exp...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Dale rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is my first Forsyth novel and for the first 250 pages...

...I had determined that it would be my last.

Forsyth spends the first half of of the 500+ page Icon just setting the reader up for the real plot of the novel. Unfortunately, the setup consists of a series of disjointed flashbacks interspersed with seemingly unrelated tales of what is going on in the present of the novel (1999-2000 in the old USSR, now Russia).

Suddenly, once the flashbacks work their way up to the present time the real...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Ishmael rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book has a very slow start, in fact I did not feel fully engaged until after page 100. But once I got past this milestone I was deeply immersed. The story picked up speed after that. The books title did not immerse until around the middle and then the second part was deeply captivating. An entertaining book following the bitter relationship that Jason Monk experienced with the spy community, and his resolve to do one last mission before disappearing into the deep waters of the Caribbean. Th...more

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May 29, 2010 Steve rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 05, 2010 Matimate rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, fiction_general

Frederick Forsyth is a master of conspiracy and The Icon is another masterpiece of his. He brought us to the post Soviet Russia. Igor Komarov wanted to be in power in Russia and he was not afraid to use any mean to make his dream come true and in the process getting rid of his opponents as well as several minorities which he simply did not like. Everything was playing on his cards, but then a mistake happened and former soldier now janitor who was cleaning the office was well touching things, wh...more

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Feb 29, 2012 Sangita rated it 2 of 5 stars

Biggest negative of this book is that its set in an era which is passe now.
The cold war,the whole espionage machinery,its techniques are pretty interesting and author has done a very good job on explaining it down. Without it Today's generation would have had a lot of difficulty imagining the way things were run then with limited technology..

However I have to admit this very quality which lets us understand the politics and times better,also slows down the novel..By the time the future plan of t...more

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Sep 03, 2007 Ira rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: suspense-thriller, conspiracy, spionage

Aku cuman mo nambahin kalo buku ini bagussss banget.. trik trik spionasenya ok dah... FF emang jagonya

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Mar 28, 2012 Mahareni Maldini rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-from-read-me, suspense-thriller

Awalnya ogah2an baca buku ini, coz 15 halaman pertama berisi uraian tentang kondisi sosial politik Rusia yg lagi carut marut menjelang tahun 2000. Tapi makin k belakang, yeeeee...makin penasaran.

Bener2 deh Sir Nigel Irvine itu, seorang mantan intel yg cerdik banget. Cocok digabungkan sama Jason Monk yg brilian d lapangan. Keren dah! Otak 2 orang ini bikin partai UPF jadi hancur lebur.

Weeeell...sosok wanita2 d buku ini cuma peran2 pembantu doank. Tokoh lainnya laki2 semua. Mungkin karena dunia sp...more

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Aug 25, 2011 Víctor rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Un buen libro de espías. Te deja entrever la trama, pero no te muestra toda su complejidad hasta el último momento.
Estructurado en dos partes redactadas de manera diferente cada una; la primera parte se torna demasiado lenta e inconexa -por momentos- para un libro de acción e intriga, pero afortunadamente la calidad va in crescendo. A pesar de que las 100 primeras páginas son capaces de ahuyentar a más de un lector impaciente, con las siguientes 100 la cosa va mejorando notablemente hasta alcan...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Diah Didi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

One of the best novel I've ever read, in my opinion. Though I found it is hard and pretty boring to follow at the first time, Frederick Forsyth makes it so great that the story is getting more and more interesting, so I keep on reading it couple of times.
Since it tells us about spy and politic, all the characters created are full with heroism, cunning, betrayal and intrigue.
Jason Monk, together with Sir Nigel Irvine, as the main characters, presents the ideal type of secret service agent. Brill...more

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May 03, 2013 Howard rated it 3 of 5 stars

Definitely one of Forsyth's better stories. Complex, but not too complex. Some good characters and a plot who's general direction is clear early on and the more enjoyable for it.
I enjoy Forsyth's better stories, but always find myself having to suffer through the swathes of unnecessarily length backstory to every character, every building, every town, every sock that every character wears ... you get the point :-)
I have reached the point now where I skip a lot ;)

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Apr 23, 2013 Sailen Dutta rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: suspense-thrillers

