Customer Reviews

The Crook Factory

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Focusing on an unexplored corner of Hemingway's life, Simmons combines a spy story with an historical novel which I read straight through. He creates characters we can identify with and care about at the same time that he acquaints us with a fully textured portrait of Hemingway and insights into J. Edgar Hoover and his FBI. Simmons is one of the few writers that can create a compelling story in any genre he chooses. I have read every book he has written. Crook Factory is of the same caliber as the others I put at the top of his work: Phases of Gravity, Hyperion, Summer of Night, and Children of the Night. FBI agent Joe Lucas, the story telling main character, is someone I want to know more about. Cameo appearances by Ian Fleming, Gary Cooper, Ingrid Bergmann and Marlene Dietrich set just the right atmosphere for a stylish spy story. And the action scenes are riveting. I highly recommend this book.

I'm a fan of Dan Simmons. His standout books, for me, are Hyperion, Carrion Comfort, and Crook Factory. Crook Factory edges the others out. Sure, I like my sci-fi hard, and I suppose a book like this, based in 95% fact, has the realism I crave. But it's more than that. This book is gold. It achieves perfect congruence. It persists in the mind long after the final words. Heck, it made me want to learn Spanish, read Hemingway, and become a novel writer, to boot. I wish one out of 10 books I read were as good as Crook Factory.

(from "The San Antonio Express-News," Feb '99) Writer sui generis Dan Simmons refuses to be pigeon-holed. His first novel ("Song of Kali," a psychological thriller) garnered a World Fantasy Award. Horror novels like "Carrion Comfort" and "Summer of Night" earned awards and admiration from peers like Stephen King and Dean Koontz. And his critically acclaimed, award winning quartet of SF ("Hyperion, "The Fall of Hyperion," "Endymion" and "The Rise of Endymion") are perennial bestsellers that have cemented his reputation in that genre. Not one to rest on his laurels, Simmons new novel, "The Crook Factory," explores an entirely different genre: literary espionage. Like those before it, this book is filled with crackerjack writing, a page-turning plot, and characters which will haunt the reader long after the book is finished. Joe Lucas, an amoral special agent in the FBI, finds himself assigned to a case that seems designed as punishment. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover has tasked him with keeping tabs on an amateur spy network in Cuba. The network has been coined "The Crook Factory" by it's ringleader - none other than Ernest Hemingway. Completely unaware of Hemingway's stature and celebrity as a writer (he doesn't read "make believe" books), Lucas' perspective and growing awareness of Hemingway is offered through fresh, unspoiled eyes. Upon reaching Cuba, Lucas is thoroughly unprepared for what he finds. In Hemingway, he discovers a braggart who embellishes upon every life story, and a writer who, despite an awareness of his own talent, constantly questions his own worth. And after joining up with Hemingway's eight-man spy network, Lucas discovers a spiderweb of machiavlleian schemes involving the intelligence agencies from three different countries that could affect the outcome of World War II. Worse, Lucas learns that Hemingway's "crook factory" has uncovered a vital piece of intelligence which puts all of them in mortal danger, and calls into question the loyalty of operatives in his own agency. Unsure of his sources (or who might be behind the American side of the conspiracy), Lucas partners with Hemingway in a perilous venture to get to the bottom of the mystery. Gary Cooper, Marlene Dietrich, and a host of others make appearances in this story. What's more, as Simmons testifies in an afterword, ninety-five percent of the events are true. But in the end, what resonates deepest are the characters: Joe Lucas, who goes through a moral and emotional transformation; and, most especially, Ernest Hemingway. Capturing an historical persona within in the confines of a novel is no easy task. But Simmons does an incredible job. Readers will come away from this book feeling as if they actually lived alongside the great writer. Part spy novel, part history lesson, and part thriller, "The Crook Factory" is ample proof that the talents of Dan Simmons can't be constrained by any genre. (from "The San Antonio Express-News," Feb. 1999)

Hemingway always liked to present an image of being a 'man's man', and the side of him that acutely observed and recorded those around him and their swirling tide-pool of emotions was normally hidden from view. Simmons, delving deep into the minutia of what is known about the man, managed to catch this ambivalence in this spy-vs-spy novel. Hemingway's braggart, macho face is clearly in evidence, but also much that is deeper: his genuine feelings for his children (and his 'children' were a much larger group than his biological family), his own realistic opinion of both his own and other's writing abilities, his fears and depressions, his charismatic presence, his dominance of almost any group he was part of, his real appreciation of what excellent art is, his total arrogance towards those whom he felt did not meet his standards.

Beyond this fine character portrait, we find a plot that seemingly came strictly from the land of make-believe, that is until you look at the documented facts surrounding the creation and operation of Hemingway's contribution to the WWII effort, his self-named Crook Factory. Nominally a strictly amateur counter-espionage group, which should have occupied the attention of the Washington bureaucrats for all of two minutes, is instead shown here to be the focus of not one but at least four professional intelligence-gathering organizations. Simmons weaves a finely complicated tale within the documented facts, some of which paint a very frightening picture of certain American organizations, and which become even more frightening in light of certain recently passed legislation allowing these organizations even more effectively unsupervised power. In Simmons' hands the facts and the fiction meld to become a nice who-is-really-who thriller, a ball of twine that Simmons carefully unravels and knits into shapes that continue to intrigue till the very climax of this work.

