From the Bookshelf of Action/Adventure Aficionados…

I Am Pilgrim

Terry Hayes

Start date: December 1, 2014

Finish date: December 31, 2014

Discussion: Group Reads

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Group Reads

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* Group Read Selection Cycle Ten *Selection Period Closed*
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last updated Aug 24, 2025 05:21AM

* Group Read Selection Cycle Eight: *Nomination Period Closed on June 2nd* *
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What Members Thought

Aug 27, 2022 Yigal Zur rated it it was amazing

i rarely give 5*. but this one is brilliant thriller and amazing writing. what can be new about "the best secret agent" i was wondering in the first chapters of it. but it came a great plot. a must read ...more

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Jun 06, 2014 Dipanjan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: facebook-reviews

"I Am Pilgrim" is not a novel. It is pure poetry. Poetry of covert ops and espionage and intelligence. A poetry that builds up to a symphony which will leave you gasping for breath and desperately seeking an encore. "I Am Pilgrim" shoots to the No 1 on my list of books read this year and I have NO DOUBT whatsoever that it's going to some time till another book even dares to challenge for the top spot. Ok, let me just do this once – Oh My God, Oh My God, Oh My God …… What a book ….. Oh My God, Oh "I Am Pilgrim" is not a novel. It is pure poetry. Poetry of covert ops and espionage and intelligence. A poetry that builds up to a symphony which will leave you gasping for breath and desperately seeking an encore. "I Am Pilgrim" shoots to the No 1 on my list of books read this year and I have NO DOUBT whatsoever that it's going to some time till another book even dares to challenge for the top spot. Ok, let me just do this once – Oh My God, Oh My God, Oh My God …… What a book ….. Oh My God, Oh My God, Oh My God (fades into black).

"I Am Pilgrim" is close to 700 pages long but trust me when I tell you to read every page, every chapter, every line, every word carefully. This work of a thriller is exotic, complex, intelligent, clever, intricately plotted, magical characterisation, ambitiously honest, page turning and HIGHLY unpredictable at every step. In the entire plot, nothing is left to chance or "good luck". Every step of the journey is chequered with investigative deductions that leave no room for second guessing or mistakes or creative liberties. It is also a perfect example of a plot within a plot within a plot that seamlessly merges into a grand finale. What I loved MOST about the book is that it is all about "old school" intelligence, that are not dependent on high-end technology. It's the usual myriad of brain work, logical deductions, code breaking, dead drops, vintage cloak-and-dagger ways.

Let me not tell you anything about the plot line, because I sincerely do not want you to miss out on the fun of discovering "Pilgrim" and exploring the pages of this superb thriller by Terry Hayes. But I can tell you this, its about a man who will get to earn the name "Pilgrim" because of his epic journey into hell and back that is nothing short of a pilgrimage. If you love thrillers, close your eyes, pick up this book and start reading. By the end of the book you will wish it was 2000 pages long. Oh yeah, do fasten seat belts in your mind, you will experience turbulence.

Mr. Hayes – Here goes a standing ovation for you for your Symphonic Poetry Of Espionage. It's been an absolutely superb read.
...more

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Apr 14, 2015 Seeley James rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Excellent story even though all the global bad guys conveniently ended up in the same tiny seaside town. The author detailed the scenario with such authority I never bothered to look up the feasibility, even though it stretched credulity. Very well done over all, but l-o-n-g.

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Jul 14, 2014 James rated it it was amazing

Almost gave up on it. It is as real as it gets. After reading this book you understand the making of a fanatic terrorist.

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May 22, 2014 Karl Øen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: spy

The blurb on the cover says 'The only thriller you need to read this year' - and for once, I am inclined to agree with the PR-guys, albeit not for the reasons they dreamed up...

This is not a bad book,far from it. Parts of it almost reach the standards set by the masters of the genre, but some scenes tend to be overtly graphic in their description of violence and, I'm sorry to say, torture. There are holes in the plot large enough to sail an ocean liner through them, and the hero has more than hi ...more

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Dec 09, 2014 John Stokes rated it it was amazing

What a great book. One of the best I've ever read. The last 15% was nothing short of masterful. I can see why this book was rated best of 2014 in the thriller genre. Kudos to Terry Hayes. He has a new fan. ...more

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