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The Charm School
Deep in the heart of Russia, a group of casually dressed young men are learning a different kind of lesson. The undergraduates sprawled around a game board aren't chilling out on campus: the young KGB agents attending the Charm School are brushing up on their American.
When a young tourist goes to the aid of a stranger on a dark Russian road, he is astonished to find a fellow American on the run. The man has been missing for over a decade, plucked from the jungles of Vietnam to become an unwilling tutor at the institution. Now his former students are poised to strike at the heart of America.
533 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1988
2566 people are currently reading
14718 people want to read
About the author
Nelson DeMille
259 books7,357 followersNelson Richard DeMille was an American author of action adventure and suspense novels. His novels include Plum Island, The Charm School, and The General's Daughter. DeMille also wrote under the pen names Jack Cannon, Kurt Ladner, Ellen Kay and Brad Matthews.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,824 reviews
April 30, 2021
Approximately twenty to twenty-five years (lets say from about 1986-1994) ago I was a big fan of Nelson DeMille.I would purchase his newest novels when they appeared on the shelves and I searched for his older novels (pre-1986) in my favorite used bookstores. Eventually I changed, DeMille's books changed and I drifted away, but the fond memories remained.
The Charm School was one of my favorites.I read it in 1989 when I was twenty-one. I remember it being an intelligent and observant novel with something to say about politics, humanity and war. It seemed very deep and it wrapped up with a very satisfying slam-bang conclusion.
A couple months ago I returned to this book. Now remember I last read it in 1989. I knew that it would be dated. The world's political setting has seen dramatic changes in the past twenty-five years as has my personal life. My wife and I are still together, but much has changed to include my economic status (it has gotten better thankfully), children (two; one of each) my career path (I was Army in 89), and my ideals (more moderate and realistic in 2015). Keeping these things in mind I returned to my younger days. This is always a risky proposal. Thomas Wolfe understood that, but I went ahead anyway.
What did I find? Well it's still an entertaining Cold War espionage thriller in terms of the plot. Implausible, but then how many "edge of your seat" espionage thrillers are plausible? As mentioned earlier it was dated, but that wasn't an issue for me. What I didn't like was the hero. He was a sarcastic jerk who was unlikable and something of an idiot who caused as many problems as he solved and would have been ejected by the Soviet Union as being unwelcomed. I got through the book, but when the hero is unlikabe it makes it difficult to keep with a story which is why it took me two months to finish it.
Over the last couple days I've scanned the few DeMille books that I have held onto and I now understand why I stopped reading him. All his heroes are insufferable sarcastic a-holes. They read like smartmouth seventeen year old boys and I don't like sarcastic seventeen year old boys (or girls).
At the time I might not have been aware of what was going on, but I was growing up during the years that I read DeMille. As a young man I believed that sarcasm passed for intelligence and wit, but I grew up. I came to the realization that in the adult world uncontrolled sarcasm and a smartass attitude will hurt you and impede you. In other words I changed, but DeMille's heroes didn't.All of his heroes are basically the same person with just a different plot and name.
Well another cherished memory from my younger days shot down in flames. I've got to stop doing that. *sigh*
The Charm School was one of my favorites.I read it in 1989 when I was twenty-one. I remember it being an intelligent and observant novel with something to say about politics, humanity and war. It seemed very deep and it wrapped up with a very satisfying slam-bang conclusion.
A couple months ago I returned to this book. Now remember I last read it in 1989. I knew that it would be dated. The world's political setting has seen dramatic changes in the past twenty-five years as has my personal life. My wife and I are still together, but much has changed to include my economic status (it has gotten better thankfully), children (two; one of each) my career path (I was Army in 89), and my ideals (more moderate and realistic in 2015). Keeping these things in mind I returned to my younger days. This is always a risky proposal. Thomas Wolfe understood that, but I went ahead anyway.
What did I find? Well it's still an entertaining Cold War espionage thriller in terms of the plot. Implausible, but then how many "edge of your seat" espionage thrillers are plausible? As mentioned earlier it was dated, but that wasn't an issue for me. What I didn't like was the hero. He was a sarcastic jerk who was unlikable and something of an idiot who caused as many problems as he solved and would have been ejected by the Soviet Union as being unwelcomed. I got through the book, but when the hero is unlikabe it makes it difficult to keep with a story which is why it took me two months to finish it.
Over the last couple days I've scanned the few DeMille books that I have held onto and I now understand why I stopped reading him. All his heroes are insufferable sarcastic a-holes. They read like smartmouth seventeen year old boys and I don't like sarcastic seventeen year old boys (or girls).
At the time I might not have been aware of what was going on, but I was growing up during the years that I read DeMille. As a young man I believed that sarcasm passed for intelligence and wit, but I grew up. I came to the realization that in the adult world uncontrolled sarcasm and a smartass attitude will hurt you and impede you. In other words I changed, but DeMille's heroes didn't.All of his heroes are basically the same person with just a different plot and name.
Well another cherished memory from my younger days shot down in flames. I've got to stop doing that. *sigh*
July 4, 2021
Ten reasons why this book is garbage :-
01. The entire unfortunate meeting between Greg and Dodson suspends belief. These two characters add nothing to the plot except contributing to its convolution.
02. We know why Sam is in love with the heroine but the reciprocation of that is not explained.
03. The reasons given for endangering Lisa in a spy mission is ludicrous, and may be the biggest gaffe of all.
04. Lisa's interest in the peasants of Yablonka is forced and nobody sane would buy it. It's just a reason for Sam and Lisa to have sex.
05. The author doesn't know when to stop writing, and he forgoes better occasions to stop and instead finishes lamely.
06. I'm still ruing not abandoning reading this garbage, and I'm aware I'm wasting more time on this book and this review.
07. This book displeases me so much that it has derailed my gusto for thrillers.
08. Seth's death was idiotic and it was unclear how he could have avoided 600 KGB guards.
09. The reasons given for the slight slap on the wrist for Lisa and Sam don't hold up. They should have been in the KGB not The Charm School. That's because they know the language.
10. The spies at the embassy, both Russian undercover and people like Seth take too many risks for no gain.
11. Sukirov's effect on Sam is not furthered. It's a loose end, and Sukirov's valuable info's provenance is not explained.
12. Sam experiences religious feelings in a disguised ceremony in Moscow. I don't buy that scene.
13. Lisa seems to be as atheistic as Sam. That does not compute.
14. The humor of Demille is in its infancy here. This book tries to be funny. And fails.
15. The laughable attempt at creating tension over fuel shortage still grates.
That's just off the top of my head. I will give Night Fall a try. If it's cut from the same cloth as This Book, then all the bets are off. For some reason I imagined Sean Astin in the role of Sam. He's about the right age and build. For Lisa I imagined a pretty ex colleague from work. In my mind they had great chemistry. I was putty in the hands of this book. And still it failed on so many fronts that I'm thinking about never again reading a Cold War thriller. How could John Le Carre earn his living baffles me.PT Barnum must be spinning in his grave. I must know when to quit. I lost against this book because I thought the last chapters would redeem the book. Dream on! There was no real twist in this story, there was no sacrifice, there was no revenge, there was no traitor. Allegorically let me say that this book missed the boat. You'll understand if you read The Charm School.
