'Enigma' by Robert Harris is a historical fiction novel set at Bletchley Park during World War II, focusing on the codebreakers' efforts to decrypt the Enigma machine used by the Germans. The plot follows protagonist Tom Jericho, a cryptanalyst, as he returns to work to find his girlfriend missing and suspected of treason, while also dealing with the pressure to break the Enigma code. The writing style is described as compelling, vivid, and detailed, capturing the atmosphere of wartime Britain and the challenges faced by the characters in their codebreaking endeavors.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for Enigma include themes of war, espionage, and mild romantic tension.
Has Romance?
There is a medium level of romance present, primarily focusing on the relationship between Tom Jericho and Claire Romilly, which is interwoven in the overarching narrative of codebreaking.
From The Publisher:
"LITERATE AND SAVVY . . . BRIMS WITH WARTIME INTRIGUE."
-The Washington Post Book World
England 1943. Much of the infamous Nazi Enigma code has been cracked. But Shark, the impenetrable operational cipher used by Nazi U-boats, has masked the Germans' movements, allowing them to destroy a record number of Allied vessels. Feeling that the blood of Allied sailors is on their hands, a top-secret team of British cryptographers works feverishly around the clock to break Shark. And when brilliant mathematician Tom Jericho succeeds, it is the stuff of legend. . . .
"A TENSE AND THOUGHTFUL THRILLER."
-San Francisco Chronicle
Until the unthinkable happens: the Germans have somehow learned that Shark has been cracked. And they've changed the code. . . .
"SUSPENSEFUL AND FASCINATING."
-The Orlando Sentinel
As an Allied convoy crosses the U-boat infested North Atlantic . . . as Jericho's ex-lover Claire disappears amid accusations that she is a Nazi collaborator . . . as Jericho strains his last resources to break Shark again, he cannot escape the ultimate truth: There is a traitor among them. . . .
"GRIPPING . . . CAPTIVATING ."
-New York Daily News
"ELEGANTLY RESEARCHED . . . Readers will find themselves perfectly placed to experience one of Britain's finest hours."
-People
"SATISFYING . . . Harris does a crackerjack job here, playing his characters' lives off historical events in surprising ways."
-Entertainment Weekly
"SUSPENSEFUL . . . FIENDISHLY CLEVER."
-Detroit Free Press
Ratings (3)
Loved It (2) | |
It Was OK (1) |
Reader Stats (8):
Read It (3) | |
Want To Read (5) |
What can you read after
Enigma?
About the Author:
ROBERT HARRIS is the author of twelve novels: Fatherland, Enigma, Archangel, Pompeii, Imperium, The Ghost Writer, Conspirata, The Fear Index, An Officer and a Spy, Dictator, Conclave, and Munich. Several of his books have been adapted to film, most recently The Ghost. His work has been…
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