Juliana (philippaj) -
~ Interesting, but not what I expected (3.5 stars) ~
THE COMPANY WE KEEP was by no means a bad book, but I think my expectations were such that I was bound to be a little disappointed. I didn't really know what to expect, but an action, spy, historical/political, and love story - or some combination of the four - was what I had in mind when I started the book, and it ended up being relatively light on all four.
It's an interesting read and I liked how Dayna and Bob each wrote their separate (short) chapters, which are at first completely separate and then start to overlap more and more until they're intertwined and covering the same period and time together. Some pieces seem random and/or not fully explored, both things having to do with their personal lives (felt very piecemeal to me and really not complete) and with their professional ones. I think one thing the book brought home to me was that being in the CIA is not as exciting as it may seem in TV and movies (big shocker, I know!), and that nothing in that world is black and white.
I have a great deal of admiration for Dayna and Bob - their sense of adventure and ability to just pickup and go or be in completely unknown situations was really awe-inspiring to me, who likes to know everything beforehand, have all contingencies planned out, and is basically not the most spur-of-the-moment type person (putting it lightly).
BOTTOM LINE:
All in all, the book was quieter than I thought it would be, but worth the read.
[This review is of an advanced copy format of the book]
THE COMPANY WE KEEP was by no means a bad book, but I think my expectations were such that I was bound to be a little disappointed. I didn't really know what to expect, but an action, spy, historical/political, and love story - or some combination of the four - was what I had in mind when I started the book, and it ended up being relatively light on all four.
It's an interesting read and I liked how Dayna and Bob each wrote their separate (short) chapters, which are at first completely separate and then start to overlap more and more until they're intertwined and covering the same period and time together. Some pieces seem random and/or not fully explored, both things having to do with their personal lives (felt very piecemeal to me and really not complete) and with their professional ones. I think one thing the book brought home to me was that being in the CIA is not as exciting as it may seem in TV and movies (big shocker, I know!), and that nothing in that world is black and white.
I have a great deal of admiration for Dayna and Bob - their sense of adventure and ability to just pickup and go or be in completely unknown situations was really awe-inspiring to me, who likes to know everything beforehand, have all contingencies planned out, and is basically not the most spur-of-the-moment type person (putting it lightly).
BOTTOM LINE:
All in all, the book was quieter than I thought it would be, but worth the read.
[This review is of an advanced copy format of the book]
River M. reviewed The Company We Keep: A Husband-and-Wife True-Life Spy Story on + 11 more book reviews
The contrast between fictional movies and real-life, as portrayed in this book, are quite intriguing. Real-life is more ambiguous, plodding, and the outcomes are obtuse. The descriptions of American bombings are heart-wrenching. Is it all worth it?
