The Boys from Brazil

This was a very quick and easy read, which is only really resolved in the last half of the book. You don't really know why men are being killed off by Nazi's especially when they have no affiliation to any Nazi party. However you can begin to make assumptions if you have any idea about Mengeles and the high proportions of blonde, blue eyed children in parts of South America born after the collapse of the Nazi regime. What I found most scary about the book (and it was written almost 40 years ago), is how people stick to their beliefs of how some groups are not worthy to live and should be exterminated, and this is still going on today. The biggest issue I had about the book was the ending. While it was fiction, using real people gives and emphasis of reality and the ending didn't stick to this. Overall an enjoyable thriller which made me want to research more about what I already knew about the `Angel of Auschwitz' and the atrocities he undertook.

Classic thriller focussing on an imaginary conspiracy, where Dr Josef Mengele plots to create a new version of the Third Reich. Emerging from his hideout in South America, Mengele initiates a series of murders, assembling a band of former soldiers to set his scheme in motion. Meanwhile, Nazi hunter Yakov Lieberman receives a strange phone call from a young man who has been following Mengele’s progress and desperately needs Lieberman’s help…Having seen the movie version of this many times (Laurence Olivier and Gregory Peck), I wasn’t sure if the book would live up to my expectations. But, even knowing the plot inside out, I thoroughly enjoyed Levin’s tale of a Nazi takeover, and the masterful way he reveals the evil Mengele’s plans for world domination.I’m already looking forward to the next Ira Levin tome on my bookshelves – Rosemary’s Baby. Mwah, hah, hah.

This may be an old thin book, but it was well written and the storyline just flowed. A few paragraphs towards the end made me realise how much Levin may have thought about how it may work out. It also shows that in recent days that has almost happened.

The Boys from Brazil is a plot driven thriller about exiled Nazi, Josef Mengele’s attempt to resurrect the Reich. It is a thoroughly intriguing concept and I was really looking forward to reading it. Yet I found myself somewhat disappointed. I agree with one of the other reviewers when they say it is one of those novels, which sounds better in summary than in full. It is quite short for a novel and in my opinion, a little underdeveloped. I think it would have worked better as a novella. Furthermore, the inevitable showdown between Liebermann and Josef Mengele was a little underwhelming and anti-climactic. However, it is well written and there is enough to keep the reader engaged to the end but ultimately I felt it didn’t fulfil its potential.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, the Nazi's are evil and the Nazi Hunter conflicted, uinwell, frail, and wary.The novel is set sometimes in the 1970s, and if you've seen the film, then the books it was taken from is accurately portrayed.In essence a young American overhears a plot by a senior Nazi and takes this information to the Nazi Hunter Lieberman, but there's a catch. Because of this catch, Lieberman doesn't know what to do, or what is actually going on. And that's the main plot of the story, Lieberman pretty much trying to figure out what is going on around him, and why?However, it's the execution of the writing that brings the book to life. It's easy to read and really enjoyable.There is also one other thing, it makes us remember what we should never forget.

The introduction by Chelsea Cain got my curiousity piqued but the book did not live up to expectations. My Boyfriend assured me i would love it and also the reviews were good but...The story was interesting but could have been scarier and much more descriptive - the death of the ultimate Nazi was so boring with no description or feelings attributed to the narrater or the observer. I almost missed it. The main characters were on paper poorly written and i felt nothing for them.It was also poorly executed with words missing which the reader ponders over to make it sound and read better.Okay to read if you use your imagination and your prior knowledge of the attrocities but if you know nothing of the history then i think you'll be disappointed.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable thriller. Despite knowing the plot I still really liked this.It is very fast paced, well written and even amusing at times.It does require a certain amount of suspension of disbelief but it is so well done that I didn't really notice any of the possible lack of realism.The central character, Leibermann is really well portrayed and makes a welcome change from the usual hero of thrillers. ****SLIGHT SPOILER*****With the benefit of hindsight it probably gives too much credit in portraying some of the Nazis who fled to South America as evil geniuses. Josef Mengele seems to have been a psychotic killer rather than a serious scientist and his time in South America was somewhat seedy.

What do you think would happen if some of Hitler's top henchmen were surviving and plotting in South America? Well, with Levin's book, that horror is laid out before you. More short, sharp writing from an excellent story teller.