Eye of the Needle (Paperback)

by Ken Follett (Author) "IT WAS THE COLDEST WINTER FOR FORTY-FIVE YEARS..." (more)
Key Phrases: ticket barrier, signal box, Die Nadel, Storm Island, Percival Godliman (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From The Washington Post
"Sheer suspense." --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Review
"A spy novel of the highest order." -- -- Baltimore Sun

"Follett is a master." -- Time

"Heart-stopping, nerve-freezing...Truly suspenseful...Extraordinarily satisfying." -- -- Los Angeles Times

"Thrilling." -- -- The New York Times Book Review --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 234 pages
• Publisher: Signet; First Edition edition (July 2, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451099133
• ISBN-13: 978-0451099136
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 3.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (122 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,789,978 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superbly written; quite an emotional tale, April 2, 2002

By	MISTER SJEM "sonofhotpie" (CALIF BAY AREA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eye of the Needle (Mass Market Paperback)

This was the novel that gave Follet star quality status in publishing circles. Not only was it a best seller but it also was adapted into a movie, starring Donald Sutherland.

Here are some reasons to read THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE:

(1) PRECISION: you like reading about cool, precise heroes or anti-heroes or villains who are painfully precise in their plans, the best at what they do and are totally "stone cold.";

(2) WWII BUFF: you love to read about the "big thrills" of WWII; this has it since the German spy discovers D-Day plans and tries to get back to Germany to warn the High Command (i.e. his tap was taken after he was shortly exposed);

(3) TAUT THRILLS: if this turns you on, Follet is right up there with Forsythe, Higgins and other masterful spy thriller novelists.;

(4) MOVING LOVE/LUST TALES: Follet has always been unusually good at the subplot love stories in his tales; the intimacy level is higher than some people encounter in their real lives; the details of the lovemaking is hot. I still remember, at one point, the female interest asks the male love interest why he never married and he replied to something along the lines as: "I never loved any woman enough to marry them."; and

(5) LOTS OF COMPLICATIONS FOR THE CHARACTERS: especially for the villain who seems to overcome almost all of them.

Follet also does a good job of centering the story on the villain so that you like him and then switching over to another character later. The transition works for a number of reasons but saying more would spoil the story.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best of the Type, April 7, 2002

By	John G. Hilliard (Toronto Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Eye of the Needle (Mass Market Paperback)

Ken Follett was probably the best of this type back in the 70's; I would even go so far as to say that was his best period outside of The Pillars of the Earth. This book gives you a very good story that I found difficult to put down. Follett is great at developing his characters; you really get a feel for them. He also always gets the facts correct and is very generous with the historical items. He also writes a book that does not talk down to the lowest common denominator of the audience. This book is very good and one that should be read before many others of the same type.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant novel of suspense, July 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Eye of the Needle (Signet) (Paperback)

Using late World War II as a backdrop for a breathtaking tale of espionage, Ken Follett brings together a ruthless German spy and a resourceful young Englishwoman, a combination that, believe it or not, serves at a catalyst for the Allies' victory. Though a work of fiction, EYE OF THE NEEDLE is utterly convincing from explosive beginning to explosive climax. The structure of the novel is fairly straightforward, but Follett manipulates the plot expertly and deftly, placing this story notches higher than the average chase thriller. What's notable here is the deft combination of wry British wit, skillful characterization, and flawless research, that makes this an adventure story worth reading for its intelligence and realism as well as its ample chills. As one of the character puts it, "Jolly good show."