Eye of the Needle: A Novel

Written by Ken Follett

Narrated by Samuel West

The worldwide phenomenon from the bestselling author of The Pillars of the Earth, World Without End, A Column of Fire, and The Evening and the Morning

His code name was “The Needle.” He was a German aristocrat of extraordinary intelligence—a master spy with a legacy of violence in his blood, and the object of the most desperate manhunt in history. . . . 
 
But his fate lay in the hands of a young and vulnerable English woman, whose loyalty, if swayed, would assure his freedom—and win the war for the Nazis. . . . 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Audio
• Release date: Feb 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9780593452448

Ken Follett

Ken Follett es uno de los autores más queridos y admirados por los lectores de todo el mundo, y las ventas de sus treinta y ocho libros superan los ciento noventa y ocho millones de ejemplares. Su primer best seller fue La isla de las tormentas (El ojo de la aguja), un thriller de espionajeambientado en la Segunda Guerra Mundial. En 1989 publicó Los pilares de la Tierra, que alcanzó el número uno en las listas de más vendidos en un gran número de países y que se ha convertido en su novela más popular. Sus secuelas, Un mundo sin fin, Una columna de fuego y La armadura de la luz, y la precuela, Las tinieblas y el alba, fueron también grandes éxitos y la saga en su conjunto ha superado los cincuenta millones de ejemplares vendidos en todo el mundo. Follett vive en Hertfordshire con su esposa, Barbara. Entre los dos tienen cinco hijos, seis nietos y dos perros labradores.

Reviews for Eye of the Needle

[jtsolakos · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Of course, Ken Follett writes wonderful historical fiction but add a fantastic spy story and what you have is a book that you can not put down. Follett's writing is so good that there are parts where you are not sure who you are cheering for: is it the spy or not? The writing is that good. Just read the novel to find out what I am talking about. No giving away clues here.

[arubabookwoman · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There is a German spy in England during WW II code-named the Needle. He has learned some facts and information which if known to the Nazis could mean certain defeat for the allies when they begin their invasion of mainland Europe, i.e. D-Day. The Needle is on the run, and has escaped to a remote Scottish island where he is waiting to be picked up by submarine. The only person who can stop him is a young Englishwoman living on the island with her wheelchair-bound husband and young child.
For the Kindle edition I read, Follet wrote a new preface (27 years after the original 1978 publication date), noting that what was striking about the book at the time of its publication was that its hero was a woman.
I put this book in the same category as The Day of the Jackal, another thriller from the same era I also recently reread: the good guys are step by meticulous step tracking down a bad guy as the clock ticks down to doomsday and the bad guy nears his goal, escape to Germany for the Needle, assassination of DeGaulle for the Jackal. Both remain compelling reading 40 years after their original publication, even if both did seem a little dated. And both books were effective at creating great tension as we read, even though we are well-aware of the historical fact that both villains did not succeed in their goals.
Recommended.
3 stars

[janepat-619237 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of Ken Follett's best ever.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Book on CD narrated by Eric Lincoln and performed by a full cast.
4.5****

From the book jacket: One enemy spy knows the secret to the Allies' greatest deception, a brilliant aristocrat and ruthless assassin -- code name: "The Needle" -- who holds the key to ultimate Nazi victory. Only one person stands in his way: a lonely Englishwoman on an isolated island, who is beginning to love the killer who has mysteriously entered her life.

My reactions:
Wow. Just, WOW.

Fast-paced and engaging, this was Follett’s first successful endeavor as a novelist; he wrote it when he was only 27 years old!

Follet uses three story arcs which converge in a heart-stopping scenario. He begins with Henry Faber, the pseudonym used by the German spy known as The Needle, and quickly shows the reader just how determined, ruthless and dangerous this man is. Then he starts the story of Percival Godliman, an aging professor of history, with a background the British want to employ to help them catch spies, and Detective Inspector Bloggs, who will act as Godliman’s man on the ground during the big chase. And finally the third side of the triangle: Lucy, a young woman about to be married and embark on the life of a war bride. Follet continues to craft the story moving from one story line to the other, keeping the reader off balance and eager to find out more. Virtually every chapter ends in a cliffhanger.

