This month (April, 2020) we, the Manchester Library Mystery Book Club (MBC), read Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett. Here is a video that explains some of the history behind the story.
There is opportunity for everyone to participate in sharing thoughts about this month’s book, in a way that feels most comfortable for each member. Each MBC participant can communicate their thoughts about Eye of the Needle and react to other people’s views in either one or both of the following ways:
- Participate in the live video-audio-meeting via the Zoom program at 10:30 am on Friday, April 24. To join, use the link provided via email on Sunday April 19. If you cannot find that link, and want to join the online meeting, write to Dick Goutal at:
- Participate on this page by writing your own thoughts and book score, and by writing your reactions to other members’ comments.
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How to participate on this page….
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Instructions:
- Write your thoughts about the book in the comment box. Don’t forget to include your “score” and why you gave it that score. You can write a few sentences or multiple paragraphs. If you wish to be brief, it’s OK! If you want to pour out your full thinking, that’s OK too! I think we are all grateful to see what others thought.
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For the second month in a row, I believe the book for the month does not truly fit in the mystery genre. To me, Eye of the Needle is a spy book or a thriller, not a mystery book. After all, what is the mystery? We know Henry Faber is a foreign agent and a murderer. The British spy agencies MI5 and MI6 are searching for him, but more to prevent him from disclosing the D-Day invasion plans than for the murders.
That said, I did enjoy reading this book because I do like spy stories. As with all spies, keeping himself safe and undetected required complex planning and maneuvering and these actions are intriguing to me. And the book reads like historical fiction especially since we all know the ultimate outcome.
I did find the final few chapters a little less intriguing and more questionable. Lucy is much too quick to offer herself to Henry. No matter how deprived and frustrated she feels, Henry had only been there a day or less. And David is not to smart when he lets Henry know that he knows who and what he is. Too much happens so quickly in the last couple of chapters, although I suppose the story had to be completed, certainly before Henry could transmit his vital intelligence information.
The writing and description were well-done, as befits an author as noteworthy as Ken Follett. I score this book—mystery though it isn’t to me—a 90.
I added an interesting video at the top of the page here.
Great video of deception and secrets and thankfully we succeeded ~ Now if we could conquer this CV as skillfully ~
Thanks, Dick ~
That was “The Greatest Generation” as Tom Brokow wrote. Yes – “making America great” seems to be the opposite in so many ways. Can we picture FDR in a fireside chat suggesting we inject an antiseptic solution to solve our problems??? This is what great comes down to? Ah well, “patience.”
Think Tom Brokow was right ~ We need an ‘FDR or a George Patton right now ~ Think the state Governors are realizing they have got to ‘take over’ ~ Hoping for the best ~
I think that ‘Lucy’ offering herself to Faber fit the story yet I do agree that is very different from what ‘ boomer generation’ were taught ~ but book was written in the 8o’s and social mores involving sex was very different ~ just saying ~
This was a great book to read during this stay at home pandemic. It was taughtly written, suspenseful throughout and the characters were all believable. The insertion of David/Lucy into the story didn’t make sense at first, but was a nice diversion in the beginning. However, the plot built up to the action on their small island at the end of the story. The traits of wiliness. subterfuge and cold heartedness combined to make Henry/Helmut the perfect spy. The Hitler episodes were illuminating, esp. when Rommel responded to him with a compliment to diffuse his answer. Sounds familiar to other leaders and their egos! It was interesting that Hitler had such faith in Henry/Helmut, a trust that must have gone back a long way. Bravo for the Brits to outwit the enemy about the destination of D-Day, too. I don’t know if they actually made fake platoons in East Anglia, but I’m sure Dick will tell us!
One small quibble I have is with the physical descriptions of survival/combat on the island. I could picture the shipwreck but could not visualize the action that brought Henry to the jetty and his run away from the waves. I would have liked more description there, as well as when Henry and David were fighting. Some of those moves were not easily understood.
Lucy truly was amazing in her perception and survival instincts. She outwitted The Needle at his own game. It was not surprising that she ended up with Fred Bloggs–he admired strong women! And Fred’s diversionary message to Hitler sounding like Henry was probably very satisfying.
I do remember seeing this movie back when it came out in 1981 with Donald Sutherland. It was suspenseful and well done. I also like the title for the book–the Eye of the Needle.
Yes ~ agree Bloggs and Lucy together was not surprising ~ picked up on the foreshadowing of’ that with ‘strong woman’ ` and loved ~ that Grandma did it ~
What a ride! Well-paced and well-written to create a tense and fascinating re-telling of historical facts. In the past I have found espionage-type books too dense and convoluted. But this book sent me to google over and over for information and explanations, increasing my interest.. And the short doc you shared actually elevated my opinion of the book, which I already loved. It’s wonderful when I can not only be entertained by a book, but also to learn from it and expand into new areas of interest.
The characters were well-defined, as were the settings. Faber was a brilliant strategist, and a psychopath, and had incredible stamina and physical endurance. He was definitely my favorite. I don’t think he deserved the death that he was dealt. Although, ultimately, it served a greater purpose.
