Trapeze: A Novel Paperback – May 1, 2012

So much potential, difficult to say whether this book is really worth reading, as it is more like half a novel, the author has created a wonderful foundation in so many aspects, yet does his protagonist and his readers a disservice with a hasty conclusion and two broken promises.Disappointing because the majority of the span of this story is so nicely rendered; then late in the game we are teased with an imminent payoff in the form of a planned mission, explicitly promised and involving a key character, but it is simply not included, it's sadly evident that the writer simply put in so much work in research and development and emotional investment that he couldn’t be bothered to do the work of writing a full third act.It’s his choice to create an ironic ending, however in this case he’s obviously confused about his role, he dodges the responsibility of writing through the final sweep of the characters’ journey and simply chooses a kitschy, gratuitous and abrupt ending that yet again is evidence of writing fatigue, transparent and disrespectful.If an author can lay the foundation, develop the nuances and build up momentum and suspense, establish a character web and bring us into the story, why not do the work of developing a complete story?Finally, having implicitly promised the reader a tangible denouement, he pulls the rug out, apparently thinking that it will somehow appear graceful by subverting the expectation of a Hollywood ending, yet the conclusion we are offered after so much buildup is simply clumsy, lazy and cliché in its own pathetically abbreviated broad strokes, immensely disappointing after so much subtle literary underpainting.As an avid reader of the works of John Le Carré, I can appreciate the artful subtext, the musical chairs, ambiguous genre sleight-of-hand, and an ironic, contrary or tragic conclusion, however Simon Mawer fails to meet that standard, since the ending must be earned, the material delivered in completion, and the organic arc, foundation and spine of the story satisfied, otherwise it is doubly disappointing by having to witness so much potential squandered.

I am fascinated by tales of the Resistance and the days of WW II before the Normandy invasion. This fine book follows the swashbuckiling adventures of unlikely Secret Agent Marian Sutro, a mid 20s English girl girl and Francophone who comes from a "good" English family and unaccountably signs on with the English undercover service to operate in France. She is tugged and hauled by different agencies and spends important moments in occupied Paris, away from her station in the southwest of France.I know a little bit about Paris and it is fun to watch Marian on the run from the Gestapo on streets of Paris with which I am familiar.The title of the book is emblematic, better I think than the English edition's the Girl Who Fell from the Sky (I think they were aiming for the Dragon Tattoo connection), as parachuting Marian finds herself quite the daring young woman on a flying trapeze. Marian is quite a well drawn character, and the plotting and characterization of the book are first rate.If you fall in love with Marian as I did, the ending of this volume will be a downer. However, it will not technically be a spoiler if I tell you (as I did not know) that there is a volume 2 in the Marian Sutro series. and you will like that one as well.

Sebastian Faulks’ “Charlotte Gray” remains the gold standard of novels about British women helping the French Resistance during World War II, but Simon Mawer wins the silver with his fast-paced, well-researched “Trapeze.” The story’s major beats are familiar: the heroine’s chance recruitment, arduous preparations, perilous insertion, snatched romance, meticulous tradecraft, near disasters, eventual completion. Mawer’s heroine, Marian, is self-doubting yet staunch in combat, virginal yet all too easily involved.It’s the autumn of what appears to be 1943, and Marian’s mission as a Special Operations Executive agent is to contact a French nuclear scientist in Paris and get him onto a plane for England, so he can help build an atomic bomb. Pre-war, this pair were almost lovers, and might be again. The atomic angle isn’t so far-fetched, since bomb theories were published even before the war, and French scientists were in the forefront of atomic research, starting with the Curies. Marian’s hesitations and doubts are a little overdone, and the climax can be interpreted as a letdown. But overall “Trapeze” delivers, and enthusiasts of French slang will be especially gratified. The familiar ambiguous landscape of wartime France is convincingly evoked, as in comments like “…the whole damn country with its sullen acceptance of its fate, resignation that leaks over into accommodation and becomes, when you looked away for a moment, collaboration.” Though slightly below the highest level, “Trapeze” proves why this time and this place continue to fascinate readers and moviegoers.

Purchased as addition to my Simon Mawer collection BUT it turned out to be identical texzt to oine already purchased - no reference from one to the other!

I love it but have stopped reading it at the moment and have ordered the book that comes before it so that I can keep Marian's life in order!

Really enjoyed this holiday read, with a great twist at the very end....not expected but so simple.Mawer writes well...always enjoy his books.Why did they change the name for UK publication - Trapeze is much better and ties in with the story

If this book was an attempt to celebrate the heroism of female members of the SOE during WWII, it failed. The story lacks any place and drags along at inordinately slow pace. The characters are lightly sketched and have no form or depth to them and there is very little description or interesting dialogue: a lot of navel-gazing does not make an interesting story. SOE training was looked at but not with enough depth or understanding. This is not a thriller in the true sense of the word. I was very dissapointed with this (lack of) effort.