The Visiting Professor [Import] [Hardcover]

Robert Littell (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Faber & Faber Ltd; First edition (1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0571169589
• ISBN-13: 978-0571169580
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Bestselling author Robert Littell has been ranked amongst John Le Carre and Graham Greene for his masterful spy fiction. A Newsweek journalist in a previous incarnation, Littell has been writing about the Soviet Union and Russians since his first novel, the espionage classic The Defection of A.J.Lewinter. Among his numerous critically acclaimed novels are The October Circle, Mother Russia, The Debriefing, The Sisters, The Revolutionist, The Once and Future Spy, An Agent in Place, The Visiting Professor, the New York Times bestselling The Company (adapted for a TNT mini-series), and Legends (winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Award for Best Thriller of 2005) and For the Future of Israel, a book of conversations with Shimon Peres. Littell is an American who makes his home in France.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Complete Waste Of Time, November 21, 2006

By 

Joseph L. Burke "Paper Tiger" (Bradenton FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Visiting Professor: A Novel of Chaos (Hardcover)

I want at least one character in a novel that would interest me in real life. There are none in this book. Failing that, I'd like a plot with some substance. Uh-uh. As a reader I will plow through a pile of manure to find the poverbial pony; something of substance. A theme, a pace, a gift for language, or whatever. Not in this novel, friends. The professor from Russia finds problems with American colloquialisms: "Wearing your heart on your sleeve" - "Getting down to brass tacks" - etc. This is humorous? The prof also discovers sex; oral, group, swapping partners, etc. Sex itself is a victim of this author's depictions. The professor also solves a mystery of who is a serial killer; that part of the book is so improbable that it is not only unfunny, it is pitable. To sum up: this story is as weighty as a soap bubble but nowhere near as pretty. Don't waste your time.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a master wordsmith, February 21, 2009

By 

Mom of 3 "Lib-kat-mom" (St. Louis) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Visiting Professor: A Novel of Chaos (Hardcover)

I adored this book. My only concern was my fear that I would laugh out loud while reading it during a delay at LaGuardia. I found the characters fascinating, the professor's observations/internal monologue delightful, and the story line engaging. If you are looking for witty and humorous observations about life from a different perspective - all mixed with a bit of romance and "whodunit" - this book is for you. If it is hard-core action/suspense you seek, you'd be better served by some of Mr. Littell's other books. In hindsight, this book may have been better received had he penned it under a female pseudonym. I loved the book and it is receiving rave reviews from my friends as well. How about another one like this for the gals, Mr Littell??

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Where does the core conspiracy lie?, April 2, 2007

By 

Angharad de Johnstone - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Visiting Professor: A Novel of Chaos (Hardcover)

I read this book over a decade ago, and the story has always stayed with me. I was pleased to see that it is still in print. The concept that caught, and held my interest, is the notion of understanding where the core conspiracy lies in each of our lives, and in our relationships. You'll have to read the book to understand, but I think it's worth it.