The audiobook is much like a radio drama. Erik Lincoln narrates the story, but each time there is dialogue, internal or external, the character is played by a different, talented voice artist. I found it a little off at first, but quickly grew used to it, and I found it really entertaining in the end.

[andjhostet-527429 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Pretty lame, honestly. Super plot heavy spy thriller where the plot and the setting carry everything. The only issue is the plot was decent, but rather predictable and cliche. The setting and premise was good, but I'm just not that interested in WWII. The characters were super shallow. The writing was decent at times, and just cringy and bad at other times.

[elizabethcromb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

High tension and intrigue. As good as the film, even if you imagine Donald Sutherland as the spy.

[jessmahler · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

First read about 10 years ago and really enjoyed. Picked at the library and tried to re-read recently but it didn't hold up. Once you know how the story goes the characters are too flat and the writing not strong enough to hold my attention.

[claudia.anderson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

one of my favorite books and the best of Ken Follett; also made into a good movie with Donald Sutherland as the bad guy which kept me on the edge of my seat even though I had read the book before.

[rbeffa_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The novel was published in 1978 and way back in 1981 this book was turned into a movie with Donald Sutherland and Kate Nelligan. Although I have not seen the film in quite a long time I thought it excellent when I first saw it and re-watched it on cable more than once. After first seeing the film I picked up the novel and liked it every bit as much as the film and probably more. Film and novel are both excellent. The story is told about about several characters with three focal points so to speak, but the story is about a German agent embedded in England who has been told to discover if there is a false show being put on by the allies to confuse Germany about where the D-Day invasion will be. It was an elaborate scheme of deception. Equally important is a young (and tragic) married couple living on an island in the North Sea. British MI hunts down the needle before he can discover and relay the truth. The story is tightly woven and the novel is truly a suspense filled thriller with several heart racing scenes. Each character is well written and I was very glad to read it again. A real page turner at times after a very good buildup.

Terrific book. Highly recommended. This certainly holds up 40 years after first publication.

[bevok-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of Follett's first few books, this was the novel that put him on the map. A well written thriller with good incorporation of the events surrounding the leadup to D-Day, its a good light read.

[jackmassa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After a bit of a leisurely start, 'Eye of the Needle' accelerates relentlessly to a sustained and thrilling climax. The characters are starkly, even harshly drawn and the intensity is palpable.

Follett's novels exemplify the term "page-turner," and at times this one borders on cheesy. The villain's ruthlessness and superhuman efficiency, and the heroine's honor and pulchritude, are stressed quite more than necessary. Nor did I need so many scenes with real World War II figures -- Churchill, Hitler, Rommell (where was Eisenhower?) -- telling each other portentiously that the 'whole war depends on this one spy.' All a little forced and unconvincing.

But the bulk of the story, focused on the main characters and their spy hunting, pursuit, wars of nerves, and games of cat and mouse, was excellent.

[siok-76276 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A great plot marred by an incredible heroine. It is hard to suspend disbelief at a heroine who knows how to make a petrol bomb, comes up with all sorts of incredible brainwaves usually headlined by "she had an idea", and uses her fingers to disrupt the electricity to the radio. A good read nonetheless.

[claire5555 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant book, excellent story, great addition to my collection.

[mrslee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Set in England, just before D-day, this is the story of the efforts of Britain to fool the Germans into thinking they would invade anywhere but Normandy. One spy stands between in their way, and they can't find him.