01. The entire unfortunate meeting between Greg and Dodson suspends belief. These two characters add nothing to the plot except contributing to its convolution.
02. We know why Sam is in love with the heroine but the reciprocation of that is not explained.
03. The reasons given for endangering Lisa in a spy mission is ludicrous, and may be the biggest gaffe of all.
04. Lisa's interest in the peasants of Yablonka is forced and nobody sane would buy it. It's just a reason for Sam and Lisa to have sex.
05. The author doesn't know when to stop writing, and he forgoes better occasions to stop and instead finishes lamely.
06. I'm still ruing not abandoning reading this garbage, and I'm aware I'm wasting more time on this book and this review.
07. This book displeases me so much that it has derailed my gusto for thrillers.
08. Seth's death was idiotic and it was unclear how he could have avoided 600 KGB guards.
09. The reasons given for the slight slap on the wrist for Lisa and Sam don't hold up. They should have been in the KGB not The Charm School. That's because they know the language.
10. The spies at the embassy, both Russian undercover and people like Seth take too many risks for no gain.
11. Sukirov's effect on Sam is not furthered. It's a loose end, and Sukirov's valuable info's provenance is not explained.
12. Sam experiences religious feelings in a disguised ceremony in Moscow. I don't buy that scene.
13. Lisa seems to be as atheistic as Sam. That does not compute.
14. The humor of Demille is in its infancy here. This book tries to be funny. And fails.
15. The laughable attempt at creating tension over fuel shortage still grates.
That's just off the top of my head. I will give Night Fall a try. If it's cut from the same cloth as This Book, then all the bets are off. For some reason I imagined Sean Astin in the role of Sam. He's about the right age and build. For Lisa I imagined a pretty ex colleague from work. In my mind they had great chemistry. I was putty in the hands of this book. And still it failed on so many fronts that I'm thinking about never again reading a Cold War thriller. How could John Le Carre earn his living baffles me.PT Barnum must be spinning in his grave. I must know when to quit. I lost against this book because I thought the last chapters would redeem the book. Dream on! There was no real twist in this story, there was no sacrifice, there was no revenge, there was no traitor. Allegorically let me say that this book missed the boat. You'll understand if you read The Charm School.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2013
This book is one of those that you wish could be made into a good movie. Oh wait a second… have you see a new TV series The Americans? I bet the idea for The Americans came from The Charm School. You know… the idea of Russian spies infiltrating the US, pretending to be Americans? Scared already? By the way, The Americans is one clever TV show that is such a rarity in our modern TV world.
If you like spy novels, you might love The Charm School. I am not a big fan of anything spies related. Unless it is Daniel Craig as James Bond. Unless it is a clever TV show. Unless it is a well-written book.
The Charm School is just that – a very well written spy novel. We have a hero. We have a cold blooded son-of-a-bitch anti-hero. We have brutal Russian KGB agents. We have a smart ass American spy. We have a psychotic Russian spy. We have a love triangle. We have car chases, torture chambers, spy equipment, and Russian essential elements such as vodka and borsch. We have it all in this book.
It was not a wild ride as you might think, but it was an intense one. The ending was not as impressive as the book itself. It seemed rushed. It seemed that DeMille got tired with his own story and decided to wrap it up on a whim. It did take a little bit away from the book but not much.
One final thought – curiosity is a root of all espionage. If you are curious, go ahead and read The Charm School. You won’t regret it.
If you like spy novels, you might love The Charm School. I am not a big fan of anything spies related. Unless it is Daniel Craig as James Bond. Unless it is a clever TV show. Unless it is a well-written book.
The Charm School is just that – a very well written spy novel. We have a hero. We have a cold blooded son-of-a-bitch anti-hero. We have brutal Russian KGB agents. We have a smart ass American spy. We have a psychotic Russian spy. We have a love triangle. We have car chases, torture chambers, spy equipment, and Russian essential elements such as vodka and borsch. We have it all in this book.
It was not a wild ride as you might think, but it was an intense one. The ending was not as impressive as the book itself. It seemed rushed. It seemed that DeMille got tired with his own story and decided to wrap it up on a whim. It did take a little bit away from the book but not much.
One final thought – curiosity is a root of all espionage. If you are curious, go ahead and read The Charm School. You won’t regret it.
February 12, 2025
Revised
May 9, 2018
Were any of you even born in 1988? Somebody asked me about smart, fun, beach-books this week, and this is one of my all time favorites. The Charm School is an old school (ha!) spy thriller I first read in 1990 and which zombied me into a rabid lifelong fan of all the thrillers that master Nelson DeMille cranks out, always full of non-fictional detail that makes the novels seem very realistic. Before 9/11, he wrote a book where a jet liner with a terrorist in control ominously heads towards JFK airport with the tower receiving no responses from the pilot. His stories about Middle Eastern conflict are frighteningly on target, with gas attacks at archeological sites that seemed ripped from the headlines - except that his books have come out before these bizarre incidences have occurred. Hubby Joe and I have had more than one conversation about who exactly it is that is reading his books! We own a hardback of every novel he has written but promise y’all we are not terrorists.
So, The Charm School? Incredible. Back in the days of the Vietnam war, there were more than 2,400 US fighting men who went missing. When I was little, I remember that people wore these metal MIA (missing in action) bracelets that would each honor a service member who had not come home - but whose body had not been found. One doesn't hear much about that these days, but these guys that vanished like ghosts - but who might just be alive in some POW camp or hiding out in the jungle - weighed heavily on the minds of our citizens. The torture for their families and friends was in the not-knowing.
These are the men who populate The Charm School.
In the war, North Vietnam was a communist country with the USSR supporting it, and the Soviet Union is precisely where this story is set. It starts out with a crazy and outlandish claim. There is a young American guy who's just finished grad school and is driving across Russia (newly but just barely open to outsiders) in celebration just prior to starting his career. The kid is pretty cocky and has shipped over his hot rod of a car to tour the continent. As he is toodling along a back road in the high forest, an older guy scrambles out of the woods and flags him down.
The surprised college grad is told that this man is a US pilot who's been held captive for years in some sort of camp, right there in Russia. The guy says he was shot down in Vietnam and maintains that other US veterans are still at the camp, being forced to work as instructors to young KGB agents. The job of the captives is to Americanize the KGB so that they can move to the US, pose as regular citizens, and spy on the country.
The stunned kid manages to get garbled word to the US Embassy about this claim but then is suddenly clammed up. The man out to investigate his story is the US air attache, but as we all know, many of those in the embassy are actually intelligence officers. Hollis is his name, and he is intent on finding this KGB charm school - if it is not merely the ramblings of a single deranged man - and on finally bringing our MIA home.
If you are a fan of the FX series called The Americans or loved the movie The Manchurian Candidate, you are gonna seriously LOVE The Charm School. What is further interesting is that since this book was written 30 years ago, the attitude the reader might pick up from the author is vintage cold war... reading this book is like cracking open a time capsule. You may not care for the opinions of the protagonist or like his interaction with his love interest, but the whole thing’s an honest snapshot of the time period. Such a bonus! 5 stars and on my favorite fluff shelf.
