Customer Reviews

Boys from Brazil, The

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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.

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.

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

The Boys From Brazil is probably better known by its late 1970s screen adaptation than the novel by Ira ("Rosemary's Baby") Levin. Since I hadn't seen the movie I thought I'd give the book a try. And I was pleasently surprised.

The story is about elderly Nazis in Brazil, led by the ingenius yet wicked Mengele, seeking to clone Hitler. In fact they had done this some years back, cloning 94 genetic equivalents of bad ol' Adolph. Now in the mid-1970s they need to embark on a murderous rampage to fulfill their objectives (..no spoilers here). Bring in an aged Nazi hunter from Vienna and we have a tight, compulsively readable little thriller.

Of course we know really that the story deep down is very contrived, even for when it was written (1970s). So I recommend not taking the story too seriously. It is well-written, and there are a couple of most memorable scenes.

Bottom line: bio-terrorism and Nazis. Turn off your brain and enjoy.

In September 1974, a secret meeting of the Kameradenwerk (German for "Comrades Organization") is called to order in Sao Paolo, Brazil with these words, "Lasst uns jetzt Geschaft reden, meine Jungens." ("Let's get down to business now, boys.") Spoken by the Nazi Angel of Death, Dr. Joseph Mengele, they immediately bring quiet to the room. Mengele outlines a plan to his cohorts, all ex-Nazis: over the next two years, they are to travel the globe, arranging the deaths of ninety-four men in their mid sixties. Mengele assures them that their efforts will fulfill the destiny of the Aryan race.

Unknown to the participants, their meeting has been clandestinely recorded by Barry Koehler, a young American seeking to ingratiate himself with legendary but aging Nazi hunter, Yakov Liebermann. After fleeing the premises with the tape, Barry reviews its contents, then calls a confused Liebermann in Vienna (it's early morning there) to alert him. At first skeptical, alarm bells start jangling in Liebermann's mind when Barry's call is cut short after someone breaks into his hotel room. Concerned about the now missing boy's fate, and by the troubling news he delivered about Mengele's activities, Liebermann investigates, slowly uncovering the sordid details of the Kameradenwerk operation.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this famous book's plot, it would be unfair to reveal additional details--half the fun of the novel lies in Levin's slow reveal of the insidious Nazi scheme. That's not to say those familiar with the book's premise will enjoy it any less, as the other half lies in watching a master at work--only Ira Levin could squeeze so much tension out of what amounts to a battle of wits between two sexagenarians.

The Boys From Brazil is a breathtaking work of suspense, a classic thriller exhibiting two key traits of the best of Levin's novels, a fascinating premise and exemplary pacing. A master at snaring and retaining his audience's attention, Levin draws readers into his carefully constructed web, sparingly doling out information in service of his story. Because readers must struggle alongside Liebermann to put the puzzle pieces together, realizing the full import of Mengele's plan at the same time the Nazi hunter does, it's almost as if they are first hand participants in the unfolding action.

There are scenes in this book which you'll find yourself thinking about weeks after you finish--these memorable set pieces, together with Levin's subtle consideration of the morality of those on both sides of the conflict, make The Boys From Brazil "unputdownable" and unforgettable.

In the area of World War Two, Hitler historical fiction this is an interesting story. The author created a plot that is getting close to possible with today's technology. A lot of the historical facts introduced in the book are accurate and the author uses these facts to build a complete story. From a wiring point of view the book is above average, but not an edge of your seat thriller. The story is complete, the plot is a good one and there is adequate character development. It is a good book that is worth investing the time.

The story does a nice job of drawing you into the plot. A young boy working clandestinely in South America wiretaps a meeting of some very high level men talking about killing 94 people. As he relays his story, and his recording, over the phone to someone he knows would want to hear it, he is murdered. The story now is about the receiver of the call figuring out the plot and foiling it.

Quite an easy read and the plot is believable. For me though the book lacked character development insomuch as we really aren't given time to get to know the players well enough.

From a cat and mouse standpoint it's a great read. As the tired, overwrought and underfunded hero deciphers the call he almost heard and translates it into a plot that has to be foiled at all costs. His efforts to apprehend the plot perpetrators are quite well thought out.

As I mentioned, an easy read and, a pretty good movie too. Try and read the book before seeing the movie as the book adds some background the movie doesn't.

The Boys from Brazil is a speedy, smooth thriller for two or three lengthy and compulsive reading sessions. Despite shallow character development and several major plot-holes - in a plot that's somewhat contrived and ludicrous to begin with - the whole thing holds together quite well and makes for an effective read that draws the reader in quite easily and makes it easy to miss its flaws. It's clearly genre literature, the kind that fails to transcend literary genre or time; but it's good enough as to appeal not only to avid fans of that genre, and though it's hardly serious fiction - or serious science fiction, for that matter; the science of the novel is highly far-fetched and contrived - and many will scoff at it, it's a thriller that does its job well and is hard to ignore. It won't last in your mind more than a day, but during the reading time itself it's haunting.

As major Nazi conspiracies go, The Boys from Brazil isn't quite as convincingly scary as William Goldman's brilliant Marathon Man, neither novel nor film. Both characters, Nazi and Jew, are ultimately stereotypical caricatures - though Levin did his best to give Dr. Mengele a couple of redeeming human moments, these come off as sarcastic and laughable rather then authentically human. And the message of the novel, though it's certainly there, and comes over clearly - perhaps a bit too clearly - feels forced upon the reader, time and time again over the two hundred pages.

And yet, The Boys from Brazil is entirely entertaining, frighteningly involving, and continually thrilling, and even though at times you might consciously laugh at the naïve, simplistic, dated ideas and messages, you'll have a tough time putting it down. And when all's said and done, that's just what it should do. It's certainly not a major classic, and far from essential, but it's still a bloody good read that, in it's own way, still works.

Not only is this book a fantastic cliffhanger, it is ahead of its time in its treatment of the subject matter of cloning (and its ethical considerations/horrors). The plot is so imaginative and creative, and could serve as the perfect hypothetical case to attend discussion of human cloning (e.g., as was the rage when Dolly was cloned a few years ago). Dr. Mengele was realistically portrayed as a fictional character, eliciting the kind of hatred that he does in real life. I suppose the best thing I can say about this book is that I read it once a few years back, and therefore knew how the story ended, yet during a recent re-read still found it a page-turner that I couldn't put down.

The first 3/4 of this novel are amazing. It is suspensivefull and masterfully orchestrated. Despite (what I thought to be) a laxluster climax, "Boys from Brazil" is nevertheless a thought- provoking and entertaining novel. It's a fun book to read, and leaves you with a lot to think about once you've finished.