I'm willing to say I enjoyed this book, though I wouldn't be quick to recommend it to anyone. Follett seemed to be moderately researched in the World War Two Middle East, and overall the story was interesting. It was an easy read, and was sufficiently entertaining.

However, there were a few problems I had with this book, which kept me from truly enjoying it. For one thing, the story was extremely predictable. Not just the overall outcome, but every plot twist and event followed a typical path. There was a severe lack of imagination and creativity.

The other issue I take is directed more toward Ken Follett than this particular novel. I read Pillars of the Earth, and while I loved the story, it was completely ruined by Follett's writing style. Deciding to give him another chance, I picked up The Key To Rebecca, which did nothing but prove my initial complaints against Follett's writing. His characters are too black and white. The heroes are too perfect, and the villains are way too evil to be believable. Not only that, but I've noticed that Follett has a habit of creating evil characters with strange and ugly sexual desires...to the point of where I wonder if his writing is some way to live out personal fetishes of his.

As I said before, the book was entertaining enough. If I had to sum up my feeling for the book in just a few words, it would be: "I wish a different author had written it".

Très bon livre.
J’ai trouvé le debut assez compliqué mais une fois que l’on a compris qui étaient les personnages et à quel camps ils appartiennent, le livre devient très intéressant.
On est vraiment tenus en haleine tout le long du livre en se demandant qui va « gagner », il y a également beaucoup de rebondissements. Ainsi, je n’ai pas pu deviner à l’avance ce qui allait se passer et je suis restée surprise tout au long de ma lecture.

This is based on World War 2 when there was fighting over in Egypt. Yes, there were battles in Northern Africa as well. This story doesn’t focus on the battles itself but the secrets, the intelligence behind all of it, which a certain Alex Wolf is behind off all it, a German who wants to gain the upper hand by all means necessary. This intelligence comes with a secret amount of sex and lust and diversions that keeps people like Major William Vandam guessing. It was a very decent read with some clever dialogue but not fantastic by any means. Still enjoyed the book.

The Key to Rebecca is a spy novel, a genre I have very limited experience with. But it's also a WWII story AND it includes desert and camels, so it didn't feel like much of a stretch into new territory at all. It's set in 1942, when the Germans are fighting the British for control of North Africa. Rommel has a spy planted in Cairo, and a British intelligence agent is trying to find and incapacitate him. It's an exciting, fast-paced story, though not fully credible at all times.
It was first published in 1981, and I think it has held up very well.

Clearly not written with someone like me in mind as an audience.

A good and solid WW2-spy-novel with a bit of romance thrown in. And although I would not say that this is THE best Ken Follett it is very good and fast paced entertainment. The bad guys are bad, the good guys good and the final showdown very suspenseful. Okay, I must admit that I found the sex-scenes surprisingly daring and uncommon considering that the book came out in the 80s. ;-)

My face to face book club (where we read whatever we want and report to others about them) has agreed that for October, we will all read a WWII novel, not Europe or US. This is one of several I have chosen - we'll see how many others I actually get to. In this novel there is a German spy in Cairo. I know zip about the war in north Africa except the name of the German General, Rommel. He and his aides do have some chapters here and there and a few of the battles. I have assumed that part is fact. Were Rommel's victories informed by a spy in Cairo?

The Rebecca of the title is Rebecca by du Maurier. This is known early when Achmed/Alex is very careful to take a book with him as he leaves his family's Bedouin camp. The case also contained a book, a novel in English. Idly, Achmed read the first line: “ ‘Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.’ ” It is later when we learn why this is important.

I read for writing style and characterization, so why do I like Ken Follett and so much plot?!! The writing style may or may not be above average for the genre, but at least I found nothing that would cause me to roll my eyes. The characterizations are not flat exactly, but by no stretch of the imagination would I consider them fully-fleshed. They interact with each other appropriately and I had no trouble remembering who was who and on which side.

As an added interest, Follett included book titles beyond Rebecca.

n  The book was called Stamboul Train. It looked like cloak-and-dagger stuff.

Billy went to bed with a new book. He said it was a “tec,” by which he meant a detective story. It was called Death on the Nile.

