I've been reading another Nelson DeMille novel, /The Charm School. /Lisa
Rhodes is a member of the CIA stationed in Moscow during the cold war.
She is especially suited for her tasks, since she was raised by her
grandmother who had been part of the Russian aristocracy before the
Revolution. So Lisa speaks perfect Russian and was raised with a love
for pre-Communist Russia. She has been in a relationship with a senior
CIA operator Seth Alevy but has recently told him they were through.
In the part of the novel below, she has been assisting an even more
senior member of the CIA, Colonel Sam Hollis. Even though she has no
skill as an operator, she talked him into taking her along on this
operation. Previously, young America tourist encountered someone who
identified himself as a former MIA who just escaped from the Russian
"Charm School," a school intended to groom Russian spies to behave
perfectly like Americans. The CIA knows nothing of such a school, and
even though the lower ranked Seth Alevy should be sent to find the
school. Hollis thinks it too important an operation and needs to go
himself. Hollis and Rhodes do find the location of the Charm School,
but Hollis has to shoot a couple of guards (using a silencer) in order
for them to get away. There escape is harrowing but they do eventually
get back to the American Embassy in Moscow.
In the course of getting away, they hide for one night in a Russian
cooperative, in the home of some very poor Russian farmers. They had
described themselves as husband and wife, and are given a room where
they sleep together. in the course of the night they make love.
The next day, once they are safely away, Lisa and Hollis have this
interchange*:
"'Last chance for a pear," [Lisa says, offering Hollis the bag of fruit
they purchased from a market.]
"I'll Take one." [Hollis says]
"She held out the bag. 'Take the honey too. I'm off sugar.'"
"They both smiled. Finally Lisa asked, 'How do we stand?'"
"Hollis put his hands in his pockets and shrugged."
"'Is that an answer?'"
"'How do you stand with Seth?'"
"'It's Over.'"
"'Then what's he angry about?'"
"She threw the bag over her shoulder. 'Well, think about it.' She
turned and walked down the path."
"Hollis stood awhile, then made his way across the quadrangle."
*from page 169 of /The Charm School /by Nelson DeMille, publication date
April 1, 1988
On 6/26/2021 8:06 AM, Lawrence Helm wrote:
/Dog Soldiers /is an ugly depressing novel. There isn't anyone in it anyone even slightly normal can identify with. At the end when Hicks, wounded, is marching across the sand toward a road, I wasn't hoping he was going to make it and live. As it happened he made it and died. I didn't care. His inept friend and wife Marge came along on the road, found him, found the dope but left it on his body because they could see the cloud of sand being stirred up in the distance and knew the corrupt cops, though arriving in a 20 mph tractor, wouldn't stop until they had the dope.
I started /Damascus Gate /a while back and it wasn't as ugly as this novel, at least as far as I read. But that's enough Robert Stone for me for awhile.
Lawrence
On 6/25/2021 6:31 PM, Lawrence Helm wrote:
Stone is on my list. I'm hoping to read at least one of his novels, and have made it to page 77 in this one/. /If I manage to keep reading, and if I encounter anything else, I'll send it along.
Lawrence
On 6/25/2021 5:32 PM, david ritchie wrote:
On Jun 25, 2021, at 6:20 AM, Lawrence Helm <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Branwell "Brontë died at the age of 31, insisting on standing in his final moments." [Wikipedia]
Thank you for these responses, Lawrence. I’m not encouraged to read Stone. Will you?
I’ll be at this task for a while, so folks do please respond when you have the time and inclination.
David
