Rating: 
Summary: Literate thriller that probes contemporary Russia
Review: I confess that I know very little about what actually is going on in Russia today, so I cannot assess whether or not Robert Harris' appraisal of conditions there is accurate. However, his fictional depiction of the enduring appeal of Stalinism as a possible threat to the (so-called) democratic reforms in Russian society is certainly provocative, and his insights into the internal workings of Stalin's mind and the terrors of his regime make for fascinating reading. There are some sections of the book that drag a bit, but overall, Harris succeeds in creating a slow buildup of tension that keeps the reader turning the pages right up until the final sentence. His depiction of his characters and of geographical locations is skillful and convincing, and overall, the book is impressively well-written. For people interested in historical fiction related to Soviet and Russian history, this book definitely makes for a fine "summer read."
Rating: 
Summary: Bone Chilling
Review: When "Fluke" Celtow an American reporter first hears the ravings of the old russian he is skeptical. But the more he considers the old man's story the more he is intriged. It is a mystery that goes back to the time of Stalin's death and its implications are vast. My Imprezsion-I liked the book but there are a few fatal flaws the most major of which is the fact that towards the end they wrap everything up to neatly. The idea of Stalin having a son who could carry on his "leagecy" is crazy but spellbinding.
Rating:
Summary: Archangel: As Icey and Cold as the Eyes of Stalin Himself!
Review: I found Archangel by Robert Harris to be mesmeizing in its unflinching blending of fact and fiction. Realistic, imperfect characters trying to deal with the horror and terror of the past while obessively running head long into it in the present. Harris is a master at developing characters and an complex storey line that holds you in a death grip till the final climax. Bravo Robert Harris you have just made this readers top ten list. If you like intrigue, unapologetic grit, and your fiction, intelligent, hardnosed and unrelenting then you must read this book. His interweaving of fact and fiction paint a picture of true evil, its power and its ramifications. Magnificent!!!
Rating: 
Summary: hmm. . .
Review: Robert Harris is the author of two fine novels in 'Enigma' and 'Fatherland', and now that he has completed his third, the tally remains at two. Pick up an armful of books at a secondhand store and you will find plenty worse than this, but whereas his others are intricate and deep and written with passion, this came across to me as a constipated potboiler, eked out to make some more dosh. Yes, his eye for detail is still there, and so is his technical ability as a writer; these in themselves were sufficient to keep me turning the pages, even if it was with a somewhat leaden hand. Given that every single character is unpleasant, and that the plot is intrinsically ludicrous, one could argue that he has done well with the material he gave himself. I say that because, despite all this, the book certainly has its moments, and Harris conjures up such vivid images of the greyness and squalor of contemporary Russia that they somehow seem romantic and evocative. In summary, if you ever get a ten year stretch in Sing-Sing, mark this down for reading in about Year Eight. In Year One though, sit down with Enigma and Fatherland, both of which are outstandingly good books, and in a different class to this.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing- a beautifully written thriller
Review: I don't normally write reviews but this book inspired one. Mr. Harris is a wordsmith who crafts sentences as individual pieces of art. I listened to this as an audiobook and found myself constantly replaying sentences. More amazingly, I listend to the whole thing all over again as soon as I finished it the first time. The fact that he uses these wonderful sentences to tell a thrilling and different story puts this one right over the top. I normally give my audiobooks to our library as soon as I finish listening to them on my long commute, but while I hope they get a copy for all to enjoy, this one I'm keeping. I may want to pop a cassette in yet again to savor this unexpected treasure.
Rating: 
Summary: Starts out Great
Review: I'll cut to the chase here.... This books starts out great and Harris paints an accurate and strong portrayal of modern day Russia. He also does a pretty good job from a historical perspective when dealing with Stalin. This novel could have been excellent had a different approach been taken and had the plot not taken a turn for the worse. Towards th end the book really goes downhill and ends up borderline ridiculous. Had a more subtle and realistic approach been taken by Harris, it would have made the read much more enjoyable for me. For the first 250 pages I was hooked and that's why I am giving it three stars.