The Cold War has, without a doubt, given the world one good thing: Spy Thrillers. And coming from a master story teller like Forsyth, you can expect something exceptional. 'Icon' doesn't disappoint. The story takes place in two parts- Cold War era and post Cold War era. Jason Monk, the protagonist, was a runner of spies in Soviet Russia and he was one of the most successful agents of the CIA in recruiting high ranking Soviet officials to spy against their own country. Post Cold War, his skills a...more

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Oct 19, 2011 Shiv rated it 4 of 5 stars

marvellous, outstanding.... I can say no more..
People who want generic espionage thriller can read this book without any doubts in their minds... You will simply love it and will remember the whole of your life....
Although I'm a big fan of Forsyth.. Have read his each n every book but this was different in regard to it's mature treatment... How a real spy agency works brick by brick to topple a regime... And to bring about a coup..
Must read guys..

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Dec 15, 2009 Mahesh Prasad rated it 4 of 5 stars

One of the best of Forsyth. Maybe it's bcz I like Russia very much but even then the portrayal of the great country is a must read. You will feel that you are sitting by the Moskva river and enjoying the cool Russian breeze.

The character portrayal is the masterpiece of Forsyth. Without any bias, without any direct reference as to who is the protagonist, he just narrates the events. We understand the character of a person simply from the events. His character will be as we decipher it; not as t...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Kumar Shiva rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Amazing simply amazing!! Its my first Forsyth novel and already I am a big fan.His narration style especially of the intricate details surrounding the cold war and post-war Russia.There is a meanness in his style which makes you wanting for more.Its already my fourth novel about the espionage surrounding cold war and it was definitely the best among them all.Cant wait to read one of his other ones.

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Jun 24, 2011 Suby rated it 4 of 5 stars

The story has substance. Another Nazi like Hitler is about to take over Russia by winning the presidential election. How the CIA manages to foil the attempt with help from minorities within Russia is what the author narrates. Only trouble with the narration is that at times chapters appear to be inordinately long. Still, a good book to read.

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Apr 27, 2012 Florence Primrose rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a great Frederick Forsyth story with intrigue involving the CIA and activities in Russia. Jason Monk is a CIA officer in the first part who recruited and ran four turncoat Russians who eventually suffered due to Aldrich Ames, a crooked CIA agent. In the second part years pass and Monk returns to Russia to try to make changes.

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Oct 06, 2012 Jim Puskas rated it 4 of 5 stars

In somewhat the same vein as "The Fourth Protocol", i.e. deeply insightful into the intrigues and competing forces within Russia, in this case after the collapse of the Soviet Union, rather than at the height of the cold war. In terms of its exploration of the effects of gangsterism and systemic corruption, it also harkens back somewhat to "Avenger". It lacks the scope of either of those books but is still an engrossing read for anyone who appreciates Forsythe's style.

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Mar 18, 2010 Midori Jimenez rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-books

simply one of the best! i simply CANNOT put this book down when i started reading it. the plot was simple - stop Igor Komarov from being the Russian President. and how the lead character did it was simply amazing! it was brilliantly thought of and it is no doubt one of my favorite books of all time!

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Mar 02, 2013 Yuri rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned

I had this book for about 4 months and I'm still trying to read it trough. The reason is, I usually don't like too many character jumps, this not only has many character jumps but also time lapses, its annoying. Overall an interesting idea, terrible writing. If you can follow 10 characters all at the same time, at least 5 of which are either totally irrelevant or annoying (you know like the chick/dude in a movie you just want to die because he does nothing but annoy) go ahead this is your kind o...more

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Mar 03, 2010 Lisa Hayes rated it 3 of 5 stars

Currently listening to this one--it's pretty good. Flashes back from late 90s to late Soviet Union in the 80s. Almost done with disc 2.

Prince Michael of Kent as Tzar of All the Russians! Yikes that would make his vapid, ridiculous wife Tsarina! And his idiot son Tsaravich!

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Dec 22, 2012 Inspiring Rose rated it 2 of 5 stars

It’s definitely a book which deals with many matters and especially with politics and social culture. Although it’s a bit risky to “intervene” in such sensitive issues, the author delivers a pleasant book with action and agony about the evolution of the story

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Apr 16, 2011 Margaret rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-challenge

This was a really enjoyable spy thriller. The complex plot actually seemed possible and once again we are left feeling that the world is full of conspiracies and only a few good men can maintain the balance between good and evil.