So, The Charm School? Incredible. Back in the days of the Vietnam war, there were more than 2,400 US fighting men who went missing. When I was little, I remember that people wore these metal MIA (missing in action) bracelets that would each honor a service member who had not come home - but whose body had not been found. One doesn't hear much about that these days, but these guys that vanished like ghosts - but who might just be alive in some POW camp or hiding out in the jungle - weighed heavily on the minds of our citizens. The torture for their families and friends was in the not-knowing.
These are the men who populate The Charm School.
In the war, North Vietnam was a communist country with the USSR supporting it, and the Soviet Union is precisely where this story is set. It starts out with a crazy and outlandish claim. There is a young American guy who's just finished grad school and is driving across Russia (newly but just barely open to outsiders) in celebration just prior to starting his career. The kid is pretty cocky and has shipped over his hot rod of a car to tour the continent. As he is toodling along a back road in the high forest, an older guy scrambles out of the woods and flags him down.
The surprised college grad is told that this man is a US pilot who's been held captive for years in some sort of camp, right there in Russia. The guy says he was shot down in Vietnam and maintains that other US veterans are still at the camp, being forced to work as instructors to young KGB agents. The job of the captives is to Americanize the KGB so that they can move to the US, pose as regular citizens, and spy on the country.
The stunned kid manages to get garbled word to the US Embassy about this claim but then is suddenly clammed up. The man out to investigate his story is the US air attache, but as we all know, many of those in the embassy are actually intelligence officers. Hollis is his name, and he is intent on finding this KGB charm school - if it is not merely the ramblings of a single deranged man - and on finally bringing our MIA home.
If you are a fan of the FX series called The Americans or loved the movie The Manchurian Candidate, you are gonna seriously LOVE The Charm School. What is further interesting is that since this book was written 30 years ago, the attitude the reader might pick up from the author is vintage cold war... reading this book is like cracking open a time capsule. You may not care for the opinions of the protagonist or like his interaction with his love interest, but the whole thing’s an honest snapshot of the time period. Such a bonus! 5 stars and on my favorite fluff shelf.
June 2, 2025
The Charm School by Nelson DeMilleis an action packed novel of espionage and murder, kidnapping in Russia.
March 10, 2022
Nelson DeMille strikes again. The guy never lets me down, ever. The Charm School is a Cold War thriller about a training camp in the Russian countryside that is using American POWs from Vietnam to train young KGB agents to essentially become Americans. The book follows Mark Hollis, a spy working out of the embassy in Moscow, and Lisa Rhodes, an embassy worker that gets mixed up in everything, as they attempt to get to the bottom of what the hell is really going on in those woods outside Borodino.
This is an early DeMille, but it has all the things that make a DeMille book. It’s smart, funny, clever, violent and extremely entertaining. Before this book, I would’ve told you that The Lion’s Game was my favorite DeMille, but this one may very well have stolen the top spot. A little over a year ago, I had never read a single DeMille book….now I have read 8. There’s something about his style that I find myself wanting to return to over and over.
This novel does have some jingoism and Russophobia, from the characters, that was common in the era and pops up in varying degrees when reading these Cold War books (a genre which has been somewhat of a guilty pleasure for a few years now for me). Characters of both nationalities do a lot of reflecting on the difference between the USSR and the West, and sometimes it is a bit harsh. Here’s an example:
…”What is it, Seth? The Tartar influence? The Kazakh influence? Why aren’t they exactly like us? I know they can look Scandinavian or Germanic, like Burov, but it’s something more than genetic. It’s a whole different soul and psyche, an ancestral memory; it’s the deep winter snow, and Mongols sweeping over the steppe, and always feeling like they’re inferior to the west and getting shafted by Europe and Cyrillic letters and Slavic fatalism and offbrand Christianity and who the hell knows what else…”
Yes, there are problems with passages like that. However, the other main character, Lisa, is in love with Russian culture and history, so there really are a lot of viewpoints and reflections represented here. I bring this up because this book is very much about the difference in cultures, and what makes us more alike than what we may even realize, as Miss Ivanova’s Charm School is a place that exists essentially to turn Russians into Americans.
DeMille states in the intro that he got the idea for this book from rumors he heard going around after he got back from Vietnam, that some US POWs may have ended up in Russia. A decade or so later, he took a trip to the Soviet Union and began researching the book. Interesting indeed! Easy 4.5/5 for me
This is an early DeMille, but it has all the things that make a DeMille book. It’s smart, funny, clever, violent and extremely entertaining. Before this book, I would’ve told you that The Lion’s Game was my favorite DeMille, but this one may very well have stolen the top spot. A little over a year ago, I had never read a single DeMille book….now I have read 8. There’s something about his style that I find myself wanting to return to over and over.
This novel does have some jingoism and Russophobia, from the characters, that was common in the era and pops up in varying degrees when reading these Cold War books (a genre which has been somewhat of a guilty pleasure for a few years now for me). Characters of both nationalities do a lot of reflecting on the difference between the USSR and the West, and sometimes it is a bit harsh. Here’s an example:
…”What is it, Seth? The Tartar influence? The Kazakh influence? Why aren’t they exactly like us? I know they can look Scandinavian or Germanic, like Burov, but it’s something more than genetic. It’s a whole different soul and psyche, an ancestral memory; it’s the deep winter snow, and Mongols sweeping over the steppe, and always feeling like they’re inferior to the west and getting shafted by Europe and Cyrillic letters and Slavic fatalism and offbrand Christianity and who the hell knows what else…”
Yes, there are problems with passages like that. However, the other main character, Lisa, is in love with Russian culture and history, so there really are a lot of viewpoints and reflections represented here. I bring this up because this book is very much about the difference in cultures, and what makes us more alike than what we may even realize, as Miss Ivanova’s Charm School is a place that exists essentially to turn Russians into Americans.
DeMille states in the intro that he got the idea for this book from rumors he heard going around after he got back from Vietnam, that some US POWs may have ended up in Russia. A decade or so later, he took a trip to the Soviet Union and began researching the book. Interesting indeed! Easy 4.5/5 for me
March 24, 2015
When a young American tourist (Gregory Fisher) picks up a U.S. POW on the run while touring Russia, (in his Pontiac Grand Am) the excitement begins and doesn't stop.
This intense and fast-moving spy thriller brings the evil of the Soviet Union to life during the Cold War with well-defined characters, loads of KGB treachery and a horror of a secret deep in the woods.
Perhaps a little wordy at times, and I did not care much for the female protagonist, but the brave Colonel Hollis and his sarcastic wit more than made up for her weaknesses in spades. Unputdownable.....despite the near 800 pages and one of my favorites by DeMille. 4.5 Stars.
Update: March 24, 2015
Oops! Forgot to mention.......Erik Larson even makes an appearance!
September 5, 2021
I always enjoy a Nelson DeMille novel and this one sucked me in from the very beginning and didn’t let go until the last page!! This is a definite all-time favorite!!
November 24, 2018
A spy-mystery from Demille, when Demille was a younger writer still developing his sarcastic wit. Even then, he could make a seemingly improbable story believable and highly entertaining. For anyone over 40 who remembers the tail-end of the long and mistrust-filled Cold War, this book will resonate.
As usual, DeMille weaves an imaginative story involving characters you love, spies in the late 1980's, the American Embassy in Moscow, a bit of Russian history, Vietnam MIAs, a training school for Soviet Spies and a rescue mission that will have you on the edge of your seat. The Charm School is riveting and one his best finishes, reminiscent of Night Fall and Plum Island. Could the Charm School have ever existed?
