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will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. 1   Nadin_Tech | Nov 10, 2009 |  2nd in the Erast Fandorin series. Set during the Russo-Turkish War, this installment features not so much Fandorin himself, but a “modern” (1877 style) liberated Russian woman, 22 year old Varvara Andreevna Suvorova, an emancipated Muscovite (kissing a woman’s hands is so 18th century), who is following the Russian army to Bulgaria in order to be reunited with her grass husband, Pyotr. A guide leaves her stranded at an inn, stealing her horse and her money, an emancipated damsel in distress. And who should come to the rescue but Erast Fandorin, a mysterious creature indeed. Whne last we saw Fandorin in The Winter Queen, he was in Moscow having barely survived the bomb blast that killed his lovely young wife. Now older (21) and wiser, he is clearly someone of consequence to the Russian Intelligence Service. Varya becomes his secretary, and shares in his task--to find out the traitor who is informing the Turkish Army about Russian plans. The story is told from Varya's point of view. Akunin supposedly has set himself the task of writing in a different mystery subgenre with each of his books. I am nowhere near so informed as to be able to tell what The Winter Queen was, except that it was quite picaresque and featured Fandorin blundering around Europe, accidentally discovering plots (the Tom Jones of the apprentice police procedural set). This one is clearly the international spy thriller, and it succeeds quite well in a light-hearted but very satisfying way. Don’t expect deep character development or serious detection; this is a piece of Turkish delight, rather sophisticated fluff, and it’s obvious that Akunin enjoyed himself immensely writing it. Highly recommended. (  )1 Joycepa | Mar 16, 2009 | 'The Turkish Gambit' continues the career of erstwhile Russian police detective Erast Fandorin in this the third in Boris Akunin's distinctive mystery series (which is wildly popular in Russia). The book is set during the 1877-1878 Russo-Turkish War (the Russian and Ottoman Empires fought some 11 wars altogether and this was the last one, excepting WWI). Fandorin, now in the Russian Army, but still stunned from his tragic loss in 'The Winter Queen' (the first book in the series), takes a back seat for most of the book to the primary narrative voice of the young radical Varya Suvorova. As usual Akunin's tale twists and turns with delightfully chameleon-like characters. The book's denouement centers on the Siege of Pleven - was a traitor providing information to the Turks? Or perhaps a murderous spy was afoot? Or was it just bad strategy implemented with poor tactics by the Russians? Actual historical characters such as the 'White General' Mikhail Sobelev mix with Akunin's inconstant inventions in a complex web of international warfare and intrigue. Highly recommended. (  ) dougwood57 | Nov 9, 2007 | What a fun read! Praise on the dust-jacket is dead-on correct: the story is Holmesian, and the "novel ... does Christie, Collins and Conan Doyle proud." The Turkish Gambit is a roman à clef set during the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-1878. The great young detective, Erast Petrovich Fandorin, does his work among thinly disguised figures from the battle of Plevna. This is a very fast read: sparse descriptions, little character development. Very plot-driven, but so well done! I enjoyed this first brush with Akunin so much that I am changing my reading plans in order to catch the other three Akunin novels available in English before moving on. Highly recommended! Bromfield's translation is excellent, and does not get in the way of a great story. (  ) danamanian | Oct 28, 2007 | Hurrah for Fandorin! Though why the British publishers have decided to print the books out of order, I'm not sure. This should follow directly on from The Winter Queen and it does indeed make much more sense that way round. (  ) LizT | May 26, 2007 | 
 Andrew Bromfeld's excellent translation is as enjoyably dynamic as the original. It succeeds in conveying the writer-patriot's message to his many Russian readers that, in her pre-revolutionary past, Russia was surrounded by enemies, unable to trust even her allies, and that this is still the case. Thus Akunin's novels afford the English reader not only some fine entertainment, but also a conscious vision of something that Akunin's Russian fans probably access only on the level of the subconscious.
Amazon.com (ISBN 0812968786, Paperback)Russian author Boris Akunin clearly delights in literary experimentation. The Winter Queen, his first novel to win U.S. release, was a police procedural, introducing a young but brilliant detective named Erast Petrovich Fandorin, serving in 1876 Moscow. However, Murder on the Leviathan (actually the third entry in the Fandorin series, but published second in the States) was quite different--an homage to formulaic Golden Age whodunits, taking place on a luxurious steamship. Now comes The Turkish Gambit, which is more a combination of war novel and romance, rather than crime fiction, with the majority of its mysteries so transparent as to barely merit the label.The action here takes place in 1877 and 1878, on the Balkan front of a military conflict pitting tsarist Russia against the Ottoman Empire. Into this realm of posturing commanders and the foreign journalists whose florid prose makes those officers look better (or worse) than they really are ride Fandorin, now with the diplomatic corps, and Varya Suvorova, a strong-willed 22-year-old telegraphist hoping to reunite on the battlefield with her "future fiancé," an army volunteer. But Varya's efforts are frustrated when her intended is accused of espionage. His release can only be won by identifying the real informant-cum-saboteur, in which task Varya is willing to cooperate with Fandorin, despite her dislike of the stuttering and apparently "cold, disagreeable" former policeman. Amid profuse digressions concerning Turkish politics, female suffrage, and the harem system ("without it many women would quite simply starve to death"), Varya--trailed by lustful correspondents--investigates a suspicious colonel in Bucharest, only to become party to a deadly duel. A pair of officers are subsequently murdered, a guilt-ridden soldier hangs himself, and a British plot against Russia is alleged. Akunin (the pseudonym of Grigory Chkhartishvili) nimbly portrays the tumultuous atmosphere of 19th-century combat, complete with ear-splitting cannon blasts and hard-charging cossacks. His dialogue is frequently clever, and in Varya he has created a woman fully capable of steering yarns and stopping hearts. Yet The Turkish Gambit is so laden with expendable exchanges, trivial players, and hieings off to hither and yon, that the reader's interest may wane well short of this story's dramatic climax. --J. Kingston Pierce (retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:18 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
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Wikipedia in English (1)
I read this book at the age of 15, as I remember, just after watching the movie. Both the movie and the book still stay in my list of favourites.
It's a charming story about a brave girl who came to the war to see her fiance. There she meets some brave soldiers, new friends, and an outstanding young man - Erast Fandorin.
Akunin is a really talented writer. Varia was surrounded by handsome and strong men who made dozens of compliments to her. But at the moment she receives one - just one - shy compliment from Erast, she feels so... great... Oh, I can't descript it. But Akunin made a great work!
I just love this book. The characters. All of it. (