Alan Furst

Somehow, I managed to overlook Alan Furst until a month ago, when a son-in-law put me onto him. Novels set in Paris and in Eastern Europe at the beginning of WW2 – spy novels, but John le Carré rather than Ian Fleming.

Furst has either a fantastic imagination and a million file cards, or an intimidating knowledge of history, geography, military tactics, and civic routines. I’m pretty sure it’s the latter.

Anyone else been reading him? I’m half-way through The Polish Officer. Somerset Maugham meets Casablanca.

Phil

Young Philip my boy,
alanfurst.net/main.htm :wink:
vic

Yes, Vic, I did see that. Did you go on to this one?

http://alanfurst.net/Absolut_Furst.JPG

Whom shall we get to do likewise for Mother J? Brian Friel?

Suggestions welcome.

Phil

Youve got to admire the Pursers pragmatism.

Already done!
[i]Re: What Scrivener steps do you take in writing your novel?
by vic-k on Thu Dec 18, 2008 9:55 pm

Aisling13 wrote:
“Museing on the liminal spaciousness of Scrivner’s StarGates, Portals and a Prelude to what Alchemy conjures volcanic islands to auspiciously merge.”

In truth Sweetness, Scrivener is a portal. Tis the arse end of a wormhole, t`other end of which exits in a parallel dimension.

On a temporal plane, twixt man and woman, fair Aisling, the Alchemy of which you speak, is but lust, desire and/or love.

On a spiritual plane, tis ritualisation bordering on the Divine: Picture, if you will, a mans gnarled hand, scarred by remorseless and unforgiving circumstance. In it, he cradles a crystal cut glass tumbler, with which he catches (as it falls from above), the golden, Holy Distillation. Jameson. Having done so, he raises the tumbler to his lips. Lips of a face equally scarred by pitiless circumstance. As the Essences vapour fills his nostrils, inflaming his legendary, insatiable lust, he breaths the Oath over the tumbler; the words which define him as a man: Sine Metu.

Dream on, fair Aisling, dream on
Sláinte
vic

The memory of the last time my volcanic island collided with anything, is shrouded in the swirling mists of the proverbial.
As a professional, you are your one and only asset. Without integrity you are worthless, but with it, you are priceless.

vic-k
[/i]
Posts: 3086
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2007 8:23 am
Location: Stockport UK or under table in RED LION
images.jpeg

… and the accompanying, or underlying, visual?

After all, man, this is an ad in a magazine. Words convey messages, but tend not to attract attention; copy-only ads are dangerous (to Marketing Directors, that is).

ps

Vic-k`s graphic prose is so stunningly evocative of the scene, that no visual representation is needed.
Best
Anna Wintour x x x

The person who introduced me to Furst’s novels described it as, “When you get done reading this, your clothes will smell like a seedy French café.”

Kingdom of Shadows and The Polish Officer remain, in my mind, his best works.

[I love digging through the archives of this forum…]

My favorites also.

I had planned, eventually, to go back to one of the other threads to which you have posted and mention Furst to you. Clearly, not necessary.

Phil