As usual, DeMille weaves an imaginative story involving characters you love, spies in the late 1980's, the American Embassy in Moscow, a bit of Russian history, Vietnam MIAs, a training school for Soviet Spies and a rescue mission that will have you on the edge of your seat. The Charm School is riveting and one his best finishes, reminiscent of Night Fall and Plum Island. Could the Charm School have ever existed?
July 2, 2015
2.5 but deserves to be rounded down to 2 rather than up to 3; my first DeMille book and convinced me to NEVER read him again.
This is a harsh rating for a relatively well written book; for pulp, the use of language and research doesn't get much better than this. However, the author (and his self importance and conceit), the characters, the characterization of the USSR, the work's long winded-ness, and its portrayal of relationships annoyed me so much as to push my rating over the edge.
#1: It really took a lot of effort for me to give this book a shot after reading the second paragraph of the author's intro: "The Cold War is over, so is The Charm School still relevant? ... The Iliad is still read almost 3000 years after it first appeared...." UM Get a grip Mr. DeMille, you are no Homer, and even if you were, it would not be for you to characterize yourself as such.
#2: The characters are TRULY detestable, each and every single one of them; although clearly DeMille is trying to portray Americans as somehow superior to the Russians, everyone from Hollis to Lisa to Alevy to every American in between comes off as naive, idiotic, self aggrandizing, or worse.
Example #1: in the middle of a time sensitive critical operation in which Alevy is saving Lisa and Hollis from a KGB camp, Lisa stops to ask Alevy in a whiny typically sexist portrayal, "do you know what [the Russians] did to me" in this camp? Well, honey, I bet he does have some ideas, and even if he does not, is this really the time to begin this (or ANY) discussion?
Example #2: Hollis first wants to rescue some American POWs gone missing for decades, then when he meets them in person he is contemptible, cruel, and cold towards them for being "traitors" while doing exactly what the POWs are doing (ie being a "traitor" himself), and finally he returns to detesting his government and wanting to hold them accountable for not dealing with these "traitors" in a way he condones...
#3: The characterization of the USSR really got to me; I grew up in communist Romania, and my family suffered a great deal as a consequence (we are political refugees in the USA, long story). There's a lot of similarities between the Romanian and USSR regimes, and DeMille does a good job portraying all Russians as either cruel animals, pathetic impotents, sellouts, or any other number of unflattering characterizations. There is not ONE positive portrayal of a Russian: if there are any in the book who are not evil by DeMille's standards, then they are just pathetic excuses for human beings who are too stupid/naive/unable to help themselves (even Zurikov, the defector, is portrayed as such even though Hollis comes to the conclusion at some point that he "just wants to be free, whatever that freedom means to him"...)... A lot of people in the USSR/eastern block suffered a GREAT DEAL at communist hands (I would argue, a majority), and yes, there was very little that could be done unfortunately until conditions changed in the late 80s; people resisted in their own ways: poetry, humor, underground art and radio, black market economies. Just because they were not able to take concrete action by democratic standards and overthrow totalitarianism sooner does not make all eastern europeans naive, impotent, cruel, or idiotic...
#4: The book just goes on and on and on and on... even though very little actually happens. I guess part of it is to build atmosphere but it's TOO much!
#5: The relationships are totally, entirely unbelievable, starting with the romance between Lisa and Hollis (20 years apart), which is completely unexplainable and unrealistic... I NEVER got why they "loved" each other, the attraction was incredibly superficial, etc. Same with most other relationships in the book.
That said, it WAS a good mystery that was written fairly well: IF it had been condensed into about half the space and IF it had left out some of the snark, bad attempt at creating relationships, and anti-people-who-are-oppressed propaganda, I probably would have rated this a 4. As it stood, however, it's a 2, and it also has helped me form my opinion of DeMille as an author I will NOT try again.
This is a harsh rating for a relatively well written book; for pulp, the use of language and research doesn't get much better than this. However, the author (and his self importance and conceit), the characters, the characterization of the USSR, the work's long winded-ness, and its portrayal of relationships annoyed me so much as to push my rating over the edge.
#1: It really took a lot of effort for me to give this book a shot after reading the second paragraph of the author's intro: "The Cold War is over, so is The Charm School still relevant? ... The Iliad is still read almost 3000 years after it first appeared...." UM Get a grip Mr. DeMille, you are no Homer, and even if you were, it would not be for you to characterize yourself as such.
#2: The characters are TRULY detestable, each and every single one of them; although clearly DeMille is trying to portray Americans as somehow superior to the Russians, everyone from Hollis to Lisa to Alevy to every American in between comes off as naive, idiotic, self aggrandizing, or worse.
Example #1: in the middle of a time sensitive critical operation in which Alevy is saving Lisa and Hollis from a KGB camp, Lisa stops to ask Alevy in a whiny typically sexist portrayal, "do you know what [the Russians] did to me" in this camp? Well, honey, I bet he does have some ideas, and even if he does not, is this really the time to begin this (or ANY) discussion?
Example #2: Hollis first wants to rescue some American POWs gone missing for decades, then when he meets them in person he is contemptible, cruel, and cold towards them for being "traitors" while doing exactly what the POWs are doing (ie being a "traitor" himself), and finally he returns to detesting his government and wanting to hold them accountable for not dealing with these "traitors" in a way he condones...
#3: The characterization of the USSR really got to me; I grew up in communist Romania, and my family suffered a great deal as a consequence (we are political refugees in the USA, long story). There's a lot of similarities between the Romanian and USSR regimes, and DeMille does a good job portraying all Russians as either cruel animals, pathetic impotents, sellouts, or any other number of unflattering characterizations. There is not ONE positive portrayal of a Russian: if there are any in the book who are not evil by DeMille's standards, then they are just pathetic excuses for human beings who are too stupid/naive/unable to help themselves (even Zurikov, the defector, is portrayed as such even though Hollis comes to the conclusion at some point that he "just wants to be free, whatever that freedom means to him"...)... A lot of people in the USSR/eastern block suffered a GREAT DEAL at communist hands (I would argue, a majority), and yes, there was very little that could be done unfortunately until conditions changed in the late 80s; people resisted in their own ways: poetry, humor, underground art and radio, black market economies. Just because they were not able to take concrete action by democratic standards and overthrow totalitarianism sooner does not make all eastern europeans naive, impotent, cruel, or idiotic...
#4: The book just goes on and on and on and on... even though very little actually happens. I guess part of it is to build atmosphere but it's TOO much!
#5: The relationships are totally, entirely unbelievable, starting with the romance between Lisa and Hollis (20 years apart), which is completely unexplainable and unrealistic... I NEVER got why they "loved" each other, the attraction was incredibly superficial, etc. Same with most other relationships in the book.
That said, it WAS a good mystery that was written fairly well: IF it had been condensed into about half the space and IF it had left out some of the snark, bad attempt at creating relationships, and anti-people-who-are-oppressed propaganda, I probably would have rated this a 4. As it stood, however, it's a 2, and it also has helped me form my opinion of DeMille as an author I will NOT try again.
