Unlikely Spy by Daniel Silva

"Unlikely Spy" by Daniel Silva. This book is published by  Penguin in 2003 and has 752 pages. As the name suggests, it's a spy thriller, but during World War II.

England thinks that they have rolled up the German spy network in England by either arresting or turning all known spies. Attack of allied forces on France is around the corner. But where will the forces land? Allied forces have chosen Normandy and are building large concrete structures that will be sunk at Normandy to create artificial harbor.

How to keep location of attack secret? Are there unknown German spies in England? Hitler is hell bent on finding location of attack. Can he? What can England do to salvage the plan? What is the contribution of a certain american engineer?

Although Daniel Silva is a well known name, I think this was his first book that I read. The story is set in the WW II era, about 75 years ago. Germany used an ingenious method to disguise spies. They sent spy posing as someone through regular transport. Then this spy murdered a lonely person, disfigured the body and left his passport near the corpse. The foreigner was presumed dead and the spy became one of the English citizens with no one looking for him.

Daniel has created the old English atmosphere very well. The functional bureaucracy, egoistic Churchill, academics working in war offices, rivalry between Hitler's generals etc is painted vividly.

Attack on Normandy on D-day turned the outcome of WW II in favor of allied forces and that secret is the crux of the story. In short success of this fiction was the tipping point of WW II.

Author has delivered a good thriller. The slowish pace is in line with the old times where means of instant communication were still to be invented.

A good book. Recommend reading.

Assassination of Margaret Thatcher by Hilary Mantel

"Assassination of Margaret Thatcher" by  Hilary Mantel. This book is published by Fourth Estate in 2014 and has 256 pages. The book contains 10 short stories.

'Sorry to disturb' is about a Pakistani (?) man trying to get too close to a British lady in Saudi Arabia. 'Comma' is about a young girl and her poor friend who try to peek into a house looking for a human being that looks like a comma. 'The long Qt' is about end of a marriage where the wife has 'Long QT syndrome', a heart disorder. 'Winter break' is about an accident where someone dies. Who? 'Harley street' is about a lesbian couple and the author. 'Offences against the person' is about the mistress of her father and pleasure. 'How shall I know you?' is about a biography writer's travel for a lecture and a small girl she meets and a favor by a stranger. 'The heart fails without warning' is about a teenaged girl who is obsessed to become thin, paper thin. 'Terminus' is about author noticing her dead father at Waterloo station. 'The assassination of Margaret Thatcher' is exactly about that and a lady who's house is used by the assassin.

Some of the stories are really short. Only a few pages. Most of the stories take place in England.

The language is flowery. Presentation is abstract. First three and last story are relatively good.

Either the stories are not very good and hence I did not like the book or they are too good for me to understand. I read the book while traveling. Had I read it in a quiet, I might probably have liked it more.

AVOID

The extraordinary journey of a fakir who got trapped in an IKEA wardrobe by Domain Puērtolas

"The extraordinary journey of a fakir who got trapped in an IKEA wardrobe" by Domain Puērtolas translated from French by Sam Taylor. This book is published by Random House in 2014 and has 256 pages.

This story is an outrageous idea. An innocent Indian called Ajatashtru Oghash Rathod, who lives by playing conjurer, magician, trickster and small time con man; travels to IKEA Paris to purchase a bed of nails. He has only one fake 100 Euro note, printed on one side. His fate takes him on a whirlwind tour around the world. This book is a hilarious recounting of his experiences on this crazy tour (India - France - England - Spain - Italy - Libya - France).

Will he get the bed of nails? Why does he travel to so many countries? Where does he finally land? Who does he meet?

Author has an easy writing style. Although the book does not make you laugh, it brings smiles to your lips. This hilarious tapestry is also studded with emotions and has a border of benevolence. I thought that author had predetermined that he will take the fair on a whirlwind tour. Sometimes it appears that the change of country was not really necessary.

Another book with a very long name. It appears long names are in fashion. This book is an ideal feedstock for a slapstick comedy movie. I also found similarities in writing style of the author and that of Jonas Jonasson.

Since this is a book about an Indian, it was expected that author has studied India and Indians properly. However authors knowledge of India appears shallow, resulting in contradictions and errors. Author had used the word fakir as a conjurer or a jester rather than its religious connotations. The reason for making a trip to IKEA, Paris also appears weak.

It's a fun book. Read it, enjoy it, forget it.