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The American  By  cover art

The American

By: Martin Booth
Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
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Editorial reviews

Martin Booth is posthumously back in the spotlight again, thanks to George Clooney and a film adaptation of his novel, originally titled A Very Private Gentleman. Imagine his handsome graying head bent over a half-finished butterfly painting at a cafe table in southern Italy, then aiding in the murder of prominent public figures in Washington, D.C. Indeed, this yarn is actually the very interesting inner monologue of a man who makes guns for covert political assassination plots. It is not a thriller per se, which is perhaps why the film has not been particularly well received. But Booth launched his career first as a successful poet, and the novel is a wonderfully evocative character portrait in a way that simply cannot be captured by film.

It can, however, be captured by voice. Ralph Cosham, who has narrated other such deep portrayals in the likes of Heart of Darkness and Frankenstein, brings the same super classy and sleuth-worthy British accent that he brought to The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. He can spend several minutes discoursing on the proper way to pack a false-bottomed briefcase, then jump to his philosophy on the important differences between the two hookers he's been seeing together twice a week.

Suffice it to say that the plot is intensely understated, and that the real treat is in this man's ability to understand himself and his surroundings. He is a speculative and moral creature who does not shy away from examining his own fleeting pleasures and broad failures. During these 10 hours of Cosham's strangely absorbing monologue, there is still enough time to thread in a sparse and therefore reasonably plausible conflict of a spy on the run from another spy. The things that might make it a failure as a film are precisely those things that make The American worth a listen. Megan Volpert

Publisher's summary

The locals in the southern Italian town where he lives call him Signor Farfalla - Mr. Butterfly - for he is a discreet gentleman who paints rare butterflies. His life is inconspicuous: mornings are spent brushing at a canvas, afternoons idling in the cafés, and evenings talking with his friend, the town priest, over a glass of brandy.

Yet there are other sides to this gentleman’s life: Clara, the young student who moonlights in the town bordello, and another woman, who arrives with $100, 000 and a commission - but not for a painting of butterflies.

With this assignment returns the dark fear that has dogged Signor Farfalla’s mysterious life. Almost instantly, he senses a deadly circle closing in on him, one which he may or may not elude.

Part thriller, part character study, part drama of deceit and self-betrayal, The American shows Martin Booth at the very height of his powers.

(Previously published as A Very Private Gentleman.)

©2004 Martin Booth (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Booth constructs his most focused, tightly written novel to date, reminiscent of William Trevor’s classic Felicia’s Journey and the late Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley novels.” ( Publishers Weekly)
“Booth has created a rich, conflicted antihero whose clever rationalizations mask a soul weary with self-doubt…making us question our own moral values." ( Boston Globe)
“Haunting, shocking, and tense…Crisp yet lyrical, simple yet intelligent.” ( Booklist)

What listeners say about The American

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Slow start but after a few pages your hooked.


Loved the slow buildup of the story.
Very graphical in detail and very well read.

If your looking for high pace action, this isn't it.
But if your looking for an intelligent and story told from the 1st person, this is a good one.

Slow start but after a few pages your hooked.


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18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Slow burning, but leaves a warm glow

This is an intriguing read, and definitely an internal study of the thought process of a person involved in killing. You are much more likely to get the real skinny on "hitters" from this novel than from most of the other tosh written about them. Fascinating discussion on weapons, preparation and personal awareness, all real tools of those who operate in this world.

The listener needs to pay attention, because the information is delivered with a sly self knowing anarchy. The reading is, like the book, understated and quite brilliant.

Heh, I haven't seen the film yet, but I'll bet it ain't nowt like the book:)


brendan

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

"the American"Martin Booth: A very Satisfying Read

One of my favorite books this year. Booth develops this character slowly, like a good friendship should be developed. From the beginning we meet a lonely man, matter of fact, and circumspect about the details of his life.

First person narratives are my favorites, and this is one of those. Our mystery "American," reveals himself in small slices, just as one might choose to invite someone into one's own life. He's deeply immersed in his secretive craft, and under a watchful eye, his descriptions of his surroundings come alive in the mind of the reader.

