Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1757 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-02
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Esquire
`Fast moving, densely plotted, beautifully observed and probably
one of the best things Boyd has done'

Independent on Sunday
`Boyd is English fiction's master storyteller ... Restless is that
rare thing: a spy thriller from a first-rate narrative intelligence'

Time Out
`Heart-stoppingly exciting ... a riveting tale of wartime
derring-do'

Customer Reviews

Shades of Greene...
I read an interview with Willian Boyd that sheds great light on this particular novel. Apparently, he was attempting in this book was something in the vein of Graham Greene: a story set during a War; spy-style thrills; moral ambivalence...and in some small ways, I suppose this book does succeed. As stated by previous reviewers, it doesn't fall short as a page-turner. But where it does fails to fly is in trying to capture those shades of grey which so fascinated Greene - the unfathomable shadows between goodness and perceived evil. The main problem is that there is next to nothing in the way of emotional subtlety here (witness the truly abysmal ending - a pathetic attempt to tie everything together thematically), and certainly none of the concise, beautiful language and crystalline emotional pain of a Greene novel.
What is worst though is that we are confronted by a main, contempory character (I was so disinterested in her I've forgotten her name)that is not so much unlikeable, as boring and unconvinving; so infintely hard to follow. NEVER did she convince me as anything above a collection of abstract observations and angsty character traits. One thing Boyd cannot do (on the basis of THIS novel as least), is sketch convincing female characters.
I had heard great things about William Boyd - the blurb alone testifies that he is "one of the greatest storytellers." From the evidence presented in Restless, I would say this is patently untrue.
For a truly GREAT thrilller - action, good writing, intrigue and colourful, nuanced characterisation - read Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith.

Espionage thriller.
`Restless' was my introduction to the work of William Boyd, drawn to my attention by having been a recommendation of Richard and Judy's Bookclub last year. An intriguing and exciting story that I became engrossed in from the very first pages. Given the opportunity to read other titles by this author, I will not hesitate.
An intricate tale of Eva Delectorskaya's espionage experiences during World War II
A plot full of lies and manipulations that twists and turns holding ones attention fully. It is 1976 and Sally Gilmartin has decided that it is time her daughter learnt the truth about her wartime experiences. Especially as she now needs some help to wrap up some loose ends!

The novel follows two narratives - one which Ruth reads in instalments about her mother's history when she was recruited by the British Secret Service during the Second World War. The other is set in 1976 as Eva completes her final assignment and Ruth discovers that what she had learnt of her mother while growing up was just a series of lies!

The story is full of bluffs, double bluffs, agents, and ghosts and lots of espionage details. One very gruesome passage made me cringe but I am very squeamish especially when it concerns eyes. There is no doubt I would never have made a good spy!

A very enjoyable novel and I thought a convincing ending.

Average Spy Yarn
This is my first William Boyd and didn't really know what to expect. The story follows two narratives: one set in the 1940's and one set in the 1970's. One is about a woman's espionage in WW2 and the other charts the daughter of said woman reading a retelling of those experiences.

I liked the espionage entries - they were underplayed but felt genuine. I thought that the spycraft and deception were well realised and the sense of immersion into the world of WW2 was excellent. But, if they were documented experiences they should have been written first person? Or maybe in a more rigid form? It read like a novel and that seemed odd to me.

Also the 1970's sections were, I thought, pretty awful and pretty pointless. I never felt a purpose to them and the continual references to the daughter's intelligence were annoying - considering that she seemed on the whole to be pretty dumb. The son was like no child I ever met and the other characters were just set dressing and felt like Boyd had written a novella and needed to pad it out.

So, an okay book and I did love the 1940's sections, but the rest of the book let those down. Shame.