The Boys from Brazil

Ira Levin has an eye for evil. He knows man's avarice and his tendancy to misuse the skills he has developed. It was slightly sinister in "The Stepford Wives." It was dark and unnerving in "Rosemary's Baby." In "The Boys from Brazil," Levin strikes an uglier chord, as he couple's the greed of man with once futuristic science and technology that has become reality. This one has the added chill of being not far out of the neighborhood of possibility. The plot is complex and yet tidy. War criminals from the Holocaust era have fled into hiding in deep, dark South America. There, with the help of the mad scientist, real life ghoul Josef Mengele, they plot to use the science of cloning to bring back their patriarchal hero. And so begins the truly alarming scheme for the rebirthing of Adolph Hitler. Told in Levin's not-one-word-wasted, fast-paced style, "The Boy's from Brazil" is the story of truly evil men and of those who are committed to capturing them. Like all of Levin's masterpieces, this one hooks you from the start and drags you along like a tin can strung to the back of a car. You might read it in two nights. You might read it in one. Either way, read it. For Levin fans or for those unfamiliar with his work, this one is too hot to miss.

Boys from Brazil begins disturbingly, with of group of three men in South American plotting to kill 94 men with civil servant-type jobs. These men are to be killed at specific dates but no mention is given of why. Thus the book continues, slowly building to an unpredictable climax of repeated history that must be stopped. Even though I already knew the ending to this book it was still a wonderful read, and I heartily recommend it to anyone who knows their ABC's

The writer of this book was Ira Levin. This is a story about Nazi Germans plotting to spark the beginning of a fourth Reich by systematically murdering 94 men who are 64 to 66 years old. I sort of liked the book because I like learning about WW2 stuff. The science behind this book is relevant to today. It's kind of scary to think of what would happen if it were real.

Normally, I like reviews that give a short outline of the plot of a book or movie, because without that, you don't know whether you'd like to spend the time. However, unless you're really wavering, I would strongly advise that you to read the book before looking at the reviews below -- Ira Levin is THE MASTER of suspense -- like Stephen King says, his plots work like intricate timepieces -- and for maximum enjoyment you should know as little as possible about the book before you start.Odds are, however, that you already know it's about cloning and Nazis, so I'll go ahead and say this: I put off reading the book for years because I wasn't interested in either of those subjects. But "The Boys" is not what you'd expect at all, and superlatives can't describe Levin's skill. "Couldn't put it down" doesn't touch it.Plus, any gore or references to sex and violence are only what is necessary for the sake of the plot, which is important as far as I'm concerned.And, just like with his other books, this is more than just a roller coaster ride that you walk off of and forget. There's satisfying poetic justice, interesting moral contrast, and important ethical questions raised -- not just the usual pronouncements about weren't-the-Nazis-terrible or isn't-cloning-awfully-dangerous, either. It's one of those books you love to discuss with a friend.

If you intend to take breaks while reading a book, don't read this one! It takes your breath away and wont give it back until your totaly through. Mr. Levin knows how to write a good book. This is the only book that I have actually sat down and read it all the way through.