Rating: 
Summary: what was he thinking?
Review: I write this review as (1) someone who loved _Fatherland_, (2) teaches Russian history professionally, (3) has lived and studied in Russia many times since the late '80s. And I hated this book beyond belief. To explain why would take a small novel to begin with, and I'd give away whatever lame excuse for suspense Harris's writing contains. I'll stick with three things. First, the excitement of the novel is based largely on the fact that a secret has been kept from Stalin's death in 1953 till the mid-1990s, when a British historian of the USSR happens to stumble across it. The secret's location happens to be the Russian city of Archangel -- which, as it happens, is the last word screamed out (in the novel) by Lavrentii Beria, the secret police chief who's killed shortly after Stalin's death (in real life) and goes to his grave knowing where the novel's secret is kept. The word "Archangel" is supposedly baffling to Beria's interrogators, and no one connects it with the actual city. The problem here is that, as anyone who's taken 2 weeks of freshman Russian knows, the Russian word for the city is "Arkhangelsk," while the word for archangel is "arkhangel." So no Russian would be confused by Beria's last words. The fact that Harris makes so much out of this linguistic confusion shows that he doesn't know nearly as much about Russia as he does about Germany. (...)_. Thirdly, Fluke Kelso -- the British historian who serves as the main character -- is totally unappealing. Harris has created the most boring, cliched, unlikeable picture of an academic imaginable: hard-drinking, womanizing (is there a novel anywhere that doesn't depict a professor sleeping with his students?), and self-absorbed. One of _Fatherland_'s greatest strengths was that Xavier March was (like Arkady Renko in _Gorky Park_, a novel _Archangel_ falls far short of) a tremendously appealing character that you'd have to be inhuman not to empathize with. As far as I'm concerned, Kelso could get a bullet in the back of the head, and I wouldn't bat an eyelid. So I hope Harris's next novel is truer to the _Fatherland_ mold. _Archangel_ is bad beyond conception.
Rating:
Summary: Wrong ending for a fast-paced thriller
Review: I found the initial plot line to be compelling; a US Russian history professor attends a symposium in Moscow and is approached by an old Stalinist foot soldier who was witness to some highly secret information that he seems willing to part with. Before he does, he is brutally murdered and away we go. As we start to get more and more insights into the mystery, we see endless possibilities until the city of Archangel becomes the focus. Some will have caught on by then as to the direction this is going but I'm afraid the reader will be in for a let down as I was. It just seems to be so unbelievable; not that it could happen but that anyone would want it to or care if it did. It reminds me of Harris's novel "Fatherland". In that thriller,
the big secret in the end is something that many readers, like myself, would not have thought would even be a secret. I gave "Archangel" three stars because, until the end, it was a hard book to put down. I like Harris's rewriting history to create unique plots. I just wish he would finish as well as he starts.
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing, amusing and informative
Review: This is the first Robert Harris novel I have read and I enjoyed the story. Harris gets straight to the point with the story and every step by the main character, a historian called Fluke Kelso, seems to be logical.
Most historical fiction somehow cop out in the end but this didn't. Don't want to reveal details but the final hundred pages are not as anti-climatic as other similar novels I have come across.
Also, his caricatures of journalists, historians and Stalin are pretty amusing. Yet the little known facts that he mentions about Stalin were very interesting and deeply disturbing. Harris claims that Stalin is more alarming figure in history than Hitler and the case he makes throughout the novel is pretty convincing.
There is a sense that he,(Harris), is having fun with the story and Soviet history and I enjoyed the ride. Beautiful book. Can't wait to get hold of his other works.
Rating:
Summary: Definate 5 star material
Review: I dont normally submit reviews, but felt I had to defend this book against a paltry 5 star rating. It successfully combines the best features of an historical novel and a thriller - I was absorbed totally in the sombre atmosphere of the book - a real "must read" that I've recommended to all my friends and family.
I prefer it to "fatherland" personally!
The ending is excellent - brings the threads all together
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