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Brilliant. Robert Harris is one of the writers who can write any story and turn it into a wonderful book. Reading this book reminds me of Cicero's stories, but instead of ancient Rome setting, now it's French military conflict in late 1800s. It's juicy, full of political twists and turns, and the main character, Georges Picquart is very likable- an underdog who you can't help but rooting for. The ending is a bit too quick for my taste, after so many "building the tension" moments- but because th
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I'd always been vaguely aware of the Dreyfus Affair as some kind of scandal involving a French military officer around the end of the 19th-century that revolved around a large strain of antisemitism in France. But I'd never been particularly motivated to know more about it. It's with that context that I picked up this work of historical fiction.
It's a compellingly told tale, brought to life by an author well-versed in catching the details and tone of the past. The attitudes of the time come to l ...more
It's a compellingly told tale, brought to life by an author well-versed in catching the details and tone of the past. The attitudes of the time come to l ...more
Terrific historical fiction about the Dreyfus Affair. Really interesting and wonderfully written. I didn't feel drawn in by the characters which is why it isn't a five star book for me, but even that feels due to historic accuracy. It's difficult to relate to the values of an officer in the French Army in 1890.
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Compelling for its detailed recounting of one of the greatest French scandals in history, but I feel like it's missing much of an answer as to why it occurred. While I know the historical record can be somewhat muddled on these points, in fiction, you get some latitude to play with it, and I wish Harris had done so.
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Feb 09, 2014
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