Simmons' style is a long ways from Hemingway's, normally a pretty basic utilitarian prose that does a decent job of presenting the story, but not exceptional. In a few spots, however, he caught something of Hemingway's inimitable ability to describe far more than just what the objective words on the page relay. These moments are few, though, and in many places I felt he presented too much mind-boggling detail of marginal relevance to the main story, regardless of how well these details are documented. These details in many places somewhat spoil the pacing of this otherwise well-wrought thriller.

Simmons also includes an epilogue, just to tie up all the loose ends. As he says himself within it, this is a bad idea. He had a perfectly good finish without the epilogue, and its inclusion merely weakens the overall impact of the work.

A good, enthralling read, with some nasty implications for today's world, although perhaps not the absolute top-flight work Simmons has exhibited in such works as Hyperion.

--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

The Crook Factory is about the semi-covert intelligence operations which Ernest Hemmingway coordinated in Cuba for the War effort in 1942. The events during this period are recounted by a fictional FBI agent who is assigned by J. Edgar Hoover to keep an eye on Hemmingway and make sure that any 'real' intelligence makes it back to Washington.

As always Dan Simmons employs a very tactile writing style which puts the reader in the center of the action. He does an excellent job of blurring the lines between his artistic embellishment and the actual events which took place during this time. He makes nice use of real people, e.g. J. Edgar Hoover, Ian Fleming, Marlene Dietrich and others, to provide authenticity to the book. Thankfully enough, in his afterword, he lets the reader in on the secret of which parts were fact and which were fiction.

I should mention that Dan Simmons is one of my all-time favorite authors. Everything he writes I end up reading eventually. Unlike many current-day authors he jumps across genres, Science Fiction, Horror, Fantasy, in an adroit manner. Like Simmons' The Fires of Eden, a book about Mark Twain's adventures in Hawaii, this book falls into category of Historical Fiction, i.e. real events told in a fictional way to make them more palatable to a modern-day audience.

Compared to others in that genre, of which I must admit some unfamiliarity, I guess The Crook Factory stands quite well. But for me, compared to the best of his other works, it wasn't that exciting. The whole exercise reminded me a research project on Hemmingway gone awry.

Strangely enough I have noticed a recent tendency of some of my favorite authors to broach related subjects. In particular, Ernest Hemmingway (The Hemmingway Hoax by Joe Haldeman) and Cryptography (Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson).

If you want to get a feel for how great a writer Dan Simmons can be this is NOT the place to start. May I suggest Carrion Comfort or Hyperion? I think you will enjoy them much more.

[EXCEPT FOR THE FIVE STARS, IGNORE THE REVIEW AFTER THIS ONE -- THE READER WASN'T PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION!!] (From the Bloomsbury Review, Spring/Summer 1999): Dan Simmons has won critical acclaim and ardent readerships in a wide variety of genres: horror, science fiction, mainstream. He's picked up literary awards with the regularity of a champion outfielder shagging fungoes. Writing wise, there seems to be nothing he can't accomplish. So the publication of "The Crook Factory," an historical, literary thriller, is sure to win Simmons another batch of readers and award nominations. Joe Lucas, an amoral special agent in the FBI, finds himself assigned to a case that seems designed as punishment. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover has tasked him with keeping tabs on an amateur spy network in Cuba. The network has been coined "The Crook Factory" by it's ringleader - none other than Ernest Hemingway. Completely unaware of Hemingway's stature and celebrity as a writer (he doesn't read "make believe" books), Lucas' perspective and growing awareness of Hemingway is offered through fresh, unspoiled eyes. Upon reaching Cuba, Lucas is thoroughly unprepared for what he finds. In Hemingway, he discovers a braggart who embellishes upon every life story. A writer who, despite an awareness of his own talent, constantly questions his own worth. And after joining up with Hemingway's eight-man spy network, Lucas discovers a spiderweb of machiavlleian schemes involving the intelligence agencies from three different countries that could affect the outcome of World War II. Worse, Lucas learns that Hemingway's "crook factory" has uncovered a vital piece of intelligence which puts all of them in mortal danger, and calls into question the loyalty of operatives in his own agency. Unsure of his own sources (or who might be behind American side of the conspiracy), Lucas partners with Hemingway in a perilous venture to get to the bottom of the mystery. Unlike most of his other novels (most notably, "Song of Kali," "Carrion Comfort," "Phases of Gravity," "The Hollow Man" and any of the books set in his "Hyperion/Endymion" universe), "The Crook Factory" is not filled with the usual subtexts and symbols which make reading Simmons' novels such a rich experience. But that doesn't mean this novel is empty of intellectual sustenance. On the contrary. It's full of musings upon abusive government and bureaucracy. And there are ruminations upon the act of creative writing - passages that do not seem out of place, given that Hemingway is a central figure. Here, the legend coaches Lucas on the fine points of his craft: "You can't just transcribe things from the outside in, that's photography. You have to do it the way Cezanne did, from inside yourself. That's art." The difference between this novel and most of Simmons others can be likened to Graham Greene's "serious" novels ("Brighton Rock," "The Quiet American") and his "entertainments" ("Our Man in Havana," "The Confidential Agent"). The precision of plot and writing is no less facile, with the difference lying only in the depth of the subject matter. And Simmons' attention to detail makes the WWII-era Cuba come alive for the reader. "The Crook Factory" is a remarkable blend of fact and fiction. As Simmons testifies in an afterword, ninety-five percent of the events are true, with cameos by Gary Cooper, Marlene Dietrich, Ian Fleming and a host of others. In the end, what resonates deepest are the characters: Joe Lucas, whose emotional and moral transformation is both subtle and believable; and, most especially, Ernest Hemingway. Capturing an historical persona within the confines of a novel is no easy task. But Simmons does an incredible job. Readers will come away from the tale feeling as if they actually lived alongside the great writer. "The Crook Factory" exemplifies the sort of fiction which Hemingway held in high esteem: writing which is "truer than true." Like a firehouse dog chasing a red truck, "The Crook Factory" moves at a fast clip. Part literary thriller, part homage to Papa, Simmons has written a novel that would make the Hemingway himself smile with pride. (From the Bloomsbury Review, May/June 1999).

