Cogito, Ergo Sumana for 2005 November 15

# 15 Nov 2005, 06:22AM GMT+5:30: It Always Comes Back: I thought Alan Furst's Dark Star would be a science-fiction novel, probably because I confused it with the film of the same name. Now that I'm two-thirds through, I've firmly convinced myself that it's Yet Another Europe-in-the-1930s Spy Novel, and a very good one. I like it much better than I liked Tim Powers's Cold War spy novel Declare, not just because there's no woo-woo fantasy, but because Furst does not hide from the reader important facts and memories attached to his viewpoint character.

Spoilers: Our protagonist, a Soviet journalist drawn/coerced into espionage, travels Europe in the guise of writing for Pravda. Szara witnesses Kristallnacht and reports back to his spymaster:

"And Germany?" [Goldman] asked.

"In a word?"

"If you like."

"An abomination."

Goldman's mask slipped briefly and Szara had a momentary view of the man beneath it. "We shall settle with them this time, and in a way they will not forget," he said softly. "The world will yet thank God for Joseph Stalin."

Pre-WWII Europe seems to have unlimited reserves of irony.

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# 15 Nov 2005, 01:38PM: Not So Unthinkable: I wonder how many of these promises their makers kept.

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# 15 Nov 2005, 03:57PM: Kris Loves The Bones: So this MC Masala is for him, and for a great biology teacher.

I don't remember his words. I remember that femur landing softly on my lab table....

Mr. Porter reminded me that excellence was a worthy goal, and that finding loopholes and taking advantage of goodwill wasn't the way to get there.

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