The Odessa File

By: Frederick Forsyth

Narrated by: David Rintoul

Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's Summary

The life-and-death hunt for a notorious Nazi criminal unfolds against a background of international arms deals. As the story leads to its final dramatic confrontation on a bleak winter's hill-top, the question every reader asked at the end of The Day of the Jackal will inevitably be asked again: Can this be fiction?

©2011 Frederick Forsyth (P)2011 Random House Audio Go

a bit bloated

If you could sum up The Odessa File in three words, what would they be?

surprising; overly detailed

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Odessa File?

the ending

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

the pronunciation of the non-english names

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no, the diary entry and the war detail were too long

Any additional comments?

i enjoyed the story but it seemed( not true but seemed ) as if the Nazi war stories took up half the story. In my opinion, it was too much, too long.
Without it, the story would be nice but perhaps some people would feel it was too short.
Not all the extra layers were necessary, i think.

Great yarn

Where does The Odessa File rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Frederick Forsyth, Jack Higgens, Bernard Cornwell to name a few are 'Big Boys Own Adventure' stuff. Not too much detail to bog you down, but just enough to keep the pace flowing. A pleasant experience this audiobook.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Werewolf is so good. Got to love it when a baddy is written up so well.

What about David Rintoul’s performance did you like?

Excellent performance; with accents, style of speech and his consistency.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

When the past catches up with you it won't knock on the door, it may well be kicked in.

Any additional comments?

It is great to see how a major character does not necessary cause all effects but is important to events that he has no idea he is effecting. Lovely writing.

Forsyth at his best

"The Odessa File" is Frederick Forsyth at his best. It tells the tale of a journalist who - for personal reasons that are revealed at the end of the book - hunts down a former concentration camp commandant.
The book is filled with the incredible detail and planning that are the hallmark of Forsyth's books, and he creates believable and interesting characters. The audiobook version of the story adds to this through David Rintoul's truly flawless narration. He perfectly matches the mood of the text, and does a good job giving each character a 'voice.' His narration of Roschmann's rant at the end of the book is brilliant.
This book thoroughly deserves five stars, and is highly recommended. Once you've finished this one, you should try "The Day of the Jackal," another superb Forsyth book which is also narrated by Rintoul.

11 of 11 people found this review helpful

Classic, brilliantly narrated.

Although I'm a fan of the author (can you add more please Mr Audible), I do not give my stars easilily. However all five are well deserved. David Rintoul also does a brilliant performance and his pronoucation is good for both English and German. I recommend you buy it!

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Fascinating and clever thriller

This is one of the few Frederick Forsyth novels that I haven’t listened to before and so was gripped by the twists and turns in the intricate plot as I had no idea what would happen next. I don’t know if the story is based on actual events: the postscript to the book suggests that it is, but others have contested the details. There certainly were secret organisations devoted to protecting ex-Nazis and facilitating their escape to South America and this is the thrust of the book into which is woven a clever story of a journalist trying to track down the ‘Butcher of Riga’. Other reviewers have criticised the amount of detail incorporated into the story. I like this about the author’s books as it adds authenticity to the narrative and most of the factual stuff is interesting. I have complained in reviews of other authors of too much detail but this has been endless descriptions of what people are wearing, the decor or inconsequential facts unrelated to the story.

David Rintoul has just the right voice for this author’s books.

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

Odessa File

Excellent story from start to finish that was very well read. Thoroughly enjoyed this book

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Classic Book

This has been on my top ten films since I was a young lad, I had never read the book. This audio book didnt dissapoint, it was an exciting read.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

The OdessaFFile

A good story well written and good on facts. It is better if you have not seen the film

Brilliant!

My first Fredrick Forsyth book. I was gripped from the start. Great story and well performed.

Magic!

One of my favourite stories, I've read, seen the film and now heard the Odessa File and each version is great. The plot is strong as Miller tries to infiltrate the secret organisation on a mission to track down the Commandant of a Nazi Death camp. Great twist at the end although in the book and audio book versions it is not so well hidden as in the film version. Still well worth a listen. Good narration and at around 11 hours, not too long to drag, but not over in a flash either.

great story

great story, moves at an excellent pace. at times discomforting how fact and fiction merge.

Enthralling and exciting with a great twist.

Forsyth has an unrivalled skill in pacing his novels and embellishing them with fabulous detail. Brilliant.