Alan Furst’s elegantly-written novels about spies in World War II have become must-have acquisitions for this common reader. I say acquisitions but in fact I ordered Spies of the Balkans from the library before they even had it in stock, and I was able to get my hands on one of the eight copies they bought (why is it more satisfying to see the first date stamp in a library book than to actually buy the thing yourself?).
Spies of the Balkans was no disappointment. We find ourselves in Salonika in 1940, with Greece wondering if (when?) the Germans are going to invade.
Costa Zannis is a former detective who now handles political cases, mingling with the international cast of characters who have a range of motives for being in the port. The Balkan nations are dividing into those which support the Axis powers and those who’s fierce nationalism leads them to plan for guerilla wars in the mountains.
Zannis is an honourable man and agrees to help a German Jewish woman from Berlin who is in the process of setting up a route to smuggle Jews out of Germany eastwards and onto Istanbul. The British get wind of this and approach Zannis, applying pressure on him to smuggle one of their scientists out of France before the Germans get their hands on him.
Furst is a master of what in the world of cinema would be called “noir”. The characters, Zannis included, seem alienated from normal life. They inhabit dingy bars, arrange assignations on street corners and have to disappear into the shadows when cars containing their enemies nose into view. They have hopeless love affairs with old-flames before falling for the wife of a notorious gangster. Above all, the filthy game of spying infests their lives with its secrecy, its betrayals and its thorough-going nastiness.
The British spies are as bad as any of them:
Jones and Wilkins they called themselves and perhaps they were Jones and Wilkins, or perhaps not. It didn’t matter to Escovil who they said they were, he knew what they were. Jones was tall and mournful, while Wilkins was military: still moustached, hostile and potentially dangerous. To the enemy, to his wife, to his dog. They settled in the smelly chairs and smiled. Both of them. It was utterly horrible.
“We have a bit of a nightmare” Jones said, “So you’ll have to help us out”.
He had a high insinuating whine of a voice. “Really, this is someone else’s mess, but we’re the ones who have to clean it up”.
There is so much here – complex intriguing, a cast of well-drawn international characters, huge suspense – at one point Zannis has to go to Paris where his contacts have tried to make him look as normal as possible by going to a restaurant used by Gestapo officers, where things almost go terribly wrong. We visit the home of the German organiser of the escape route, and follow a Jewish couple as they nervously cross the borders of Europe on their way to freedom.
But Furst is far too stylish a write to make this just a “spy novel”. I am reminded of Graham Greene (does anyone still read him?), who’s novels, like Furst’s, reveal a world-weary cynicism, a sort of bewilderment at the capacity of human society for screwing everything up so well. Furst depicts the despair of wartime, when the only way to remain intact as a full human being is to give up any hope of surviving and to join forces with those who could lead you to disaster, but at least will allow you to live with some shreds of integrity.
Costas Zannis is a memorable character, who manages to retain a sense of honour although involved with nefarious dealings. He manages to find his way through a maze of conflicting loyalties but finds that with invasion imminent you have to join forces with unlikely partners. He joins a long line of Furst characters torn in different directions yet somehow coming out in one piece to continue (hopefully) their stories on the pages of another book.
Spies of the Balkans is the 11th novel in Alan Furst’s “Night Soldiers” series – I’ve never found a dud among them and I continue to wait for the next with keen anticipation.
Lurchers
Michelham Priory Country Fair was a lovely event – I was runing the “Friends” stalls but with plenty of time to wander around in between. I’m not too keen on the emphasis on killing animals – I was reading all about deer conservation on one stand until I discovered that conservation to these people meant putting a bullet in the head of a startled animal. Dogs everywhere – I didn’t know what a lurcher was until this weekend and was surprised to find that the best lurchers are cross-breeds.
Title: Spies of the Balkans
Author: Alan Furst
Publication: Orion Publishing (18 March 2010), Hardback 288 pages
ISBN: 9780297858881
Interesting review, Tom. I enjoyed Furst’s ‘The Polish Officer’, which is definitely dark in tone and labyrinthine of intrigue(s), and shall look out for more of his work.
Country-bred Brit, here: all lurchers are, in fact, mongrels; traditionally used to hunt rabbits.
Book sounds great. I tend to like war novels – if well written of course and the excerpt you’ve quoted reads absolutely beautifully. If I weren’t overloaded I’d be jumping at this.
BUT I really want to comment on you fair experience. I have to say that your deer conservation people remind me of the sort or people who populate Midsomer!
I read one of his short stories, “The Destructors”, but didn’t think much of it. Now I may actually revisit it.
Excellent review, Tom, and I am tempted. I’ll admit that starting on a new writer whose publications are into the dozens is the biggest hurdle. What if I like him?
Hi Kevin – Well, I think you would like him so it could be a problem. They’re all free-standing though so you could read one and leave the others!
Ronak – its a long time since I read Graham Greene but always have it in the back of my mind that I must revisit him sometime
I had never heard of this author or these books before and I like the idea of books about spies. I really enjoyed Restless by William Boyd (which some people will deem literature and some might not) so these sound very interesting.
He’s excellent isn’t he? I wrote up his The Polish Officer over at mine. I think he’s one of those writers who like Eric Ambler will be sought out decades hence.
Not that I’ve read Ambler yet, but the analogy I suspect still holds.
I do sympathise with Kevin’s concern. I often have that reluctance. If I read something by a prolific author, what if I like it?
Hi Max – Well, if I wasn’t a book blogger I’d be happy to discover a new author I liked and have to read all his back-catalogue! I sometimes wonder if my desire to be topical robs me of much good reading.
This sounds like such a deliciously crafted book! For some reason Costa Zannis reminded me of Philip Marlowe from Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep
Wonderful review!
I avoid topicality in part for that reason Tom. There are so many prizes and new releases, and most of them to be honest won’t stand the test of time. I’d rather mix in more older works and perhaps be a little less current.
That said, that locks me out of some conversations and perhaps means I miss some exciting new voices. I don’t think going for the topical, the classic or the niche are any of them bad choices (or any mix of those, few of us are entirely one of them), but there’s still an element of necessary choice there.
Max – I agree, we are under no obligation in any case to be topical or any other niche. Its funny how so many books of about 50 years vintage seem terribly dated, then when they’re 100 years old they develop a classic patina which makes us able to love them. I notice how HG Well is coming back into fashion for example, but when I was growing up in the 60s they were quite “old fashioned”.
Birdy – thanks for the comment. Oh yes, there are similarities with Chandler I suppose. Thanks for visiting.
By far and away the worst book that furst has written, I have read and enjoyed all of his previous novels, but this one leaves a LOT to be desired. His previous novels had a wonderful, tense and complex mileau, not this one. I, for one, will wait until his next novel is in paperback before I purchase it.
Alexander – sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it. I found it all very believable with a lot of tension.
Not read this one, although have read world at night & foreign correspondent & did enjoy those, & like the graham Greene connection.
Parrish
Ps have you on Google reader now, so although new to you, can catch up at leisure.
Parrish – its very hard to keep up with other blogs. I keep a bookmark list of people who visit mine and try to reciprocate on those at least.