How does it compare to audio works by the same author?
Not applicable
Advantages:
Gripping plot, interesting period of history (to me)
Disadvantages:
Poor characterisation, repetitive writing, assumes in depth knowledge of period
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
“Winter in Madrid” centres around three British men in Spain in the early part of the Second World War, in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. Harry Brett, having been injured at Dunkirk, agrees to go to Spain at the request of the intelligence services that want him to gather information Sandy Forsyth with whom Brett went to school. Brett is already familiar with Madrid having visited the city twice before; the first time with another old school-friend Bernie Piper and the second time to search for Bernie after he has been reported missing fighting with the international Brigades during the civil war.
The novel is essentially a wartime thriller with a good dose of espionage but it is also a historical account of a very specific time in Spanish history. It is a time that many people perhaps know little about: certainly in Britain most history lessons focus on World War Two than the Spanish Civil War and, as a result, the author frequently attributes his readership with perhaps a greater knowledge of the period than should be expected. The various references to the political system, the key players, the blockade of Spain by the British and other events would be better explained to make the book more enjoyable to the average reader.
I bought the book because of the suggestion on the cover that if you liked Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Shadow of the Wind) or Sebastian Faulks (I imagine that “Birdsong” and “Charlotte Gray” were in mind), then you would enjoy “Winter In Madrid”. I did enjoy Shadow of the Wind and I am a big fan of Sebastian Faulks, and I did enjoy “Winter In Madrid”. However, this novel comes nowhere near the works of Zafon or Faulks in terms of writing
Given the subject matter and the location, this story was always going to be starkly told but Sansom lacks a spark of vitality to bring the locations alive and the characteristion is poor. He conveys the devastation of the city quite well but there is something lacking. The characters are pretty one dimensional and not very credible. It may have something to do with the public school upbringing and the middle class outlook of Forsyth and Brett but I found them pompous and tiring. As for Piper, the son of an east end shopkeeper who attended public school on the back of a scholarship, his chirpy demeanour and his optimistic spirit were a frankly laughable stereotype of the most crass kind.
The style of writing was not only lacking in descriptive quality but it was also stilted and repetitive. I don’t know how many times “Barbara bit her lip” or “Bernie bit his lip” or “Harry bit his lip” – let’s just say it was more times than I could count. Similarly, the dialogue was poor; even when the characters were supposed to be at the heights of emotion the language and tone was unbelievable, even if you try to shake it off by putting it down to English “stiff upper lip”.
However, in spite of these points, I really enjoyed “Winter in Madrid”. I found the story utterly compelling and was able, for the main part, to ignore the negatives because of the strength of the story. The preamble I could live without; those parts were still predictable and stereotypical. The idea of Forsyth as the wayward son of a Bishop and his secret passion for collecting fossils that revealed him as sensitive after all were a joke.
To be fair the story is quite slow but the action gathers pace in the final 150 pages and from there it was a series of thrilling twists and turns that left my heart pounding. If only the final chapter hadn’t been such a cringe-making return to the insipidness of the opening part of the book! I realise my appraisal sounds contradictory but the fast-paced final part really did make up for the cardboard characters and the dull writing.
Only in that “Shadow of the Wind” and “Winter in Madrid” are both set in Spain could one compare Sansom to Zafon; the work of the latter is more dark and serious and much more descriptive and evocative. As for the mention of Faulks, I can only think the connection came from espionage during the war being the central theme of “Charlotte Gray”; in terms of writing ability, Faulks is head and shoulders above this.
Some readers have suggested that “Winter in Madrid” is teeming with inaccuracies. However, the author does apologise for these in a note at the end of the book, explaining that these are due to the demands of the plot. I did not notice any, but, as I said, I’m no expert on this period. If you are I would imagine you would be pretty disappointed. On the other hand, if this is a period of history you want to know more about, this is not the book for you. The author expects his readers to know as much about the period as he does and, given that he has a PhD in the subject, that’s unlikely.
I am awarding “Winter In Madrid” three stars because I found the plot clever and compelling. If Faulks had written this, the characters would have been fully formed and more believable. As it is, “Winter in Madrid” can be summed up as an excellent idea but lacking the other components that make a novel fully rounded.
Published by Macmillan 536 pages
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