Archangel Book

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Throwback Thursday! This is when I review books which I read a while ago, but somehow never got around to reviewing.

Today I choose Archangel, which is a truly excellent historical thriller by Robert Harris. I first became aware of Harris when I stumbled upon his debut novel, Fatherland - a work of alternative history, set in a universe where Nazi Germany won World War 2. This isn't a new theme in historical fiction, but Harris's take was surprisingly engaging and I had real trouble putting it down - I thought that Harris did a terrific job at presenting an engaging and rich historical setting and creating palpable intrigue, which held all the way to the very end. Most importantly - while reading it I felt as if I was there, in the Reich of Nazi dreams, among his heroes and villains. Even though I did have some complaints towards some plot choices, the book is a great accomplishment for a debut novelist, and no wonder Fatherland proved to be a great success - it was high entertainment of great quality.

Archangel is set in Russia of the 1990's, during the Yeltsin era - a perilous time of social and political restructuring, market by a deep economic crisis and uncertainty, which culminated in events like the 1993 constitutional crisis. This is the time when Christopher "Fluke" Kelso, a burned-out Oxford historian arrives in Moscow to attend a conference regarding the newly opened Soviet archive. Kelso expects nothing but standard business, but when he is approached by an elderly man who claims to be a former NKVD officer with a story to tell, he gives in to his curiosity, seeing an opportunity to improve his academic reputation. He doesn't suspect that he is about to become involved in something beyond his wildest imagination - a complex web of incredible intrigue, which will drag him from from Moscow to the northern city of Arkhangelsk, on the white sea, forcing him to try to understand the history of Russia and confront its past.

This is a novel which is extremely easy to spoil - the main reveal is a surprise and should remain so. Unfortunately many reviewers chose to include it in their reviews - which is a real shame, as the main pleasure of reading Archangel lies in discovering its plot by yourself, bit by bit. The storyline created by Harris is compelling and engaging, again all the way to the very last line - and so is the setting, which he describes with historical detail and attention, painting a vivid image. We feel as if we were on Kelso's shoulder as he's trying to understand the complex mystery that he wants to solve, and follow his every step - and in Fluke Kelso Harris has created a relatable character, an everyman for whom we can root for; his female counterpart and companion on the wild goose chase, Zinaida Rapava, is a great character worth a book of her own.

I have read other novels by Harris, but they didn't match neither Fatherland or Archangel - Enigma had the intriguing setting of Bletchley Park and the Enigma, but didn't grab me as much; The Ghost was concerned with the dark side of contemporary British politics, but I think I liked the film better. I wasn't the biggest fan of Pompeii, because the period didn't interest me as much; I want to read his An Officer and a Spy, but secretly hope that one day he will again write a compelling thriller set in the 20th century, set during the Cold War or just War. Meanwhile, put on the Samovar and make yourself a big cup of tea - this is an ideal book to get lost in during the long winter evenings, and I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I did.