A Conspiracy of Paper

Rating:
Summary: A Tour de Force
Review: A CONSPIRACY OF PAPER is one of the best novels I've read, and its being a first novel just makes it all the better, as we can now anticipate more from Mr. Liss. Once I got into the novel a bit and realized how very good it was, I began reading with a more critical eye, thinking I might be able to pass on one or two very small suggestions to the author, but I found I had none to give. It's a tour de force. I was impressed with the story, the pacing the characterization, and the style of writing which so perfectly captured the eighteenth century. The necessary expository passages were handled with real flair; we were never lost in the details of that faraway time. I enjoy historical novels and read a fair number of them, but I must say this novel must now be put in a very small group of very nearly flawless works. I have not been this impressed since I read THE YEAR OF THE FRENCH by Thomas Flanagan. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes historical novels--and to anyone who has never tried this particular genre. You're in for a heck of a ride!

Rating:
Summary: great historical mystery
Review: David Liss has written a novel which serves as a time maching pulling readers back to England in the turbulent financial times when paper money was first being introduced. The main character is believable and likeable, and his mission in the novel is realistic and suspenseful. If you want to escape the 21st century for a few hours, read A Conspiracy of Paper

Rating:
Summary: Astonishing!
Review: I love all kinds of novels, including mysteries, but I don't read mysteries all that often anymore for one major reason: most of them are sloppy efforts in which the writing takes a back seat to the demands of the genre. Every once in a while a book will come along, like Jonathan Lethem's "Motherless Brooklyn," which attempts to write a "literary mystery" of some sort, but in the end the mystery seems weak even though the writing is wonderful.

Finally, for the first time in I don't know how long, I've read a literary mystery that is both wonderfully written and amazingly exciting. I was up far later than I should have been several nights in a now. I hurried home form work so I could get back to reading. "A Conspiracy of Paper" evokes the sights, sounds and particularly smells of eighteenth-century London, provides an entertaining and painless (so painless I wanted more!) history lesson on the origins of economic markets, gives us a cast of believable and fascinating characters, and straps us in for a wild ride. The protagonist, Ben Weaver, is both understated and 3-dimensional, flawed and yet utterly engaging. If I sound exuberant as I write this, it is only because I've just finished the book and I can't wait to tell the world.

I've seen a lot of people compare this book to Caleb Carr's "The Alienist," but in my opinion, "Conspiracy of Paper" is far superior. This is easily the best novel I've read all year, maybe even in years. Don't cheat yourself by letting this one get past you!

Rating:
Summary: Contrived
Review: Some people were born with the ability to write; others learn it. As is painfully clear, David Liss belongs to the latter category of creatures. His writing is woefully artificial--it reflects the inklings of an uncreative, eager student ambitiously following classroom formulae rather than the genuine and expansive passion of true talent. It is sad to see that ostensibly intelligent people (i.e., critics and readers alike) don't recognize this book for the waste of paper and ink that it is. You can't spare David Liss from his innate medicority, in any case (Random House has managed to find its own Britney Spears), but you can spare yourself from this book. Do.

Rating:
Summary: David Liss: an author to watch
Review: One of this novel's strengths is in the detailed description of London & the pantheon of characters which inhabit the city in the early eighteenth century. Whether they are the head of the Bank of England, a proprietress of a gin house or a Jewish "Stock Jobber", no one is above bribery and the central character, Benjamin Weaver, soon realises that to trust in others is a risky business. The machinations & origins of the modern stock market are set against the historical bursting of the "South Sea Bubble" in 1720 & London emerges as a dangerous place lacking any morality.

Another strength is definitely Liss' language. This is pitched in a style which, while not archaic, creates a believable atmosphere for the period.

David Liss also handles a complex description of the Jew, as a European outsider, with more success, honesty and empathy than other cruder attempts on this theme such as "The Last Jew" by Noah Gordon. Benjamin Weaver, having dispensed with his former family name Lienzo, is both a likeable and complex character. (Unfortunately he is also a rather bumbling & frustrating detective.) His own musings and interaction with other characters on the place of Jews in England are interesting revelations of race self criticism combined with a deterimination to stay "foreign".

"A conspiracy of Paper" is not a great book, but it is a good book. With a somewhat meandering plot, and a number of loose ends unresolved, it contains more than sufficient strengths to make it an attractive read. At 501 pages perhaps some of the rabbit-warren like story might have been pruned for an overall tighter effect.

The closing of the novel suggests that there may be more stories in the works and I look forward to Liss' next effort. On the basis of "A Conspiracy of Paper" a further investment of time & money would be warranted.

Rating:
Summary: Wow, was I disappointed......
Review: I am still scratching my head over all the great reviews of this book that I read here on Amazon.com. I was tremendously disappointed. I seem to be in the minority, but I wouldn't recommend this book.

Maybe it was the fact that I took an instant dislike to the main character, and that dislike continued throughout the book. Or perhaps it was the very busy plot that spiraled around so many times that by the end I really didn't care who the was the culprit. I just wanted the book to end. But the worst part for me was the writing style. I just didn't care for it at all, and found it to be stilted throughout.

I feel like I should be apologetic since so many people did like this book and many of the newspapers liked it too, but I just didn't care for it.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful trip back in time
Review: What a wonderful trip back in time! David Liss has written an entertaining and informative historical mystery with plenty of twists and turns, fascinating and complex characters, and a setting that resonates today. In many ways, the problems and possibilities that 18th century England experienced as it rushed headlong toward the "new finance" are eerily similar to what the modern world is facing with the "new economy." And Liss explains it all with enough detail to keep the reader up-to-speed but without bogging down the pace of the action.

Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended
Review: A Conspiracy of Paper is that rarest of modern books: one that is both well written and highly entertaining. In Benjamin Weaver, David Liss has created a protagonist who is both thoughtful and exciting. The story is also complex without becoming tiresome. Frankly, I can't recommend this book highly enough; if you have enjoyed the Caleb Carr books about turn of the century New York, then I think that you will also find A Conspiracy of Paper to be a real treat. In fact, I enjoyed A Conspiracy of Paper even more than the Alienist (which is one of the best recent examples of historical fiction). If you enjoy historical fiction, mysteries or just a great story, you'll definitely like A Conspiracy of Paper. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: A Fascinating Historical Mystery
Review: A historical novel is a wonderful way to learn about the past, and A Conspiracy of Paper most certainly fits that bill. David Liss did a great job of not letting plot suffer so he could develop historical detail, or vice versa. All of the characters were very well developed, and the plot moved along quickly with surprises around many a corner. I found the relationships between the characters to be real and interesting, and learned so many quirky little details from reading this novel -- about boxing, the beginnings of the stock market, even the origins of the phrase "to double cross someone." I've seen many comparisons to Caleb Carr, and I suppose that they make sense -- chances are that if you enjoyed The Alienist or The Angel of Darkness, you'll like A Conspiracy of Paper. An informative and enjoyable read -- it will be difficult to put the book down until you know who Mr. Rochester is!

Rating:
Summary: A gripping, educational journey through old London
Review: David has done a fantastic job (a la Caleb Carr) of combining fact, fiction and suspense in a terrific novel. In the course of the book I understood not only the sights, sounds and smells of old London, but also the fundamental change in people's perceptions on currency. Although packed with historical details and significance, this is first and foremost an intricate thriller with vivid characters and interesting sub-plots.

If you enjoyed The Alienist, David's book is a must read.