Legends

A Novel of Dissimulation

De: Robert Littell

Narrado por: Grover Gardner

Martin Odum is a CIA field agent turned private detective, struggling his way through a labyrinth of past identities—"legends" in CIA parlance. Is he really Martin Odum? Or is he Dante Pippen, an IRA explosives maven? Or Lincoln Dittmann, Civil War expert? These men like different foods, speak different languages, have different skills. Is he suffering from multiple personality disorder, brainwashing, or simply exhaustion? Can Odum trust the CIA psychiatrist? Or Stella Kastner, a young Russian woman who engages him to find her brother-in-law so he can give her sister a divorce? As Odum redeploys his dormant tradecraft skills to solve Stella's case, he travels the globe battling mortal danger and psychological disorientation.

©2005 Robert Littell (P)2005 AudioGO

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Robert Littell’s convincing spy story is brimming with great characters.”

(New York Post)

“[Legends] makes it blazingly clear that Littell’s is one of the most talented, most original voices in American fiction today.”

(Washington Post)

“Littell provides plenty of inside intelligence info in his superb new thriller, but he adds a decidedly comic spin…Wonderful writing and a great sense of fun make this another winner.”

(Publishers Weekly (starred review))

“Littell…delivers a smart, fun, strange adventure in the legendary tradition of Odysseus, yet another wily trickster who boasts to his peril that he is ‘no man.’”

(Booklist)

“An entertaining romp through post–Soviet Russia.”

(Bookmarks magazine)

Not for me

Would you try another book from Robert Littell and/or Grover Gardner?

I could listen to Grover Gardner read the yellow pages.
But I doubt i would choose another book by Robert Littell. This book had too much narrative and too little action for my taste. In fact, I had to go back and listen to some of the book to remember what it was about.

What could Robert Littell have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I never understand why Audible asks this question.

What about Grover Gardner’s performance did you like?

Grover Gardner's voice makes me feel like I am reading the book

Did Legends inspire you to do anything?

The only inspiration I got was not to get another book of his. I have read other reviews of this author, and a lot of people really enjoy them. Guess his style of writing just does't work for me.

Any additional comments?

I wouldn't discourage anyone else to try it

Another great story from Littell

Every book by Littell has been a 5 star and this one keeps the streak alive. Great narration on this one. I have to put Littell in my top three of my espionage authors. I will definitely go through all his books. Highly recommend.

LeCarre's Younger Brother

This was a fascinating book. I've read LeCarre's earlier books (he's too political now)many times and Littell steps in where LeCarre went astray in politics. A good old-fashioned spy thriller that keeps you guessing til the last page. However, this might be a book that is easier read. There were several times I wished I could page back to double-check something that contributed to what was currently happening. It's a very complicated, complex puzzle of a book that is well worth spending a credit on. And, because it is so multilayered, it's worth a second listen to see how many clues were given that were missed by the reader, how the story weaves together (after knowing the ending), and just to revel in the excellence of the writing. Again... like the Smiley books by LeCarre.

If you are looking for an easy read, this isn't it. But if you like feints, mind tricks, etc., you'll love this book.

Littell does it again

The first Robert Littell book I read was the Company which is a spectacular book. I read some of his other books afterwards and they were good but not like the company. Legends is AWESOME! It is as good if not bette than the Company. Great story with twists and turns. Finished it in 3 days and wished it wasn't over, which to me is a sign of a GREAT book.

Disappointment

What would have made Legends better?

A plot.

What was most disappointing about Robert Littell’s story?

The story seemed to be more about the main character and his inability to figure out who he really was, than any plot.

What does Grover Gardner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

One of the skills of a narrator is to make it clear what character is talking by the tone he selects for the characters voice, and I have to congratulate Grover Gardner. How he was able to keep track of characters in this story blew my mind.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No.

Any additional comments?

After reading the Company which I thought was an outstanding book, I was raring to go on this one, and I find it difficult to put into words how disappointed I was. I listened to the whole story and if someone asked me to summarize what it was about.....other than some odd character struggling to figure out who he actually was, I would have to say that I have no idea what the plot was about! To be fair, he did introduce some very interesting characters, but what seemed to be missing was a plot and structure to hold them all together. The book seemed to lurch from one weird incident to the next.