February 18, 2024
I cannot begin to guess how many times I have read this book; a conservative guess would be a dozen. This is one of the very few books that I could reread immediately upon finishing. This is a book about the cold war, set in Moscow and featuring a plot twist so amazing that in its setting it would have been horrifying. In 2017 you will recognize it to some degree as the the plot of the show "The Americans"
The story begins with a young American who has decided to spend his post MBA vacation driving through Europe in a Pontiac Trans-Am. He decides to drive through Russia and ends up at Bordino where he stumbles upon something that will get him killed. In this version of the book the author expands upon this scene, he admits in the prologue that his editor cut this from the original, I agree with the editor. It makes things clear for the dullest of his readers but in the earlier version I enjoyed the slow reveal of the plot twist.
When Gregory Fisher disappears from Moscow the US embassy, most importantly the Air Force attache, Sam Hollis, gets involved. Joined by another embassy employee, and Russophile, he sets out to collect Mr. Fishers remains but also makes a side trip to Bordino which has the KGB steaming.
What makes this book frightening is that there was a society, a country, where you could disappear and no one would raise an eyebrow.
This is a Nelson DeMille book that I have wanted a sequel, a prequel, just MORE since the first time I read it.
No matter how many times I read it I some how am always surprised at every twist.
The story begins with a young American who has decided to spend his post MBA vacation driving through Europe in a Pontiac Trans-Am. He decides to drive through Russia and ends up at Bordino where he stumbles upon something that will get him killed. In this version of the book the author expands upon this scene, he admits in the prologue that his editor cut this from the original, I agree with the editor. It makes things clear for the dullest of his readers but in the earlier version I enjoyed the slow reveal of the plot twist.
When Gregory Fisher disappears from Moscow the US embassy, most importantly the Air Force attache, Sam Hollis, gets involved. Joined by another embassy employee, and Russophile, he sets out to collect Mr. Fishers remains but also makes a side trip to Bordino which has the KGB steaming.
What makes this book frightening is that there was a society, a country, where you could disappear and no one would raise an eyebrow.
This is a Nelson DeMille book that I have wanted a sequel, a prequel, just MORE since the first time I read it.
No matter how many times I read it I some how am always surprised at every twist.
February 19, 2021
This is an early work by DeMille, and as such it's unnecessarily long with more character building than is strictly necessary. It was published in 1988, just before the collapse of the Soviet Union, and one new, unintended payoff is that the characters occasionally speculate about how long the Soviet system can endure, usually prophesizing a century or two.
Charm School is a cold-war spy story: the Soviets have a secret school where they train deep-cover agents for America. They are highly successful because the instructors are imprisoned Americans. The protagonist and hero, Colonel Hollis, has the wit and snark of characters DeMille would write decades later, characterized by a nasty, New York-bred urge to offend people he doesn't like, even when his life's at stake.
The story twists and turns with lots of spy and military action, a love story, and a final battle that is satisfying and violent, and ultimately revolting for its cynicism and disregard for human life. I believed the portrayal of the KGB as amoral power seekers who kill and torture at will, (and Putin, capo-di-tuti-capa of the new Russian Mob is a product of this bunch) but I did not believe the final, horrific choice to preserve détente. Imagine Fail Safe, but the President nukes New York because the transit union is discovered to be working for the KGB, and the President doesn't want to embarrass the SALT talks. Ludicrous, but fun in its own way.
Charm School is a cold-war spy story: the Soviets have a secret school where they train deep-cover agents for America. They are highly successful because the instructors are imprisoned Americans. The protagonist and hero, Colonel Hollis, has the wit and snark of characters DeMille would write decades later, characterized by a nasty, New York-bred urge to offend people he doesn't like, even when his life's at stake.
The story twists and turns with lots of spy and military action, a love story, and a final battle that is satisfying and violent, and ultimately revolting for its cynicism and disregard for human life. I believed the portrayal of the KGB as amoral power seekers who kill and torture at will, (and Putin, capo-di-tuti-capa of the new Russian Mob is a product of this bunch) but I did not believe the final, horrific choice to preserve détente. Imagine Fail Safe, but the President nukes New York because the transit union is discovered to be working for the KGB, and the President doesn't want to embarrass the SALT talks. Ludicrous, but fun in its own way.
September 14, 2008
This is one doozy of a spy novel! Especially for those of us who grew up during the Cold War and remember how mistrustful we were of the Russkies.
I read this in print many years ago and just recently listened to the audio version. I've read several of this author's novels in the John Corey series, but this stand alone trumps them all. I believe it was his first novel (??), and I think it's his best.
Sam Hollis and Lisa Rhodes work at the American embassy in Moscow. They stumble upon information about a secret "school" in Russia where Americans are held against their will and have to teach Russians how to pass as Americans. They study language and slang and history and culture, and then are sent to the U.S. where they live as Americans and are gradually infiltrating all levels of society.
As always, DeMille can be a little long winded, but he clearly did his research about Russia. Much of it is quite interesting, and rather prescient considering this was published before the Berlin Wall came down. I found the ending more satisfying than some of DeMille's other novels.
I read this in print many years ago and just recently listened to the audio version. I've read several of this author's novels in the John Corey series, but this stand alone trumps them all. I believe it was his first novel (??), and I think it's his best.
Sam Hollis and Lisa Rhodes work at the American embassy in Moscow. They stumble upon information about a secret "school" in Russia where Americans are held against their will and have to teach Russians how to pass as Americans. They study language and slang and history and culture, and then are sent to the U.S. where they live as Americans and are gradually infiltrating all levels of society.
As always, DeMille can be a little long winded, but he clearly did his research about Russia. Much of it is quite interesting, and rather prescient considering this was published before the Berlin Wall came down. I found the ending more satisfying than some of DeMille's other novels.
December 28, 2010
Turgid exposition that describes every plodding step our hero makes, hamhanded propaganda, one cardboard woman who would be right at home on Mickey Spillaine's lap, Soviet villains who display every Reagan-era leitmotif Americans were conditioned to despise (until we turned the tables in the Bush era and became the torturing, anti-due process monsters we once fought)--what's not to loathe about this book?
Author Nelson DeMille did manage to create a bit of mounting suspense, with some nifty writing in alternating settings at the beginning of Part V, the most action-packed section of this hairy-chested man's book. But he lost all he gained once the action started. DeMille felt the need to describe--in great detail--each nook and cranny of the weaponry.
The plot itself is standard-issue action adventure, with an anti-diplomacy twist at the end that leaves any conscience-burdened reader saying "WTF?". And if all the steel-jawed murder is not enough to repel readers, there's some pretty blatant anti-Semitism too.
I can't think of any circumstance, short of Soviet-era or Bush-era torture, that would cause me to recommend this book.
Author Nelson DeMille did manage to create a bit of mounting suspense, with some nifty writing in alternating settings at the beginning of Part V, the most action-packed section of this hairy-chested man's book. But he lost all he gained once the action started. DeMille felt the need to describe--in great detail--each nook and cranny of the weaponry.
The plot itself is standard-issue action adventure, with an anti-diplomacy twist at the end that leaves any conscience-burdened reader saying "WTF?". And if all the steel-jawed murder is not enough to repel readers, there's some pretty blatant anti-Semitism too.
I can't think of any circumstance, short of Soviet-era or Bush-era torture, that would cause me to recommend this book.