A well told tale, the suspense builds nicely, even when you know how it must end. My feelings veered wildly with the characters. I would be impatient and annoyed with them, and then rooting for them. Even though I wanted to hate the spy, I couldn't quite manage it. The fact that it was a very good story is all that kept me listening to it. I did not care for the production choices. The narrator read only the narrative (and Eric Lincoln was a wonderful narrator), and all the dialog was provided by actors. This threw me right out of the story, and at times made it extremely difficult to understand what was being said. So, I recommend a print version of this.

[jeffome · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

St. Bart's 2015 #5 - Loved this book! I know I read it during a 1983 trip through Europe, but I did not remember a single fact from this book. A great steady read that kept my interest start to finish. And again, this random island vacation selection, unbeknownst to me, has a huge part of the exciting plot take place on an island!!! Lots of insight into the humanity of ordinary folks asked to do extraordinary things in wartime, and I really appreciated that. Good yarn about what could have happened. I would certainly recommend.....

[kroan-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good thriller.

[dannn_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am a Ken Follett fan and have enjoyed all his books. This book starts off slowly, whilst he is introducing his characters and setting the scene, but then starts gathering pace and becomes the type of novel I expect from Follett.
A thoroughly enjoyable WWII spy thriller!

[versha.bharat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Initially when I first started with this book I thought it would be a difficult read for me but to my surprise it was not, the reason being authors style of writing. The way he has developed the story giving all the essential details at the right time with emotional touch made me relate to the character and understand their background evidently because each character whether big or small were given equal importance. May be that was why the first half I found a bit slow..but it helped me understand the character quite clearly. But once I finished the first half and started with the second there was no looking back, as the story progressed so fast and it became so engrossing that I was unable to put it down till I finished it!

The story was great and the ending was amazing although I kept speculating about who would survive whether Lucy or Faber! Oh I just loved Lucy Rose ‘all stars for her’ for the courageous step she took at every part of the story which was commendable and I also sympathized with her so many times but still I could not hate David for his coldness towards her. Its like each character whether good or bad the readers would definelty sympathize with them at least at one point of time not to forget Faber!! Well... all i can say is.. it was a wonderful read!!

[tloeffler_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A German spy in World War II is trying to get important information to Hitler regarding an Allied invasion in France. British Military Intelligence is trying to stop him. After a terrible accident on their wedding night, Lucy and David Rose move to a secluded island, accompanied by only sheep and an ancient shepherd. These three come together in a compelling thriller that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

[katie2716 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good read.

[carlos92-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is set during the second world war. It tells the story of a spy who knows the secret that could change the course of the war. It is a nice realistic- intrigue novel.

[ecw0647 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This classic starts off with a bang. Henry Faber has two identities. The one in London is a quiet man who keeps to himself on the top floor of a house being sublet by a widow. She takes a fancy to him one evening and with her duplicate key happens to walk in on him just as he's getting the transmitter out to send messages back to the Abwehr. He has to kill her.

Faber (Called Die Nadel for his use of the stiletto) is an elite German spy, inserted into England before the war and now embarked on the most important task of his career, trying to determine the most likely landing point of the Allied invasion.

Follett shifts viewpoints between Faber and the British counter-intelligence team (the trick they used to determine Faber’s identity was quite clever,) and Hitler’s general staff The book is all about deception: Faber’s, the turning of German agents into double agents, and the Ghost Army.

Pillars of the Earth was amazingly good, this one not quite so, but well worth the time.

[m2snick · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

If you love spy novels, this is probably a great book. I'm not a fan of the genre but I found this to be tolerable.

[edwardsgt · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Whilst this was largely well-written, it suffers like others dealing with historical events where the outcome is known at the beginning, so it is a matter of how the authorities stop the spy rather than if. Another couple of points grated about Storm Island off the Scottish coast, location of the final scenes: I find it hard to believe that a remote Scottish island supporting three people and a child was provided with mains electricity at two houses at opposite ends of the island during WWII and apparently directly from the mainland, some 10 miles or so distant. Alternatively there was never any mention of a generator or generators being used to provide electricity, a more viable and cost-effective solution for a remote, barely populated island. Secondly, one has to suspend belief that a young man, who had lost his lower legs and with a wife and young baby, would elect to live on such an inhospitable island, never mind drive himself around in an automatic (i.e. fuel guzzling) Jeep. On the latter point the US military only received Willys Jeeps in 1941 and it is highly unlikely one would been have available to someone living on a remote Scottish island!

