The Odessa File - Frederick Forsyth

This post has 10 comments

• 
  Gweilo
  September 22nd, 2014
  

  Not “historical fiction”. It was written, and set, in the 1970s.

  The Odessa File - Frederick Forsyth
• 
  clouds
  September 22nd, 2014
  

  Thank you, this book looks great.
  Historical fiction…or not.
  Most of the books listed here are jumbled up, under the wrong section and such… So I wouldn’t let the above comment bother me. ;)
  Please keep posting books.:) Thanks again.

  The Odessa File - Frederick Forsyth
• 
  forsooth
  September 22nd, 2014
  

  gesserit on KAT is going to upload many of forsyths novels over the coming period. exciting. no doubt kassyopeia will be copying them all hrer too. thanks to all involved

  The Odessa File - Frederick Forsyth
• 
  kassyopeia aka gesserit
  September 23rd, 2014
  

  ^^^ Wikipedia calls it that, and after mulling it over, I went along with it. Your objection is that it was (more or less) set in the present at the time of writing, yes? I’m thinking the label works in a slightly different sense, though - it’s fiction tied directly into significant historical goings-on, namely French colonialism for “Day of the Jackal” and the Holocaust for “Odessa File”. Admittedly, I might have come to a different decision if they were written and set more recently, though, now that I think about it. Meh. :)

  ^ kassyopeia being gesserit’s less current alter ego, “no doubt” indeed. :P

  The Odessa File - Frederick Forsyth
• 
  messiisrando
  September 23rd, 2014
  

  thank you for sharing

  The Odessa File - Frederick Forsyth
• 
  Gweilo
  September 24th, 2014
  

  On [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Odessa_File[/url] it’s just called a “thriller”.

  I read this back in the 70s myself, and was alive in the 60s, which made the label “historical” pretty jarring to me.

  Written 1972 and set 1963, not exactly “present day”, but “historical” usually refers to at least 50 years before publication. ([url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_fiction#Historical_novels[/url])

  Anyway, glad you don’t take umbrage at comments. Some posters think a correction, much less a difference of opinion, is a criticism.

  The Odessa File - Frederick Forsyth
• 
  kassyopeia
  September 24th, 2014
  

  ^ It’s http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_of_the_Jackal which calls that one a “Spy, Thriller, Historical novel”, but the books are so stylistically similar that the question transfers (in either direction), I’m thinking.

  Thanks for pointing me to the “x years” definitions; I’d never come across those before, that I can recall, and find them a bit surprising in their naivete. Which isn’t to say that the figures aren’t sensible ones, mind you - 25 years is a generation, 50 years is likely before the author was grown-up, or born at all.

  As I said, I tend to think of the label as much in terms of content as of setting. For example, if a story has a medieval backdrop that’s (whether deliberately for effect, or simply for lack of more detailed research) kept totally vague, I’d be hesitant to apply the “historical” label. If it’s set in a recognizable region and century and involves or at least mentions recognizable events or personages, then it falls squarely into the mold.

  To be clear, though, I make no claim to that being anything more than my own idiosyncratic notion. :)

  As to not taking umbrage, I’m one of those people who actually prefer constructive criticism to generic praise. To my mind, the one proves that someone genuinely cares, whereas the other may be genuine appreciation, but may also be nothing more than hollow courtesy. I’ve had discussions about that on other filesharing sites, and it’s still beyond me why anybody would want to have to wade through fifty one-word “thanks” posts to get to the one which points out a problem or makes a useful suggestion. *shakes head in bewilderment*

  The Odessa File - Frederick Forsyth
• 
  Gweilo
  September 25th, 2014
  

  Well, so in fact, no one called “Odessa” historical fiction, except you.

  Most torrents here have a random collection of labels, to the point they’re completely useless for searching. And the “key words” often make some weird books come up in the “related” list on the right. So makes little difference in the end what you put.

  And I see you’ve also labelled “Fourth Protocol” the same. That was written 1984, set in 1986 — the future when it was written. A future that never happened, of course. So even less “historical”.
  Are you just taking the piss now?

  The Odessa File - Frederick Forsyth
• 
  forsooth
  September 25th, 2014
  

  Taking the piss??
  Does it really matter. The point, is an excellent book has been made available on a number of sites by someone who wants to share. Debate semantics all you want, but pléase don’t complain about it.
  Thanks again Gesserit / Kassyopeia. We look forward to your offerings.

  The Odessa File - Frederick Forsyth
• 
  kassyopeia
  September 26th, 2014
  

  No worries, as I said, I don’t mind complaints in the least.

  Neither do I feel the need to explain my reasoning more than twice, though. ;)

  The Odessa File - Frederick Forsyth