December 18, 2022
De Mille is one of my favourites, but this book is not among his best. the initial plot looks promising but there are quite a lot of facts I dislike:
- the book is much too long, without too much substance in it
- characters are not too atractive and I don't like Hollis attitude to the prisoners in the camp. they are not traitors.
- the idea of eliberation is a smart one but it exceds reasonability limits, a few men against a little (stupid, of course...) army. otherwise, too many killings.
- Burov can kill Hollis in his house, instead he preferes to talk...
- the final is too long and without any twists.
So, quite disappointing.
- the book is much too long, without too much substance in it
- characters are not too atractive and I don't like Hollis attitude to the prisoners in the camp. they are not traitors.
- the idea of eliberation is a smart one but it exceds reasonability limits, a few men against a little (stupid, of course...) army. otherwise, too many killings.
- Burov can kill Hollis in his house, instead he preferes to talk...
- the final is too long and without any twists.
So, quite disappointing.
January 16, 2024
An American touring Russia during the twilight of The Cold War picks up a passenger, a graduate of a Soviet Charm School. I just read in the news, an article about a whole string of honey traps with girls not much different than this. Of course, the officials that frequented the ring are "top secret." The more things change, the more they stay the same.
A fairly typical espionage outing, a bit like Red Sparrow.
A fairly typical espionage outing, a bit like Red Sparrow.
January 8, 2021
I'm super bummed about DNF'g this at 38%. I was in the mood for a solid Cold War spy thriller, but this is not that.
A stupid 24yo American drives his Trans Am like a madman across Russia. He breaks all kinds of laws and curfews and antagonizes the police when he's finally stopped. When he arrives at his hotel, he calls the embassy to report he met an American on a rural stretch of road. The man said he escaped from Ms. Ivanova's Charm School, his name is Dodson and he's an Air Force POW who's been missing for nearly 20 years.
That, my friends, is about the last of the thriller-related stuff.
The rest has been Col. Sam Hollis taking a totally unqualified female staffer around Russia, for the purpose of upsetting the authorities (both ours and theirs) and getting into her pencil skirt.
I like romances; I read romances. I was not in the mood for a romance when I picked up this book. Where is the action and espionage; the political chess? If the pace had been faster I might've stuck with it, but I'm just over the whole thing. Moving on.
A stupid 24yo American drives his Trans Am like a madman across Russia. He breaks all kinds of laws and curfews and antagonizes the police when he's finally stopped. When he arrives at his hotel, he calls the embassy to report he met an American on a rural stretch of road. The man said he escaped from Ms. Ivanova's Charm School, his name is Dodson and he's an Air Force POW who's been missing for nearly 20 years.
That, my friends, is about the last of the thriller-related stuff.
The rest has been Col. Sam Hollis taking a totally unqualified female staffer around Russia, for the purpose of upsetting the authorities (both ours and theirs) and getting into her pencil skirt.
I like romances; I read romances. I was not in the mood for a romance when I picked up this book. Where is the action and espionage; the political chess? If the pace had been faster I might've stuck with it, but I'm just over the whole thing. Moving on.
March 28, 2021
This was a little bit interesting and a little bit boring but I managed to finish it.
January 31, 2017
4.5 starts. The Charm School is a good roller coaster ride. Set the the late 1980's Soviet Union when spying and espionage were going full force. Starts with a bang and doesn't let up until the end. Full of surprises and kept my interest throughout.
January 17, 2013
I don't think I've given one star before but this book was such a disappointment I can't possibly do anything else. I've read and enjoyed a couple of other thrillers by this author, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt and persisted with this stinker -- but my perseverance was not rewarded. I realize it was written in the late 1980s, but even so the evil Russians and the noble Americans (complete with flaws of course, since shucks, nobody's perfect)were caricatures from a comic book in the 1950s. I didn't like the Russians, I didn't like the Americans, and the whole Cold-War breathless "aren't they horrible?" stuff that went on and on was ludicrous. And this criticism isn't just because the world has moved on and we have other super villains. I've read and been enthralled by LeCarre, for instance, since the fall of the Berlin Wall. This book is two-dimensional and I'm really sorry I wasted my time.
August 23, 2011
This is one of my most favorite books ever. It was my introduction to espionage and romantic suspense. A real thriller that should stand the test of time.
October 8, 2018
I have never read anything written by Nelson DeMille before and if we are completely honest I have never even heard of Nelson DeMille before. Funny thing is this book was a GoodReads recommendation to me after I have finished LeCarre’s “Spy Who Came from the Cold” novel.
I said, why not!
Here’s a secret: I don’t read a ton of thrillers. Not for any particular reason, just have a very busy “To Read” list, so I just chug along following it. When I get the urge to be a rebel and veer off course, I usually go to GoodReads recommendation tab.
BAM! Welcome “Charm School” by Nelson DeMille to my “Reading Now” tab.
Despite 3 stars, I have got to say, DeMille did not disappoint.
To clarify: 3 Stars to me is “Liked It” and that’s exactly what happened. I liked it.
Characters: 4
Sam Hollis is such an asshole. Phew, got that off my chest.
With that said, for some reason, I really liked him. He is straight forward, knows what he wants and likes, and goes after it. His level of confidence is an inspiration. Now, yeah, he is a very sarcastic character, to say the least, but despite his shortcomings, I enjoyed getting to know him.
Lisa, at a glance appears the exact opposite of Hollis, but as the story progresses I understood that she was anything but. She is just different from him, very VERY different. Still, they make a great duo for the story.
I couldn’t help myself but just like them. As people. I think DeMille has done a good job making them feel real. Someone I could relate to, despite not knowing anything about their jobs first hand.
Our antagonist, colonel Burov, on the flip side, is made to not be very likable, but I still found myself rooting for him. Maybe it is my slavic heritage? I don’t know. I just did not feel like he was entirely “evil”. Maybe that was intentional. Maybe DeMille made him just evil enough to be a great antagonist and then did not cross the line of completely evil, leaving some grey room for me to be able to have some sympathy.
And by completely evil, I mean like Sauron level of evil, since Burov is pretty darn evil.
Still there is a part of me that goes: “Isn’t evil just a matter of perspective?”
Plot: 4
Talking about perspective! I enjoyed being taken on this ride, and I think a big part of that enjoyment for me was reading about how an American would see and perceive soviet Russia. I grew up in Ukraine during the late 80’s and early 90’s and got to experience the culture in full before moving over to the USA, and it was very immersive to see both perspectives represented in the book fairly well.
Plot was very fast paced, something always went wrong and in between all the disasters DeMille managed to squeeze in so many cultural references, it made me FEEL what was going on in the novel.
I’ve got to say there were some pretty awesome plot twists I did not see coming. Now, I did know the twist WAS coming, I just felt it, but I could not figure out exactly what it would be. A thrilling ride. Very annoying, since I wanted to know, but alas, can’t have it all.
Setting: 3
Setting to me was the weakest part, but not because of it being flawed in any way. Setting was just fine. I felt that it was very one sided. Given, I understand where the author is coming from and there are a variety of references that show DeMille putting in good research time to get to at least understand Soviet mentality.
His audience were mainly American readers, so knowing that, I can be at peace with the one sidedness.
