Boys from Brazil, The [Mass Market Paperback]

Ira Levin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1991

It is 1974, but for Dr Mengele and his group of Nazis, World War II is not yet over. They have a terrible plan to conquer the world, but how does it involve a group of boys that come from different countries, yet all look exactly the same? Only one man can find out. "Penguin Readers" is a series of simplified novels, film novelizations and original titles that introduce students at all levels to the pleasures of reading in English. Originally designed for teaching English as a foreign language, the series' combination of high interest level and low reading age makes it suitable for both English-speaking teenagers with limited reading skills and students of English as a second language. Many titles in the series also provide access to the pre-20th century literature strands of the National Curriculum English Orders. "Penguin Readers" are graded at seven levels of difficulty, from "Easystarts" with a 200-word vocabulary, to Level 6 (Advanced) with a 3000-word vocabulary. In addition, titles fall into one of three sub-categories: "Contemporary", "Classics" or "Originals". At the end of each book there is a section of enjoyable exercises focusing on vocabulary building, comprehension, discussion and writing. Some titles in the series are available with an accompanying audio cassette, or in a book and cassette pack. Additionally, selected titles have free accompanying "Penguin Readers Factsheets" which provide stimulating exercise material for students, as well as suggestions for teachers on how to exploit the Readers in class.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A novel by Ira Levin is like a bag of popcorn: there's no way to stop once you've started. An irresistible novel, with a science fiction twist. (Newsweek )

Ira Levin's most inventive plot since Rosemary's Baby. Extremely clever, consisting of familiar Levin themes—biological engineering, the rebirth of the devil, human automation. (Christopher Lehmann-Haupt - The New York Times ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Ira Levin is the author of The Boys from Brazil, Rosemary’s Baby, Son of Rosemary, The Stepford Wives, This Perfect Day, Sliver, and A Kiss Before Dying (for which he won the Edgar Award). Levin was also the recipient of three Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Awards. His website is iralevin.org.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 10 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (February 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553290045
• ISBN-13: 978-0553290042
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,751,685 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Caution!, September 12, 2000

By 

C. Sahu "Cathy Sahu" (Southern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Boys from Brazil (Mass Market Paperback)

Normally, I like reviews that give a short outline of the plot of a book or movie, because without that, you don't know whether you'd like to spend the time. However, unless you're really wavering, I would strongly advise that you to read the book before looking at the reviews below -- Ira Levin is THE MASTER of suspense -- like Stephen King says, his plots work like intricate timepieces -- and for maximum enjoyment you should know as little as possible about the book before you start.

Odds are, however, that you already know it's about cloning and Nazis, so I'll go ahead and say this: I put off reading the book for years because I wasn't interested in either of those subjects. But "The Boys" is not what you'd expect at all, and superlatives can't describe Levin's skill. "Couldn't put it down" doesn't touch it.

Plus, any gore or references to sex and violence are only what is necessary for the sake of the plot, which is important as far as I'm concerned.

And, just like with his other books, this is more than just a roller coaster ride that you walk off of and forget. There's satisfying poetic justice, interesting moral contrast, and important ethical questions raised -- not just the usual pronouncements about weren't-the-Nazis-terrible or isn't-cloning-awfully-dangerous, either. It's one of those books you love to discuss with a friend.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Resurrection of Evil, December 17, 1999

By 

Greg Hughes - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boys from Brazil, The (Mass Market Paperback)

I read this book in 1993. This is a story about cloning that tries to sound scientifically plausible, unlike the clumsy science fiction movies of the 1950s where a magic machine instantly makes a duplicate of a person.

In the 1970s Josef Mengele is hiding in South America. He has planned the assassination of 94 elderly men around the world who have to die on certain dates. Yakov Liebermann (based on Simon Wiesenthal) learns of the plan and soon discovers the significance of the murders. Each of the 94 men are the unwitting fathers of a clone: a pale, arrogant boy with dark hair and blue eyes. Liebermann discovers who the clone is, and realizes the terrible consequences waiting to unfold for an unsuspecting world...

When this book was first published, it probably seemed far-fetched. Cloning has been in the news quite a lot in recent times. Bill Clinton declared human cloning as an immoral practice, but I'm not sure I agree. Think of the medical benefits. If you needed a blood transfusion, what better donor could you find than your own clone?

In "The Boys From Brazil" bringing someone back from the dead is not a simple matter of impregnating a woman with cells from a donor. The clone would have to have the same upbringing as the original, and experience the same things. Even then, there's a high probability that the clone will turn out different. That's why Mengele created 94 clones - to increase the chance of a successful outcome. An outcome with horrifying implications. The novel itself seems to drag in certain points, but it doesn't get monotonous. The ending is both amusing and thought-provoking.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Thriller Ahead of Its Time, February 15, 2002

By 

Matthew Flaschen (Atlanta, GA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Boys from Brazil (Hardcover)

Boys from Brazil begins disturbingly, with of group of three men in South American plotting to kill 94 men with civil servant-type jobs. These men are to be killed at specific dates but no mention is given of why. Thus the book continues, slowly building to an unpredictable climax of repeated history that must be stopped.
Even though I already knew the ending to this book it was still a wonderful read, and I heartily recommend it to anyone who knows their ABC's