The Secret Speech

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It's a hit!

An excellent follow-up to Child 44. As a matter of fact, I strongly suggest not reading it unless you have read Child 44.

The plot revolves arou... (show more)

An excellent follow-up to Child 44. As a matter of fact, I strongly suggest not reading it unless you have read Child 44.

The plot revolves around the aftermath of a supposedly secret speech delivered by now Soviet premiere Nikita Kruschev.

This book goes from Moscow to a Siberian Gulag (including a harrowing ship transport) to Budapest.

As is typical of Tom Rob Smith, it is a roller-coaster ride with many unexpected turns and twists. In some respects, the pace of this book is even faster than Child 44.

As with Child 44, Smith has combined real events in history with fictional characters and story line. Along the way, you learn a lot about the paranoid nightmares of everyday life within Soviet totalitarianism. We also learn about the role of the Orthodox church and its patriarchs. Finally, Smith's description of a failed 1956 Hungarian Revolution are absolutely gripping.

This book is a highly compelling read. Highly recommended. (show less)

 

 

by Charles E. Brown

No, it's a flop!

This is a followup to the mystery novel Child 44 which I enjoyed very much. It chronicles the further tribulations and troubles of Leo, the detecti... (show more)

This is a followup to the mystery novel Child 44 which I enjoyed very much. It chronicles the further tribulations and troubles of Leo, the detective from the first novel, and his family. This one is set in Russia during Kruschev's rule, and takes him from Moscow to a Gulag prison camp in Siberia, and finally to Hungary during the uprising against Soviet rule. I didn't think it was as successful as the first book, but had a hard time putting it down. Am eagerly looking forward to more adventures of this Russian crime fighter in a country that didn't admit murder existed. (show less)

 

 

by Carolyn Walsh

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  Secret speech: A book of two halves, as they say. The first half, technically about two thirds, was great. The author portrayed well the confusion and chaos wrought on Russian society by Khrushchev’s 1955 secret speech in which he condemned Stalin’s repression and mass executions. The effect on the militias and secret police, especially as ordinary people start to take revenge, is well thought out, interesting and original. Equally, the secondary plot where the hard-liner pro-Stalin group w... (show more)

  Secret speech: A book of two halves, as they say. The first half, technically about two thirds, was great. The author portrayed well the confusion and chaos wrought on Russian society by Khrushchev’s 1955 secret speech in which he condemned Stalin’s repression and mass executions. The effect on the militias and secret police, especially as ordinary people start to take revenge, is well thought out, interesting and original. Equally, the secondary plot where the hard-liner pro-Stalin group who oppose Khrushchev’s reforms and want the army to remain strong is very plausible, and is well woven into the story. The descriptions of the gulags and the trip to them also fits well into the whole concept.
  What does not fit well is the move of the story to Hungary for the Hungarian uprising in 1956. This made no sense. It jarred on the senses, and, while it allowed an ending to be created, did not add anything to what had been a well-rounded book. Sorry, it went from 4.5 Stars back to 3. (show less)

   

   

  by Stuart Mowat on Nov 19, 2009 at 09:04PM

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  I love Tom Rob Smith. This follow-up to Child 44 is more ambitious and more wide-ranging. The fast-paced plot is straight out of pulp fiction but to be honest, I'm not reading this for the plot. I read his books for the settings and the characters. And in Smith's books the setting is a character. I won't give too much away but The Secret Speech includes a prisoner revolt in a Siberian gulag, details of the Russian criminal underworld, the destruction of an ancient Orthodox church, political p... (show more)

  I love Tom Rob Smith. This follow-up to Child 44 is more ambitious and more wide-ranging. The fast-paced plot is straight out of pulp fiction but to be honest, I'm not reading this for the plot. I read his books for the settings and the characters. And in Smith's books the setting is a character. I won't give too much away but The Secret Speech includes a prisoner revolt in a Siberian gulag, details of the Russian criminal underworld, the destruction of an ancient Orthodox church, political prisoners on a ship to the notorious Kolyma, and gripping scenes from the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Indeed, a third of the book takes place in Hungary during the famous 12-day revolt against Soviet power.

  Smith does an excellent job of fusing his break-neck plot, filled with chases, escapes, and near-death experiences, with fascinating details of Soviet life, the private compromises, the intimate betrayals, the personal spiritual cost to ordinary people of living in a paranoid totalitarian nightmare.

  The roller-coaster plot keeps things moving, even as the backdrop of real history unfolds. An easy choice for Soviet history buffs. As with Child 44, The Secret Speech comes with a short bibliography of his nonfiction sources. I would also recommend this (and Child 44) as summer reading, especially for boys bored by official lists filled with talky, plotless, didactic, so-called literature (you know what I'm talking about). Both of these books grab you with the action and the twists and before you know it you're learning about the post-war USSR in detail.

  If you have a 15 year-old underfoot, toss them either of these books and enjoy some peace and quiet for a few days. Hey, punks, put down the video games and pick up a good book. (show less)

   

   

  by Thomas on Aug 02, 2009 at 03:27PM

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