There are parts in the novel, however where he asks a very good question: “are the good guys really Good ALL the time?” The answer allows some room for interpretation, but what if the good guys are not always entirely “good”.
What then?
Also, if we are honest the constant reference to people as peasants was just really annoying. Why peasants? Why not villagers? Peasants as a word just has this Medieval feel that did not fit in for me. I know many of the the qualifications fit, but it just did not fit.
His contemplations around Russian “Soul” are hilarious, simply because he is spot on there. You’ll need to read to understand, but it is a very vague concept, this melancholy soul, the “mood”. You can only “get it” if you have ever lived through a Winter in Eastern Europe, preferably in a smaller town, not in a capital. Among real people, not other tourists in some metropolis.
When you do that ONCE, you will be able to relate. Or not survive the experience, by coming back home with a failing kidney from all the moonshine that you will have drank.
Either or, its a test of mettle.
Like climbing Everest.
All in all, I think if you are a fan of thriller or spy genres and have some interest in Cold War or Soviet Regime this is a no brainer. Read it NOW.
For all other readers, I would suggest to move on, and find another read.
Roman “Ragnar”
I said, why not!
Here’s a secret: I don’t read a ton of thrillers. Not for any particular reason, just have a very busy “To Read” list, so I just chug along following it. When I get the urge to be a rebel and veer off course, I usually go to GoodReads recommendation tab.
BAM! Welcome “Charm School” by Nelson DeMille to my “Reading Now” tab.
Despite 3 stars, I have got to say, DeMille did not disappoint.
To clarify: 3 Stars to me is “Liked It” and that’s exactly what happened. I liked it.
Characters: 4
Sam Hollis is such an asshole. Phew, got that off my chest.
With that said, for some reason, I really liked him. He is straight forward, knows what he wants and likes, and goes after it. His level of confidence is an inspiration. Now, yeah, he is a very sarcastic character, to say the least, but despite his shortcomings, I enjoyed getting to know him.
Lisa, at a glance appears the exact opposite of Hollis, but as the story progresses I understood that she was anything but. She is just different from him, very VERY different. Still, they make a great duo for the story.
I couldn’t help myself but just like them. As people. I think DeMille has done a good job making them feel real. Someone I could relate to, despite not knowing anything about their jobs first hand.
Our antagonist, colonel Burov, on the flip side, is made to not be very likable, but I still found myself rooting for him. Maybe it is my slavic heritage? I don’t know. I just did not feel like he was entirely “evil”. Maybe that was intentional. Maybe DeMille made him just evil enough to be a great antagonist and then did not cross the line of completely evil, leaving some grey room for me to be able to have some sympathy.
And by completely evil, I mean like Sauron level of evil, since Burov is pretty darn evil.
Still there is a part of me that goes: “Isn’t evil just a matter of perspective?”
Plot: 4
Talking about perspective! I enjoyed being taken on this ride, and I think a big part of that enjoyment for me was reading about how an American would see and perceive soviet Russia. I grew up in Ukraine during the late 80’s and early 90’s and got to experience the culture in full before moving over to the USA, and it was very immersive to see both perspectives represented in the book fairly well.
Plot was very fast paced, something always went wrong and in between all the disasters DeMille managed to squeeze in so many cultural references, it made me FEEL what was going on in the novel.
I’ve got to say there were some pretty awesome plot twists I did not see coming. Now, I did know the twist WAS coming, I just felt it, but I could not figure out exactly what it would be. A thrilling ride. Very annoying, since I wanted to know, but alas, can’t have it all.
Setting: 3
Setting to me was the weakest part, but not because of it being flawed in any way. Setting was just fine. I felt that it was very one sided. Given, I understand where the author is coming from and there are a variety of references that show DeMille putting in good research time to get to at least understand Soviet mentality.
His audience were mainly American readers, so knowing that, I can be at peace with the one sidedness.
There are parts in the novel, however where he asks a very good question: “are the good guys really Good ALL the time?” The answer allows some room for interpretation, but what if the good guys are not always entirely “good”.
What then?
Also, if we are honest the constant reference to people as peasants was just really annoying. Why peasants? Why not villagers? Peasants as a word just has this Medieval feel that did not fit in for me. I know many of the the qualifications fit, but it just did not fit.
His contemplations around Russian “Soul” are hilarious, simply because he is spot on there. You’ll need to read to understand, but it is a very vague concept, this melancholy soul, the “mood”. You can only “get it” if you have ever lived through a Winter in Eastern Europe, preferably in a smaller town, not in a capital. Among real people, not other tourists in some metropolis.
When you do that ONCE, you will be able to relate. Or not survive the experience, by coming back home with a failing kidney from all the moonshine that you will have drank.
Either or, its a test of mettle.
Like climbing Everest.
All in all, I think if you are a fan of thriller or spy genres and have some interest in Cold War or Soviet Regime this is a no brainer. Read it NOW.
For all other readers, I would suggest to move on, and find another read.
Roman “Ragnar”
June 17, 2018
The Charm School by Nelson DeMille which is published by Grand Central Publishing . I have posted a review on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus pages.
I read this book as it was recommended to me by my wife who read it years ago. I have read one other book by Nelson DeMille - The Cuban Affair.
This book, like The Cuban Affair, is based on conspiracy theories that took place during and following the Vietnam War. That said, this is a much better book than the Cuban Affair. The reader must keep in mind that this book was written prior to the Berlin Wall coming down and the uprooting of the communist government in Russia. While an enjoyable read, I have to wonder if the Soviets were as inept as they are portrayed in the book.
I recommend this book to anyone who is into conspiracy theories and likes to read about them being actual fact.
I read this book as it was recommended to me by my wife who read it years ago. I have read one other book by Nelson DeMille - The Cuban Affair.
This book, like The Cuban Affair, is based on conspiracy theories that took place during and following the Vietnam War. That said, this is a much better book than the Cuban Affair. The reader must keep in mind that this book was written prior to the Berlin Wall coming down and the uprooting of the communist government in Russia. While an enjoyable read, I have to wonder if the Soviets were as inept as they are portrayed in the book.
I recommend this book to anyone who is into conspiracy theories and likes to read about them being actual fact.
May 2, 2020
I’ve already read a Nelson DeMille’s novel, “The Panther” (couple of years ago) and I enjoyed it !
I was curious after reading the sinopse of this novel, and then I got addicted while reading it. The book tooks you in the 80’s in the heart of Soviet Union, Russia...an American young tourist, who saw & meet a fugitive prisioner in a restricted rural area nearby Moscow, which will lead several consequences in his life and to the Embassy of the USA.
Excelent historical thriller, loved it !!! 5 ⭐️
I was curious after reading the sinopse of this novel, and then I got addicted while reading it. The book tooks you in the 80’s in the heart of Soviet Union, Russia...an American young tourist, who saw & meet a fugitive prisioner in a restricted rural area nearby Moscow, which will lead several consequences in his life and to the Embassy of the USA.
Excelent historical thriller, loved it !!! 5 ⭐️
April 19, 2012
I read this years ago and found it so suspenseful that I couldn't put it down. The Charm School is a hidden "camp" in Russia where captured Americans are forced to teach KGB agents how to act American so as to blend in and spy in the U.S. Nelson DeMille is one of my favorite authors and he weaved a chilling action story taking place in the heart of the Cold War. I need to read this again!
