The Commissar's Report

by Martyn Burke

Book Overview

In 1954 he was the most promising spy Russia had ever smuggled into the United States. By 1984 he was one of the richest capitalists in the world. The Commissar's Report begins deep in the doldrums of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1587215144
• ISBN13: 9781587215148
• Release Date: August 2000
• Publisher: 1st Book Library
• Length: 328 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Spy vs. Spy

It's been a while since I've picked up a Mad Magazine, but this novel has often reminded me of the black and white comic strip characters who symbolized the struggle of the Cold War. For those who are unfamiliar, or like me, only vaguely remember the premise of Spy vs. Spy, there are two spies who are constantly hatching up plots to eliminate the other. The plots vary in complexity and are usually countered by the opposing spy in a way that backfires on the original plotter, or ends in a draw. In any case, you never knew who was likely to be the victor until the last frame. Such is the case with Burke's story. The Commissar's Report is a brilliant tale that highlights two characters on opposite sides of an ideological battle. And, to complicate things, they have a history together going back to early childhood. Dimitri is a smart young russian with a promising role in the Kremlin. His problem is that he has two things that he loves dearly--a gorgeous wife with expensive tastes and questionable loyalties, and the glamour of America. Not exactly a good combination when you live behind the Iron Curtain. But things look promising when Dimitri convinces his superiors in the Kremlin that he could be useful in the Cold War and is sent on a 'diplomatic mission' to New York City. His assignment is to find a way to bring down America and capitalism. His personal goal is exactly the opposite. Suddenly he finds himself in a predictament. He must appear to be attacking Enemy Number One while actually trying to save it. The schemes that he comes up with seem to be idiotproof. But he underestimates the level of idiocy among the people he tries to recruit. His schemes involve politicians, artists and intellectuals in ways that spark McCarthyism and other actual historical events which in retrospect seem to make more sense in Burke's story than they did in the New York Times. Meanwhile, his childhood friend turned enemy, Lavrenti, who now works for the CIA, is always in the shadows, finding ways to make Dimitri's plans go awry. To complicate things further, Dimitri inadvertantly becomes heavily invested in the stock market, while simultaneously trying to keep his naive wife from drawing attention to them with her lavish spending habits. Two things that could get them sent back to Russia in a steamer trunk. Burke employs a very simple and entertaining writing style that manages to quickly develop characters to a point where you either love them or hate them, and sometimes both at the same time. Yet they are humanized to a level where you feel empathy for them all. If you are a fan of "Catch-22" or "A Confederacy of Dunces", you will absolutely love this novel.

Brilliant!

I read this book many years ago before the fall of the Soviet Union and it has always remained one of my absolute favorites. If anyone remembers the old Soviet era, you'll be tickled pink. If you don't remember the Soviet era, it's an interesting peek into those times. One of my favorite books of all time.