Product Description

The original novel of the film that starred Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1115986 in Books
• Published on: 1998-10-08
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 279 pages

Customer Reviews

Read This Book NOW
I've been a crime fiction reader for 10 years and this is the best book I've ever read. The characters are so endearing that I can't believe they're not real and the plot is terrifying and funny at the same time. Be very careful not to have a bath alone in the house once you've read it!

IS IT SAFE?...
This is an excellent spy thriller filled with international intrigue and double-dealing characters. It leaves one wondering just who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. While it sometimes seems a little dated in parts, the book will not fail to capture the imagination of the reader with its intricate plot, clever characters, and humor. Written in a straightforward, cogent style, this book was made into a major motion picture that starred Dustin Hoffman and was a big hit in its day.

Thomas Babington Levy, known as "Babe" to his family, is a Rhodes Scholar, a graduate student historian at Columbia University, and an amateur marathon runner. He has a wealthy older brother, Henry David Levy, whom he affectionately calls "Doc" and believes to be a successful business man.

When Babe meets a beautiful blonde named Elsa Opel, he is in seventh heaven, believing that he has met the woman of his dreams. When he introduces his brother to Elsa, Babe shortly thereafter finds himself enmeshed in international intrigue. It seems that all is not as it has seemed. There is someone out there that believes that Babe has valuable information, and this person will stop at nothing to get that which he most desires.

This is a quick, page turning read that those who like international spy thrillers, replete with old-fashion skullduggery, a Nazi war criminal, multiple murders, and a fortune in diamonds, will enjoy.

A master lesson on how to write a thriller
I have not seen the movie so I had the pleasure of discovering the plot reading the novel. I will not deprive you of any of the suspense so let's just say the story will keep you on your toes until the end. The plausibility of the main character, the economy of the writing and of the dialogues and the pacing of the action are all amazing. I tend to find many thrillers overly long, suffering from too many twists and turns and heavy handed descriptions. Nothing of the sort here. Marathon Man is concise and to the point. Take anything out and the story will lose some intensity. Add anything else and you'll get an overweight boxer instead of a lean and mean killing machine. William Goldman did not win two Oscars for his scripts for nothing.