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Binding: Paperback Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54 EAN: 9780446675093 ISBN: 0446675091 Label: Grand Central Publishing Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 816 Publication Date: July 01, 1999 Publisher: Grand Central Publishing Studio: Grand Central Publishing Sales Rank: 8182
Product Description: Just when the world was sure the iron curtain was felled and the fist of Communism had lost its grip on Russia, comes this riveting novel. This story of deceit and intrigue spans the continents from the vast, barren land of Russia, to the down home comfort of Americas heartland. The KGB is once again conspiring to become the superpower of the world.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Enjoyable, But not the Cold War Classic I was Hoping For
I really enjoy Nelson DeMille's work and have no problems recommending novels of his such as THE GENERAL'S DAUGHTER, THE GOLD COAST, PLUM ISLAND, and WORD OF HONOR. But THE CHARM SCHOOL is a notch below what I usually expect from DeMille.
THE CHARM SCHOOL was written in 1988, and is essentially a Cold War thriller about American spies living in Moscow. The first third of this book, which details day-to-day life at the American embassy, is quite enjoyable. But this overly long novel begins to drag in the middle, and the last quarter of the book is nothing more than a lot of predictable action scenes.
DeMille is a fun writer to read, and there are a number of scenes in this book that are quite suspenseful and terrifically done. There is also a lot of DeMille's trademark humor and witty dialogue. But in the end, I just didn't feel the storyline was tightly written enough to completely hold my interest for 800 pages.
Also, if you've read more than a few DeMille novels, the characters in this book will look familiar. DeMille is fond of middle-aged, war-weary, smart-alecky heroes who fall into bed with sexually aggressive women twenty years their junior, and that's pretty much what you get here. The central romance is too rushed and unbelievable, and I thought many of the supporting characters were thinly drawn.
THE CHARM SCHOOL is an ambitious book about the US-Soviet rivalry, but it didn't quite work for me in the end. If you've never read DeMille before, my advice is to go with THE GENERAL'S DAUGHTER instead, which I thought was a better structured effort with more believable characters.
Rating: - Will get you hooked
Over 10 yrs ago this is the 1st book I read (in paperback) by Nelson DeMille ....I was hooked. I have recommend this author and specifically this book to many people so I wanted to hard back to keep and enjoy. If you like James Patterson, your LOVE Nelson DeMille. Books are thrillers that keep you on the end of your seat. I am always looking forward to his next novel.
Rating: - Stimulating
The Charm School is an absolutely fascinating book - loved it. Exciting would be an Understatement.
Rating: - Well written but showing its age
When "The Charm School" first appeared in 1988, the Cold War was almost over, though no one knew it at the time. A good guys vs. bad guys story line pushed a lot of American buttons at that time and could be read uncritically. Times have changed a bit since the disintegration of the Eastern Bloc and the guilty pleasure of blowing holes in the KGB baddies isn't quite as intense. More to the point, Nelson DeMille's over the top scenario in "The Charm School" of a handful of American agents battling Soviet villains on the latters' home turf isn't easy to swallow from this distance in time.
Having registered those criticisms of the book, I have to say that DeMille has a real talent for nuanced characters and, of course, fast-paced action. He does a good job of keeping the story line moving through the 600+ pages of this very long novel. That this book is still in print--I read the 2005 reprint--is testimony to its strengths and to DeMille's reputation as a writer of popular fiction.
I have read only one other DeMille book, but I suspect that there are probably better, more recent ones that the fan of action novels could start with.
Rating: - The Charm School
This is definately a 'don't put down until I'm finished" book! Mr. Demille has done an excellant job of creating a story that could or could not be true with Viet Nam era POWs.
It was very hard to stop reading because the plot just keeps getting more suspenseful!
I commend Mr. Demille on such a thrilling book and I really look forward to reading more of his action packed, attention getter novels!
Richard A. Smith (author: ONE STANDS ALONE)
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