February 23, 2025
Xenophobia was as Russian as borst.
I never thought in a million years I would read Nelson DeMille. For some reason, I was always put off by his books. But when I learned that many considered Charm School to be among the top fifty spy novels ever written, I had to read it for myself.
The novel starts with Gregory Fisher racing his Trans Am across the Soviet countryside towards Moscow during the Cold War. Young, ignorant of the communist country’s laws, he finds himself under house arrest at the local American hotel. Always the rebel, he ventures to Borodino to see the battlefield, where he witnesses something he shouldn’t have. A Vietnam vet, escaping a POW camp, where he’s been held prisoner for the past fifteen years. Calling the American embassy, he asks for the local Air Force attaché.
Enter Colonel Sam Hollis, a Vietnam War veteran, with a pragmatic yet cynical worldview. Together with the local CIA chief, and an embassy liaison they both fawn over, they try to peek behind the iron curtain into Mrs. Ivana’s Charm School. But getting too close, might mean getting schooled yourself.
”I learned when you say Mrs. Ivana’s Charm School you go to jail.”
This early DeMille work reflects on the philosophical nature of patriotism, and what spies are willing to forfeit even to their identity in service of their nation. Each will have to grip what it means to serve their country, through moral, ethical, and personal compromise.
A slow burn thriller, yet the fire never seems to go out. I just could not put this book down, even though it was over 800 pages! Highly recommend!
“They’re breaking the rules, so we can do the same. Things are going to get hot in old Moscow.”
I never thought in a million years I would read Nelson DeMille. For some reason, I was always put off by his books. But when I learned that many considered Charm School to be among the top fifty spy novels ever written, I had to read it for myself.
The novel starts with Gregory Fisher racing his Trans Am across the Soviet countryside towards Moscow during the Cold War. Young, ignorant of the communist country’s laws, he finds himself under house arrest at the local American hotel. Always the rebel, he ventures to Borodino to see the battlefield, where he witnesses something he shouldn’t have. A Vietnam vet, escaping a POW camp, where he’s been held prisoner for the past fifteen years. Calling the American embassy, he asks for the local Air Force attaché.
Enter Colonel Sam Hollis, a Vietnam War veteran, with a pragmatic yet cynical worldview. Together with the local CIA chief, and an embassy liaison they both fawn over, they try to peek behind the iron curtain into Mrs. Ivana’s Charm School. But getting too close, might mean getting schooled yourself.
”I learned when you say Mrs. Ivana’s Charm School you go to jail.”
This early DeMille work reflects on the philosophical nature of patriotism, and what spies are willing to forfeit even to their identity in service of their nation. Each will have to grip what it means to serve their country, through moral, ethical, and personal compromise.
A slow burn thriller, yet the fire never seems to go out. I just could not put this book down, even though it was over 800 pages! Highly recommend!
“They’re breaking the rules, so we can do the same. Things are going to get hot in old Moscow.”
May 30, 2019
I've read The Charm School three times now, and for me, it gets better every time. I know it might be considered a little old-fashioned but it's just got everything. Interesting characters, snarky humour, a real taste of Russia, and a page turning intensity that means it's hard to put down. It makes me laugh and cry and keeps me on the edge of my seat. If I had to choose just ten of my books to take with me to a desert island, this would be one of them. Brilliant!
April 15, 2019
This was a very long story that left me unsatisfied at the end. It's quite scary to think that something like this could actually happen in Russia. Rating this at middle-of-the-road with 5 out of 10.
March 20, 2013
Welcome to Mrs. Ivanova's Charm School, a top secret "facility" where they teach Russian spies to pass themselves off as Americans to even a real American. Then off to the US of A with a fake identity (Non-Russian, of course) where they would live as American citizens and would pass on the state secrets to their homeland and gradually, would get a virtual hold on the entire country. Who would teach them? The MIAs (missing in action) from the Vietnam War who were captured and flown illegitimately to the USSR from Vietnam.
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I read this book purely because of the subject matter it dealt with. Have you ever wondered what happens to a soldier when he is considered MIA in any war? If luck is on his side, then he is probably dead. But if it is not, it's more than likely that the enemy has him and they are not going to acknowledge his existence. Ever. And sadly, there is little one can do about that as there is bound to be a severe lack of evidence to raise any legitimate inquiry.
But more often than not, it's incompetency and cavalier attitude on the part of that country's politicians that these men are doomed to live as prisoners for life. After all, they have served their purpose of fighting a war for their country, but now it's time for the peace talks and improving relations, so such minor and inconsequential hurdles should be ignored for the "greater" good.
Look on the web and you will not find a single country which has fought a war that is not being accused of wrongfully imprisoning MIAs of its enemies and denying their existence. Think of the devastation it may wrought on the psyche of the family members of that MIA who are never going to know for sure whether their beloved one is dead or alive.
So regardless of your nationality, try to spare a moment and think about these poor souls, because if your country has fought a war in the past 35-50 years, chances are that some of your countrymen who were listed as MIA at that time are still alive and being tortured daily for their patriotism.
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Now about The Charm School. "The Charm School" felt 200 pages too long. Normal dialogues between characters seemed rather clunky to me. Especially intimate conversation between the main characters Sam Hollis and Lisa Rhodes felt really gawky most of the times. But I liked the dry witticism that Nelson DeMille has apparently deemed essential to render to almost all of his characters whenever they were trying to outfox each other. Sadly, all the Russians were depicted stereo-typically in the book. I would have liked to see better developed characters on the Russian side.
But thankfully, last 100 pages were very exciting and the ending also seemed quiet logical to me.
4 stars
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I read this book purely because of the subject matter it dealt with. Have you ever wondered what happens to a soldier when he is considered MIA in any war? If luck is on his side, then he is probably dead. But if it is not, it's more than likely that the enemy has him and they are not going to acknowledge his existence. Ever. And sadly, there is little one can do about that as there is bound to be a severe lack of evidence to raise any legitimate inquiry.
But more often than not, it's incompetency and cavalier attitude on the part of that country's politicians that these men are doomed to live as prisoners for life. After all, they have served their purpose of fighting a war for their country, but now it's time for the peace talks and improving relations, so such minor and inconsequential hurdles should be ignored for the "greater" good.
Look on the web and you will not find a single country which has fought a war that is not being accused of wrongfully imprisoning MIAs of its enemies and denying their existence. Think of the devastation it may wrought on the psyche of the family members of that MIA who are never going to know for sure whether their beloved one is dead or alive.
So regardless of your nationality, try to spare a moment and think about these poor souls, because if your country has fought a war in the past 35-50 years, chances are that some of your countrymen who were listed as MIA at that time are still alive and being tortured daily for their patriotism.
*********************************************************
Now about The Charm School. "The Charm School" felt 200 pages too long. Normal dialogues between characters seemed rather clunky to me. Especially intimate conversation between the main characters Sam Hollis and Lisa Rhodes felt really gawky most of the times. But I liked the dry witticism that Nelson DeMille has apparently deemed essential to render to almost all of his characters whenever they were trying to outfox each other. Sadly, all the Russians were depicted stereo-typically in the book. I would have liked to see better developed characters on the Russian side.
But thankfully, last 100 pages were very exciting and the ending also seemed quiet logical to me.
4 stars
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