Rating: 
Summary: An excellent thriller
Review: After reading this book I was almost sad that it was over. The thought of Stalin coming "back from the grave" is a very intriguing subject that deserves the attention that this book should get. The ending of the book with the character Zinaidia Rapava is a great twist that was not at all expected and leaves one wanting more. For all of the people that did not like this book and thought it was "dissapointing" I think that you are wrong. Harrison paints an excellent picture of present day Russia and ads a twist of what it used to be like during the cold war.
Rating: 
Summary: good but slow
Review: Robert Harris is a good writer. He describes the place and emotion well. The first part is very exciting, that's why I got this book. As you continue, the description of the place is good. The suspense is there,you'll feel Russia with all its secrets, the politics,power and corruptions of the past and present rulers over its people and the struggle of everyday people. The plot is good, the secret documents of Stalin. But , about midway towards the end, it lost its drive. I find it hard to finish the book, but I finished it. It drags.
Rating:
Summary: Very disappointing
Review: Rarely can a book have started off so well and yet ended so ridiculously. The first third of the book shows Harris at his best, conjuring up an atmosphere of suspense while skilfully interweaving the results of his prodigious homework. Who could not be enthralled by the idea of Stalin's secret notebook coming to light after 50 years? Up until the moment when our two heroes set off for the northern city of Archangel all is going fine. But then -- and I can't say much more for fear of giving away the most critical element of the plot -- the storyline suddenly veers off into the simply unbelieveable. It is hard to believe that the author who produced Fatherland could have lost the plot so entirely. The last two chapters are insultingly bad
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: In no other way is the terror, fanaticism and cunning of Stalin brought forward more forcefully. Nowhere else can anyone experience the sheer terror that Stalin comanded over his people, and the skill with which Harris displays this feeling is immense. At every turn there is a new revelation, at each chapter a further twist in the plot, until the end is revealed in stunning power, excitement and suspense. This is a fantastic book, and made even more frightening with the knowledge that Stalin could have done this.
Rating:
Summary: Dissapointingly average
Review: The subject matter of this book is intriguing. Harris outlines the role of the past in modern Russia acutely, and illustrates well the conflict that this brings. The plot develops slowly and peaks all too quickly however, without ever generating suspense. Harris leaves his characters desperately undeveloped (with the exception of O'Brian), distancing the reader rather coldly from the events. Lacking style and flair, this is a novel that never really fulfills its potential.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting Idea Poorly Executed
Review: I, like many of the other reviewers of this book, enjoyed Harris' previous efforts. Those books have interesting plots, a descriptive style that is evocative, and strong characters. Archangel has two of the three of those elements. I thought the basic premise of the book was intriguing. Harris does a good job of reinforcing the premise by describing the setting in very descriptive terms. I've never been to Russia, so I can't say how accurate his descriptions are. But, I can say that he gave me a powerful image of his version of Russia. Where the book falls short is in its lack of characterization. None of the characters rise above the level of a stereotype. The Russian men are portrayed as either drunks or schemers. The reporter is depicted as an amoral, shallow opportunist. But the worst depiction is reserved for the object of the search in the book, who primarily speaks in old Communist Party speeches. While I understood that Harris was trying to portray the effects of brainwashing on this character, it instead came across as confusion as to how to handle him on the author's part. Archangel feels like a good first draft that was rushed into print in order to meet a contract deadline. The elements are there for a great story. But, it needs some more work before it can match the level of Harris' other books.
Rating:
Summary: Not the history, not the trick plot, It's the people.
Review: The postulated history is fascinating. The plot and story original and thought provoking. The emotions, the people, the understanding---great!
Rating:
Summary: Archangel falls short of Harris's previous offerings
Review: As in Fatherland, Archangel is based on a 'What if...' precept, this time pertaining to Stalin's last secret, something which has the potential for a wholly engrossing novel. Sadly, the book has turned out unsatisfying for the first 300 pages, with a few twists thrown in too late and too unconvincingly. The last 100 pages are more apace, but lack the 'thrill factor' of both 'Fatherland' and 'Enigma',which left the reader reading through splayed fingers. In all fairness, Harris makes some salient points about the dilemma of the new Russia, and the frightening popularity of Stalin among both Russians and Western scholars, who find it only too easy to excuse his crimes. The ending of this book reads as if Robert Harris had to finish before teatime and ran out of ideas.
Rating:
Summary: Archangel intriguing, but not a good read
Review: Whereas Fatherland and Enigma were fascinating, Archangel is little more than readable. The story never meshes. It's not until the 250th page or so that the reader finally understands the whole plot. For the bulk of the book I was struggling to understand what the big hubbub was about. Despite the confusion, the book holds together well until the very end. The final 20 pages are mind-boggling. I had to re-read it several times to understand what was happening. It's as if Harris was rushed to finish the book and compacted several chapters worth of information into one. Disappointing.
Rating: 
Summary: Misses the mark at times
Review: Only "The Triumph and the Glory" kept me as intensely interested from start to finish, but Archangel depends a little too much on simple stereotypes and misconceptions of Russia and the Russian people. It is a suspenseful, entertaining book, even with the lack of political and social understanding it displays.
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