RED SPARROW

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by Jason Matthews (2013)

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Dominika Egorova is a gifted young Russian whose unique ability to observe a person’s aura enables her to assess other’s morals and intentions. Although she cannot always perceive an aura, when an aura does reveal itself to Dominika it is permeated with rich colour. Due to this, Dominika has become adept at gathering colour-coded humint. As a graduate of sparrow school, where young Russians are taught how to seduce and fornicate, and in a most mechanistic and earthly manner, and in contrast to how American youth learn and indulge such things quite naturally, Dominika Egorova is now highly qualified, and to a level that is robustly competitive and on a par with the “models and actors” presented throughout the Pornhub network. Sex lessons identified are numbers 13, 4, 55, 23, 27, 51, 49, 46, 9, 47. Nate Nash, a CIA officer operating within Russia, had better watch himself, as a graduate from sex school is likely to be a top seducer. Of course, abstinence would provide Nash with a significant protective benefit here. However, CIA officers are yet to receive this knowledge through appropriate vocational training, thereby ensuring that Nash is both vulnerable and courageous. Lots of action and shagging ensues. The author is a retired CIA officer who states at the beginning of the novel that this is a work of fiction. This assertion should be read in conjunction with the book text, which identifies Russian President Putin by name on twenty-three occasions. The characterisations provided are quite lurid. Moreover, substantial parts of this work appear to be borrowed from Fleming. Similarities between From Russia with love and this work are abundant and unmistakeable. Seemingly more than just an homage. In a novel that completely lacks the camp element of much of Fleming’s work, Red Sparrow appears quite earnest in its open display of contempt for young Russians. Also, Columbian golden dart frog neurotoxin. Fiction. 550 pages.

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DETAILS:

Title: Red sparrow

Year: 2013

Author: Jason Matthews

Pages: 550

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Book review by Keith Salter