This was written before the best selling Eye of the Needle back in 1976 and under a pseudonym. Follett considers it his best unsuccessful book. I consider it an interesting opportunity to see an early effort from a well known author. The story takes place in one day and involves about a half dozen people who have no idea how their lives are becoming interlinked by events. Were he to write the same story today, it would probably be tied together a bit differently and would be fleshed out a little more, but all the ingredients are there and if you have been a fan of this author, it is well worth your time to read this one. Paper Money
Follett writes an introduction to this book and explains that in this early novel the plot was too complex and their were too many characters that didn't get enough development. So Follett admits, this isn't the best book, but it was still entertaining, even if the end was abrupt.
The plot revolves around an British politician who is seduced by a young woman then blackmailed into revealing who wins a government oil contract. Also, financial wizard Felix Laski tells a henchman Tony Cox the location of a delivery of money to be destroyed.
The plot then follows the money being stolen and Laski wheeling and dealing to buy the company that won the oil contract. All of this information is filtered through a newspaper office where the reporters must decide what to print and what not to print. The only intrigue lies in will the reporters discover the scheme and will they print it, and will some of the bad guys get there due. For an early novel, this isn't bad, but is extremely obvious that Follett improved greatly after this book.
Paper money is short and good read for a Follett fan, but not anyone else.
We were horrified at the poor reviews for this book. It is our favorite Ken Follett. It seemed to relate to his frustation as a reporter who was unable to report a fabulous story which had been clevely discovered. We, also, were a bit taken back by the ending, since we expected the bad guys to be suitably punished - but as one thought about it further, they received some punishment, and the good guys came out OK. Follett is telling us this is the way it is sometimes. And the plot really is very subtle - the reader certainly is constantly amazed as the story unfolds. Follett's introduction, which was very helpful, suggested to us that it was one of his favorite books. If you like Follett, and if you are willing to allow a relaxation of the traditional thriller format, we think you will really enjoy this book. We certainly did.
For all Ken Follet fans this is a must. In the foward of the first American release of his first novel, Follet admits that he tried too much in too little space and made things way too complicated. However, Paper Money allows us to se an established novelist when he was taking his first steps and see what lessons he learned.If you like Follet, you will like this book. The same story teller is there. He just has learned to do it better and take his time. Avery short book with alot of story. Read it.
"Paper Money" is a Follett find. Especially for those who want to read everything Follett wrote or anyone who enjoys reading a good writer's early work. Originally published under a pseudonym in England, "Paper Money" appeared in the United States ten years later after the eye-popping success of "Eye of the Needle." This is a good enough story. Drawing on his newspaper experience, Follet tells what happens as the strands of a half dozen Londoners' lives intersect on one fateful day. Millions of dollars are gained and lost. Lives are ended and re-invented. Nobody escapes unscathed. All in less than 24 hours. But what's most intriguing is to catch glimpses of the vintage Follet that make his books instant bestsellers today. Characters, good and bad, you can empathize with. Page-turning plots. Small details that loom large. To be honest, "Paper Money" is not as good as what he's written more recently. He admits that himself in the forward to the American edition. But who would expect it to be? It's still a entertaining, quick read that¹ll leave you asking "what if" about nearly every character at the end of the day.
This is the first Ken Follett I have read and I understand it is an early effort. This novel is a wonderful invocation of London and various types that were around in the late 60s and early 70s. In a short space it paints a rich canvass of characters and has a very clever plot.The insight into characters and "the way things work" is sharp and the sex is well handled without becoming prurient. I was amazed at the talent here ("I normally read more "serious" authors) and this is a cut above other best selling authors I sometimes have read. I intend to explore his other novels.
Ken Follett won my heart as one of my favorite authors in PILLARS OF THE EARTH, and EYE OF THE NEEDLE. I was so intrigued, that I wanted to read one of his earliest novels. It was praised, by Follett..and he ponders in the introduction if he was "TOO CLEVER" in writing this book. NO WAY! Clever is not an adjective which comes to mind.. Taunted as a novel of international suspense and action...it was neither. It was flat. It was dull. It was booooring. It was fragmented. The characters did not make me care about them....and I didn't "get it" when it was finished. I knew what Ken Follett wanted me to "get", but I did not. It was was so trite, that it wasn't even a summer "Take me Away" type of novel. IT was a weak start...but thankgoodness Ken Follett has risen to the occasion.and become a better author.
The novel paper money is an intriguing novel which describes a single day in the world of a bustling newspaper company. Follet's method of character description and presentation in which he introduces each character in their their own light, is an effective, yet sometimes confusing way of developing the novel's characters. The novel as a whole is a refreshing story which is sure to delight, yet the inadequate ending of the book may cause its readers to yearn for a sense of closure.'
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