Customer Reviews

Icon

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Frederick Forsyth will never write a book as good as "The Day Of The Jackal" or "Odessa File" again. That's not a knock. Few authors ever get that lucky or brilliant once, let alone twice, especially their first two times off the blocks.

"Icon" suffers from a beginning that suggests otherwise. You read the first 300 pages and they grab you in a way few books ever do, with alternating suspense yarns set years apart, each somehow building on the drama of the other. You agonize for poor Jason Monk as his Soviet assets are undone one after the other by real-life traitor Aldrich Ames, kind of what Benedict Arnold might have been had the Revolutionary figure succeeded in not only giving up West Point to the Redcoats, but Fort Ticonderoga and Philadelphia as well. The fact that its now well after 1999 and the ultra-nationalist movement in Russia has not taken control doesn't lessen the sense of fear and loathing Forsyth gets across as he slowly sets up the principal story with a nice sense of balance, nuance, and loving detail. You think to yourself: "Can it be? Did Forsyth find his wellspring once more?"

Then it all goes to pieces in Part 2, along with the chief villians. After drumming in their diabolical competance in Part 1, Forsyth apparently allows them to forget their medication in Part 2. Not only do they act ridiculously, but Monk the hero, like the protagonist in "Fist Of God," seems to anticipate everything that happens in such a way to alleviate any creative unease the reader might feel. The book that starts so promisingly ends not with a bang but a yawn.

Even at the very end, when Forsyth reveals a key trick in his narrative, he does so in such a rote way as to raise more questions than answers. Clearly he went for a "He was my father" type finale, but what we get instead is another of those coincidences that pock the narrative's second half.

I love Forsyth, even lesser Forsyth. There's a lot to enjoy here, especially in the first half, and people who like their resolutions tidy and suspense-free may enjoy the rest as well. But I sort of wish the master could have taken more time to sort out the second half of his story with the same apparent care he bestowed on the first.

When I read a spy novel by the likes of Frederick Forsythe or John Le Carré, the excellence of such a work reminds me how much trash is written by other authors in the same genre.

Forsythe unfolds the events in the book's first half by switching back and forth between two timelines. The first, in the year 1999, finds the British Embassy in Moscow coming into possession of the "Black Manifesto". This document, written by Igor Komarov, reveals his secret plan for his rule of Russia once he wins the presidential election scheduled for January 2000. Since Komarov is far ahead in the polls, and his Manifesto espouses both military aggression against surrounding countries and genocide against certain Russian minorities, the Brits are understandably worried. The second timeline, from 1983 to 1994, follows the upwardly mobile career path of CIA officer Jason Monk, as he becomes case officer for several key spies within the Soviet military, intelligence and scientific communities. Over time, Monk watches helplessly as his agents are betrayed by the real-life CIA turncoat Aldrich Ames, and subsequently captured, tortured and executed by the sadistic KGB Colonel Anatoli Grishin. The second half of the book has Monk, separated from the CIA since 1994, returning to Russia in 1999 on behalf of Western interests to discredit Komarov and destabilize his campaign for the Russian presidency. In the process, he matches wits with Grishin, now serving as Komarov's Chief of Security.

One of the strengths of this novel, besides the intricate plot and fine cast, is the (apparently factual) history of the Aldrich Ames betrayal, an absolute fiasco on the part of the CIA. This sort of background information adds immeasurably to any novel, yet is not a part of so many. In my mind, this writing technique is one of the reasons why Forsythe is at the top of his profession.

The book's action proceeds at a crisp, clear and riveting pace. It was a book that was difficult to put down in deference to life's more mundane responsibilities. My only criticism, and one that prevents me from awarding 5 stars, was the heavy-handed ending lacking the finesse of what came before. It was as if Forsythe suddenly found himself faced with a publisher's deadline, and he had to achieve closure quickly. The final confrontation between Monk and Grishin was both clumsy and anticlimactic. Despite these closing flaws, however, the novel is top tier.

Forsyth actually wrote Icon in 1996 and set it in the Russia of 1999, a country he projected would be plagued by a vast criminal underworld, increasingly disillusioned with the new democracy and capitalist systems, and subject to a return to Communist and other totalitarian rule. That makes Forsyth's work even more impressive with hindsight, in a similar way as for The Devil's Alternative and The Fist of God - describing specific elements or trends that in fact appear quite familiar later on. The Jason Monk character is one of Forsyth's more memorable ones, and he is developed a little differently than the norm with the way the book is written in two parts. There is also a reappearance of some characters in previous Forsyth books, something which works well in Icon but is not something which Forsyth often does. Icon isn't quite at the level of Forsyth's best work, but it is certainly good enough to demonstrate his ability to tell a good story and spin an entertaining yarn involving international intrigue.

This is only the second novel of Forsyth's I've read, so I am not an expert on him or the genre. However I was slightly disappointed in this book, which I read right after reading "Fist of God." The pacing is ok, but slower than FOG, the characters are not as finely drawn, and the plot seems more black and white, without the nuances I had expected.

All in all, I'd say if your're looking for a good example of Forsyth's work, "Fist of God", or perhaps some of his earlier work, such as "Odessa Files" would be a better choice.