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May 03, 2013 Faraz Beg rated it 3 of 5 stars

Post cold-war and pre 9/11 scenario when western fiction authors are trying to spin tails to which their readers can relate. Icon is in itself a good novel, my maiden Forsyth novel.

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Sep 06, 2011 Marco rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Frederick Forsyth è un grande! Tuttavia questo libro è diverso, trama lentissima! Sarà perchè è il rpimo libro post guerra fredda, ma non è il solito Forsyth. A mio avviso.

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About Frederick Forsyth

From Wikipedia:

Frederick Forsyth, CBE (born 25 August 1938) is an English author and occasional political commentator. He is best known for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger and recently The Afghan.

The son of a furrier, Forsyth was born in Ashford, Kent. He was educate...more From Wikipedia:

Frederick Forsyth, CBE (born 25 August 1938) is an English author and occasional political commentator. He is best known for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger and recently The Afghan.

The son of a furrier, Forsyth was born in Ashford, Kent. He was educated at Tonbridge School and later attended the University of Granada in Spain. He became one of the youngest pilots in the Royal Air Force at the age of 19, where he served on National Service from 1956 to 1958. Becoming a journalist, he joined Reuters in 1961 and later the BBC in 1965, where he served as an assistant diplomatic correspondent. From July to September 1967, he served as a correspondent covering the Nigerian Civil War between the region of Biafra and Nigeria. He left the BBC in 1968 after controversy arose over his alleged bias towards the Biafran cause and accusations that he falsified segments of his reports. Returning to Biafra as a freelance reporter, Forsyth wrote his first book, The Biafra Story in 1969.

Forsyth decided to write a novel using similar research techniques to those used in journalism. His first full length novel, The Day of the Jackal, was published in 1971 and became an international bestseller and gained its author the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel. In this book, the Organisation armée secrète (a real-life terrorist group) hires an assassin to kill the then-French President Charles de Gaulle. It was later made into a film of the same name.

In Forsyth's second novel, The Odessa File (1972), a reporter attempts to track down a certain ex-Nazi SS officer in modern Germany. The reporter discovers him via the diary of a Jewish Holocaust survivor who committed suicide earlier, but he is being shielded by an organization that protects ex-Nazis, called ODESSA. Later, the reporter discovers that this same SS officer murdered a German Army officer during World War II for striking him after refusing to let SS soldiers take the place of his own wounded men. The German Army Officer was the reporter's father. This book was later made into a movie with the same name, starring Jon Voight, but there were substantial adaptations.

In The Dogs of War (1974) a British mining executive hires a group of mercenaries to overthrow the government of an African country so that he can install a puppet regime that will allow him cheap access to a colossal platinum-ore reserve. This book was also adapted to film, in 1981, starring Christopher Walken and Tom Berenger.

The Shepherd was an illustrated novella published in 1975. It tells of a nightmare journey by an RAF pilot while flying home for Christmas in the late 1950s. His attempts to find a rational explanation for his eventual rescue prove as troublesome as his experience. Following this came The Devil's Alternative in 1979, which was set in 1982. In this book, the Soviet Union faces a disastrous grain harvest and Ukrainian freedom fighters. A Politburo faction fight ensues. In the end, a Norwegian oil tanker built in Japan, a Russian airliner hijacked to West Berlin and various governments find themselves involved.

In 1982, No Comebacks, a collection of ten short stories, was published. Some of these stories had been written earlier. Many were set in the Republic of Ireland where Forsyth was living at the time. One of them, "There Are No Snakes In Ireland", won him a second Edgar Allan Poe Award, this time for best short story.

The Fourth Protocol was published in 1984 and involves renegade elements within the Soviet Union attempting to plant a nuclear bomb near an American airbase in the UK, intending to influence the upcoming British elections and lead to the election of an anti-NATO, anti-American, anti-nuclear, pro-soviet Labour government. The Fourth Protocol was later filmed, starring Pierce Brosnan and Michael Caine, in 1987. All the (less)

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