Score: 97
“I don’t think he deserved the death he was dealt” – Wow, do you mean being knocked off the cliff as opposed to a hanging? Or that no one deserves to die in general? It raises a lot of philosophical questions!
As I said during the meeting I was caught on the hook of the title of the book-we are told who the needle is–no mystery there–and no mystery as to who did what along the line–BUT the EYE was to me a puzzle that was never solved—If you read the last page of the 1st part you will see a conversation about how Von Braun gave people nicknames that told something about that person–dangerous info for a spy to have out there—-and just as we are to learn the secret of the Needle’s nickname–the radio comes to life and that bit never is addressed–there or later—Took me a long hunt to learn that the needle was the nighttime small entry gate thru the walls of Jerusalem–so small that the camel needed to have his load taken off his back so he could get thru the gate–load carried thru and re-loaded to camel’s back on other side–also connected to the bible verse about easier for a camel to go thru the eye of the needle than for a rich man to enter the gates of heaven–related to the way this spy got in and out of places by night–did the spy work and left no trace—info the spy did not want known–interesting bit on the author’s part—and to me that was the mystery—
characters were well drawn and interesting thru layers of development; scenery descriptions were great–especially those of sea meeting land–chapter 5 especially good at this–
another of my pet peeves with authors–they put the hero/heroine thru untold human suffering at some point in the story as to be utterly unbelieveable–Follet did not disappoint–he had Lucy go thru so many hard injuries at the end–wow–and still keep going–also let our spy enjoy some of the suffering as well–double dose, so to speak.
Had to admire the way the spy was defined–found I was actually pulling for him to escape or avoid detection several spots in the story–quite a feat for the author to manage to make him attractive enough so the reader could actually hope he would get out–get away free and clear during some of the events he went thru
I rate this a 95 as plot lines were well drawn as were the characters and the development thereof–and the story ended on a happy note for those of us against the Axis powers of the time
Enjoyed the Zoom meeting this morning–good to be back–carry on, everyone–this too will pass–sooner or later– and life will go on sort of as before—
Ha! Yes I remember you mentioning in past meetings the pet peeve of what heroes miraculously, impossibly survive!! I still joke with my grandson about the number of times Frank and Joe were knocked unconscious. At least every other book. Enough concussions to create permanent disability for sure after just a few books let alone 60+ !
Joanne ~ I agree it was a great ‘page turner’ and also lots of info about WWII and spy strategy ~ yet, I did not rate it in the nineties. Why? ~
I think of this book as one of those entertaining books but not a great literary type book and not as intricate as favorite books of the past ~ eg. Connelly, Deaver, (Lincoln Rhymes,) Poe.
Indeed ~ it was a great read, particularly during this lovely ‘sheltering in’ that we are all experiencing ~
Lois ~ I love your thoughts about the title and references that you made as to the symbolism of ‘eye of the needle’ ~ made me stop and think about his character and roles in the book ~ and overall essence of the book ~
If I were Follett I would as happy as he was to write this book (refer to preface) in latest edition ~ I would also be happy to write any book that would sell as well as this book.
I am still trying to fit ‘through the eye of a needle’ ~ LOL
Be well and so good to have you back in the group ~ You and Anne too! Thanks for being you. ^_^
Yes, I agree, I was glad you brought that part up because it is not so evident. And here is a bit more – the book was initially published under the title STORM ISLAND. I wonder how often an author and publisher agree to a change in title after the book is already out there. Knowing that, and put it together with Lois’s comments on Zoom, we still have the island in the title in the sense that Faber had everything going for him but couldn’t get “through” the eye of the needle – the island experience.
Just an aside ~
Being an animal lover I could not believe (although she verbalized she hated to do so) she let the dog out to go after ~ Faber ~ Seems more and more authors are adding a ‘fur person’ to their stories ~ We do love our animals ~
I also loved the characters of Bloggs and Godlimans ~ and the 2 sisters who Faber used their car and actually showed he had a conscience ~ this came up a few times in the book ~ that as easily as he killed there were times that he showed a good character side ~
The more I write on your site, Dick, the more I begin to see how much I enjoyed this book ~ for many different reasons ~ but will still give an 89 because there are other mystery authors who write in a more sophisticated fashion ~ . C’est la vie ~
What a terrific Dark Docs video. While I knew quite about some of the attempts to deceive the Germans, this video details all the many efforts and the apparent success of those efforts. Such wonderful history about a war that was necessary and one the entire country supported.
D-Day was a recent memory to the Marines I grew up with, so I knew a lot about the deceptions that fooled the Nazis. What I found was particularly good about Eye of the Needle was the imagining down to the level of one spy what it was like. He knew, and we know, that the stakes were colossal. So we can imagine-put ourselves down on the ground in 1944 and feel the commitment to make the deception succeed. Everyone involved–even private citizens–were willing to die to ensure its success. This is what makes the novel so emotionally resonant for me. Also, I LOVE anything to do with period in history: D-Day, Churchill, Ike!!! I give the book a “90.”