“Oh! Who’s your favorite tec?” Elene considered. “Maigret.” “I’ve never heard of him. What’s the author’s name?” “Georges Simenon. He writes in French, but now some of the books have been translated into English. They’re set in Paris, mostly. They’re very . . . complex.”

“What are you reading?” “The Greek Coffin Mystery.”
n

I managed to pick up another Ken Follett at the Friends of the Library book sale yesterday. I look forward to it and, I suspect, others. But I can't bring myself to rate this as 5-stars as if it were literature, though I enjoyed it fully, and am happy to say this is a good 4-stars

Follett is excellent with his character development. This book is a complete shift from Pillars of the Earth. Follett is so talented in his different writing styles.

Fun things I learned from reading this book:
1) don't become a spy
2) if I do become a spy, don't use my real name
3) don't go back to my home town where they can track down my real identity
4) it's always better to be on the good team

A clever WWII story during a time when victory held in the balance between Axis and Allies.

Rommel is ready to push east towards the Suez Canal, but he desperately needs fuel. A German undercover agent is the key to helping him acquire the necessary supplies, but a young woman stands in his way.

Filled with romance, historical accuracy, and intrigue, Follett manages to write a story of when victory for the Allies was uncertain. If you're a fan of WWII thrillers, put this on your list.

Löysin Ken Follettin "Aavikkoleijonan" (Suuri Suomalainen Kirjakerho, 1982) joskus esiteini-ikäisenä mummolan vintiltä. Se oli silloin olevinaan tosi kovaa kamaa - väkivaltaa ja seksiä! - mutta aika oli nyt päässyt kultaamaan muistoja. Englantilaisen tiedustelumajurin ja saksalaisen vakoojan hippaleikistä toisen maailmansodan aikaisessa Egyptissä kertova romaani oli hyvin kaavamainen ja ennalta-arvattava. Loppuratkaisu oli myös melko tyhmänpuoleinen ja sisälsi aika epäuskottavia käänteitä.

No, tulipahan luettua! Nyt tämmöiselle oli tilausta, välillä sitä huomaa kaipaavansa aivot narikkaan -viihdettä. Jos minun silti pitäisi suositella tähän genreen kuuluvaa kirjaa jollekulle toiselle, niin kehottaisin häntä tarttumaan mieluummin vaikkapa Jack Higginsin mainioon Kotka on laskeutunut -romaaniin.

Kirjan alkuperäinen nimi "Keys to Rebecca" viittaa muuten Daphne du Maurierin Rebecca -romaaniin, jolla on kirjassa pieni mutta oleellinen rooli.

6,5/10

Aunque la historia y la ambientación me han gustado, no he llegado a empatizar nada de nada con los protagonistas y por ese motivo ha perdido algo de nota.

La trama es interesante y el ritmo narrativo bueno, el conjunto se lee bien y tiene momentos que engancha. El desenlace es mejorable, sobre todo por el modo en que actúan los protagonistas, que no me ha parecido creíble, pero en cualquier caso cumple y cierra la trama bastante bien.

En cualquier caso, novela entretenida de espías y con una ambientación destacable, que recomendaría a todo aquel que guste de este estilo de novelas.

"A Chave para Rebecca", de Ken Follett


Gosto de uma leitura absorvente e frenética, e não falhou.
Segunda Guerra Mundial, no Cairo, espiões alemães e o Exército Inglês que quer defender a sua posição dominante contra os invasores alemães.
A história tem dois protagonistas , um é o espião alemão, Alex Wolff, o outro é o major William Vandam, que o tenta descobrir e parar. E aqui está o que gostei na história, o ter dois protagonistas em lados opostos. Não existe um protagonista e um antagonista. Eles são dois personagens que não se conhecem, mas que estão no encalce um do outro. Cada um deles com uma co-protagonista que os ajudam nos seus intentos e em que há momentos mais "picantes".
O curioso é que em quase toda a trama na estive nem a favor de um nem contra outro, os dois eram muito interessantes na sua inteligência, nos seus métodos e na sua tenacidade. Só quando os dois se começam a aproximar para o confronto final é que eu tomei um partido....obviamente do Major!

É a narrativa habitual no "tom" ligeiro de Ken Follett, com uma linguagem simples e muito directa.