Absolutely Profound-The Best Book I've read in years(Since Carrion Comfort). Could not put it down. Dan Simmon's seamless mix of fact and fiction in this book is extraodinarily captivating. He draws you in like no other writer-it's pure genius. The Character development in this book is amazing, by the end of the book you fell as If you had known Joe Lucas and Ernest Hemingway your entire life. Thanks for a most enjoyable experience! I've read almost everything that Dan Simmons has ever published, and must say this book was an absolutely delightful surprise. Read this book! You will be glad you did, unless you're a myopic sci-fi reader who was anxiously awaiting another Hyperion. I want to say "Stay here Mr. Simmons", but that wouldn't be his style! It's just amazing that he can cross so many boundaries so masterfully. Please! Please! write us another surprise again soon!

Dan Simmons is a very versitile writer whose books are hard to classify in one particular genre. I've seen his sci-fi in the horror section, his horror in the sci-fi section, and _The Hollow Man_ in both sections. His publishers may have caught on to this, because _The Crook Factory_ classifies itself as "a novel of suspense" on the front cover.

Simmons produces a straightforward spy novel set in World War II Cuba and featuring a mix of real and fictitious characters dealing with actual and fictional events. While most of the real people play supporting roles in the book, Ernest Hemmingway is one of the main characters, seen through the eyes of a fictional FBI intelligence agent. While this is a very good spy novel, with enough action and guessing games to keep fans of Clancy, Le Carre, and Stephenson's _Cryptonomicon_ hooked, it also reads as a bio of Hemmingway. The story is told to us in first person, and many pages are devoted to the strengths and weaknesses of Hemmingway, as well as observations on his manner and intellect. One comes away from the book with a new appreciation of the type of man Hemmingway must have been.

This is a great book, but lost a star due to some cliches that pop up here and there. It enagages the reader quickly and moves through the story quickly and fluidly. Well worth your time and money.

Ever notice how many really great reads have been stories fashioned from one small grain of truth? Here's one more by award-winning author Dan Simmons and wonderfully performed by classically trained actor Patrick Lawlor.

In this case, the small grain of truth is that during World War II when Ernest Hemingway was living in Cuba he asked our government's permission to operate a spy ring out of his house. Interesting? Yes. But explosive in the hands of Simmons who takes that fact and imagines that Hemingway has gathered a bunch of inexperienced but zealous fellows to form a spy ring, which he calls the "Crook Factory."

Amateur attempts at espionage can be dangerous so Simmons further posits that in the summer of 1942 J. Edgar Hoover sends FBI agent Joe Lucas to Cuba to report on Hemingway's anti-submarine patrol. Lucas and Hemingway - what a combination! It's not long before the pair discover a vital piece of intelligence, and the action heats up as Lucas must guard against counter terrorism groups and the trouble that Hemingway brews.

Alternative history? Speculative fiction? Yes. And richly imagined. Simmons has brilliantly captured the tenor of Cuba in the `40s and created a tense, suspenseful tale. THE CROOK FACTORY is can't-stop-listening-to pleasure.

- Gail Cooke

Going into this exraordinary novel I knew very little about Hemingway's spy network 'The Crook Factory' during WWII in Cuba. It was fascinating & surprising to read author Dan Simmon's note at the end revealing that 95% of what I'd just read was true!!! The book not only offers lots of biographical info on Hemingway, but gives some key insights into his final days before he committed suicide. However, I don't want to spoil what those facts were for the prospective reader. It's clear that Dan Simmons followed Hemingway's immortal advice about writing what you know. He blends fact and fiction seamlessly in this tale of espionage and intrigue. There's even a cameo in here by the master of the spy novel himself Ian Fleming who was also involved with WWII intelligence work. This book is exciting, well written and well researched. It really makes its main subject shine through!