See the hottest books publishing this Summer

BookBrowse Reviews Mission to Paris by Alan Furst

Summary |  Excerpt |  Reviews |  Beyond the book |  Read-Alikes |  Genres & Themes |  Author Bio

Mission to Paris by Alan Furst

Mission to Paris

A Novel

by Alan Furst
  • BookBrowse Review:
  • Critics' Consensus (7):
  • Readers' Rating (4):
  • First Published:
  • Jun 12, 2012, 272 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Jun 2013, 272 pages
  • Rate this book

About This Book

Reviews

BookBrowse:


In 1938 Europe, a Hollywood movie star-turned-spy braves the ominous environs of the Third Reich
This review is available to non-members for a limited time. For access to our digital magazine, free books,and other benefits, become a member today.

Known for writing spy novels based in Europe during the '30s and '40s, Alan Furst has remarked, "In that period of time, there was real villainy and real heroism. The world was embroiled in it, and it didn't let anyone off the hook." In Mission to Paris, he returns to the cities and themes that have often figured in his work, combining movie-making with fictional actor Frederic Stahl's dabble in espionage - an unexpected task that leads the Viennese-born Paramount star to glimpse Kristallnacht, among other disturbing events, and to mingle with characters that range from an accomplished female spy to intellectual émigrés.

Stahl, who has been targeted by Nazi officials for the likelihood of his drawing the media in France, gathers information regarding Germany's impending plans in Europe (Poland especially) that may prove useful to the White House. Specifics remain shadowy; even Stahl is not entirely aware of what these plans entail despite several meetings with the embassy contact who first proposed the work. For most readers, however, behind-the-scenes political maneuverings may be less critical to the plot than the cumulative tension of living under surveillance. Furst brilliantly recreates the ominous environs, describing Paris, Berlin, and other locales just before the appeasement of Hitler via the Munich Agreement in September 1938 through the outbreak of the war. Between the risks of border-crossing, one character's struggle with the Gestapo, murder, and street disturbances, Mission to Paris is rife with examples of the strain both ordinary and high-profile people endured.

Furst shuttles between two narrative threads - shooting a film plagued by problems and working undercover - in ways that effectively highlight the challenges of moving freely. That both acting and spying require similar talents, from dissembling emotions to persuading others, is not only clever but necessary. Both plot lines meld when Stahl is coerced into serving as a judge for a German film festival, during which time the mindset of the German officials he encounters becomes ever more apparent and disturbing.

Not every plot twist is dark, however. Interludes befitting of Golden Era films weave throughout, replete with witty banter as well as heroic gestures. And one can hardly fault the author for creating a romantic oasis amid an increasingly suspect world. The result is an engrossing examination of one man's willingness to brave the Third Reich's cinema circle and a portrayal of weathering danger for the sake of others.

Reviewed by Karen Rigby

This review was originally published in The BookBrowse Review in July 2012, and has been updated for the June 2013 edition. Click here to go to this issue.

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Beyond the Book:
  Parisian Highlights

Read-Alikes

Read-Alikes Full readalike results are for members only

If you liked Mission to Paris, try these:

  • Too Bad to Die jacket

    Too Bad to Die

    by Francine Mathews

    Published 2016

    About This book

    A tense and enthralling historical thriller in which British Naval Intelligence officer Ian Fleming attempts to foil a Nazi plot to assassinate FDR, Churchill, and Stalin.

  • Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932 jacket

    Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932

    by Francine Prose

    Published 2015

    About This book

    More by this author

    A richly imagined and stunningly inventive literary masterpiece of love, art, and betrayal, exploring the genesis of evil, the unforeseen consequences of love, and the ultimate unreliability of storytelling itself.

We have 6 read-alikes for Mission to Paris, but non-members are limited to two results. To see the complete list of this book's read-alikes, you need to be a member.
More books by Alan Furst
Search read-alikes
How we choose read-alikes

BookBrowse Book Club

  • Book Jacket
    The Ghostwriter
    by Julie Clark
    From the instant New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight and The Lies I Tell comes a dazzling new thriller.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    Ordinary Love
    by Marie Rutkoski

    A riveting story of class, ambition, and bisexuality—one woman risks everything for a second chance at first love.

  • Book Jacket

    Making Friends Can Be Murder
    by Kathleen West

    Thirty-year-old Sarah Jones is drawn into a neighborhood murder mystery after befriending a deceptive con artist.

Who Said...

They say that in the end truth will triumph, but it's a lie.

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

B a L

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.