He is a man of secrets, a certain fatalism, limited emotional intimacies, and rather than being amoral about his profession (manufacture of assassin's arms), he articulates a code of ethics above his surroundings. He stands outside the world of normalcy, and describes a consistent world view by which he lives. It's lonely, but has it's own serenity, and above all he is safe from all the things, and people who hurt us in so many ways.

We meet his customers, and through his eyes we even respect the idealism of their craft. But this solitary man is not without his enemies, and when at last he is run to ground by one of them.... well you'll just have to read the story to see how it ends.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Gifted Narration

Would you consider the audio edition of The American to be better than the print version?

The exceptional writing is enhanced by the delivery provided by Ralph Cosham, who provides nuances of inflection for the various characters by Cosham's impeccable dictation. The movie version of this book avoids the complexities of the storyline and relies on the action/sensationalism--Totally missing the complexities of the novel.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting Life of an Assassin

This Booth/Cosham combo produces a book in easy conversational style, about what its like to be an assassin or assassin’s assistant.

The scene is set in a quiet Italian village. You feel as if Mr. Butterfly, this pleasant and likeable gentleman, is sitting in front of you, in an easy chair, with a glass of wine, describing his life as assassin. His way is casual, gentle and quiet. Introspective. You cant quite imagine him doing what he does, but the way he tells it makes it seem quite natural and acceptable. Almost.

The irony is, that because he is an agent for killing people, he doesn’t have a life himself.

A good, well-written and interesting book.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

a more contemplative "thriller"

though this is the novel from which the American with Clooney came from, it is rather different. in the film they tried to slow things down from the conventional bullet ridden films and to show a more quiet, meticulous, thoughtful man without a lot of dialogue and it almost works ( i like the film ) but there is more inner monologue in the novel that of course couldn't come out in the film without the often hamfisted "voice over" which is hard to do well, especially for this much soul searching. I like the novel very much though be warned it is not a run around shooting things up type of novel. it reminds me of Graham Greene, especially if you combine his Catholic novels (there is some religious discussion with a priest) with his serious thrillers, like Human Factor.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Elegant, finely-crafted story of hitman's gunsmith


In a reversal of the norm, I enjoyed the movie so I thought I would give the book a shot. I'm delighted that I did, but you must know that the plot line of this book is not at all like the plot in the movie. In fact I find it hard to see where they got the movie plot from this book since they share only some names and minor sub-plots.

Martin Booth is an elegant writer who paints a chillingly intimate portrait of the alien world inside the head of an aging master craftsman of assassin's weapons. We see an older man searching for peace and love after an especially violent and solitary life. Booth's finely wrought depiction of small town life in Italy makes me feel as though I've lived there too.

The narration is solid, without resorting to hokey artifice. Overall, a great read (listen).

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

THE BOOK THAT IS BETTER THAN THE MOVIE!!!!

THE BOOK IS ALWAYS BETTER MOST OF THE TIME,IN THIS CASE IT WAS.A SHORT STORY AND A GREAT LISTEN.IF YOU LIKED THE MOVIE YOU NEED TO TAKE THE TIME TO READ A VERY PRIVATE GENTLEMAN..THAT IS THE REAL NAME BEFORE GEORGE CLONEY.. YOU WILL KNOW MOST OF THE PLOT,SO I WONT GIVE IT AWAY.BUT THIS IS A BETTER ENDING THAN THE MOVIE IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN...

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Feels dated, but it's still enjoyable.

Although it was published in 1990, at times it feels older, hence the mediocre recommendation. But there were stretches when I was completely engrossed. The book is written in the first person and that immediacy pulls you in. On other occasions it feels like a friend going on about something less than interesting. And maybe that is what Martin Booth was going for? I enjoy the details of a book, and the author get a lot right. Senior Farfalla is most intriguing when he goes into explaining the particulars of being one of the worlds greatest gunsmiths. The other times ... well, you get the idea. Regardless of that I found myself wanting to listen on. I will likely sample this one again, and I suppose that is the sign of a good book.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

An ejoyable read overall

This book kept me engaged and the performance by the narrator was quite good. Overall, it was a good story line and just fun to listen to. I would recommend this book.

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