Russia. 1999. On the verge of a new presidential regime. Igor Komarov has become, to the Russian people, an Icon, a symbol of restored hope in the Motherland, a promise to wipe out corruption and free the enslaved Russian people from poverty and crime. He will win the presidency by a landslide of overwhelming support. The story begins when a lone illiterate cleaning man steals a document from Igor Komarov's secretary's desk. The document comes to be known as the "Black Manifesto", and in it are Igor Komarov's real plans for the Motherland. Plans so heinous and hideous they make Adolph Hitler look like Barney the purple dinosaur. The cleaning man's deceit is discovered, but too late, the Black Manifesto has reached the ears and desks of the CIA, and there is only one man deemed suitable for the job of making sure Igor Komarov never rises to power, and assuring the Russian people a new and cleaner government. Jason Monk is our James Bond, a spy of masterful proportions. His quest is the hardest of his career, he is tasked to change a country. Frederick Forsythe is a brilliant author, and he brings Jason Monk into this story with finesse and intrigue. Though many of the names and details get lost on the average reader, the story is woven tightly together, and the suspense builds with each page. The background research that must have been done to write this book is daunting, but Frederick Forsythe is a master at it. The characters are well developed, to the point of intimacy, which is the way it should be. I would have given it five stars but for the tangle of information, names, dates, places, etc.., that disoriented me at times. I believe authors should keep it simple but potent. Frederick Forsythe has mastered the potency part. If you are looking for danger, intrigue, excitement and suspense in a spy genre, you have found it here.

Well, this book has everything in it that one expects from a good spy-novel: Espionage and counter-espionage, the killing of traitors and a cleverly constructed plot. But it has its share of weaknesses. Let me explain: While the plot is cleverly constructed, the dramatic strcuture of the novel isn't: The flashbacks in part one slow down the proceedings FAR too much and then, the ending is much too short and comes to quick. To show why I didn't give this book a higher rating, I have to compare it to his last book, THE FIST OF GOD (TFOG): The Baghdad in that novel was much more alive and before my eyes than the Moscow in this book, TFOG had a much faster pace and it had more characters you care for. There is a strange air of detachment in this novel. While I really crossed my fingers that the guy in Baghdad (in TFOG) made it out alive, I didn't care that much for this Jason Monk here. Worth your time, but maybe not what you expect from a man with the reputation of Forsyth

In 'Icon' Frederick Forsyth takes us to the dark, frightening underworld of modern Russian politics. Though the novel is fictional and the characters cleary the author's creations, it nevertheless shows the extent of the author's exhaustive research into today's Russia. The story centers around a major Russian political power who loses a secret protcol (an updated 'Mein Kampf') and his frantic search to get it back before his policies of destruction become known. Aware of this secret protocol is an ex-CIA agent, Jason Monk, who will stop at nothing to expose this would-be-Hitler as the monster he is. Along the way he tangles with the Russian Politician's securtiy chief- a former KGB officer who bested Monk during the cold war. This is another exciting novel from a master of suspence. It not only effectivly weaves cold war intrigue and modern day fears about a rearmed Russia, but Forsyth's inclusion of the true story of Aldrich Aimes, the notorious CIA traitor, make this a particularly wild ride. While 'Icon' isn't of quite the same caliber of Forsyth's earlier work, it is a riviting novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I have just finished reading the Icon, and to me it was the master at his best again. I have read all of his books. Before writing my review, I had read some of the reviews that others had written; I had the feeling that some were disappointed that the Icon was not in the same class as The Fist of God or the Day of the Jackal. These people may have a point. Just remember that no-one can consistently deliver every time. For example, a very very good baseball player, or basketball player may once in a while, have an off day. I think Freddie did a great job. The research was tremendous and the plot was very interesting. The details and background to some of the events and the people was excellent. At some point, I was so scared as to whether Grishin was going to get his enemy, Jason Monk that I had to cheat and turn to the last pages to see what the outcome was. Only then, did I gather the courage to continue reading. To me, this is an excellent book. If it is true that this is Freddie's last novel, then I will truly miss him. Apart from him, I do not read any writers. Can anyone recommend any writer or two who is in the same class or even better than Frederick Forsyth?

Not as good as "Day of the Jackal" or "The Fist of God", but a well-constructed story full of excitement. After a period of difficulty in letting go of the Cold War (see "The Deceiver") Forsyth -- in my opinion the best author of the genre -- has adapted to the post-Cold War world. It's debatable how plausible the Kamarov character is, but once you get past that, the story is brilliantly written. The jumping back and forth between past and present works very well (although I suspect it also serves as a crutch to allow the author to do yet some more Cold War writing). Also, Forsyth has a great knack for portraying things very realistically, so that characters you come to really admire are often dealt with in very harsh ways. The Aldrich Ames angle was a nice touch as well. My only gripes are i) the ease with which Monk/Irvine are able to convince certain high-powered Russians to back their anti-Kamarov plot, and ii) the "Council of Elders" of which Irvine is a member, which reeks of over-the-top Ludlum or Fleming's SPECTRE. Other than that, I loved this book.

This just might be my favorite novel of all time. It was completely engrossing, suspenseful and filled with intrigue. I found the interweaving of real life figures into this fictional work wonderful.

In Icon, Forsyth has created a world, very similar to ours, where the prevention of a world wide catastrophe is aided by a simple mistake. Someone left a document on a desk, the cleaning crew saw it, curiosity got the better of him and he read it. The words were shocking and horrifying, he did the only thing he could think of, he stole it and gave it to the British embassy. What follows is a cat and mouse game of intrigue where the person who wrote the document is attempting to destroy it while the other side is attempting to authenticate the document. Unwittingly, the acts to suppress the document only verify it as authentic. Officially no government can take action so it is up to the Lincoln group to decide a course of action filled with deception, betrayals, and one upsmanship. Along the way we see some good old fashioned cold war espionage, and the consequences of treasonous, and wretched men like Aldrich Ames.

I highly recommend this to anyone who was a fan of the soviet based clancy novels, or anyone who enjoyed the fictionalized account of the cold war.

Thanks

T