A Trembling Upon Rome
- 416 pages
- 15 hours of reading
Dark satire about the piratical anti-Pope of 14th Century Rome.
Richard Condon Books
March 18, 1915 – April 9, 1996
Richard Thomas Condon was a satirical thriller novelist, renowned for his conspiratorial novels. His works were characterized by complex plotting, a fascination with trivia, and a loathing for those in power. His characters are often driven by obsession, whether sexual or political, and by family loyalty. His intricate plots frequently feature elements of classical tragedy, where protagonists' pride leads to the destruction of what they love. Some of his books can be described as secret histories, revealing hidden truths.
By day Charley Partanna is a hit man for the Prizzi family. By night he studies for his high school equivalency exam--when he's not juggling two gorgeous women. But these two may be more than even Charley can handle. One, Mardell, is a knockout, one-third fantasy and two-thirds legs. The other, Maerose, is Charley's boss's granddaughter. She's hungry for power, honor...and Charley...usually in that order. And she doesn't want to share. For Charley, it's a problem that he needs to solve--but his hormones keep getting in the way. "Cheerful and funny...foaming with perversity, rascality, obsessional religious mania, assault and battery and our old friends greed and lust." (Time)
PRIZZI'S HONOR is no ordinary story of boy-meets-girl. Charley Partanna is a faithful lieutenant for the Prizzis, New York's most powerful Mafia family. The object of his affections is Irene Walker, a Los Angeles-based tax consultant. But it's her freelancing that pays--she's a hit woman for the Mob. She has also cheated the Prizzis out of an unforgivably large sum of money.This is very dangerous moonlighting indeed, and eventually it places Charley's oldest loyalties in conflict with his newest one. Which wins?"His best book since THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE...he mixes caricature and character as easily as Charley hacks off thumbs." (Chicago Tribune Book World)
The Manchurian Candidate
- 400 pages
- 14 hours of reading
Perfect for fans of HOMELAND, this is the classic novel of espionage and intrigue.
The Venerable Bead
- 308 pages
- 11 hours of reading
Set in the early 1970s, the story follows Leila Aluja, an Iraqi-American lawyer turned film star, who works for a government counter-espionage unit. Tasked with uncovering a ring of Sino-Albanian spies in Hollywood, she successfully completes her mission but becomes romantically involved with the Albanian spymaster, Josef Shqitonja. This relationship leads to a crucial compromise, ultimately ending her undercover career and raising questions about loyalty and love amidst the backdrop of Cold War tensions.
Regisseur Jonathan Demme („Das Schweigen der Lämmer“, „Philadelphia“) verfilmte den brisanten Politthriller von Richard Condon, in dem amerikanische Soldaten gehirngewaschen aus Kriegsgefangenschaft zurückkehren. Einer von ihnen verfolgt tödliche Aufträge, die bis in die Spitzen der Politik reichen. Ein brillanter Roman, dessen Thematik nichts von seiner Aktualität eingebüßt hat. Die Originalvorlage zum kommenden Kinofilm mit Denzel Washington und Meryl Streep