[mahallett · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

the ending was a little anticlimactic but i can't think of a better ending.

[daye-26 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love this great spy story. It is full of suspense. One of my favorite books made into a good movie with Donald Sutherland.

[scottkalas · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This was my first Ken Follett book. He was recommended as a WWII mystery, suspense, spy thriller writer in the mold of Dan Silva's 'The Unlikely Spy' In parts it did well but it was less then I had hoped for.

Like Silva's Unlikely Spy' there was detailed sex scenes, if I was in my teens I'd probably have found it appealing but at 55 it simply turns me off. I guess I'm what some would call a fuddy duddy, oh so I am and ho hum.

Another angle I'd liked in Unlikely Spy was the identify of the spy was unknown until the end. In Eye of the Needle the spy is the first character you meet, so much for mystery.

There was some suspense early on but at midway it was clear to me how it would all end even the boy meets girl and they live happily ever after bit.

Overall it was an OK read but as for becoming a Follett fan this one missed my mark.

[creighley_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One enemy spy knows the secret that could change the course of the war. Hitler depends on his report to make his final decision as to where the Allies will launch their attack. Is it Calais or the beaches of Normandy. Fast paced and filled with realistic intrigue, Follett has written a great suspense novel.

[auntieknickers · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Carl Sandburg said (in another context) "it pays to have a good forgettery." In this case, a good forgettery allowed me to reread Ken Follett's EYE OF THE NEEDLE (British title, STORM ISLAND) with every bit as much enjoyment as when I first read it 30 years ago. Also, having recently reread THE DAY OF THE JACKAL, it was fun to compare these two similar, but different, thrillers.

Both books feature multiple points of view -- quite a few of them in Follett's case -- and on both sides of the good guy/bad guy divide. Both involve historical events that we know turned out OK, and ask us to imagine a scenario where things could have gone quite differently. The difference in Follett's book is that nearly all the characters are more fully developed. I still found it difficult to work up much sympathy for The Needle, though, and when I found critics (both film and book) talking about his "falling in love" with Lucy, I thought only that they must have a very different idea of love than I have.

The stronger character development in Follett's book makes a lot of artistic sense, since, unlike JACKAL, EYE OF THE NEEDLE must build suspense over a period of four years, from the period just after the Phoney War in 1940, to just before D-Day in 1944. Without the character interest, this might have made for a less engaging story; and the behavior of The Needle, David, and Lucy in the final chapters would not have been as believable.

Reading this now, when Follett has again been on the bestseller lists with WORLD WITHOUT END, his sequel to THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH, (both set in the Middle Ages), one notices how he brings his interest in medieval culture and history even into a World War II thriller. For example, he parallels Godliman the medievalist's search for Henry II's travels with Godliman the intelligence agent's search for The Needle.

I haven't seen the movie of this book, but probably will before long. I am reserving judgment on the casting of Donald Sutherland as The Needle -- somehow it just doesn't seem right to me.

In any case, THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE was quite deserving of the Edgar, even though it had some stiff competition, particularly Tony Hillerman's LISTENING WOMAN.

[schmerguls · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This 1978 thriller had me caught up totally in its fast-paced action consistently through all its pages. The spy discovers the fake devices intended to make Hitler believe that D-Day will not be in Normandy, and book traces his effort to get to Germany and tell Hitler--and the effort of British military intelligence to keep him from getting the information to Hitler. The book ends up on an island off Scotland inhabitated by only four people. On reflection, there are hard to beleive aspects to the scenario, but one cannot but be totally immersed in the enthralling action.